Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Firearms |
Founded | 1894 |
Headquarters | Westfield, Massachusetts |
Key people | Albert F. Kasper, CEO |
Products | Rifles, shotguns |
Brands | Stevens Arms |
Website | www |
Savage Arms is an American gunmaker based in Westfield, Massachusetts, with operations in Canada and China. Savage makes a variety of rimfire and centerfire rifles, as well as Stevens single-shot rifles and shotguns. The company is best known for the Model 99 lever-action rifle, no longer in production, and the .300 Savage. Savage was a subsidiary of Vista Outdoor until 2019 when it was spun off.
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 introduced the first hammerless lever-action rifle, the Model 1895, derived from Arthur Savage's Model 1892 rifle that he had designed for Colt in a failed bid for a US Army rifle contract that instead was won by the Krag–Jørgensen design. [2] The Model 1895 won a New York National Guard contract, but the contract was cancelled due to political controversy. [3]
Savage was one of six companies to participate in the United States Army trials for a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and was named one of the two finalists before losing out to Colt's design, which would become the M1911 pistol. Savage marketed a series of .32 and .380 caliber pocket pistols, the Models 1907, 1915, and 1917 based on the same patents as their .45 caliber prototype.
In 1915-1916 company chief designer Charles A. Nelson directed the design of new bolt-action rifles for the US military to supplement M1903 Springfield, but in the run-up of the US entrance in WWI US Army decided to adopt Pattern 1914 Enfield which was already in the serial production for the British, and Savage was tasked with machine gun production instead. [4] [5] Savage merged with the Driggs-Seabury Ordnance Company during World War I and produced Lewis machine guns at Driggs-Seabury's former plant in Sharon, Pennsylvania. [1] Savage also produced Model 1899 muskets for the Montreal Home Guard during World War I. [6]
A 1979 Savage Arms catalogue claimed that in 1919, Arthur Savage was approached by Chief Lame Deer to buy rifles for his tribe in New York. Lame Deer offered to allow Savage to use his image as its logo in exchange for discounted rifles and an annual fee. [7] As of 2018, Savage Arms was still paying the annual fee. [8] However, the Savage Model 1907 already bore the logo (including those made prior to 1919), and a catalog from 1903 shows Savage Arms using a similar illustration as well. [9]
In 1920 Savage restarted the production of Model 1899 as Model 99, introduced new Model 1920 bolt-action rifle based on Nelson's WWI prototypes modified for cartridges shorter than military rifle ones that would fit in Model 99 magazine, and introduced a new cartridge of that type: .300 Savage .
Also in the same year, Savage bought Stevens Arms of Chicopee, Massachusetts. In July 1921, a mortgage securing five promissory notes, each for $21,416, was filed in the County Clerk's office in Utica showing that the Savage Arms Corporation had purchased a "number of buildings erected by the government" during World War I for increasing the output of Lewis machine guns at the plant. The buildings included two large four-story brick structures, five large storage sheds, and one office building, a concrete mill building, steel storage building, power extension plant, shooting gallery and steel water tank with a capacity of 100,000 gallons. The notes were due in 1927. [10] In 1929 Savage acquired the A.H. Fox Gun company of Philadelphia and moved production to Utica. [11]
In 1939, Savage introduced the Model 24 combination gun (a configuration uncommon in the U.S.), which sold over a million copies. [12] Savage was one of the few American makers of affordable double-barrel shotguns including the Fox Sterlingworth, Fox Model B, and Stevens Model 311 and produced rifles and shotguns under house brand names for large store chains. [13]
During World War II, Savage turned again to military production, making heavy munitions. Savage made most of the Thompson submachine guns used in World War II. Savage also produced the British No. 4 Lee–Enfield bolt-action rifle; though marked "U.S. PROPERTY," these rifles were never used by the US military and were instead sent to Britain under the Lend-Lease program. As quality wood was reserved for military gun stock production, Savage produced some Model 24 .22/.410 combo guns and Model 94 single barrel shotguns with stocks molded from Tenite plastic.
