Savage 219

[richhodg66]

I've been a fan of these for a while. My .22 Hornet is my favorite squirrel rifle, have a really nice one in .30-30 as well, but it is unmolested and I won't drill holes in it so it will only be as good as I can shoot the open sights.

Seems these are getting harder to find and expensive when you do. Went shopping with the wife and visited a LGS and there sat a .30-30 one cheap. It has a hardwood stock rather than the nice walnut of my other two, and I'm thinking the forend is a 20 gauge shotgun forend but seems to fit well enough, not as slender as my others, but OK. Best of all, this one had already been drilled and tapped for one of the side mounts so I can scope it, and I have several old Weavers around that will look right.

I'm pretty pumped about finding this. Got the bore soaking with some Ed's Red and it looks like it's cleaning up real nice. I need to put a primed case in it and make sure it doesn't have a broken firing pin which is a common problem for these. I really need to not do the impulse gun purchases like that, but couldn't pass this one up.

[SvenLindquist]

Even if the bore is terrible, JES can make it a 35-30 AI.

[richhodg66]

Even if the bore is terrible, JES can make it a 35-30 AI.

I have a ruined .30-30 barrel and a spare receiver someplace, somebody tried to drill and tap it for a top scope base and drilled into the chamber. I plan on eventually getting someone to put a liner in it to make it a .32 S&W Long or similar for a small game rifle, but it's easy enough to down load a .30-30 to do the same thing, and a .22 Hornet with cast does pretty well too.

The bore in this one looks good, no need for a rebore. I like the .30-30 real well as is.

[gnoahhh]

Good show, Rich! I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a 219 myself. (Helluvit is, I had a dandy one years ago- one that my Dad had fitted with about every barrel Savage made to fit that frame, including a couple shotgun barrels. In a weak moment I let it go for a very pretty penny- but the money did finance a tasty Mannlicher-Schoenauer so it wasn't so bad a deal.)

[Hardcast416taylor]

I`ve got an early model that is scoped for my old eyes. It just feels right with the way they made the walnut stocks fit. I believe I paid $150.00 for my .30-30 about 3 years back. It shoots nicely with a #311041 and a case of IMR-3031.Robert

[richhodg66]

I shot it this afternoon at 25 yards with some light weight bullets and 6-7 grains of 700X. Grouped fine, but still hits quite low with the open sights (which are about as precise as open sights get for me, I like them). Trigger pull is decent.

It misfired on enough of them to bother me. Usually, the second time would set them off, and when they were fired, the primer strikes didn't seem light looking at the spent primers. I think I'm gonna take the stocks and barrel off and soak the action in some Ed's Red and see if maybe it's just old gunked up oil. I have read enough about what a bear these are to take apart, so I'm gonna try the easy stuff first.

I hope to have a scope on it soon, and then I'll really be able to tell what she'll do. I really like the .30-30 round and it really comes into it's own in a single shot.

[rking22]

I like those too, presently without one. I wonder if a 3030 219 barrel would fit my Stevens M94 ? It's a 28ga but I think the frame is the same. Oddly enough, the M94 is the only 28ga I took hunting this year. A 2 barrel set would be Cool!
Hopefully your light strikes are just dirt, keep us posted.

[richhodg66]

There is a guy on a .22 Hornet facebook page I'm on who did just that with a 219 Hornet barrel and a 94 action, though I can't remember what gauge.

I came into some 16 gauge shells, enough that when a well worn, but tightly locking model 94 presented itself at a gun show for $60, I bought it. It has quickly become my favorite shotgun, I think, and one of my favorite guns for just walking around my place. The slim, graceful feel of these guns is great.

I may have to take one of my 219 barrels and try it on my 94, I bet it would work. They seem to be the same action, just one has a hammer and one doesn't.

[richhodg66]

Looking a little closer at this one today, I'm pretty sure some prior owner restocked this one at some point. The stock is obviously hardwood, and all other 219s I've seen had walnut. The forend is walnut (I think) but is obviously cut for a 20 gauge barrel and there's a lot of clearance around this .30-30 barrel, still fits tight, but is also bigger in profile and not as slim handling as they usually are.

Thinking about finding a Model 24 stock with the monte carlo cheek piece since I'm planning on scoping this one.

[uscra112]

I have an early model 219 in .30-30, with a 20 gauge shotgun barrel that goes with it. Same forend for both. Sadly I've never gotten around to shooting the thing, (for shame). I'd love to find a .22 Hornet barrel for it, but they are mighty rare.

[slumlord44]

I had several of these a while back. .30-30, .22 K Hornet, .219 Zipper, .32-20, and .22 Hornet. The K Hornet and .219 Zipper had been re chambered. Sold all but the .22 Hornet. That one's a keeper. Bought it from an acqiaintance years back and it has sentimental value. Neat rifles and fun to shoot. My Hornet has a period scope on it. Came with Lyman Tang tool and bullets. Previous owner used .223 bullets rather than .224 and I stayed with that. My understanding is that they had .223 barrels.

[richhodg66]

I think Hornets made post WWII have .224 bores. No idea what mine is, never slugged it and don't care. Only ever shot cast in it and light cast at that. Sized to .225, they work great.

[firebyprolong]

I have to ask, which gun shop? I haven't been up that way in a while but I like to stay current on which are decent on this end of the state.

