hello from a new member

[bennysbuddy]

my on screen name is Bennysbuddy  after my best buddy my dog benny ,or I will also answer to mike mathiesen . I have been interested in hunting grouse since childhood with single shot shot guns and recently have developed an interest in model 220's  as I have always felt they are the Cadillac of the single shot game . I discovered this forum while looking for instructions for disassembly of the gun & see there is a whole book devoted to them that I plan to buy immediately.

[Garnett]

Mike, welcome to this forum.  Thanks for sharing your interests with us.  I share your beliefs that this is a really a fine shotgun/rifle.  My new revised edition of "Savage Single Shot Arms" has complete disassembly/reassembly instructions.  Also, the December 1962 edition of Shooting Times has an article with these instructions.  It can be found sometimes on E-Bay for a low price. Of course, my instructions have pictures and are more detailed!  Best wishes, Garnett

[Mike Armstrong]

Welcome! 

I think that the 220 is a very decent grouse gun and I used one (an original 220 20 guage made in Chicopee Falls with a factory variable choke) for many years in upstate NYS. 

A single shot gun is not much of a handicap for grouse because you get so few multiple flushed birds and so few reasonable second shots.  (Most second shots are just guys expressing their frustration--hard on the pine trees but easy on the birds....).   And 220s are the quickest and safest singles.

Single shots are dead reliable in the cold and don't weigh much--you can still get that gun up quick even after miles and miles of hunting.  We had a saying about grouse hunting--"GUNS don't kill grouse; LEGS do!"  Of course a good dog or so helps a lot.

[Garnett]

Mike (Armstrong),  I am old and forgetful, but I don't remember you sharing with me that your 20 gauge had a factory variable choke on it.  Is is a Savage or a Poly Choke?  Both were installed by Savage.  I have 3, but all are on 12 gauge guns.   And.... the only ones I have seen have been 12 gauge.   What is your barrel length with the choke?  It would be nice if you could post a picture.  Best wishes, Garnett

[Mike Armstrong]

Garnett, I'm not absolutely sure that this is a factory installed Poly-Choke, but it looks like the installation shown in your first book.  Barrel is just a hair under 28".  Still can't do pix. 

I kept it set at Improved Cylinder for grouse except in the very early season, when I kept it at Cylinder--when the leaves are still on the trees, you can't see far enough to need any choke (You just need to be full of caffeine!).