After the war, it produced the model 67 and model 69 pump shotguns, including the model 69N stainless steel tactical pump shotgun. A variety of owners ran the company from the 1960s to the 1980s. Savage eventually ran into financial trouble in 1988 and filed for bankruptcy protection. [1]
In addition to firearms, Savage Arms Corporation also sold power lawn mowers during this period. [14]
In 2002, the company started selling a factory-installed, safe, user-adjustable trigger, called the AccuTrigger. The AccuStock, an aluminum stock embedded rail system to further enhance action stability and accuracy, was introduced by Savage in 2009. [15]
Savage was named the Manufacturer of the Year by the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence in 2003. [1]
The Savage 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, then chairman and CEO of Savage Sports Corporation was honored by SHOT Business Magazine and Time4Media outdoor media group as their "2007 Man of the Year". On February 5, 2013, Coburn announced that he was stepping down after a 25-year tenure as chairman and CEO of Savage Sports Corporation. [16] On February 6, 2013, Savage Sports announced the appointment of Ron Johnson as its new Chief Executive Officer. Johnson most recently served as President of the Sporting Group within Alliant Techsystems ("ATK").
Vista Outdoor markets firearm accessories and ammunition under brands that include Weaver Optics, Federal Premium, Speer Ammo, and Blazer. [16] ATK, the predecessor of Vista Outdoor, announced the purchase of Savage for $315 million on May 13, 2013. With the purchase, Johnson remained with Bowtech Archery, who was not part of the sale, and Al Kasper began tenure as CEO. [17]
As of July 2018, Vista Outdoor was attempting to sell Savage Arms as part of a larger restructuring. Vista Outdoor said that expanding Savage's offerings to include handguns was too expensive. As of 2018, Savage Arms' sales made up just 7% of Vista Outdoor's overall business. [18]
As of May 2018, Savage Arms had 367 workers at its factory in Westfield, Massachusetts. [13]
On July 9, 2019, Vista Outdoor completed the sale of Savage Arms [19] and Stevens Arms for $170 million to a group of investors led by Savage's management. Vista received immediate gross proceeds of $158 million and a $12-million five-year note. Vista said it will use this money, after paying associated taxes, to reduce its debt. [20]
The S1200 is the first semi-automatic shotgun sold under the Stevens brand. The S1200 uses an inertia-driven action that uses the recoil force of the gun to cycle shells. The S1200 weighs 6.8 pounds. Options for 26-inch and 28-inch barrels are available. [21]
As of 2018, Savage sold the 212 (12 gauge) and 220 (20 gauge) model shotguns. These models can be fired accurately at ranges up to 200 yards. This accuracy is mostly due to their bolt-action design. These models use Savage's AccuTrigger system to customize trigger pull weight. These models are specifically designed for firing shotgun slugs in addition to bird shot. Both models come with two-round detachable magazines. [22] In 2019, Savage released variants of the 212 and 220 shotguns designed specifically for hunting turkeys. [23] [24]
In 2020 Savage released the "Savage Renegauge" also intended for turkey hunting. It makes use of a "Dual Regulating Inline Valve" in order to reduce the recoil. The gun weighs 8lbs and was released at a suggested price of $1,550. [25] [26]
The Model 64 series is a semi-automatic .22 LR rifle made in Lakefield, Ontario, Canada. It operates on a simple blowback action. It is targeted towards beginning shooters, small game hunters, and budget-minded plinking. It is one of the most popular plinkers in the United States due to high accuracy, being chambered in cheap, common, and readily available .22 Long Rifle, and the low price. It is unusual among semiautomatic 22s, and traditional (non-bullpup) semiautomatic rifles in general, in that it is available in a true left-handed version (left handed safety, charging handle, and ejector).
The A Series is a new family of semi-automatic rimfire rifles aimed to replace/compete with the aging Model 64 series.
The Model 93 is a series of "magnum" bolt-action rimfire rifles chambered for the .22 WMR ammunition and its neck-down derivative caliber .17 HMR.
The Mark II Series is a family of bolt-action rimfire rifles chambered mainly for the .22 LR ammunition, as well as the .17 HM2 for its FV varmint model.
The B Series is a new family of bolt-action rimfire rifles introduced in 2017 to replace/compete with the old Mark II series, chambered for the .17 HMR, .22 LR and the .22 WMR ammunitions.
Rascal is a bolt-action single-shot rimfire rifle chambered for .22 LR ammunition.
In 2016, Savage arms introduced the Model 42 Takedown combination gun. It breaks down via a one-button, one-push mechanism. The over and under barrels are 20" long. The top barrel fires .22 LR or .22 WMR rimfire ammunition, while the bottom barrel fires .410 bore shotgun shells. The lower barrel is chambered for 3" shells, allowing the use of both 3" and 2.5" birdshot, buckshot, slugs, and self-defense rounds. The rifle barrel on top has open sights. [30] The Model 42 has a black, matte, synthetic stock.
