Well, good point on ammo, but couple things:
--I had had .22lr ammo stockpiled, for years, in various kinds. Even though I've bought virtually none in last two years, I still have 90% or more of stockpile. So the ammo is a non-issue for me. When the shortage is completely over, I'll still have 50% to 80% I'd guess, and probably closer to 80% - not even close to being a shortage for me (but then again, I don't shoot nearly as much as I'd like). I'd imagine there are some others like me.
--On a tangent of rifle types....Generally, for me, I see the following .22 rifles pointless: Anything with a barrel over 16"; anything heavy-barreled or heavy generally; semi-auto .22s; Anything with a detachable mag. But the following I love and see as anything BUT pointless: Short, light .22s which are SBRs or 16", and have one of the following actions: single shot, or repeaters in pump, lever, or turnbolt, provided there is no detachable mag (tube mag or internal blind/box mag). The only semi-auto .22 I see as having a use, for me, is an AR15 with dedicated .22lr upper, in SBR 10" format, with a "Slide-Fire" doodad, dedicated to Stingers or Velocitors to make that Slide-Fire run.
--Not sure, but perhaps this is a buying opportunity for the future - are .22 rifle prices suppressed due to the ammo shortage? If so, prudence says get the ones you want now.
Mystro, I like that particular Savage - that's the one I'd get if I were getting another one (except it'd be in .17 hummer). But it just occurs to me from that pic, that the "front" part (the pistol grip part) of the stock is ambi (looks like), even though overall it's a lefty stock. The only thing that makes it lefty is the "back" part - the cheekpiece/hump - so what occurs to me is this: I think it would be neat is Savage or others took a stock of that style and simply put that hump/cheekpiece on BOTH sides, so that it's got the best of all worlds: Truly ambi, so a righty can take a lefty hunting shot and vice versa; but yet still of a very interesting thumbhole style.
Wait, my bad - even then, due to the bolt, it wouldn't truly be a lefty... But the bolt handle side, to me, isn't that important (though I know it is for some).... Even if the rifle was sold as a lefty or righty, due to the bolt handle side, such a universal ambi stock as I describe could be made in such as way as to be interchangeable, fitting either receiver (bolt handle cutouts on both sides) - I *think* you could do this, but not sure. Then regardless of bolt handle side, they'd all be "semi-ambi" and would retain more re-sale value (especially important to leftys). Just a random tangent thought - I have an affinity for, and am picky about, rifle stocks, so I'm always thinking how to improve them. I'm also generally a fan of thumbholes.
Well, in fact, right there on your rifle, it's a lefty stock with a right bolt. Not sure why - I'm guessing that the bolt handle on all of them is on the right side, even on the "leftys" like this one -- which, if that's the case, it weighs even more heavily in favor of my ambi thumbhole stock idea - They'd all be ambis (or semi-ambis depending on what you want to call it). There'd be no issue of proper inletting for the receiver. Only drawback is the added weight of the cheek piece being on both sides. Savage could probably charge more, since buyers would know they'd be retaining a better re-sale price (especially leftys). Pretty rifle! It's hard to pretty up an ugly Savage, but they did it with this one.