[Drm50]

I've had several 219s in 30/30 and a couple 22 Hornets. We did some extensive 30/30 shooting with spitzers and other bullets than don't generally cycle in Levers. I would have to say the 219 will outshoot any 30/30 lever that I've owned. The Hornady 1/2 jacket plinkers made fine squirrel loads.

I was at a small show and a guy had a 219zipper barrel. It was nice, good bore but not much blue left. He wanted $150 for it and wouldn't budge. I figured I would let him stew and give him $100 for it next day before show closed. This guy is one of those who has $17 worth of $11 guns. I went back over to deal and he had that
barrel on a late Stevens 94. Now at $350. He had done some Bubba on both ends. The forend stud he had filed
on and hinge block. I don't think gun would have fired because of gap you could call head space if there was any.

[richhodg66]

I have to ask, which gun shop? I haven't been up that way in a while but I like to stay current on which are decent on this end of the state.

Cleave's in Salina. Pretty much my favorite gun shop. One of those good ones with a lot of old stuff and interesting people where you never really know what's gonna show up.

[brewer12345]

I have a 219 in 22 hornet that I bought without realizing the barrel is jacked. Never found a replacement barrel for it. If I do find one, is this something I can slap on and shoot, or should I take it to a smith for fitting? Could I put a 30-30 barrel on it instead?

[richhodg66]

What's wrong with the barrel? I have a ruined .30-30 barrel I plan to send out for getting lined to a small caliber someday.

[brewer12345]

The lug that secures the barrel in the action is cracked.

[cwlongshot]

I pretty sure I have a 12G 220 barrel that will fit your frame!

CW

[firebyprolong]

Also affectionately known as "thieves marine". They always have of boxes and plies of stuff to dig in, neat guns in the rack and a fairly thick layer of dust over the works, in short a great shop for gun guys. I haven't been in there in a few years, a situation I need to correct soon.

[brewer12345]

I appreciate the thought, but I need another 12 gauge like a hole in the head. Will watch for a rifle barrel or maybe a 410.

[pietro]

I pretty sure I have a 12G 220 barrel that will fit your frame!

CW


I've posted this info here, before, but will repeat: Take care when purchasing a barrel that wasn't issued with the frame.

There are different versions/variations, and all barrels are NOT interchangeable.

There are Model 219;s, 219B's 219C's & 219L's. The Model 220 has a similar, but non-identical progression of improved models.

The earliest 219's & 220's were striker-fired, and were re-cocked by the opening action of the top lever, which incidentally released the barrel lock so the barrel could be swung open, and the shell ejector tripped off.

Any early or later 219/219B/219C/219L/220 rifle or shotgun barrel will fit and operate just fine in the early 219/220 guns.

Then, Savage changed the internal design, from a striker to a concealed hammer - which the operation of the top lever no longer was able to recock.



Soooo, on all subsequent models, there is a cocking lever inside the front of the action body, which lies alongside the barrel's locking lug when the gun is closed, or in the firing position.

The cocking lever/arm is raised, re-cocking the gun, only when the barrel is swung open (not by the top lever opening) - by a spring-loaded stud located in the side of the later model's barrel's locking lug(s).

These guns are the 219B/219C/219L, and later 220's.

These later guns ergo require also a later barrel, WITH the cocking lug - which is absent on earlier barrels.

The early, no-cocking lug barrels will not re-cock the later guns - burdensome, to say the least.

The easiest way to check YOUR gun, is to remove the barrel and peek inside the right side action wall, to see if it has a cocking lever there.

If it has one, the gun needs a barrel with a cocking stud.
If it has none, the gun can use any barrel.

Within the barrel interchange limits, defined above, any 219 or 220 in good/serviceable condition is safe with any other 219 or 220 barrel in good/serviceable condition.

.

[cwlongshot]

I appreciate the thought, but I need another 12 gauge like a hole in the head. Will watch for a rifle barrel or maybe a 410.
Mine is a 30-30 but I have a 410 and short 12G too, cause the barrel was so rusty rotten.

CW

[brewer12345]

Thanks, pietro. Mine is an early one from pre War, so I should be able to use any barrel by the sounds of it.

[richhodg66]

Like he said, just look for that barrel stud on the lug. My little 20 gauge 220 has that stud, bought it hoping barrels would work on it, but not to be, which is OK because it's a neat little shotgun and was cheap.

The one I got that had a ruined barrel I found a replacement .30-30 barrel on Ebay and slapped it right on and it works great. Not sure it would work with all guns within action types, but it did in this case.

[richhodg66]

The side mount came in the mail the other day, had to work yesterday, but got it set up today with a beat up old Weaver K4 with very fine cross hairs. Then I loaded up 25 rounds of Ranchdog 165s and 20 grains of 5744, I was aiming for about 1800 FPS.

Once I got it zeroed, the five shot group I shot for record went into about 2 1/4", not great, but considering first time with some real loads and the fact that it was freezing while I was trying to shoot, I'll take it. No leading with that load after 25 rounds, plenty accurate enough for my kind of woods hunting and I suspect it'll get better.

It still has that nagging soft primer strikes and occasional misfires, but it seemed to get better as it went along, leading me to believe a good soaking of the action will take care of it. All in all, I'm please with it and I'll tweak what I'm doing with it and shoot it more when the weather gets better.