I can list a couple of reasons why I never expected to buy this rifle. It's not regimentally marked and as such, not terribly interesting to me. The finish is well worn. The wood has been lightly sanded, taking away any interesting marks, and is ready for a someone to put on a nice finish. One of the things I liked about this rifle is that all of the small parts seem to be original and Savage marked. The serial number, 86C0432, indicates 1943 production. It still has the original 300/600 yard battle sight.
Presumably the rifle went somewhere during WWII and saw enough service to have the bolt changed (#71C8830), but other than that, it appears to be virtually "as-issued". What really surprised me was the condition of the two-groove bore. It's bright and shiny and completely at odds with the amount of wear to the exterior finish. I picked up that rifle and decided that it really needs to go to a good home where someone will appreciate it. A little TLC will go a long way into turning this rifle into a beauty.
It was not until I started taking photos of this rifle and got the light at just the right angle that I noticed an import mark lightly scribed with an electric pencil on the left receiver. I made a point of making certain that the mark was highlighted in the photos - but with a little buffing I think that mark would virtually disappear. (Believe it or not, I didn't notice it until the third or fourth time I handled the rifle. It's really not that noticeable.) What that mark tells us is that the rifle did leave the country during WWII (1939 - 1945) and that it returned sometime after 1968.
