# Varmint Gun - Savage Model 24



## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

In a store today I found a Savage Model 24 rifle/shotgun combo gun. It's a single shot breech load with .22 on top and 20 gauge shotgun on bottom. 

Anyone have any experience with this rifle as an all purpose farm weapon? The price was right, but I wasn't willing to commit to a sale today until I'd done some research. However reviews seem to be thin on the ground.


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## tallpaul (Sep 5, 2004)

Ernie said:


> In a store today I found a Savage Model 24 rifle/shotgun combo gun. It's a single shot breech load with .22 on top and 20 gauge shotgun on bottom.
> 
> Anyone have any experience with this rifle as an all purpose farm weapon? The price was right, but I wasn't willing to commit to a sale today until I'd done some research. However reviews seem to be thin on the ground.



Good guns but heavy and a compromise in all areas. I have one and like it but it is heavier than most of my .22lr or single shot shotguns. They are valuable and if less than three hundred and in decent shape a deal- look on gunbroker etc and see what they sell for....

I like it because of the flexibility is at your fingertip but in reality a .22 pistol and a shotgun may be a better choice. 

BTW ya can ask here too 

http://www.savage24.com/

If ya like the feel and can live with the one choke option they are a decent farm gun. Also with the price of shells it is nice to be able to use the .22lr instead of the shotgun round if ya can  

I keep mine in the office sometimes for garden duty...


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

They only wanted $224 for it. I thought it was rather heavy but it felt good and sturdy and didn't look like a toy. I don't mind a heavy gun so long as it's a useful gun. That side you recommended had a lot of info about it. I didn't realize I was holding a weapon with such a cult following. 

I think I'll go down tomorrow and plop down the cash. Thanks!


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## Ed Norman (Jun 8, 2002)

A friend has one in 223 X 12 3 1/2". It is very accurate. He was using it one morning when we were calling coyotes, buckshot and rifle ready to go. On the way back to the truck, we jumped a flock of chukar. He plopped in the 6 shot and got supper. I watched, holding my 22-250 Improved.


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## tallpaul (Sep 5, 2004)

Ernie- ya talk of the cult following... I had always wanted one since I was a teen. I liked useful guns and he savage had a rep as a camp gun. It is not cheap and is sturdy. It seems to do well as a camp gun or a farm gun. It is a good solid gun even if not "magic" 

Mine is a 20 gauge/22lr in a normal length and not the camper version. I need to shoot it a bit mre. I grabbed it when a bud offered it to me for 250 a few years back... I have only played with the gun a little and not near enough.


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## tn_junk (Nov 28, 2006)

It is a steal at that price, and a great gun for "all around".
Good ones in my area are going for $350 or so.

alan


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## 7.62mmFMJ (Nov 19, 2008)

Perfect platform for SHTF bugout. 

I don't think they make them anymore. They had some pretty good combos.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Ernie, that Over&Under is the exact one that I have and have been preachin about on this site for years. Every time someone ask "What's the best all around rifle?" or "What's the best survival weapon?" I always list this Savage Over&Under. It usually gets swamped by everyone elses responses and gets unnoticed. 

Christmas of 1973 I received my Over&Under and have killed just about anything there is to kill (except humans) here in N.E. Oklahoma since receiving it. Not to mention that if I feel someone is snooping around the place at night time, it's the first rifle I reach for and load it with buckshots. Which I keep in the buttstock. The one you looked at did have a sliding door on the buttplate didn't it?


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

It's a near perfect small game gun, and that's a great price if it's in decent shape


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

You know, I was really just looking for one response which would have been encouraging enough to buy it.  However I'm thrilled that it has worked to all of your satisfaction. Who couldn't use an extra gun?

I don't know if it had the buttplate door or not. I don't know that I checked. It's the shortened camper model and at some point someone had a scope on it (judging from the scratches). I think this gun is just made to shoot open sight though so I won't be putting a scope on it myself. It's in pretty good condition, the action is smooth and it's being sold by a gunsmith whom I know personally and have had great success with. I wish I could find one in a different caliber (I dislike .22) but I'll take what I can get.

