New old Savage 23 in 25-20

[shell70634]

Picked up a Savage 23, B model I think, in 25-20 yesterday. Only had a few rounds of factory ammo and it hit where I aimed at 30 yards off hand. The magazine popped out twice so I'll need to replace it. The only other change will be adding a peep receiver sight. My only other 25-20 is a Marlin 94. I can see the 25-20 cartridge becoming a favorite.

Attachment 265873

Attachment 265874

[Drm50]

I my experience with 25/20s the M23 Savage will out shoot the Marlin and Winchester lever guns.
I have always fooled with 25/20 and 32/20. I have a Win & Marlin lever in each. They are all in 100yr old class but in excellent condition. The 25/20 is a lot more finicky than 32/20. I also have found that they all shoot cast much better than jackets.
I don’t have any Sav 23s right now. There is earlier model called the Sporter and magazines are not the same. I just sold a Savage brand replacement magazine that was stamped 25/20 or 32/20 Sav Model B on floor plate. I don’t remember what is on Mag that comes in gun. I do know this mag wouldn’t work in earlier Sporter model.

[Bent Ramrod]

Congratulations! The 23 is a working-class rifle, but a good one.

Original magazines are generally pretty expensive, when found, but Triple K made a replacement that at least fits and works. Grinding or filing the sharp corners off the bottom definitely aids the handling. Check the spring catch on the retainer; perhaps a little judicious pushing on the spring will restore the grip on the original magazine.

My 23B seems to do its best work with the long-obsolete 60-gr JHP that Winchester used in their .256 Magnum round, as well as the .25-20 loadings. The Ideal 257420 gets pretty close, and has the best combination of accuracy and trajectory for walking-around shooting to 100 yards or a little more.

I lucked out and found a Savage 1919 NRA peep sight that fits the holes on the 23. Sits up kind of high (but no higher than a scope) and looks Cool.

[Tatume]

Very nice!

[shell70634]

I've got a Lymqn mold, 87 gr IIRC. Will cast and PC some this evening when it cools off. Any favorite loads?

[Three44s]

Actually they are scarce as hens teeth, but the Speer 75 gr FP was the tour de jore!

However in that bolt gun the other j word is a pointed slug, the Hornady 75 gr. V Max and Lil’ Gun is a great one. My Contender in a carbine barrel is like peaches and ice cream. I got that tip from 35 Remington over where he Mods on the Marlin Gun Owners Forum. There is a thread there that’s a sticky in the reloading section titled (of all things) .25-20 Win.

There is a place for bullets of other weights and certainly cast but for a real accurate “cookie” that really drops non-edible critters, you likely will not find better in a j word today unless you fall into that Speer FP.

If you tackle the thread I just mentioned you better plan on a reading binge and have a big notepad handy!

Three44s

[ATCDoktor]

I dearly appreciate Savage in 25/20 and have been using it as my primary small game rifle here of late:



I was so impressed with the Savage in 25/20 with respect to its accuracy I scoured the earth for one in 32/20 and picked this one up here recently:

3 shots at 100 yards with .312 diameter 115 cast FP.


These Savages are superb little rifles and I’m sure you will like yours.

[Alan in GA]

I somehow traded into a Savage 23B 25/20. The best part (I didn’t realize at the time) was the two 50 round boxes of recent manufacture Winchester silver box ammo that came with it. Then... a friend gave me (ok, some minor trading involved) his set of dies and a partial box of Speer flat point jacketed bullets. He had been loading for a couple of Marlins in same.
This Savage 23B is quite accurate with the factory ammo.
I think with careful close range lung/heart shots I would use this 25-20 for deer, but would not recommend it as a regular deer tool.
Someone D&T’d this rifle for an N mount and scope, but at least they did a good job of it.

[cwlongshot]

I stupidly turned one down back in 1983 and to this day I regret it!! It was a 32/20 and came with a 3/4" scope and a paper bag with a couple
Hundred shells. I was a STUPID KID!!

About '93 I rectified that when I purchased another Savage 23 in 25/20!! I have it today and its a goodun!!! 1680 and a 75g Speer FP. (I hord a bunch) shoots same hole @50 yard!!! I bought a Lyman mold a few years ago and shamefully I admit mot really shooting them yet... ;(

Few year back I needed a "Coyote gun". This rifle was open sited. I have a nice old orig Leupold M8 scope long tube 4x. I figured WHO AM I SAVING THIS FOR?!?!?? So I drilled and tapped it for #15 Weaver bases. I did mount both blocks forward but the longer tube of that ol Leupold allowed PERFECT eye relief all the way back. I didnt cut the stock as I like that steel butt they came with but I added a neoprene slip on "pad" more for LOP then any need for recoil. I dont leave it on the stock, it sits in safe beside rifle so as not to change stock colors. I also refinished the stock as it looked very weathered. The steel/bluing is worn thin but a religious coat of Eezox stops corrosion. Its a beautiful functioning rifle.

