Savage Mark I

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The History of Savage Arms

Savage Arms was founded in 1894 by Arthur Savage in Utica, New York. Arthur Savage held two important patents at the time: a patent for a repeating rifle with a single-column magazine lever-action rifle, which he acquired in 1891, and a patent for a hammerless lever-action design. That paved the way for Savage’s quick rise to success.

The company’s first breakthrough came in 1895 when it introduced Model 1895 – the first hammerless lever-action rifle on the market. It was modeled after Model 1892, an earlier design that never saw production due to losing a bid for a US Army contract. Model 1895, however, won the contract for New York National Guard, but it was soon canceled due to getting caught in a contemporary political climate.

Savage continued investing efforts into the production of military-grade weapons. It was named one of the two finalists in the US Army trials for a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and it lost only to the now-famous Colt M1911. Savage used the gained experience to produce high-quality pocket pistols, though, which resulted in the introduction of Model 1907, 1915, and 1917.

During World War I, Savage was merged with the Driggs-Seabury Ordnance company. The joint company focused all its efforts on the production of Lewis machine guns and heavy equipment for war purposes.

Between the two wars, Savage decided to expand its business inside the USA. In 1920 it bought Stevens Arms of Chicopee, followed by A.H. Fox Gun Co. of Philadelphia and Davis-Warner Arms and CrescentArms Co. of Norwich in 1930. Success followed and in 1939 Savage introduced the Model 24 combination gun which sold over a million copies.

When World War II commenced, though, Savage was once again ready to answer the call of duty. It focused all its resources on war efforts, producing a staggering number of weapons. It already signed a contract with Auto Ordinance Co. in 1938 to manufacture the famous .45 caliber Thompson submachine gun, and most of these submachine guns that were used in WWII were produced by none other than Savage. The company was also contracted by the US government in 1940 to produce .30 and .50 caliber Browning machine guns. On top of that, Savage manufactured one of the most mass-produced bolt-action rifles of WWII, the British No. 4 Lee–Enfield. A record of 1.2 million Lee-Enfield rifles was produced by Savage during the time of war.

Production dialed down after the war, though. In 1946, Savage closed its facilities in Utica and moved all its operations to the Stevens manufacturing premises. Even though the Model 110 was introduced in 1958, which remains one of the company’s most successful rifles to this date, Savage started to experience some issues. In 1960 all production was moved to the current location of Westfield, Massachusetts, and what followed was a series of different ownerships over the company. Savage gradually ran into serious financial problems and in 1988 the company declared bankruptcy.

The company had to cut back on its manufacturing costs to the point where it even stopped producing short-action configurations of its most successful model, the aforementioned Model 110. It wasn’t until 1995 when Savage returned to private ownership led by Ronald Coburn who sort of rejuvenated the whole company.

In 2002 Savage introduced and patented AccuTrigger – a safe and user-adjustable trigger that soon became a success. The following year, in 2003, the company was named Manufacturer of the Year by the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence, further reaffirming Savage’s distinction. Four years later, on May 15, 2007, Savage 93R17 BTVS has been named the best rifle in the Best of the Best presentation by Shooting Times, Sporting Gun, and Shooting Gazette magazines.

In 2013 Savage once again changed ownership. It was acquired by Orbital ATK for 315 million dollars, and it was later handed over to Vista Outdoor which later sold it for $170 million in 2019 to a group of private investors led by Savage’s management.

The company also had its logo changed in the middle of the 2010s when it decided to retire its old logo that presumably featured Chief Lame Deer, a native-American tribesman leader. The latter supposedly approached Arthur Savage in 1919 to purchase rifles for his tribe. In exchange for a discount, Lame Deer agreed to a deal. According to the deal, Savage was allowed to use Lame Deer’s face for promotional purposes. Many doubt the authenticity of this story, however, and Savage itself removed it from its official website as well.

Savage Mark I Rifle Review

Savage Mark I G in 22 LR

Figure 1: Savage Mark I G in 22 LR (Source: Savage Arms)

It’s been a long time since there’s been any doubt about Savage’s massive accomplishments in the rimfire department, and some of those past successes are still going strong to this day. Savage Mark I, for instance, has been on the market for quite some time, but it aced the test of time and remains a valid pick for shooters looking for a quality entry-level training rifle.

Savage Mark I is a single-shot bolt-action rimfire rifle with loads of features to show for it, including the patented AccuTrigger which Savage developed in order to ensure the shooters can easily yet safely adjust the pull weight of the trigger. It is fully customizable, and it quickly gained popularity after its initial introduction.

