Shooters Anonymous

[jim4065]

GunBroker has a couple of Savage bolt action rifles in 32-20 and 25-20 for sale with the bid at about $250 now. I really don't need and shouldn't buy either one. So which one do I get? Neither has class - other than the cartridges (in my opinion). Who cares? I just bought a .310 Cadet that I haven't even shot yet, and I'm eyeballing a .43 Spanish roller. Is there such a thing as "Shooters' Anonymous"?

[45nut]

I have been in a 12 step program for years. Buy a gun every twelve steps.

[Bent Ramrod]

Jim4065

Ask some questions about how well they feed from their magazines, general functioning, any headspace problems, trigger action, and bore condition. If everything else is equal (or good), go for the best outside finish, unless you have a caliber preference.

The Savage 23 series were working-class rifles, but they were good ones. The triggers can be kind of gritty (my 23C .32-20, for instance) but a friend's 23B .25-20 is pretty good. The general finish of his is less well used than mine is. Prices of $250-$350 seem to be the norm around here for the centerfire versions, with the higher prices generally reserved for the 23D Hornet rifle. I saw one of the latter at the Las Vegas Gun Show with a Robert Owen stock. Somebody obviously thought a lot of that rifle. I doubt if $350 would have gotten that one.

[Bret4207]

I have 2 25-20's and a 32-20 Savage 23. Great guns! All feed well, no issues with anything as long as you have the correct magazine. Not classy?! I beg to differ. They are the epitome of mid '30's small game and varmint rifles. Either cal will do fine, but the 32-20 is easier to work with. Use sane laodings and they should last forever. Be advised- there's no rebarreling one of these. The action and barrel are machined from one piece of steel. Relining is the option. I'd go $250.00-300.00 for a nice one.

[wills]

The solution to the dilemma seems obvious: acquire both of them.

[9.3X62AL]

Wills, that does seem like the right thing to do.

[longhorn]

Tpr. Bret hints at this--make sure both come with a magazine! I bought one in .32-20 15 or so years ago; light, accurate, handy, even had a nice trigger--but it didn't have a magazine. I finally found one, and paid as much for it as for the rifle. I think they're machined from unobtanium.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Believe it or not, there was two of these recently at the shop I frequent. Both were 32/20s, unbelieveable that two almost identical rifles which are not common in Australia, turned up at the same time. The barrels on both were a bit ordinary and I decide to pass on them. As the guy who owned the shop was putting them back on the rack, I said 'how much for the old Bushnell Banner scope?' Both had open sights, but one had the scope described fitted. He said 'do you want the scope?' I told him I was fond of post and cross hair scopes and old stuff generally. He shrugged, reached for his tool tray on the counter, removed the scope and handed it over, I asked how much and he said 'don't worry about it, the gun will sell just as well without it and your' a good customer, enjoy it'.

[dk17hmr]

You mean a Savage 23? My old man happens to have models A-D.
Top to bottom 22 hornet, 25-20, 32-20, and 22lr.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c324/skruske/4Savage23.jpg

I personally like the model 19 better. Again my dads rifles except for the top one, that is my grandfathers, he is "letting us use it".

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c324/skruske/4Savage19.jpg


The centerfires are fun rifles, the hornets are great for squirrels and p-dogs. I have used the 25 and 32 for small game, works great, they will bring a squirrel out of a tree in a hurry.

[Bent Ramrod]

dk17hmr,

Now that is an impressive collection! Never seen all the models together like that before and I've been cruising gun shows for nigh onto 33 years!

[dk17hmr]

Like I said those are all my dads except for the model 19h, "the Hornet" as I call it. He has been collecting them for 20 some years and this past summer he picked up that model 23 hornet to finish out the colletion.

[jim4065]

They went to $350, so I bought the 43 Spanish instead. It only ends in the grave, I suppose. Speaking of which:
Anyone have one of those dirt cheap Comanche single shot handguns? Seems to me like a 45 Colt would get a satisfactory reaction out of these mixed blessing aluminum beer cans. I'll fess up - I want the target to say "OUCH". It's what keeps me going up into the hills instead of the paper-punching rifle range.