The Model 110 is a repeating bolt-action rifle. The Model 110 was designed by Nicholas L. Brewer in 1958 and was patented posthumously in 1963. It has been in continuous production since that time, and with the closing of Winchester's New Haven, Connecticut, plant in 2007, the Model 110 has passed the Winchester Model 70 as the oldest continuously manufactured bolt-action rifle in America.
In 2018, Savage released the Model 110 Tactical variant. It can be chambered in .308 Winchester, 6.5mm Creedmoor, 6mm Creedmoor, and 300 Winchester Magnum. The Tactical variant includes Savage's AccuFit system allowing shooters to customize the comb height and length-of-pull. [31]
The Savage 10FP is a bolt-action rifle based on the Model 110 rifle. There are seven variants of this rifle, each designated with an "LE" code signifying that it is part of the Law Enforcement Series. Most 10FP series rifles are configured with AccuTrigger, matte-blued barreled action, heavy free-floating and button-rifled barrel, oversized bolt handle, an internal box magazine (holding four rounds), and three swivel studs for sling and bipod mounting. The Savage 10FP is similar to the Savage 110FP rifle and differ only in the action lengths and in the calibers used. The 10FP is"short action," using cartridges similar in length to the .308 Winchester. The 110FP is considered a "long action," meaning it uses cartridges similar in length to the .30-06 Springfield. Both are bolt-action, rotating bolt rifles, with dual-lug bolts and integral, non-detachable magazines, and both are available in left-handed models.
The Predator Hunter Max 1 has a fluted carbon steel barrel and synthetic stock finished in a camouflage pattern. It comes in variants chambered with .204 Ruger, 22-250 Remington, .223 Remington, .243 Remington, .260 Remington, 6.5 Creedmoor and .308 Winchester. All variants have a 24-inch barrels, except the .223 which has a 22-inch barrel. Accustock, AccuTrigger, a soft rubber recoil pad, a three-position safety, and a four-round magazine are all included. [32]
The Hog Hunter variant chambered in 338 Winchester Magnum, is a bolt-action rifle designed for hunting wild boar. It is a variant of the Model 11/111 design. Models are available for short-action .223 Remington and .308 Winchester, .338 Federal, and .350 Legend cartridges. It has a 20-inch, medium-contour, heavy barrel with a threaded end. The Hog Hunter comes standard with v-notch iron sights. The AccuTrigger allows the shooter to adjust the strength required for a trigger pull. The Hog Hunter weighs about seven pounds. [33]
The Long Ranger Hunter variant is available chambered in .260 Remington, .300 Winchester, .338 Federal, .338 Lapua Magnum, 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 x .284 Norma, and 7mm Remington. All versions except the Lapua Magnum have 26-inch carbon steel barrels with an adjustable muzzle brake, which can be twisted open or closed. Except for the .338 Lapua Magnum, each version has hinged metal floorplates. The Lapua Magnum has a fixed muzzle brake and a detachable box magazine. The receiver is drilled and tapped for mounting a scope. AccuStock and AccuTrigger come standard. The weight of the Long Range Hunter varies from 8.4 pounds to 9.25 pounds depending on how it is chambered. [32]
The Model 112 Magnum Target rifle is a single-shot bolt-action rifle for long-range shooters. It chambers 338 Lapua Magnum cartridges. It is built around the Magnum Target Action, has a pillar-bedded 26-inch heavy barrel, and uses the Target AccuTrigger system for adjusting the amount of force necessary to affect a trigger pull. The Target AccuTrigger can be adjusted by the shooter to require a pull as low as six ounces. The Model 112 weights 12 pounds and is 49.8 inches long. [34]
The Lightweight Hunter weighs only 5.65 pounds. Savage achieved this weight by using a light-contour 20-inch barrel, spiral-fluting the bolt, machining excess metal from the receiver as well as milling cuts in the stock. Weight is also saved by using a polymer-bottom detachable four-round box magazine. Variants are available in .223 Remington, .243 Remington, .270 Winchester, .308 Winchester, and 7mm-08 Remington. The barrel has a matte finish. The stock is oil-finished walnut. The total length of the rifle is 40.25 inches. AccuTrigger is included. [32]
The Model 116 has variants chambered for .338 Winchester and .375 Ruger. It has a 20-inch stainless steel barrel and a stainless action. The receiver is drilled and tapped for mounting a scope. It comes standard with adjustable LPA open sights. The stock is a black polymer. The bolt hand is oversized so that it can be used while wearing gloves. An internal box magazine holds three rounds. The overall length of the rifle is 41.5 inches. It weighs 7.6 pounds. Savage's standard three-position safety and AccuTrigger system come standard. [32]
The BA Stealth was named one of American Hunter's "Top New Rifles" for 2016. The BA Stealth can be chambered in .308 Winchester. It has a solid aluminum chassis and an adjustable polymer stock. It includes the AccuTrigger system. [35] The Axis II XP Stainless is bolt-action hunting rifle with a stainless barreled action and a bore-sighted Weaver scope. It is made in eight common calibers. It includes AccuTrigger. It was named one of American Hunter's "Top New Rifles" for 2016. [35]
