Savage Model 220 in .22 Shot gauge

[Garnett]

A nice condition example sold a few days ago for $1035 on Gun Broker.  It was a First Model Utica.  These are really rare guns.  I have one, and had known of one other, so this one makes 3.

[Sentry44]

I didn't see that auction Garnet, thx for pointing that out.  They must be super rare, because they really were completely unnecessary.  .22 shot is such a weak load, with such tiny pellets, I think you would need to shoot some ridiculous number of rounds before you'd damage the rifling on any gun.

A neat collector find!

Chris

[Garnett]

Chris, I have found out a friend purchased it.  As best I can determine, nothing found in writing, this was a limited contract for the U.S. Army Air Corp in WWII for shooting birds inside aircraft hangers.

[Sentry44]

Very interesting.  I believe I have heard this before, but attributed to something else.  That would certainly seem a valid use, as those tiny pellets couldnt penetrate walls/ceilings.  The military did some oddball stuff then, including acquiring side-by-side shotguns that they would train tail-gunners with by driving around in Jeeps or pickups and having guys try to shoot birds while in motion.  Pictures exist of them doing this, as well as shooting doubles from the bow of an aircraft carrier in heavy seas.  I once owned an LC Smith that had U.S. Govt marks on it that I think was one of those used for that type of training.

The Govt bought all they could get their hands on after Pearl Harbor, for almost any reason.  They were buying lots of .22 rifles too, as trainers for first time shooters.  You couldn't let a Garand or Spingfield be the first rifle a kid ever shot...be flinching before he could learn to aim.

Chris

[Mike Armstrong]

I had an LC Smith 16 ga. "Field Grade" double that was U.S. marked with the "flaming bomb" Ordnance acceptance stamp.  It was one of those sold to the Syracuse Army Depot in 1942.  Looked like it had just sat someplace waiting for the Canadian grouse to invade the US!  Used it for years, then sold it to a military collector that wanted it a lot more than I did.  I've seen 220s marked this way, and all kinds of other shotguns including Winchester Model 37 single shots.  All were 12s except a few 16s.

All the guns I remember were 'way too early to have been faked.  Nobody had the correct stamping die....yet.  That happened later, in the '90s.  Now you can't just assume that a commercial gun with a "flaming bomb" is a "secondary military" arm--needs some real provenance, like matching the serial to a government procurement document or a military proof-of-sale to an actual individual.

[Garnett]

One of these .22 Shot, Model 220's, is on GB now.  No bids, starting at $1500.  It is a very rare gun.  I have one, and know of one other person who has one, so this makes number 3 to my knowledge.  Also, the 3rd, .32-20 in the past few weeks sold yesterday.  I don't know the final price, but the first bid was the minimum, $1000.   I could not bid.

[Garnett]

I have talked to another person who has one and he knows of two others, so with the one on GB now, this makes a total of 7 that I know of.  A very rare gun.