Gents, could anyone help me work out the approximate production date for a Savage No4mk1* serial number 97C85XX.
Thanks in advance.
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Gents, could anyone help me work out the approximate production date for a Savage No4mk1* serial number 97C85XX.
Thanks in advance.
1944. Late year.
I went thru this process a few years ago with my own Savage model. Mine was a South African re-import.
Along with my serial #, it was marked "1942" on the wrist socket. My quest was to confirm that 1942 was the manufacture date
I could not find a single comprehensive on-line resource that spelled out the dates, so I read everything I could find.
Not pretending to be an expert on any level, but here is what I learned, and believe to be accurate....
Savage produced rifles under the Lend- Lease program from July 22, 1941 until June 22, 1944.
The serial numbers began with a 0C1XXX.
The C stands for "Chicopee Falls"..where Savage was located.
If you remove the "C", you get the sequential, numerical number for your particular piece.
Yours is #9785XX. This makes it the 978,500th piece produced by Savage.
For reference, in approximately April, 1944 Savage hit the 1 millionth mark for production. At this point, there are 5 digits after the "C ".
(The actual one millionth Savage was presented to Brig. General Guy Drewry 18 May 1944.)
The last Savage was produced 22 June 1944.
While an inexact process, I would believe that your number indicates either a late 1943 or early 1944 production date.
Maybe others can chime in to verify (or dispute!) my thought process.
I hope this was helpful.
Mike
A minor correction: The first production Savage is serial number 0C1 as it sets in my gun cabinet.
I corrected my original post.
And the fact that you are in possession of that rifle is incredible.
Thanks.
I dated one or two rough & ready girls in my youth.......real savages.....!:p
Addendum: FWIW I'd go with very early 1944, too. As they only marked them with the year of mfr & not both month & year, & had anyway stopped during 1943, it'll always be a bit of a guesstimate, working back from production figures. It would fit in nicely with para-dropping in the run up to D-day.
So others may benefit in relation to Savage production figures on the No.4 & 5 Rifle productions No.'s whilst not gospel and always subject to new information it will give some an idea of when their rifle was possibly made;
1941 ~ 0C (a)
1942 ~ 0C to 40C
1943 ~ 40C to 84C (b)
1944 ~ 90C to 0C6xxxx (c) (d)
a. Savage production during 1941 was only a few thousand rifles.
b. Rifles in this number range are not dated. It is assumed they were made during 1943.
c. After 99C, Savage went to a 0C prefix with a 5-digit number following.
d. Production ceased in mid-1944; highest serial number is 0C63036.
Like said there is always something out there to be discovered about wartime production and vagareties so it pays to keep an open mind but this will help copied from Strattons book on the No.4 & No.5 rifles 2nd Edition Revised.
Thanks Gent's. this rifle does not have a date stamp on the wrist. But going by your information; and 3years production at around 27.500 rifles a month. I estimate that it's probably Feb/March 1944.
This rifle belong's to a friend of mine. It does not show any sold out of service or civilian proof's. I suspect it may be one of the thousand's of rifles dropped to the French resistance; but unfortunately we do not know any of it's history, so that's speculation only. But would explain the lack of marking's.
Chocolate and flowers as usual, but handled with a chainmail glove.
Bob
OMG. 0C1. What condition is it? Any chance of some photos, I'd love to see it.Quote:
Originally Posted by breakeyp
Yeah you cant just taunt us... :)Quote:
Originally Posted by breakeyp
......... I don't want to turn the knife, but it's also a 4T !;)
It's also photographed in Ian Skennerton's book.
I have shown pictures of the rifle in past posts. It is not presented as being original as a previous Bubba did significant modifications which required me to do several years worth of restoration. I felt it was worth doing and do not want to present it as other than what it is. Two true gunsmiths did the work. Replaced four inches of muzzle and aligned the rifling in a sleeve with the original bore. Replaced the missing charger bridge. It took awhile to replace the "sporterized" wood. He "lightened" the scope bracket with a bench grinder. The mount serial number came that way and is suspicious as the mount shows grind marks near it. All this said, it is still a nice thing to have. Over the years I have not seen or heard of another Savage with a one or two digit serial number.
I'm glad you did the restoration. This is quite a remarkable find and posterity will prove you correct for undertaking the task.
Yes, agree entirely. If Bubba had slashed the Mona Lisa with a Stanley knife we would expect her to be repaired to as good as new; likewise here.
Nice rifle, regardless. Just the act of saving the low number makes it all worthwhile.
Very nicely done.