The Axis II XP line of rifles come with Bushnell Banner scopes and are chambered in a variety of ammunition. The stock is synthetic. The barrel is mated to the receiver with thread-in headspacing. This allows for precision fabrication while keeping costs down. The use of a floating bolt head also maintains precision while helping to keep the rifle affordable. The Axis II XP has a four-round magazine and weights approximately 6.8 pounds. The barrel length is 22 inches. [36]
A fully ambidextrous straight-pull bolt-action rifle introduced in early 2021 with a variety of calibers and models.
MSR-15 variants are all modern sporting rifles based on the AR platform. [37] [38]
Savage released the MSR-15 Recon LRP in 2018. It has an adjustable gas block and an 18-inch-long barrel that make it suitable for use at long range. The gas block can be customized for use with specific kinds of ammunition. Variants come chambered in 6.8 SPC, 22 Nosler, and .224 Valkyrie. The rifle has an extended length of 38.5 inches and a collapsed length of 35.25 inches. The rifle weighs 7.5 pounds. [37]
Savage released the MSR-15 Long Range in 2018. The most salient feature of this variant is its 22-inch barrel. The barrel length was chosen to achieve maximum accuracy with .224 Valkyrie ammunition from long range. [38]
Specialty guns are the primary focus of Savage Arms' business. All of its product offerings fulfill a special need. Weapons designed for left-handed shooters are a good example of this. [39]
Savage was the first major manufacturer to produce a left-handed hunting rifle in significant quantities, starting in 1959. [40] [41] [42]
Savage Arms sells 18 different firearms for left-handed shooters with products designed for big game, law enforcement, target competition, and predator hunting, including left-handed slug shotguns and bolt-action and semi-auto rimfire rifles. Savage generally releases its products as right-handed models with a left-handed version to follow a few years later. Models not available with a stock left-handed version can usually be made to order. Savage can convert most of its products to left-handed versions because most of its receivers, bolt releases, and safeties are designed symmetrically. Savage can easily convert its products' designs by changing the bolt assembly and moving the ejection port to the opposite side, but most of its competitors have to design completely new receivers. Savage's machine tools are likewise set up to quickly and easily switch from producing right-handed products to left-handed ones and back again. [39]
Since Savage is one of the older American arms companies still in commercial production, it would be difficult 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:
For most of its history, Savage made ammunition as well as firearms. Savage marketed a wide variety of calibers. The .303 Savage, .22 Savage Hi-Power, .250-3000 Savage, and .300 Savage are some of the more important ammunition types sold by the firm. [44]
Savage Arms' Canadian operations began as an independent enterprise called Lakefield Arms. It was founded in 1969 in Lakefield, Ontario where it remains as of 2020. The company was formed partially in response to the closure of a boat factory in the same town. The founding partners thought the laid-off factory workers' skills would be readily transferable to gun making. During its first year of operations, Lakefield Arms produced two different .22 caliber rifles for the Canadian market. The Mark II was a bolt-action rifle with a 10-round removable magazine. The Mark III was a semi-automatic rifle that also had a 10-round removable magazine. Both had wooden stocks. As of 2019, these designs were still the basis for the companies best-selling products. [45]
In 1973, Lakefield Arms moved into a new factory on 2.5-acre parcel of land the company had purchased near Water Street in the same town. As of 2019, it remains at the same locations. 90 to 140 people are usually employed at this site depending on demand and the time of year. Savage Arms purchased Lakefield Arms in 1995. [45]
According to company officials, the Canadian division of Savage Arms exports 97 percent of its rifles, mostly to the U.S, as of 1997. [46] In an interview with a local newspaper reporter in 2019, a senior company official said that 200,000 to 300,000 guns per year are manufactured at Lakefield. The same official said roughly 85 percent of its output is exported to the United States, 5 percent is exported to other countries, and 10 percent is sold within Canada. [45]
In firearm designs, the term single-shot refers to guns that can hold only a single round of ammunition inside and thus must be reloaded manually after every shot. Compared to multi-shot repeating firearms ("repeaters"), single-shot designs have no moving parts other than the trigger, hammer/firing pin or frizzen, and therefore do not need a sizable receiver behind the barrel to accommodate a moving action, making them far less complex and more robust than revolvers or magazine/belt-fed firearms, but also with much slower rates of fire.