I'd never actually heard of it or seen one. The only over under guns I'd ever seen were double barreled shotguns. But it's a real eyecatcher and certainly a legacy piece. The kind of gun you can pass down to your kids.


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## Wanderer0101 (Jul 18, 2007)

If it's the camper model that price is even more of a steal. I'd snap it up in a second if I ran across it. I saw one with the original bag and it was $600.


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## elkhound (May 30, 2006)

you cant go wrong with a savage 24.i have the 22 mag over 20 gauge.it's a older model with silver reciver.

the shotgun is awesome...and shoot slugs rea well.

if you wanted a nice larger caliber in a little better gun look at a valmet.they use to come in many centerfire calibers.but hey are expensive.


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## tallpaul (Sep 5, 2004)

The savage 24 was available in several other combo's to...

.22lr-.22 mag- 357 mag-222-223-30-30 were available at one time with the 410/20/12 ga's in different combo's 

The camper model/shorter one is one I was looking for when I grabbed mine. Ya just don't see em for sale often let alone reasonable.

we want pictures


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## NoClue (Jan 22, 2007)

MY dad had(has?) one and he always swore by it.


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## catahoula (Dec 14, 2005)

We have the .410/.22 , it's pretty handy for dispersing crowds of starlings. Sometimes though, when I'm expecting to get the snap of the .22 I get the recoil of the .410, due to operator error. The result is an "extra dead" varmint.


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## FourDeuce (Jun 27, 2002)

Yes, they still make them(or at least they did a few years ago). I have several, one newer one and one older one. I haven't shot mine a lot, but they seem to work well enough for single-shots(in each barrel).


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## denaliguide (Aug 30, 2008)

1 was stolen, 1 given to my boy, 2 sold.

All 20 ga. .357 Mag & Max, .223, & a 24C " Camper" real shorty, and regular .22


Might be a bit heavy but not for 1 gun doing the job of TWO......


My only wish was that more of them, shot slugs to the point of aim as the rifle sights. My .223/20Ga did, and I regret parting with it as much as I regret parting with each and every one of them.

The short ones tend to have CYLINDER chokes, whereas the longer ones have Mod's or Fulls. 

I had trigger jobs on all, sight mods on 2, and slings on all of em. If I had only one gun, that'd be it. .223 / 20, with .22LR and Mag inserts.

Good Luck

THEY DONT HANDLE STEEL SHOT WELL, at least it messed up at least one barrel on me.

Given modern 20 ga ammo and its varieties, there is nothing you cant or shouldnt do with that gun !

IMO.

DG


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## Guest (Apr 17, 2009)

You know, Ernie. I've been quite content these last several years with the battery of weapons I've had for some time now other than coveting a decent quality Garand that I can't afford anyway. Until now. My dad has a Savage 24 and he used it a lot, but frankly it never did much for me. Then along comes this thread that you started then Tallpaul mentions they made a 24 with a .357 barrel which got me curious so I went looking. Sure enough they made one .357 over a 20 gauge. NOW I'm coveting one of those as well! 

I blame you for this. I have no idea how I'm going to convince the wife to let me look for one...

.....Alan.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Heh. I can't wait to pick up the gun tomorrow and give it a try. Stupid Illinois waiting period. What they don't get is that if I'm mad enough to shoot someone today I'll still be mad at them 24 hours later. Or maybe I'll get mad next week. All it does is make me waste gas by going into town another time.

They seem to have made a lot of models of this over/under combo. If I like this one then I'll certainly be keeping my eye out for others. I'm still looking for a really good lever-action Henry though and that's been 15 years.


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## denaliguide (Aug 30, 2008)

and best was it was re-chambered for .357 Max also, so I had 38 Spl, 357 Mag, and 357 Max, almost but not quite duplicating 35 Rem ballistics, handloading. The real upside to handloading in that bore diameter was the near infinite selection of bullets, from 90 grain lead 9mm plinkers, to 180 Spire Points, to 220 gr SWC hard cast bear busters.

