The Savage 64 Takedown is a new take on the Savage 64 to make it into a handy takedown model. Released recently in 2019, the Savage 64 takedown is a semi automatic, magazine-fed, takedown 22LR. It uses a simple barrel nut that you can tighten or loosen by hand and it comes in a carrying case. They’re about $230 in the US.
Savage 64 Takedown Specifications
- 16 ½-inch matte black carbon steel barrel
- Weighs 4.5 lbs
- Barrel nut allows easy disassembly
- Includes soft carrying case
- 10-round detachable box magazine
- Black matte synthetic stock
- Drilled and tapped receiver for scope mounts (Weaver 16)
- Available in right and left hand models
The Good
First off, the Savage 64 is the cheapest new takedown 22LR you can buy. This one was under $200 Canadian pesos on sale, and that’s a LOT cheaper than other takedowns on the market like the popular Ruger 10/22 Takedown ($490), Mossberg Papoose ($300), but just a bit more expensive than the New Old Stock $180 Chinese Norinco JW-20. At that price point, it may be the only takedown 22LR in some people’s budgets and that’s important.
The takedown mechanism is pretty easy to use. Slide the barrel into the cutout, turn the nut until it’s tight, and you’re done. No adjustments are ever needed, no barrel wrench is required either.
The trigger is also acceptable. It’s a long 2-stage trigger with about a 4.5lb pull. I think that’s OK for a rimfire rifle of this price point.
The fact Savage has switched from dovetail mounts like they had on the old Savage 64 to only drilled and tapped makes me happy. Rimfire dovetail mounts are garbage and the faster they die out in favor of better drilled and tapped weaver mounts, the better.
The Bad
Disassembly to get the bolt out is a royal pain in the ass. 4 different screwdriver bits are required and it’s easily the worst popular semi auto 22 to disassemble. This is NOT a big deal if you’re a low volume shooter and only use this for hunting small game. Savage’s new A22 is an absolute dream to disassemble compared with this dated design.
Accuracy is not great. While the rifle has scope mounts, you might want to just use the irons. The iron sights are OK and the accuracy is good enough for use on small game in the field.
Reliability can vary with Savage 64’s. They’re made to a price point, and the fit and finish of some components like the magazine means that some people will see jams with theirs.
Controls like the safety are a bit stiff and the recoil spring is also pretty stiff compared with other rifles out there. Youth under 12 years old might have issues racking the bolt. The magazine release isn’t great either, but since most 22’s has trash mag catches, it’s about par.
I hate to complain about a free carrying case, but it could be so much better for the same price. The carrying case is both bigger than it needs to be and doesn’t have padding at the bottom where the rifle hits the ground if you roughly put the case down. The channel in the case where you put the barrel is way bigger than it needs to be, the spot where the rifle is too big, it’s just a crappy fit for the rifle. I think this must have been an off the shelf Uncle Mike’s bag that they re-purposed for the rifle instead of designing one that fits it better.
Conclusion
Should you get a Savage 64 Takedown? I think it fits one use case well: low volume, low priced, small game hunting with the iron sights. Even though the case is bulky, it carries nicely on your back. It’s not the best tool for the job, but it’s by far one of the cheapest.
