First time painting a rifle (Savage 42 22/410 over/under)

Quackerbacker · Mar 3, 2013

Just finished it. Still not a beauty queen winner,and my first time painting a rifle, but it's far less fugly.

After:

Sorry for the cellphone pics. If anyone cares enough i'll take some with a real camera.

Impressions so far:

Trigger: decent, i can work with it.
Front Sight: attrocious, the bead is tapered large to small from muzzle to aft and covers the whole bulls eye at 20 yards.
Rear Sight: Not horrible, but not great. I'm going to swap for an aftermarket peep.
22 Barrel: seems okay. with the horrid sights i was able to shoot pretty tight groups.
410 Barrel: Needs a choke. Shot an 18" pattern at 20yds with no6 hunting shot. I wouldn't shoot at a grouse or quail outside of 15 yards. I'm wondering if a gunsmith could do some sort of screw in choke.

Overall, i have to say i like it despite it's warts. It's just so light and handy and points really well. With improved sights and a little better range for the shotgun and i will love it.

I took my 7 year old daughter for her very first marksmanship session and it was perfect. I like how the action really slows everything down and makes for very deliberate movements.

I paid $360 at walmart. Cabelas had it for i think $420, but now has it on sale. I usually shop at smaller independent shops but nobody had one in.

matt2680 · Mar 3, 2013

I like it. Half the fun is making it yours.

erudne · Mar 3, 2013

excelent paint job

Spitpatch · Mar 3, 2013

As an ersatz collector of the Savage 24 series, I am disappointed (and find it hard to believe) they would issue such a gun without a choked barrel. Standard Operating Procedure over the years for nearly all .410's was to choke them full. Even the 20ga Model 24's were choked full. Sounds like the front sight could use some judicious attention with a draw file.

No big fan of the "doggie dick" ahead of the trigger guard (break lever?). Later models of the 24 experimented with a break lever (instead of on the tang) integrated just ahead of the trigger guard, but rounded, and merged with the guard. Very early models sported a slide button on the right receiver panel.

And, as if to add insult to injury, center stage folks, for your undivided attention is the crossbolt safety button (or at least that's what it appears to be).

I am very happy the 24 concept lives on. However, I see this new offering as absolutely no threat to the skyrocketing values of the originals.

Take none of this personally, QB. I think what you did to this gun was just the lipstick needed! :s0155:

P.S.: If the trigger mechanism resembles at all the Model 24 trigger, I'm well-versed at the simple solution there, and can talk you thru it.

Quackerbacker · Mar 3, 2013

No offense taken, it's a tool, not my firstborn child

Yeah i'm not sure what the thought was with the 410 barrel. I'm going to make some calls to local gunsmiths and see if they have any solution for me. Even extending the range out to 30 yards would be a huge improvement.

The break lever is weird, i've never seen one there myself, but i've never had an over-under with a rifle barrel.

Of it's flaws, the trigger is the least of them, there is zero creep and while breaking pretty heavily, it's a clean and fairly predictable break.

I'm really looking forward to working on a solution for the sights (don't really want to scope it), i love to tinker.