The scout rifle is a conceptual class of general-purpose rifles defined and promoted by Jeff Cooper in the early 1980s that bears similarities in the design and functionality of guide guns, mountain rifles, and other rifle archetypes, but with more emphasis being placed on comfortable portability and practical accuracy, rather than firepower and long range shooting.
In firearms terminology, an action is the functional mechanism of a breechloading firearm that handles the ammunition cartridges, or the method by which that mechanism works. Actions are technically not present on muzzleloaders, as all those are single-shot firearms with a closed off breech with the powder and projectile manually loaded from the muzzle. Instead, the muzzleloader ignition mechanism is referred to as the lock.
A semi-automatic firearm, also called a self-loading or autoloading firearm, is a repeating firearm whose action mechanism automatically loads a following round of cartridge into the chamber and prepares it for subsequent firing, but requires the shooter to manually actuate the trigger in order to discharge each shot. Typically, this involves the weapon's action utilizing the excess energy released during the preceding shot to unlock and move the bolt, extracting and ejecting the spent cartridge case from the chamber, re-cocking the firing mechanism, and loading a new cartridge into the firing chamber, all without input from the user. To fire again, however, the user must actively release the trigger, and allow it to "reset", before pulling the trigger again to fire off the next round. As a result, each trigger pull only discharges a single round from a semi-automatic weapon, as opposed to a fully automatic weapon, which will shoot continuously as long as the ammunition is replete and the trigger is kept depressed.
Weatherby, Inc. is an American gun manufacturer founded in 1945 by Roy Weatherby. The company is best known for its high-powered magnum cartridges, such as the .257 Weatherby Magnum, .270 Weatherby Magnum, .300 Weatherby Magnum, .340 Weatherby Magnum and the .460 Weatherby Magnum. The company's headquarters is in Sheridan, Wyoming.
A lever action is a type of action for repeating firearms that uses a manually operated cocking handle located around the trigger guard area that pivots forward to move the bolt via internal linkages, which will feed and extract cartridges into and out of the chamber, and cock the firing pin mechanism. This contrasts to other type of repeating actions such as the bolt-action, pump-action, semi-automatic, fully automatic, and/or burst mode actions. A firearm using this operating mechanism is colloquially referred to as a levergun.
Pump action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by moving a sliding handguard on the gun's forestock. When shooting, the sliding forend is pulled rearward to eject any expended cartridge and typically to cock the hammer or striker, and then pushed forward to load a new cartridge into the chamber. Most pump-action firearms use an integral tubular magazine, although some do use detachable box magazines. Pump-action firearms are typically associated with shotguns, although it has also been used in rifles, grenade launchers, and other types of firearms. A firearm using this operating mechanism is colloquially referred to as a pumpgun.
The .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire, also known as the .22 WMR, .22 Magnum, .22 WMRF, .22 MRF, or .22 Mag, is a rimfire cartridge. Originally loaded with a bullet weight of 40 grains (2.6 g) delivering velocities in the 2,000 feet per second (610 m/s) range from a rifle barrel, .22 WMR is now loaded with bullet weights ranging from 50 grains (3.2 g) at 1,530 feet per second (470 m/s) to 30 grains (1.9 g) at 2,200 feet per second (670 m/s).
The Remington Model 700 is a series of bolt-action centerfire rifles manufactured by Remington Arms since 1962. It is a development of the Remington 721 and 722 series of rifles, which were introduced in 1948. The M24 and M40 military sniper rifles, used by the United States Army and United States Marine Corps, respectively, are both based on the Model 700 design.
