Early M219 rifle

[Garnett]

Here is a left and right side view of an early M219 rifle made at the Utica plant.  Note the flanged barrel and a curved shotgun style steel trigger guard with a slim line trigger.  Note also the -219- on the Right lower side of the action. 

[Breaker]

I think that these pictures show the first style produced. The trigger-guard was blued steel. The only change made to the next variation was an aluminum (?) trigger-guard with a black-enameled finish.

[Garnett]

Breaker, again, thanks for your input.  I have been gathering data, and have decided for clarity purposes, instead of calling them a Utica model with a gracefully curved steel trigger guard, or a Utica model with an alloy trigger guard painted black, to refer to them as a Utica First Model or Utica Second Model.  This is all my doing and has NOTHING to do with any factory description I have found.  Welcome to this forum!

[Mike Armstrong]

I've seen a busted 220 trigger guard and think the alloy used is what used to be called "pot metal," a zinc/copper alloy.  Wrong color, crystalline  structure and hardness for aluminum, which still was an expensive material in the late 1940s and '50s.  I'm not sure when the alloy parts started, but think that was more-or-less the time frame. 

A zinc alloy called "Zamac" was even used for the frames of cheap firearms in that time frame and even later.  Ithaca used it for an underlever single shot shotgun (Model 66?) and a Martini-action single shot .22 that looked like a Winchester carbine. 

Was the frame of the Savage 101 possibly of this alloy, too?

[Garnett]

I have a M101 pistol and the frame is an alloy of some kind.  I think the Ithaca was a model 89.  I could have purchased one recently at a gunshow for $50.00 and did not.  I am sorry now.  While it is an ugly gun, it has possibilites if a few custom features were added.  Like....throw away everything but the barrel and action and start fresh. :-) 

[Mike Armstrong]

I found out that the alloy "Zamac" is actually BOTH zinc and aluminum.  Not sure if that is what Savage used for the later 219/220 "alloy"parts, but it was widely used in the gun industry for cost reduction in the 1960s and on.  So breaker may have at least been half right about the aluminum alloy use.

I wonder if ZAMAC may be an acronym for Zinc Aluminum Molybdenum Alloy Casting? 

[Garnett]

Mike, thanks for the update, but I did not do well in science class, so I won't voice an opinion.  :-) 

[Garnett]

I found out that the alloy "Zamac" is actually BOTH zinc and aluminum.  Not sure if that is what Savage used for the later 219/220 "alloy"parts, but it was widely used in the gun industry for cost reduction in the 1960s and on.  So breaker may have at least been half right about the aluminum alloy use.

I wonder if ZAMAC may be an acronym for Zinc Aluminum Molybdenum Alloy Casting?

Mike, here is what my son, Trey found on this subject:  I have no idea how to verify if this is what Savage used for their alloy trigger guards.

Zamak (formerly trademarked as ZAMAK[1] and also known as Zamac) is a family of alloys with a base metal of zinc and alloying elements of aluminium, magnesium, and copper.
 Zamak alloys are part of the zinc aluminium alloy family; they are distinguished from the other ZA alloys because of their constant 4% aluminium composition.[2]
 The name zamak is an acronym of the German names for the metals of which the alloys are composed: Zink (zinc), Aluminium, Magnesium and Kupfer (copper).[2] The New Jersey Zinc Company developed zamak alloys in 1929. While zinc alloys are popularly referred to as pot metal or white metal, zamak is held to higher industrial standards.
 The most common zamak alloy is zamak 3. Besides that, zamak 2, zamak 5 and zamak 7 are also commercially used.[2] These alloys are most commonly die cast.[2] Zamak alloys (particularly #3 and #5) are frequently used in the spin casting industry.
 A large problem with early zinc die casting materials was zinc pest, owing to impurities in the alloys.[3] Zamak avoided this by the use of 99.99% pure zinc metal, produced by New Jersey Zinc's use of a refluxer as part of the smelting process.
 Zamak can be electroplated, wet painted, and chromate conversion coated well.[4]

[Mike Armstrong]

Thanks, Garnett!  Nice to get the real scoop.

Given the timeframe Zamak was introduced, I suspect that it may very well be the material in the 219/220 alloy parts.  Of course "pot metal" has been in use even longer, but wasn't usually used for thin parts or parts that might be bent, like trigger guards.  Zamak seems to be at least a  little more durable.