WWII US Military Savage Model 720

S

Skarekrow88

New member
I have the opportunity to buy this off a local guy for $475 if I come and get it from him. I have a particular affinity for shotguns and anything to do with WWII but I don't know a whole lot about these so I figured I would come here to see what you guys could tell me.

From what little research I've done it seems these were used to train aerial gunnery crews and/or pilots on how to lead a target which is pretty neat. Everything looks to be right with it to me and it appears to be in at least decent shape. I'm finding a wide range of prices for these though so is $475 for this example reasonable?

https://imgur.com/EHNfJnJ

https://imgur.com/uriW0t9

https://imgur.com/QYAiz2Y


EHNfJnJ


uriW0t9


QYAiz2Y
 
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not a bad price.
gun is prone to cracks. heads up.
it looks like after the war, it was converted to MWR use at a local military base skeet/trap range with the polychoke installed. it was common to decom shotguns to recreational use until worn out and deactivated.
this one seems to have been either used for this reason or a prior owner added that polychoke.
either way, the flaming bomb identifies it as a war issue gun. look for it on the bbl. if the bbl doesnt have it, odds are the gun had bbls swapped out in its lifetime.
but still....not a bad price for a browning A5 knock off.
 
gun is prone to cracks. heads up.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info.

Is it the receiver or the wood furniture that is prone to cracking?

I'm going to ask for pictures of the barrel markings although I think I can see them in the up close picture of the receiver markings.

I know these US marked 720's are scarce but scarce doesn't always mean sought after. Are these desirable to collectors at all or are they kind of a niche thing?
 
I had a 720, not the military one but the commercial model.
The wooden fore ends will split if the recoil springs are not in the proper arrangement for the loads being used.
A search will show the proper spring assembly and set up for the various load levels.
I always shot the low brass trap loads in mine and had no problems although I did have to replace the fore end before I got smarter.
Numrich (Gun parts Place) had the replacement wood at that time.
 
The wooden fore ends will split if the recoil springs are not in the proper arrangement for the loads being used.
A search will show the proper spring assembly and set up for the various load levels.
Click to expand...

Very helpful if I decide to buy it, thanks. Probably won't be shooting it a whole lot though.
 
Well I drove about an 1hr40m to go look at the gun and everything appeared to be fine with it until I glanced over the forend. Two obvious cracks on each side and when I took it apart there was a big crack down the center of the inside. Offered $300 despite this but he didn’t go for it. Oh well it was a neat piece but I personally couldn’t give $475 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Thanks for all the help and insight.
 
Personally I’ve never saw a US marked Savage 720. In a administration building at either Ft.Bliss or White Sands there is pictures of airial training with 720s in picture. Only Savage guns I saw in use were some pump riot guns. They were new production 50+ years ago when I was in. Only saw a few Rem 11s riots that were US marked, all others pumps. The long barrel guns bought for recreational services could be about anything in a pump, most were Winchester 1200s.
 
i had a few. the navy use to give them away as prizes at their base held shooting events to rid them of inventory. i got the last one from nas oceana in 1991. glad you saw those cracks. any shotgun using the pogo stick system is prone those wood cracks.
 
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