Granted, there aren’t as many Mark I variants available as for the Mark II model, which is considerably more frequently purchased and used, but those that are available for the former have stood the test of time and proved to be more than sufficient for what they are intended. For that reason, Savage saw no need to pump out any extra just for the sake of having them, serving no real purpose. Those that are available suffice, and Savage proudly stands behind them.

Older Savage Mark I models had a 482.6 (19”) or 508 mm long barrel, but modern versions feature a 533.4 mm (21”) long one, except for the youth variant, which still measures 482.6 millimeters in barrel length. The barrel is made of carbon steel and the two FVT variants have it heavily countered for added rigidity and accuracy.

The stock material depends on the variant. Those that have the letter “G” in the name come with a hardwood stock, while those with the letter “F” come with a synthetic one.

The action of Savage Mark I is basically identical to the 93 and Mark II actions. Relatively smooth, easy to operate, and effective. It is made of carbon steel with the receiver either drilled and tapped for scope mounts or with an 11 mm dovetail instead.

Savage Mark I FVT also comes with a pre-equipped finely adjustable peep sight which is coupled with a front globe sight at the very end of the barrel. Those two combined make the Mark I FVT an excellent out-of-the-box target practice rifle.

The safety lever is found behind the bolt handle at the top of the rifle. The rifle is in safe mode when the lever is in the rearward position, and in firing mode when the lever is pushed forward. The firing mode is indicated by a small red dot that appears when the leaver is in the forward position.

Savage Mark I Calibers

Savage Mark I can be chambered for .22 LR.

Savage Mark I Variants

You can choose between 4 different Mark I variants:

Savage Mark I G
Savage Mark I GY
Savage Mark I FVT
Savage Mark I FVT Left Hand

In the past, Savage Mark I models most commonly featured adovetail on top of the receiver, but nowadays they are usually drilled and tapped for scope mounts.

The receiver of Savage Mark I with scope mounting holes drilled and tapped

Figure 2: The receiver of Savage Mark I with scope mounting holes drilled and tapped (Source: https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/rifles/savage-rifles/savage-mark-1----22-s-l-lr---single-shot.cfm?gun_id=100533671)

dimensions of Savage receiver

A: 12.83 mm
B: 84.96 mm
C: 12.83 mm
BHU: 0 mm
Fi: #6-48
R1: 12
R2: 12

Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Savage Mark I

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Savage Mark I

The necessary condition for rifles to have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable is that the mounting surfaces of these rifles match in every dimension.

If your Savage Mark I features an 11 mm dovetail, then any rifle with the same mounting system will have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable with it.

On the other hand, if your Savage Cub is drilled for scope mounts, then these are the rifles that will have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable with it:

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Savage Mark I

For two-piece scope mounts to be interchangeable, the mounting surfaces of the rifles must match in every dimension except the action length which can vary. This is because the distance between the two pieces of the mount is not fixed.

Rifles that have two-piece scope mounts interchangeable with the drilled and tapped Savage Mark I are following:

Best Scope Mounts for Savage Mark I

For scope mounts that will fit on the Savage Mark I that has an 11 mm dovetail on top of the receiver, view our offer of Scope Mounts for an 11 mm Dovetail here.

If you already have Weaver bases installed on your rifle, view Weaver rings and other scope mounts here.

In case your rifle features a 3/8” dovetail, which is also a common occurrence on the Savage Mark I, you can mount this BKL Dovetail to Weaver/Picatinny Adaptor Mount on it to greatly expand your scope mounting options.

Continue reading to view the best scope mounts for the Savage Mark I with a drilled receiver.

Fixed Scope Mounts for Savage Mark I

DNZ Products have been making scope mounts for Savage rifles for a long time, and even though they don’t sell scope mounts made specifically for the SavageMark I, you can instead choose this DNZ Game Reaper for Savage Mark II and 93R17. It should fit on the Mark I and will be a great choice for a fixed scope mount.

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for Savage Mark I

The Henneberger one-piece mount earned our top recommendation for a detachable repeatable scope mount for the Mark I. It is reliable and extremely versatile and is thus a great choice for any rifle. It is manufactured in Germany, is made of aluminum, and has a 30-year warranty attached to it.

It will, however, need to be coupled with a Picatinny rail. We recommend this EGW’s Picatinny rail.

Picatinny Rails for Savage Mark I

This EGW Picatinny rail is perfect for the Savage Mark I. It is made of aluminum, and it comes with a 2-year warranty.

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: info@optics-trade.eu

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Savage Mark I

Sub Categories

The History of Savage Arms

Savage Mark I Rifle Review

Savage Mark I Calibers

Savage Mark I Variants

Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Savage Mark I

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Savage Mark I

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Savage Mark I

Best Scope Mounts for Savage Mark I

Fixed Scope Mounts for Savage Mark I

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for Savage Mark I

Picatinny Rails for Savage Mark I

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

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