Savage No. 4 Mkl. 1* - matching/non-matching?

S

stickhunter

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There's a Savage No. 4 Mk. 1* in the EE with the following claim:

The serial numbers match on the receiver and the wrist band. Even though the number on the bolt does not match the other two numbers it is still an original matching rifle. Savage rifles are all like that.
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I'm skeptical about the claim that "All Savage rifles are like that [have mismatched bolts]"? I'm pretty sure I've seen Savage's advertised with matching bolts in the past, but could someone with more knowledge chime in?
 
It would have matched from the factory & if it had picked up a mismatched bolt prior to the FTR it would have been renumbered then, so the seller is incorrect.
 
"Serial numbers match on the receiver and the wristband".
A Savage rifle's serial number was on the butt socket, aka "wrist band". If there is another number on the "receiver" it really sounds like a FTR.
 
Purple and 5thBatt are right. Someone has replaced the bolt on this Lee Enfield, not the factory. The factory would have forced matched another bolt to this rifle. This not being the case makes this a mismatched piece.
 
Mismatched No.4s require a verification by a knowledgeable gunsmith who has .303BR go, no go gauges. Even then, it will always be suspect and undervalued. You can find matched No.4s easily. In your situation, I'd say thanks but no thanks.
 
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Agreed with the posts above. The rifle is NOT matching if the bolt number does not match the receiver number. All matching Savage, Long Branch and others are found on the EE frequently.

RULE NUMBER ONE---Buy the Gun, NOT the story.
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buffdog said:
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Agreed with the posts above. The rifle is NOT matching if the bolt number does not match the receiver number. All matching Savage, Long Branch and others are found on the EE frequently.

RULE NUMBER ONE---Buy the Gun, NOT the story.
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I really like this quotation:

RULE NUMBER ONE---Buy the Gun, NOT the story.

I will remember it and will use it in the future!!

By the way, we have two Savage No 4 in the museum's collection and they are all number matching.

Martin

Martin
 
Saw that one for sale and was going to post, but you beat me to it. Good sales pitch, but no. If the bolt has a different number, it came out of a different rifle. And not from the factory. I noted the bolt is marked 64L , which means it was from a Long Branch rifle last. Also, it's been FTR'd and upgraded to a Mk 1/3 , so technically it isn't a Mk 1* anymore. Price seems in line with what is pictured if you don't mind the mismatched bolt.
 
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It would be pretty much impossible to not have matching numbers on the "wrist band" and receiver as they are the same piece of metal. As for matching bolt, I have a Savage, sporter No4 Mk1*/3, FTR 52 with matching numbers on bolt, buttsocket and receiver. Has a Parker Hale front sight and a "Made in Japan Expressly for Parker Hale Limited" magazine. Holds 7 rounds but the last one is kinda tight
 
That's not Rule Number One. It's one of The Rules though. Number 3 or 4, as I recall. Rule Number One is 'If it works, don't fix it'.
Anyway, as mentioned, that isn't a 'matching rifle'. Saying all Savages were mismatched is nonsense.
Savage rifles were no different than Long Branch rifles except for the 'S' all over the thing and the 'U.S. Property' stamp. S/N on the receiver matched the S/N on the bolt. Mind you, matching numbers does not guarantee the headspace is good.
 
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