Most Important Savage Models & What Made These Firearms So Popular

Despite being one of the oldest firearm manufacturers in the USA, Savage is not the largest. It was established in Massachusetts in 1894. It has operations in Canada as well and has specialized in rimfire and centerfire rifles, not to mention shotguns. Until 2019, it was a subsidiary company of Vista Outdoor, but it spun off. Over its long history, two Savage models helped the brand gain notoriety all over the world: Model 99 and .300 Savage. All in all, here's a list of all the firearms ever made by Savage.

Rimfire rifles

Rimfire rifles represent one of Savage’s specializations, with quite a few models in this category.

Model 64 is a .22 LR unit made in Canada. It’s particularly aimed at new shooters, as well as hunters. It’s a popular plinker in the USA and has gained a reputation for its incredible accuracy. Moreover, it has a fairly low price.
A17 is part of the A series, along with a few other rifles. The semi-automatic unit relies on the .17 HMR cartridge. It uses Savage’s unique delayed blowback mechanism, as well as the proprietary adjustable trigger.
A22 is part of the same series. It has a 10 round capacity and is chambered for the .22 Long Rifle ammunition.
A22 Magnum is similar to A17 from many points of view, but it relies on the .22 WMR cartridge. It has a 10 round capacity.
Model 93 also uses the .22 WMR ammunition, but it can also take .17 HMR. It’s part of a series that also includes Model 93R17.
Mark II is a series including a few variants of the original rifle. Most of them rely on the .22 LR ammunition, but .17 HM2 is just as common.
B series came out as a replacement for Mark II. Introduced in 2017, the series includes B17, B22, and B22 Magnum and uses .22 LR, .17 HMR and .22 WMR ammo.
Rascal was designed as a single shot rifle. It uses the .22 LR cartrdige.

Bolt action rifles

There are quite a few bolt action rifles in Savage’s collection, some of them are popular all over the world.

Model 110 is currently the oldest continuously produced bolt action rifle in North America. Introduced in 1958, it used to compete against Winchester’s Model 110, which has been discontinued. It also has a few variants.
Model 10FP is similar to Model 110. It has a few variants, some of them specifically produced for law enforcement officials. While marketed independently, Model 110FP is similar and seen as a variant. It’s also one of the most popular Savage 30-06 models.
Model 10/110 comes in all kinds of variants, as well as numerous cartridges, including .260 Remington, .204 Ruger, .308 Winchester or 6.5 Creedmoor.
Model 11/111 is designed as a hunting rifle, mainly for boar and similarly sized animals. Model 11/111 and its variants use different cartridges, including .223 Remington or .308 Winchester.
Axis II XP brings in a few rifles known for their cost effective profile. The production is low cost, and so is the price. Different variants can use different cartridges.
Impulse is an ambidextrous bolt action rifle. Just like other Savage firearms, it comes with more variants and different calibers. It was introduced in 2021.

It’s worth noting a few other firearms in this category, including Model 112 Magnum Target, Lightweight Hunter, Model 116, and BA Stealth, which is considered one of the best rifles of the last decade.

Sporting rifles

Like other firearm manufacturers, Savage has also touched the sporting rifle market, but it’s only released a few models. MSR-15 and all variants are based on the traditional AR-15. Not only do variants come in different calibers, but Savage also allows customizing them. One variant stands out, MSR-15 Long Range, which achieves incredible accuracy with .224 Valkyrie cartridges. Since Savage is such a popular name among custom users, the company has also developed a line for left handed users. There are currently 18 firearms specifically made for left handed users.

Shotguns

Savage has designed and produced a few shotguns overtime, some of them given out under license. S1200 was designed by Savage, but it was sold under the Stevens name. It was the first semi-automatic shotgun offered by Stevens and can be found in two barrel lengths. 212 is a 12 gauge shotgun, part of the same series as 220, the 20 gauge alternative. Both shotguns are known for their accuracy. The bolt-action mechanism is responsible for it. They also come with some of Savage’s proprietary technologies, such as the AccuTrigger. Savage Renegauge was introduced in 2020 and mainly aimed at turkey hunters. It has a very low recoil and weighs around eight pounds.

Combination guns

Combination guns don’t represent a very common choice for firearm manufacturers, but Savage decided to give this segment a try. Model 42 Takedown was designed as a combination gun and can be broken down within a few seconds only. It has two barrels. The bottom one uses .410 bore shells, while the top one uses .22 WMR or .22 LR ammo.

Discontinued firearms

Savage has discontinued a wide variety of models and firearms over its long history. Some of them were discontinued because they failed to get the required popularity. Some others were simply outdated. M1917 Lewis was a light machine gun produced between 1913 and 1942. It used quite a few different cartridges and was mainly popular throughout World War I, yet it was used by numerous countries in other conflicts too. Model 24 was a combination gun made until 1950 for Stevens and until 2010 as a Savage product. It had a few variants. All Savage 24 models used the .22 LR and .410 bore cartridges. Variants and similar models include Model 242, Model 42, Model 2400, and Model 389. When it comes to rifles, Savage 99 models stand out with their reliability. The collection also includes Model 1899 and Model 1895. The lever action rifles came with unique rotary magazines. They were popular among big game hunters, and they took a wide variety of cartridges. It’s also worth noting a few other shotguns produced and discontinued by Savage overtime:

Model 67
Model 69
Model 520
Model 620
Model 720
Model 745

As a final conclusion, Savage has gained popularity with its impressive history, as well as the primary focus on custom things. Most of its firearms had something unique or proprietary to Savage, not to mention the possibility to customize some of them as well.