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Post by Carpenter on Aug 25, 2015 20:07:16 GMT -5
Hello all, I have recently acquired a Savage 24j-DL. It is a 1968 production year I believe. It has a black receiver and no serial numbers. The interesting thing is that it is chambered in 22WMR over 410ga, however the top barrel is stamped as 22LR. Is there anyone here that may have direct knowledge of this type of situation? Is it likely/probable that this error occured at the production factory? Are there known weapons like this elsewhere? Maybe someone lurking here worked at the factory at that time who may be able to offer some background. All information is greatly appreciated.
Thanks, Carpenter
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blaze
Frequent poster
Posts: 108
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Post by blaze on Aug 26, 2015 9:35:23 GMT -5
I my own experience I have not seen such a mismarked barrel in over 50 yrs. of using Savage/Stevens combination guns, but that doesn't mean it did not happen. I have had sets of Savage/Stevens combination barrels that were totally unmarked. My own take is that the .22LR. barrel has been re chambered for the .22 Magnum. Very easy to do and has been somewhat promoted on some outdoor forums. Chamber reamers for the .22 Magnum are available from many sources online. You might slug the barrel to fine out as, I believe, that Savage back in the 60's used a different bore size (larger) for the .22 WMR. Just a thought.
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Post by littleguns on Aug 27, 2015 20:39:45 GMT -5
I am not an expert, but my first thought is what blaze has already said: Rechambered for mag ammo. Over the years I have seen several .22LR guns that were modified to shoot WMR. It seems much more likely that the gun was rechambered than mismarked at the factory.
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Post by neilrr on Aug 29, 2015 7:21:23 GMT -5
The 24J - DL did come in both .22 LR/410 and .22 WRM/410. However, as my two esteem colleagues have stated the likelihood that the gun was mismarked is very rare. This issue has come up in the past and the results were that the .22 LR chamber was reamed to accommodate a .22 WRM. If this modification was not performed by a gunsmith then the barrel would most likely not have been remarked. In any case welcome to the forum and have a safe and fun time shooting you newly acquired 24, as it is a great and very versatile firearm to own.
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Post by Carpenter on Sept 2, 2015 22:33:37 GMT -5
Gentlemen, I appreciate the replies. It has been my assumption that if the stock 22LR barrel had been privately reamed out that it would have/should have been additionally noted on the barrel (a.k.a. by a professional gunsmith). Having said that, is it possible that this could be a factory booboo? Yes, that would make this a rare find; while 22wmr over 410ga isn't neccessarily rare it seems that this combination was a significantly smaller production than the more common 22LR over 410ga or the 22LR over 20ga for that matter. It is this questionable history that enticed me to buy it for my personal keeps. While I am not a collector I do like unique finds. It is my belief that a 22WMR over 410ga in a DL model with a black receiver with no serial number is one unique find in my humble opinion and relatively limited knowledge of these weapons. So, what would you guys do to validate an aftermarket ream vs. aunthenticating a factory 22WMR assembly? Thanks!
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blaze
Frequent poster
Posts: 108
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Post by blaze on Sept 3, 2015 12:13:14 GMT -5
As stated before, slug the barrels' bore. Back in the 50's, 60's & 70's the manufactures used a different bore size for the .22LR and the .22 WMR. For example .222 vs .224. You will then see what cartridge the rifle barrel was originally bored for.
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Post by neilrr on Sept 5, 2015 16:46:38 GMT -5
As blaze stated above have the barrel's bore and chamber slugged. If this is done by a gunsmith he or she (and yes there are very competent female gunsmiths) can tell if the barrel and chamber were reamed, especially if they were not done by a gunsmith. If the gun has been reamed to a 22 WMR caliber it should be remarked for safety reasons as you do not want to fire a round that is not the appropriate caliber for the gun. Good luck and let us know what you find out.
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