Savage 40 Varmint Hunter

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 40 Varmint Hunter Rifle Review

Figure 1: Savage 40 Varmint Hunter in .22 Hornet (Source: https://www.guns.com/firearms/rifles/bolt-action/savage-model-40-22-hornet-bolt-action-4-rounds-24-barrel-used?p=357256&soldout=1)

Savage 40 Varmint Hunter is a bolt-action single-shot rifle that was specifically designed for varmint hunting. It was introduced in 2004 and has since gained a reputation for being an effective and well-made rifle at a reasonable price. Weighing in at around 3.5 kilograms, the Savage 40 Varmint Hunter is a lightweight and agile rifle that is well-suited for taking down small game and pests. Its solid construction and reliable design make it a reliable choice for varmint hunters looking for a high-quality rifle.

The Savage 40 Varmint Hunter's barrel is designed for consistent and reliable performance. Its sleeved, heavy contour design adds rigidity and stability. It is also button-rifled and free-floating which helps to reduce vibrations and further improves shot placement. It is 610 millimeters long (24”) and it features a recessed target crown.

Considering the price of the rifle, Model 40 Varmint Hunter also has a perfectly satisfying action. It is extra long and made of steel. It hosts a simple yet effective steel bolt with two opposing extractors, similar to many other rimfire rifles. The whole operation of the action is surprisingly smooth and relatively silent, and it works as it should. You open the bolt, insert the round, close the bolt, fire, and extract the round – nothing new here.

The added bonus is the 2-piece Weaver base on top of the receiver. These Weaver bases come pre-installed, which saves you a couple of bucks.

Savage 40 Varmint Hunter also features the Savage patented AccuTrigger which allows the shooter to customize the trigger of their Savage rifle to their preference without the help of a gunsmith while still preserving all the necessary safety regulations.

Naturally, there is also a safety knob. You will find it on the right side of the action, behind the bolt handle. It is of the two-position lever style. If you push it forward (away from the shooter), the rifle is in firing mode. This is indicated by a red dot which is otherwise hidden by the safety lever when the rifle is in safe mode (when the lever is pushed back, toward the shooter).

Savage 40 Varmint Hunter Calibers

Savage 40 Varmint Hunter can only be chambered for .22 Hornet.

Figure 2: The receiver of Savage 40 Varmint Hunter which comes with pre-installed Weaver bases (Source: Savage Arms)

Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Savage 40 Varmint Hunter

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Savage 40 Varmint Hunter

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

Therefore, most rifles that come with Weaver bases will have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Savage 40 Varmint Hunter.

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Savage 40 Varmint Hunter

Similarly to above, any rifle that has Weaver bases mounted on its mounting surface will have two-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Savage 40 Varmint Hunter.

Best Scope Mounts for Savage 40 Varmint Hunter

Fixed Scope Mounts for Savage 40 Varmint Hunter

Henneberger is a German company known for the quality and reliability of its products. If you are looking for a fixed scope mount to mount on the weaver base of your Savage 40 Varmint Hunter, then we recommend these Henneberger 30 mm Weaver rings. They are made of aluminum and come with a 30-year warranty.

Check out Henneberger HMS Weaver rings

Detachable Repeatable Scope Mounts for Savage 40 Varmint Hunter

When it comes to flexibility, detachable repeatable scope mounts are the way to go. Being able to easily attach and detach an optic without any tools and retaining zero at the same time can be a great advantage. If this is what you’re looking for, you might want to consider this aluminum INNOMOUNT scope mounting solution of German quality for your Savage 40 Varmint Hunter.

Order INNOMOUNT for picatinny / weaver

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