Welcome, in case you are a newcomer to this enjoyable bi-weekly section of AllOutdoor.com! Final time round we dove into the historical past of the curious single-shot pistol that appears like a revolver. The forgotten Savage 101 is imply. At the moment we’re taking a deep dive into all of the Savage 101 pistols on the market. This, sadly, won’t be a really picture-heavy article. Not less than not within the sense of each variant. It’s because there actually aren’t any. The exceptions on the market are in personal fingers and their photographs are in books you of us ought to look out for yourselves. They are going to be linked on the finish.
Latest Content material in Curious Relics:
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Variations: Savage 101 Official “Variations”
For the reason that Savage 101 is a kind of actually forgotten firearms it comes at the price of a ignorance that isn’t speculative. On prime of that simply as is the case with most client firearms a given firm could not really feel obliged to maintain any data that an social gathering could search years down the highway. That each one being mentioned, the true variations of the Savage 101 are a thriller.
For the sake of full disclosure of what I’ve discovered by a few weeks of digging, I’ll relay my very own record of “variations”. As I mentioned I can conclude that there have been by no means any industrial variations. BUT! There are goofy outliers in design that exist.
Official “Variations”
1. Savage 101 (as much as serial 30999): The Savage 101 was produced from 1960 to 1968. On this time roughly 53,800 had been made. In response to Bailey Brower Jr’s guide Savage Pistols, they began with serial no 1 and continued sequentially. These pistols (like my early 8###) had been made till round serial quantity 30,999 earlier than the serial numbers made a decisive leap.
2. Savage 101 (32000 serial and on): The aforementioned leap was to 32,000 and it acted as a delimitation for a really small (and the one recorded) design change. From this level on a small sq. lower was added to the fake cylinder/barrel meeting adjoining to the extractor. This lower was to behave as a fuel port. The rationale for the addition is unknown to me. Maybe there have been reviews of over-gassed, ruptured, or over-pressured cartridges again within the day.
I’ve seen a photograph of a fake cylinder/barrel meeting with a crack in it proper above the chamber. However alas there isn’t any report of those weapons having points like that. On prime of that, this image reveals the identical sq. lower that was made to allegedly act as a fuel port. If this was the rationale for the lower then it positive didn’t work.
3. Savage 101 Dummy: A fairly cute story is tied to those uncommon occurrences. There are Savage 101 weapons on the market marked “DUMMY”. It’s estimated there are 10 or 12 on the market. They’re literal dummy weapons like a rubber prop gun for a film besides they cock and such. They don’t have a chamber however fairly that aspect of the barrel is flat with no gap to load something. On prime of that, there isn’t any firing pin or port for one.
In response to Brower’s guide, these initially got here from youngsters in designer Hillberg’s neighborhood begging to borrow revolvers to play cowboys and Indians. Hillberg, foreseeing the potential catastrophic points with lending firearms for youths to run off and play with met with the vice chairman of Savage and requested that some dummy weapons be made for the children. A number of extra are imagined to later be made as examples for gross sales reps to indicate sellers.
Stancil’s Finds
An writer by the identify of Garnett Weldon Stancil Jr has injected some new analysis time into the Savage 101. He like me finds this type of stuff attention-grabbing and reviews his findings as truthfully as doable. His guide, although very unofficial feeling in some ways, sheds necessary gentle and care on an in any other case forgotten gun. I’ve just lately exchanged a number of emails after studying his guide and he has knowledgeable me that updates are made as quickly as doable. He appears real in his pursuits to tell and doesn’t cost far more than what printing and delivery demand.
4. Savage 101 Engraved: In Stancil’s guide he features a Savage 101 that was engraved by its proprietor. Not a variant by any means however a wonderful instance of what the 101 may have was had Savage put the time into advertising and marketing it in a different way.
5. Savage 101 “2nd Experimental Mannequin”: A curious discover from Stancil’s connections could be the aforementioned experimental mannequin. This instance is an unassuming-looking Savage 101 with an odd type of off-colored inexperienced receiver. The within of its field written in pencil is “2nd Experimental Mannequin” and “22 Caliber Clip Magnum”. This pistol like the opposite DUMMY weapons lacks a firing pin or port and in addition denotes “DUMMY” on the underside of the grip.
Honorable Mentions
6. Bob Hillberg’s Savage 101: Bob Hillberg (designer of the 101) himself owned no less than one Savage Mannequin 101. The serial quantity is famous as being quantity 10 and it uniquely sports activities plastic grips that look just like the fashionable Heritage MFG grips beneath.
7. Savage 101 Indian Head Medallion: So, that is my Savage 101. It’s distinctive in that it has a silver medallion on the left grip. I’ve been unable to seek out every other Savage 101 like this. Do I believe this was manufacturing facility? Probably, but when it was it was a one-off. Savage looks like an organization that was accommodating to some particular requests inside motive. When talking with Mr Stancil we each suppose it appears to be like fairly “proper”. As in not a DIY type of haphazard job. He speculated it was made for a lefty because the medallion would face outward when holstered on the left aspect. Possibly there’s a right-handed one on the market to make a neat pair? If not I’m guessing it’s on the left just because most of us are right-handed and if it was on the proper it will mess with the grip really feel. It’s actually a thriller for now and can seemingly stay so. I’ll by no means act as if that is something particular. The gun just isn’t completed silver by any means the paint has very clearly worn or been dismissed.
I ought to point out that upon additional inspection the medallion shows doable proof of adhesive or epoxy. There are very slight drip marks. Nonetheless gentle scratching will a decide or fingernail has not upturned any “previous glue mud” and the medallion doesn’t seem to have large gaps. If it was positioned there after it was purchased it was executed nicely. There isn’t a proof of something contained in the grip.
Observe: A fast Google picture search with my actual picture of the medallion yields attention-grabbing outcomes. A number of comparable Indian head belt buckles on the market. Might it have been a pin or medallion on some type of merchandising? Arduous to say with the little proof I may discover and the clearly well-fit one on the grip. Maybe time will inform. After I get some higher footage executed I’ll ship them off to Mr. Stancil to do what he likes with them. I want him luck in his pursuit of discovering out extra in regards to the good previous Savage 101.
Finish of Half II: Savage 101
Effectively, there you may have a few weeks’ price of deep diving into all the probabilities of the Savage 101. Plans for an precise six-shot revolver had been within the works however this concept was dropped because the Savage 101 was discontinued in 1968. Stancil’s guide continues to obtain updates periodically so go test it out for the most recent phrase. In any other case, Brower’s is superb as nicely however primarily focuses on the Savage 1907 whereas the 101 will get a handful of pages price of point out.
- Bailey Brower, Jr’s E book: Savage Pistols
- Garnett Weldon Stancil, Jr’s E book: Savage Mannequin 101 Single Shot Pistol. Right here and right here.
In closing, I hope our Curious Relics section knowledgeable in addition to entertained. This all was written in hopes of continued firearm appreciation and preservation. We didn’t simply understand how weapons had been speculated to look and performance. It was an extended and tedious course of that has formed the world we stay in. So, I put it to you! Is there a firearm on the market that you just really feel doesn’t get a lot notoriety? What ought to our subsequent Curious Relics matter cowl? As all the time, tell us your whole ideas within the Feedback beneath! We all the time admire your suggestions.
