Savage Arms history

The Model 1895 won a New York National Guard contract, but the contract was cancelled due to political controversy.

1897 New corporation of Savage Arms is formed with eight key stockholders.

1899 The Model 1899 lever action is launched.

Opened in Chicopee Falls, MA, along the Chicopee River, J. Stevens & Co. was a world leader in manufacturing until the 1900’s.

Yet, after some delays, the pistol trials began in January 1907.

In 1919, Arthur Savage was approached by Chief Lame Deer to buy rifles for his tribe in New York.

In 1929 Savage acquired the A.H. Fox Gun company of Philadelphia and moved production to Utica.

Savage was not around to save his creation (for he killed himself in San Diego in 1938) and so it would take the brilliance of another man to save the name of Savage as a reliable arms dealer, and this man was Ronald Coburn (9).

In 1939, Savage introduced the Model 24 combination gun (a configuration uncommon in the United States), which sold over a million copies.

1940 Savage receives contracts from the United States Government to produce 30- and 50-caliber Browning machine guns.

1941 Savage receives contract for British Lee Enfield rifles, produced at Stevens; produced 1.2 million rifles in record time.

1945 Model 24 over-under is introduced in .410/22 LR configuration.

1946 Post World War II, Savage closes Utica, New York plant and moves all operations to Stevens manufacturing facility.

1957 Model 110 is introduced into the Savage bolt-action lineup.

1960 Savage moves all production to the current location of Westfield, Massachusetts.

Savage eventually ran into financial trouble in 1988 and filed for bankruptcy protection.

The company downsized and produced only the model 110 bolt-action rifle until mid 1989.

By early 1990, the company was once again on a secure footing, having developed a strategy to build superior products at a reasonable price, something the competition could not match.

In 1992, Savage designed and patented the SNAIL, an environmentally friendly shooting range system that has since been adopted by all major firearms manufacturers, police, military and private shooting clubs in America and 14 other countries.

1994 Lakefield production acquired for rimfire production.

By 1995, Savage was now financially strong enough to attract potential buyers and the owners showed interest in selling.

A hunting handgun called the “Striker” was introduced in 1998.

In late 2000, Savage developed the worlds’ first smokeless muzzleloader and introduced a number of short magnums to complement its centerfire rifle series.

In 2002, the company started selling a factory-installed, safe, user-adjustable trigger, called the AccuTrigger.

In 2003, the company introduced the new AccuTrigger™, a trigger design so revolutionary it will forever change the way shooters expect triggers to function.

The Savage 93R17 BTVS was awarded the "Best New Rifle" in the "Best of the Best" presentation by Shooting Times, Sporting Gun, and Shooting Gazette magazines May 15, 2007, at the E. J. Churchill Shooting School in the U.K.

The AccuStock, an aluminum stock embedded rail system to further enhance action stability and accuracy, was introduced by Savage in 2009.

2010 AXIS bolt-action rifle introduced.

2012 Savage introduces the Rascal youth model 22LR.

On February 6, 2013, Savage Sports announced the appointment of Ron Johnson as its new Chief Executive Officer.

2015 The A17 is introduced, becoming the first semi-auto to safely cycle the 17 HMR using the delayed blowback system.

2017 Savage unveils its first line of MSRs, Modern Savage Rifles.

As of May 2018, Savage Arms had 367 workers at its factory in Westfield, Massachusetts.