Savage 219B-what to look for

[wreckhog]

About a year ago, my local  shop had a 30-30/16 gauge combo for $295. I liked the lightness and balance, but passed because I know nothing about them. Yesterday another local shop had a Hornet with a grooved barrel and a no name 4x in ok shape mounted. The shop talked about it being a great woodchuck gun. What should I be looking for to make a purchase decision? $175 gun BTW. Barrel locks up. Wood is good not great. Not much color on the receiver. Trigger is not too heavy but not crisp either. Gun did not balance like the 30-30 did, but that could be the scope. Missing rear sight elevator. Safety goes on when I open/close the gun. Gun looks to have been hunted quite a bit. I like singleshots and have various H&R,  and T/C already.

[Rangr44]

[What should I be looking for to make a purchase decision?]

If the bore looks good and the firing pin's not broken, it should be good to go - a $350 rifle (I just sold one).

BTW - Was the .30-30/16ga a Savage Model 24 ?  I ask because I've never seen or heard of one available in 16ga, only 12 or 20.  (a $500 gun - look at closed/sold auctions)

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[wreckhog]

The combo was a 219 with a spare barrel.

[spooked]

[What should I be looking for to make a purchase decision?]

If the bore looks good and the firing pin's not broken, it should be good to go - a $350 rifle (I just sold one).

BTW - Was the .30-30/16ga a Savage Model 24 ?  I ask because I've never seen or heard of one available in 16ga, only 12 or 20.  (a $500 gun - look at closed/sold auctions)

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I  own a 30-30- 16ga. combo..219..

[Rangr44]

Thank you all, for your help.

FWIW, When the term "combo" was used in the OP, it brought to mind a combination gun, i.e. a double-barreled gun of two different chamberings - which is why I asked it the OP was referring to a Savage Model 24 with a barrel set I'd never come across.

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[gunther66]

I have owned several of the 219's and overall I have been satisfied with most of them. A common problem that was not mentioned is misfires caused by a weak or off center firing pin strike. To test for the off center strike,put a fired case in the chamber and drop the hammer.Rotate the case and do it again.If the strikes aren't close together  I would pass on that particular gun unless you are willing to tinker with it yourself or send it to a gunsmith.  G66

[jeremiah51]

    I was asked to study a Savage 219B that would misfire 4 out of 5 times. I have found that there are two styles of trigger actions. This Savage 219B had the hammer action with a coiled spring on a rod with a steel brake shoe on the forward end of the rod. In the "cocked" position, the upper (longer) portion of the steel brake shoe now riding against the upper portion of the hammer would work to compress the coiled spring as the hammer was held back against the steel shoe by the lower trigger action. When fired the hammer would be released by the lower trigger action allowing the coiled spring to push the top heavy hammer forward to strike the floating firing pin into the primer cap firing the round. As the hammer goes forward to strike the firing pin the lower portion of the steel brake shoe riding in a cut at the lower portion of the hammer acts as a momentum brake to pull the hammer away from the firing pin so that the firing pin can return back and rest inside the receiver away from the primer cap allowing for easy ejection of the spent round.

    The misfires (caused by insufficient firing pin hits on the primer caps) were cured by filing the lower (momentum brake) portion of the steel brake shoe 1/16 inch. The more metal you remove from the lower momentum brake portion of the steel shoe allows the hammer to swing farther forward to strike the firing pin, however the hammer will not retract back as much as it did previously. Not difficult, can be done in one hour. All replacement trigger action parts are still available on the www if needed. :-)
Jeremiah 51 vs 8,9