The Savage Arms Company is a firearms manufacturing company based in Westfield, Massachusetts. The company makes a variety of rimfire and centerfire rifles, as well as marketing the Stevens single-shot rifles and shotguns. They may be best-known for the Model 99 hammerless lever-action rifle, no longer in production, and the very popular .300 Savage sporting cartridge, which was the parent case for the .308 Winchester cartridge.
History
Savage Arms was founded in 1894 by Arthur Savage in Utica, New York. Within 20 years they were producing rifles, handguns, and ammunition.[1] Savage merged with the Driggs-Seabury Ordnance Company during World War I and produced Lewis machine guns.[1] In 1920 Savage bought Stevens Arms. In 1939, Savage introduced the Model 24, a rare U.S. double rifle, which is actually an over-under rifle/shotgun combination that sold over a million copies.[2]
During World War II, Savage turned again to military production, making heavy munition. After the war it produced the first motorized lawnmower.[1]
The company was run by a variety of owners from the 1960s to the 1980s. Savage eventually ran into financial trouble in 1988 and filed for bankruptcy protection.[1] Production was then reduced to the basic Model 110 bolt-action rifle.
A turn-around began in 1995 with the company returning to private ownership, led by Ronald Coburn, previously of Smith & Wesson. Today the company produces a wide variety of firearms and has a reputation for producing accurate, inexpensive rifles. Some of their recent success can be attributed to their development in 2002 of a factory-installed, safe, user-adjustable trigger, called the AccuTrigger.
Savage was awarded the Manufacturer of the Year by the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence in 2003.[1] The Savage Arms 93R17 BTVS was awarded the "BEST NEW RIFLE" in the "BEST OF THE BEST" presentation by Shooting Times, Sporting Gun and Shooting Gazette magazines May 15, 2007 at the E. J. Churchill Shooting School in the U.K
Ron Coburn, chairman and CEO of Savage Sports Corporation in Westfield MA was honored by SHOT Business Magazine and Time4Media outdoor media group as their "2007 Man of the Year". The award cites Mr. Coburn's dedication and contribution to the outdoor and firearm industry.
Locations
Savage maintains its headquarters in Westfield, Massachusetts in the United States. The company also manules in Lakefield, Ontario, Canada.
Canadian Exports
According to company officials, the Canadian division of Savage Arms exports 97 percent of its rifles, mostly to the US.[3]
Arms Types
Savage currently produces the following types of arms:
- Rimfire rifles
- Model MK II .22 and .17
- Model 93 .17 HMR
- Bolt-action rifles
- Combo Rifles - Model 24 O/U
- Pistols
- Savage pocket Pistols, models 1907, 1915, and 1917 (.32 and .380)
- Shotguns
- Muzzloaders
- Stevens single-shot rifles
Since Savage is one of the older American arms companies still in commercial production, it would be exhaustive to list the number of models no longer in production made by Savage under its own name and under tradenames for retail outlets. Those most notable and still in wide use today include:
- Model 99 lever action offered in .250-3000 Savage and .300 Savage.
- Model 340 bolt action offered in .30-30 and .222 Remington.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e "Savage Arms: the definition of accuracy: from riches to rags to honors," by Carolee Anita Boyles, Shooting Industry, September 2003
- ^ Harold Murtz. Gun Digest Treasury (DBI Books, 1994), p.197
- ^ Testimony of Barrie King, Vice-President and General Manager, to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs, November 24, 1997.
External links
