What do they mean?

[Clance]

I have a 220D with a 3" inch chamber that I would like to learn a little more about.

Taking the gun apart, I noted several stamps on the barrel and both inside and out on the receiver.  They are As pictured.












My interest is to learn what each represents and their meaning.   I believe most are just inspection marks while others are probably production date/routing marks.  I would like to know just what I'm looking at when I see these markings.   Thank you!

[Garnett]

Welcome to this forum!  The "R" with a number in a circle on the barrel and receiver is a 1964 manufacturing date.  The meaning of the numbers themselves inside the circles are unknown at this time. The 1964 date is correct for the Westfield, Mass. factory.  The numbers under the barrel in front of the lug and on the top inside rail are "assembly" numbers.  If matching assembly numbers are found at those two locations, plus stamped in the stock, under the butt plate, and sometimes stamped in the wood inside the forearm, this is a good indication that the gun is unaltered since leaving the factory.  If you have time, please check under the butt plate to see what may be stamped there.  The barrel appears to be "C" over "JH" over "21".  The rail appears to be "21" and "IX" (not 1X).  I think if you find any combination of these under the butt plate, it will verify a matching gun.  Thanks for sharing with us!  Best wishes!

[Clance]

Here are the markings under the butt plate and forearm, they don't appear to match but that's okay.  I hope to create fond memories with my son in laws and grandkids with this gun.

[Garnett]

The number "8" stamped into the forearm denotes either the size barrel it fits, or the design shape of the forearm.  I have been researching these particular forearm numbers for over 14 years and do not have enough data to make an educated guess as to which they denote.  Thanks for the additional pictures.

[Mike Armstrong]

Interesting find!  I've never seen a 220 with a 3" chamber.  Were they common after the 3" 20 guage "Magnum" chambering became popular?  (After about 1965 you almost couldn't buy ANY 20 that wasn't a "Magnum"!).

I'm not a fan of "Magnumbs" in any guage but .410, which needs all the help it can get.  And I'd suggest that you don't start kids on a single shot 3" using Magnum shells.  Light 20 Mags DO back up pretty sharply and you might induce a flinch or worse.  I'd start with 7/8 oz. skeet loads and work 'em up to the hotter stuff, especially in a light gun like a 220.

However you use it, that's a real nice little Savage!