Not sure whether to take a rifle or shotgun afield? That’s where combination guns come into play –that is, rifle/shotgun duos. None have been as accessible, affordable, and reliable over the years as the utilitarian Savage Model 24. Here’s why the little double holds a special allure to those who fire, collect, or otherwise adore them over 80 years after their introduction.
MEET THE SAVAGE 24

An over-under shotgun/rifle combination? Yes, please. The Model 24, available in a laundry list of chambering options, has never been more sought after than it is now, almost 85 years after its initial introduction. Remember the aptly named Stevens Model 22-410? The same year that double went out of production, Savage’s Model 24 was born.

The basis of the combination gun is a standing-breech, break-action system with a rebounding hammer. Naturally, the first was a .22 short, long, or long rifle barrel over a .410 bore. Weighing some 7 pounds and measuring only 41 inches, the combo solved the problems of whether to bring a rifle or shotgun afield, adding the best of both worlds into one handy platform.

 CHAMBERINGS AND OPTIONS

 

Multiple changes occurred over the decades. An on-frame barrel selector morphed to the hammer. Chamberings expanded rapidly, with rifle choices including .22 WMR, .22 Hornet, .30-30 Winchester, .222 Remington, .223 Remington, .357 Magnum, and .357 Maximum. In addition to the 3-inch chambered .410 barrel, shooters could opt for the greater power and range of either 20- or 12-gauge rigs.

Savage was producing these combos for small game, varmints, deer, ranch use, truck guns, home defense, and even military use. The vast majority of the Deluxe variations, denoted by the DL marking as part of the model number, showed off that silver finish along with a gold trigger. Some were built with barrels that were joined over their entire length, and others were separated. Several later models used Monte Carlo-style stocks, some with checkering while others were smooth, straight stocks with semi-pistol grips.
MODEL VARIANTS

The Model 24 expanded and saw several design changes over the years. While pairings like the .22 LR over .410 shotgun rigs may be the most common, the oddballs hold perhaps the greatest intrigue and collector value. One of the rarest, and thus collectible, among the Model 24s is a short run commissioned by the United States military in .22/.410 combination for use as pilot survival guns. There was a short run of a 20-inch barreled Camper’s Companion, a 24F Survival with a questionable compass, a blacked-out 24F Predator with a .17 HMR option, and a hard-hitting 24F Turkey special in 12 gauge.

Delving deeply into the myriad variations of the Model 24 is likely comparable to diving into the veritable rabbit hole. Collecting one of each model change would fill more than one gun safe, but the joy would be something to behold.

Shooters who wanted a .308 Winchester rifle combo option would gravitate to the distantly related Savage Model 2400 built by Valmet or the Savage Model 389 with dual triggers.

OUR TEST GUN

 

Sometimes, when you want a Model 24, you want something just a bit different. The combination we found in the Guns.com Vault is just that. Unusual, collectible, and also surprisingly practical. This Model 24 is chambered in 20 gauge/.222 Remington. It has a color-case-hardened receiver with a glossy, checkered stock.

Overall, they’re all handy, practical, well-built guns that are at once attractive and useful. We’ve used them on small game hunts, bird hunts, farm vermin control, and even for just plain old range pleasure. Worried about longevity? With such a long production history and rabid following, almost any replacement parts can be had on the secondary market, should the need arise.

HOW ABOUT THE NEW MODEL 42?

After many years without the popular double, Savage introduced the Model 42 in 2016. There’s a choice of either a .22 LR or .22 WMR upper over a .410 shotgun, with 22-inch barrels. An easily packable takedown design came several years later. The new Model 42 is great for what it is, a modernized, black synthetic combination .22/.410. It sells and, in fact, many of us own one. What it will never have, however, is the nostalgia and patina that only wood stocks and old-school manufacturing can offer.

Yet the Model 42 still makes a solid, no-worry, truck gun for any sort of farm, woods, or even survival tasks, especially in its Takedown and Compact Takedown models, which remain in current production at the time of this writing. The guns are instantly recognizable with the black stocks trimmed in Savage red. At the end of the day, continued production of the Model 42 reveals the desire of shooters for a practical, packable option driven by the original.