Savage No 1 Mk3 style -

[breakeyp]

I have followed this rifle since it first appeared on the scene in a Shotgun News Ad a number of years ago. I was late in responding and I believe there were two? of them and they were gone. The price seemed very high at the time as there was no paperwork to support what they were claimed to be. Price was under $1000.00. They showed up within six months on the forums with requests for information and a higher price tag. Pictures seemed to indicate parts were missing. And so on with each new owner going to get rich.

At various times it was claimed that it was built up for WWI but the action is a Savage Model 1920 (post WWI) model. Sharpe's "The Rifle in America" lists the Model 1920 production life from 1920 to 1928 and the Model 40 from 1920 to 1938.

If it was made up for WWII, the argument was that it was a quickie alternative to meet the British need for Arms. I can't get this to fit any time line that makes sense given that Savage had the contract to make the No.4. Even if Britain had said yes to this design, the Savage tooling could not have supported any volume production with out extensive new tooling which would have required the same or greater effort that would have to have been expended if they tooled the No.4. This just does not make sense.

Savage records were destroyed in a flood in the 50's. The only thing that gave it any credability was that the price was relatively low at the time, indicating you weren't paying for machine time. But some people will do crazy things to run a fake. If Britain had some to evaluate, wouldn't a sample be in the Pattern Room Collection?

These are my thoughts and why my money stayed in my pocket and I have not lost a wink of sleep over the matter. I always question any item that the seller has to tell me how rare it is to get me to buy. I am all for someone buying it, if they spend their money on it, they won't have money to buy someithing I might like. Number 1 rule, never buy anything that you can't sell for the same price the next day.