Sow's Ear - Savage 219 - 219 Zipper

wachtelhund1 · September 29, 2014, 06:51 PM

This weekend at a gun show, I picked up another project gun. A Savage 219 re-chambered to 219 Zipper. I recognized the gun on a table as a Savage 219 and picked it up. It looked pretty rough. The barrel had been painted flat black with numerous runs, but the bore was very good. Forearm was not original, it was a beavertail and the fit was a little loose. Butt stock had been cut and pieced together to raise the comb and add a check piece. Cutting and fitting was done very well, but someone later tried to file or work on the check piece and did a poor job. Trigger guard was loose and the gun had a cheap scope on it. Through the paint I could make out .22 Hornet, but when I opened the breech, I could see the chamber was not a 22 Hornet.

I asked the seller what caliber was it. He responded with "219 Bee", I said no such caliber. Then he said, "218 Zipper" again I said no such caliber. I asked how much? He said, "$350.00"; I walked away. I returned the next day and again asked the same questions and pretty much got the same answers.

I said I was interested but his price was way to high. I began pointing out the flaws; starting with the scope. Told him I considered it junk and would only throw it away. Next the painted barrel, I told him it looked terrible with all the runs and who knew what was under the paint. I pointed out the trigger guard was loose and the fact that he had no idea what caliber it was. As a kid, I had a 218 Bee and knew of the 219 Zipper, 219 Donaldson and 219 Zipper Improved and thought it to be one of those calibers.

So I offered a trade and cash, He refused, but counter with $250.00 and no scope. I said still to high and offered $150.00 without scope. He refused my offer. We talked a little more and I repeated my offer and added it was getting late and he would only have another long gun to carry home. He countered with $225.00. I countered with $200.00 which he accepted. I carried my new old gun home.

When I got home, first thing was to strip the paint off the barrel. Paint came right off. The receiver had some type of lacquer on it, so I striped it also; which removed the finish off the trigger guard. O well, I was going to take it apart to tighten the trigger guard anyways. Once the paint was gone, I could see what was left of the original bluing. Poor, it was faking off in places, someone had started to sand off the bluing towards the front of the barrel. The barrel was marked .22 Hornet with a small "K" above .22. Apparently, it had been re-chambered twice. On the left hand of the barrel above the receiver, it appeared that a scope may have been mounted at one time. The holes were filled and ground off leaving about 4 inches of grind marks perpendicular to the barrel an low spots where the filled holes were. I clamped the barrel in a vice and cleaned the grind marks and low spots by running a mill file length wise on the barrel. Then sanded the entire barrel with 220 grit sand paper preparing it for rust bluing. I also removed the trigger guard and cleaned I up with a Dermal tool and steel brush, the treated it with Aluminum Black. The Aluminum Black finish may wear off but it will not chip off as paint will and can always be touched up.

Today, I took it to my gunsmith where we cut a new 11 degree crown at the muzzle. I did a chamber casting and it turned out to be a 219 Zipper. I "X" out the .22 Hornet and re-stamped the barrel "219 Zip". Tomorrow, I will start rust bluing the barrel and butt plate. Not sure about the receiver. The receiver has a sort of bronze color to it. I think someone tried to blue it, it was originally either case hardened or it had a lot of nickel in the metal causing the bronze coloration.

jaguarxk120 · September 29, 2014, 07:08 PM

Great find, looks like it was restocked sometime in the past. It should be a great shooter.

I have the 219 in 30-30, put new Boyd's stock set on it, it is the same stocks that fit the Model 24 O/U & 94 shotgun.

Clark · October 1, 2014, 01:10 PM

I have 219s.
The best book is De Haas Potpourri of single shot actions pages 82 to 87.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/717...-frank-de-haas

You could spend a couple hundred dollars on the used market for the book, or buy another 219 and get someone to scan and email 6 pages.

De Haas is not easy reading. He takes guns apart and analyses them. This is cross sectional drawings.

wachtelhund1 · October 1, 2014, 11:20 PM

Quote:

The best book is De Haas Potpourri of single shot actions pages 82 to 87.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/717...-frank-de-haas
You could spend a couple hundred dollars on the used market for the book, or buy another 219 and get someone to scan and email 6 pages.
De Haas is not easy reading. He takes guns apart and analyses them. This is cross sectional drawings.

Not really interested in the book, but I do have some questions about the gun. It ha no serial number, so I assume it is an early model. The barrel is stamped "BL". I read there were different versions as time progressed. I assume the barrel could go on any 219 version from 219b through 219L. Also the safety spring was missing so I ordered one from Numeric gun parts. While looking at the schematic I noticed there was an ejector, mine has only an extractor. I ordered the ejector as it appears it was a option for some guns. I believe it will fit on my barrel.

I've started rust bluing the barrel and receiver. I though of leaving the receiver the bronze color and later case hardening the receiver. With only three rust bluing applications both barrel and receiver are looking great, I'm glad I did not wait to do the receiver later. Metal work should be done by Friday. Stock work will be done during the winter,

wachtelhund1 · October 4, 2014, 11:40 AM

Here are pictures of my Savage 219 after rust bluing. Still refinishing the butt stock. I'll probably replace the beavertail forearm with a smaller schnabel forearm later this winter.