Marlin Firearms is an American manufacturer of semi-automatic, lever-action and bolt-action rifles. In the past the company made shotguns, derringers, and revolvers. Marlin owned the firearm manufacturer H&R Firearms. In 2007, Remington Arms, part of the Remington Outdoor Company, acquired Marlin Firearms. Remington produced Marlin-brand firearms at its Kentucky and New York manufacturing facilities. In 2020, Sturm, Ruger & Co. bought the Marlin business from bankrupt Remington Outdoor Company.
.17 Hornady Magnum Rimfire, commonly known as the .17 HMR, is a rimfire rifle cartridge developed by Hornady in 2002. It was developed by necking down a .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire case to take a .17 caliber (4.5mm) projectile. Commonly loaded with a 17 grain projectile, it can deliver muzzle velocities in excess of 775 m/s.
Thompson/Center Arms is an American firearms company based in Rochester, New Hampshire. The company was best known for its line of interchangeable-barrel, single-shot pistols and rifles. Thompson/Center also manufactures muzzle-loading rifles and was credited with creating the resurgence of their use in the 1970s.
The .30-30 Winchester / 7.8x51mmR cartridge was first marketed for the Winchester Model 1894 lever-action rifle in 1895. The .30-30, as it is most commonly known, along with the .25-35 Winchester, was offered that year as the United States' first small-bore sporting rifle cartridges designed for smokeless powder. Since its introduction, it has been utilized alongside the development of flatter shooting cartridges, most prominently those derived from designs subsidized by interest in military expenditures. The .30-30 has remained in widespread use almost entirely because of reliable effectiveness in civilian applications, and has put food on the table for millions of people in hunting situations.
Harrington & Richardson Arms Company is an American brand of firearms and a subsidiary of JJE Capital Holdings. H&R ceased independent production February 27, 2015.
The Thompson/Center Contender is a break-action single-shot pistol or rifle that was introduced in 1967 by Thompson/Center Arms. It can be chambered in cartridges from .17 Bumble Bee to .45-70 Government.
The Savage Model 110 is a bolt-action repeating rifle made by Savage Arms. It was designed in 1958 by Nicholas L. Brewer. It was patented in 1963 and has been in continuous production since that time. The model variants included the first left-handed rifle to be made "in volume" by a major firearms manufacturer.
The Remington Model 798 is a bolt-action rifle that was sold by Remington Arms from 2006 until 2008. The gun was made as a hunting rifle. It is composed of an imported Zastava Arms barreled action assembled with a laminated stock after import to the United States. It is based on a Mauser 98 action. It is chambered for .243 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .270 Winchester, 7mm Remington.Magnum, .300 Winchester.Magnum, .375 H&H Magnum and .458 Winchester Magnum It is drilled and tapped for scope mounts. It can have a barrel length of 22, 24 or 26 inches. It weighs 7 pounds, and has a brown laminated stock. The standard variant costs $599, and the Magnum versions can cost anything between $638 and $839. This is an all-steel, controlled-feed action using a flat-bottom receiver with an integral recoil lug, one-piece bolt with dual locking lugs plus a third safety lug and a bolt guide, full-length extractor, solid steel one-piece bottom iron/magazine box/trigger guard, hinged magazine floor plate, and all of the usual Mauser 98 deluxe features.
.22 caliber, or 5.6 mm, refers to a common firearms bore diameter of 0.22 inch (5.6 mm) in both rimfire and centerfire cartridges.
A varmint rifle or varminter is a type of small-caliber, precision-oriented long gun primarily used for varmint hunting and pest control. Such rifles are typically characterized by sniper rifle-like designs such as heavy free-floating barrel, enhanced bedding, ergonomic gunstock, the use of bipod/beanbag and high-power telescopic sight, and the choice of high-muzzle velocity, high-ballistic coefficient munitions, which are all accurizing features of needed for improving repeated shooting, often over long distances.
The Ruger American Rifle is a family of budget-level hunting/sporting bolt-action centerfire rifle made by Sturm, Ruger & Co., which also produces a line of rimfire rifles with similar designs called the Ruger American Rimfire.
One of the first rifles was sent to Bud Waite at the NRA headquarters in Washington, DC for his review and comments. These appeared in the February 1958 issue of The American Rifleman... Within a few years it was available in a left-hand version - an industry first...
An interesting feature of the model 110 is that it is available in both right- and left-handed models—and the left- handed job is the only one of its sort in the world.
110 MCL... first left-handed hunting rifle ever to be placed in volume production... designed and is being built in quantity for left-hand use