The odd thing was it was in a nickle finish, but had the crappiest pallet grade stock, ugh. I did put a sling on it and had a trigger job. Also replaced the plastic trigger guard with a steel one.

This had a cylinder choke and was one of the guns that did NOT place slugs to the point of aim of the iron sights. Oh well.

On thing, that one had a 20" bbl, and with ANY 20 ga load it would light the night ! ! Ditto for any of the other 20" bbls.

DG



A.T. Hagan said:


> You know, Ernie. I've been quite content these last several years with the battery of weapons I've had for some time now other than coveting a decent quality Garand that I can't afford anyway. Until now. My dad has a Savage 24 and he used it a lot, but frankly it never did much for me. Then along comes this thread that you started then Tallpaul mentions they made a 24 with a .357 barrel which got me curious so I went looking. Sure enough they made one .357 over a 20 gauge. NOW I'm coveting one of those as well!
> 
> I blame you for this. I have no idea how I'm going to convince the wife to let me look for one...
> 
> .....Alan.


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## tricklecreek (Sep 4, 2005)

hey ernie, hope you get the 24, that price is a great deal if in halfway decent condition, i've had 2, the first one I bought at the tender age of 12 and 22 over 20, my ex took it, 10 years later i bought a 22mag over 20 with the engraved reciever and paid too much for it but I wanted another one and just paid it, your right not really a scope gun as your eye may regret using the shotgun barrell


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## Brian N.E Ohio (May 11, 2002)

I must be the odd man out. Had one for a couple of years couldnt wait to get rid of it. The heavy trigger pull made accurate shooting of the rifle barrel nearly impossible. It was .22-20.


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## denaliguide (Aug 30, 2008)

sorry read caliber wrong !! 

First, always HAVE a GUNSMITH, Triggers and Sights are the first things I look at and customize.

Sav 24 is simple to do trigger work on, its NOT rocket science.

They often had heavy gritty triggers that a visit to the gunsmith could make easily better.

DG




Brian N.E Ohio said:


> I must be the odd man out. Had one for a couple of years couldnt wait to get rid of it. The heavy trigger pull made accurate shooting of the rifle barrel nearly impossible. It was .22-20.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

I picked it up this morning and managed to put a couple dozen rounds through it before I had to get back to planting, but man, it's a nice gun. I'll see if I can't get my wife to take a picture of it here in the next day or two, but I'm very pleased with the purchase. The shotgun does seem a little bit off from the aim point, but not much. Not hugely anyway. The .22 is spot on though.


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Ernie - sure glad the gun is up to your expectations. congratulations!

Angie


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

Thanks! And thanks to all who gave such great advice about it. I should run all my purchases past you.


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## Guest (Apr 19, 2009)

denaliguide said:


> and best was it was re-chambered for .357 Max also, so I had 38 Spl, 357 Mag, and 357 Max, almost but not quite duplicating 35 Rem ballistics, handloading. The real upside to handloading in that bore diameter was the near infinite selection of bullets, from 90 grain lead 9mm plinkers, to 180 Spire Points, to 220 gr SWC hard cast bear busters.


 That's why I'm interested. There is a large range of possible loads one can work up with a .38/.357 and still more with the .357max.

.....Alan.


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## denaliguide (Aug 30, 2008)

Altho I never had one, if i recollect right, there was also one made in 30/30 // 20 ga. Now there is one you could also handload and gain some ballistic advantage and flexibility using a .30/30 IMPROVED rechamber. Also there are a bunch of inserts out there that let you use other cals. in both the shotgun and rifle barrel.

What you will probably face is who has them new in what cal, or what combo you can find used, and make your matrix from that . Have fun.

DG



A.T. Hagan said:


> That's why I'm interested. There is a large range of possible loads one can work up with a .38/.357 and still more with the .357max.
> 
> .....Alan.