You might have wear in the mag "hole" or the "clip" in the rifle could be worn. Ya also might just be able to bend it a lil to stop your mag from falling!!

Good luck, ya got a good un too!!! ♥️♥️♥️

CW

[Three44s]

There is a very long and fruitful thread over at the Marlin gun owners forum that is a sticky under the topic of “Reloading”.

A member here and Mod over there named Remington35 has a world of info posted there as well as a lot of other members.

Three44s

[atr]

I searched long and hard for a 25-20 and finally found a model 23B which is a wonderfully accurate shooter. I think you will find that caliber/rifle lots of fun to shoot.
atr

[pietro]

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Nice !

Long gone are the days when "economy" guns were still of excellent quality, and remain wonderful to own/shoot/hunt.

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[cwlongshot]

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Nice !

Long gone are the days when "economy" guns were still of excellent quality, and remain wonderful to own/shoot/hunt.

.

Can you imagine what this "economy gun" would cost to produce as is today!?!?!!

I venture Most couldn't afford it!!

CW

[Chris S]

Great catch Shell
I have two 23's, one in 25-20 the other 32-20. Great shooters, I'll never let go of. Get a pound of 1680 if you haven't yet and the 257420 mould. As mentioned, the 75gr. V-Max works well too, but not a lot better and considerably more expensive. Take care with the magazine, I've seen them go as high as $180 for the originals. And I've never found an aftermarket that worked. 25-20 and 32-20 use the same mags, This is the "cheese grater" mag. There was a later model that used a different mag. Go figure why Savage didn't do the "D" model in 218 Bee, but they chose the Hornet instead.

Small parts are readily available and not needed too often, nonetheless, I'd suggest a stockup of the obvious things, ejector, extractor, springs, like that. Won't cost you much and you just never know when they may evaporate. There is even a guy on YouTube offering to re-blue the 23 for like $85, In the event that you find a basket case gun.

For my two rifles, I made custom scope mounts that use those two holes that are already in the receiver. You can buy the radiused stock from Brownells. It is radiused properly on one side and has grooves for 3/8" scope rings on the other. All you have to do is cut and drill it.

Chris

[Landy88]

I stupidly turned one down back in 1983 and to this day I regret it!! It was a 32/20 and came with a 3/4" scope and a paper bag with a couple
Hundred shells. I was a STUPID KID!!
CW

You needn't feel alone. Substitute a nice receiver sight and dies for you scope and bag of ammo and I did, as a starving student, and regret the very much the same.

[Landy88]

I stupidly turned one down back in 1983 and to this day I regret it!! It was a 32/20 and came with a 3/4" scope and a paper bag with a couple
Hundred shells. I was a STUPID KID!!
CW

You needn't feel alone. Substitute a nice receiver sight and dies for you scope and bag of ammo and I did, as a starving student, and regret the very much the same.

[shell70634]

Stocking up on spares is a great idea Chris. I'll start looking. What I'd really like to find is an original aperture sight but they are a bit pricey. I've got a couple old Redfields and Lymans that I may be able to modify. Maybe I'll get energetic and make one when the power comes back up. I haven't found a place to put a crank on the mill or lathe for kids to turn.
I have some boolits cast and pc'd and just got some brass in a trade here. ( Thanx Reg) I'm in the middle of working up 450 BM loads and the 25-20 is next.

Shelly

[Chris S]

I use the older 5X Redfield scopes on both of my 23's. The ones with the "TV" optic on the rear. While not exactly "period", they do look appropriate. And the guns shoot just that much better with them. I was never much of an iron sight kind of guy, so this is my approach. I have found that more often than not, when I take my 23's out, I leave the mags at home and just single feed the weapons. I have four of those "cheese grater" mags and they function flawlessly. I want to keep them that way, as I mentioned above, they are darned near as valuable as the rifles.

Did I mention that I really love this gun? I personally think the manufacturers that be could do a lot worse than to make a "new" rifle along the lines of the Savage 23. It is sort of the original "go between" gun. Somewhere between a pistol caliber carbine and a full on deer rifle. Fully capable of both tasks, yet civilized enough to be at home anywhere.

Chris

[rbuck351]

I can't imagine this being an expensive gun to make. One piece barrel and action and a very simple trigger assy should cut manufacturing cost over newer rifles.

[Three44s]

A neighbor had a 23b and brought it by. I got dies, brass and a shellholder for it and went to work. The Speer 75 gr flat nose was abundant then as well.

After while I enquired about buying it. My neighbor got big dollars in his eyes and was trying to get north of 400 for it when they were going for 200+. I passed.

I never got over the initial time with the cartridge and a few years ago, I ordered a carbine barrel for my Contender and now I can enjoy the little workhorse.

Three44s