September 29, 2014, 06:51 PM	#1
wachtelhund1 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2007 Location: pelican lake, WI Posts: 413	Sow's Ear - Savage 219 - 219 Zipper This weekend at a gun show, I picked up another project gun. A Savage 219 re-chambered to 219 Zipper. I recognized the gun on a table as a Savage 219 and picked it up. It looked pretty rough. The barrel had been painted flat black with numerous runs, but the bore was very good. Forearm was not original, it was a beavertail and the fit was a little loose. Butt stock had been cut and pieced together to raise the comb and add a check piece. Cutting and fitting was done very well, but someone later tried to file or work on the check piece and did a poor job. Trigger guard was loose and the gun had a cheap scope on it. Through the paint I could make out .22 Hornet, but when I opened the breech, I could see the chamber was not a 22 Hornet. I asked the seller what caliber was it. He responded with "219 Bee", I said no such caliber. Then he said, "218 Zipper" again I said no such caliber. I asked how much? He said, "$350.00"; I walked away. I returned the next day and again asked the same questions and pretty much got the same answers. I said I was interested but his price was way to high. I began pointing out the flaws; starting with the scope. Told him I considered it junk and would only throw it away. Next the painted barrel, I told him it looked terrible with all the runs and who knew what was under the paint. I pointed out the trigger guard was loose and the fact that he had no idea what caliber it was. As a kid, I had a 218 Bee and knew of the 219 Zipper, 219 Donaldson and 219 Zipper Improved and thought it to be one of those calibers. So I offered a trade and cash, He refused, but counter with $250.00 and no scope. I said still to high and offered $150.00 without scope. He refused my offer. We talked a little more and I repeated my offer and added it was getting late and he would only have another long gun to carry home. He countered with $225.00. I countered with $200.00 which he accepted. I carried my new old gun home. When I got home, first thing was to strip the paint off the barrel. Paint came right off. The receiver had some type of lacquer on it, so I striped it also; which removed the finish off the trigger guard. O well, I was going to take it apart to tighten the trigger guard anyways. Once the paint was gone, I could see what was left of the original bluing. Poor, it was faking off in places, someone had started to sand off the bluing towards the front of the barrel. The barrel was marked .22 Hornet with a small "K" above .22. Apparently, it had been re-chambered twice. On the left hand of the barrel above the receiver, it appeared that a scope may have been mounted at one time. The holes were filled and ground off leaving about 4 inches of grind marks perpendicular to the barrel an low spots where the filled holes were. I clamped the barrel in a vice and cleaned the grind marks and low spots by running a mill file length wise on the barrel. Then sanded the entire barrel with 220 grit sand paper preparing it for rust bluing. I also removed the trigger guard and cleaned I up with a Dermal tool and steel brush, the treated it with Aluminum Black. The Aluminum Black finish may wear off but it will not chip off as paint will and can always be touched up. Today, I took it to my gunsmith where we cut a new 11 degree crown at the muzzle. I did a chamber casting and it turned out to be a 219 Zipper. I "X" out the .22 Hornet and re-stamped the barrel "219 Zip". Tomorrow, I will start rust bluing the barrel and butt plate. Not sure about the receiver. The receiver has a sort of bronze color to it. I think someone tried to blue it, it was originally either case hardened or it had a lot of nickel in the metal causing the bronze coloration.

October 1, 2014, 01:10 PM	#3
Clark Senior Member Join Date: December 4, 1999 Location: WA, the ever blue state Posts: 4,678	I have 219s. The best book is De Haas Potpourri of single shot actions pages 82 to 87. http://www.midwayusa.com/product/717...-frank-de-haas You could spend a couple hundred dollars on the used market for the book, or buy another 219 and get someone to scan and email 6 pages. De Haas is not easy reading. He takes guns apart and analyses them. This is cross sectional drawings. __________________ The word 'forum" does not mean "not criticizing books." "Ad hominem fallacy" is not the same as point by point criticism of books. If you bought the book, and believe it all, it may FEEL like an ad hominem attack, but you might strive to accept other points of view may exist. Are we a nation of competing ideas, or a nation of forced conformity of thought?

September 29, 2014, 07:08 PM	#2
jaguarxk120 Senior Member Join Date: February 28, 2008 Location: Michigan Posts: 2,619	Great find, looks like it was restocked sometime in the past. It should be a great shooter. I have the 219 in 30-30, put new Boyd's stock set on it, it is the same stocks that fit the Model 24 O/U & 94 shotgun.

October 4, 2014, 11:40 AM	#5
wachtelhund1 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2007 Location: pelican lake, WI Posts: 413	Here are pictures of my Savage 219 after rust bluing. Still refinishing the butt stock. I'll probably replace the beavertail forearm with a smaller schnabel forearm later this winter.