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## denaliguide (Aug 30, 2008)

I'd check with the gal gunsmith on the outdoor forum, for this reason, mine, if I remember right shot low and to the right on both short bbl models. Now as I picture some of them in my mind, I am trying to remember whether there was a screw in the front bracket that tied both barrlels together, and IF there was a screw, would any change in Point-Of-Impact be achieved by changing the tension and position of that screw. Worth at least asking a question, IMO. I never messed with mine, probably didnt have the knowledge and simply never considered it for that reason. Go figure.

Good Luck, 

DG



Ernie said:


> I picked it up this morning and managed to put a couple dozen rounds through it before I had to get back to planting, but man, it's a nice gun. I'll see if I can't get my wife to take a picture of it here in the next day or two, but I'm very pleased with the purchase. The shotgun does seem a little bit off from the aim point, but not much. Not hugely anyway. The .22 is spot on though.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

At the extreme of the range I normally shoot at (about 80 yards for rifle, 50 yards for shotgun) the drift isn't very noticable. Maybe 6". The rifle seems about on target. I have no complaints.


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## Michael Kawalek (Jun 21, 2007)

I just returned from a funeral on Friday; staying at the house my cousin inherited from his dead father. Found a Savage 24 in the kitchen closet. It was 30-30 over 20 gauge. I would have asked him to sell it to me except for the circumstances of why I was there in the first place!
Michael


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## hunter63 (Jan 4, 2005)

Michael Kawalek said:


> I just returned from a funeral on Friday; staying at the house my cousin inherited from his dead father. Found a Savage 24 in the kitchen closet. It was 30-30 over 20 gauge. I would have asked him to sell it to me except for the circumstances of why I was there in the first place!
> Michael


This is a tough call, but I think I would at least let him know, after bragging it up some, that if he ever decided to get rid of it to keep you in mind.

I understand not wanting to be too pushy, especially under those circumstances, but it never hurts to just plant the seed.

I have been reading this thread for a time now, and have had a couple of the Model 24's slip thru my fingers. 
Still haven't found the "one" yet, some day....

I always considered it the most useful "one gun" as a truck/car carry, barn gun etc.
The 30/30, 20 ga combo along with the 410, .22 used to be the most popular found.

It seems that the latest models are mostly the 20 ga, .17 or the pistol calibers, (which I consider pretty much useless, IMO) 
Personnaly they don't float my boat, so still looking for the "one".

The pricing is pretty steep now, as with most firearms, but hey, if the right deal comes along, it might follow me home also.


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

Michael Kawalek said:


> I just returned from a funeral on Friday; staying at the house my cousin inherited from his dead father. Found a Savage 24 in the kitchen closet. It was 30-30 over 20 gauge. I would have asked him to sell it to me except for the circumstances of why I was there in the first place!
> Michael


I think I would have tied a note to the gun, basically saying you were interested in the firearm, but didn't want to be rude and asking at an inappropriate time... and if he decided to dispose of it later on, to give out a shout...


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

texican said:


> I think I would have tied a note to the gun, basically saying you were interested in the firearm, but didn't want to be rude and asking at an inappropriate time... and if he decided to dispose of it later on, to give out a shout...


Yeah, and maybe place a note in each end of the barrel along with attaching a note to the trigger guard, end of the barrel, and tape one to the buttstock! That should get his attention. 


Ernie, did your model have the sliding butt plate for shell storage? I'm just wondering if they only made a few of them that way. I think I have the camper model but not sure. It's a 22lr. over 20 ga. and the barrels are only about 20 inches long. Since I live in woodland country, the barrels where pretty much adequate for no futher shots I usely needed. Although I've probably shot at least one of each critter that lives here in my neck of the woods, I've mostly used it for rabbit, squirrel, and snake shooting. Have taken a few quail with it and a duck or two. Shot a doe using a slug one time, and have shot plenty of chicken killing dogs using buckshots. It has really been an all around weapon for me. Good luck with yours.


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