I rarely cover modern firearm releases, press releases, and similar because it’s not always that interesting. I hate writing about things I haven’t handled, and I need to be interested in them. The Savage Revel captured my attention. Savage as a company is interesting, and they have an interesting history. The Savage 110 and its 38 variants define the modern Savage company, or they did. Savage produced affordable, accurate bolt action rifles and not much more.
Recently, Savage has branched out. They’ve produced a concealed carry pistol, a 1911, they’ve got a straight pull bolt action rifle in their catalog, and even high-end defensive and sporting shotguns. The Revel is a lever action .22LR rifle, which is another interesting move from a company known for affordable bolt guns.
The old Savage, the original, famously produced the Savage 99, a lever action rifle with an integral magazine that allowed the use of spitzer-style projectiles. From a historical perspective, the Savage lever gun isn’t a new thing, but for the modern Savage, it most certainly is. Lots of folks produce well-made, fun-to-shoot, and easy-to-shoot rimfire lever guns, so what makes the Revel stand out? Why did it capture my interest?
The Revel – Take it Down.
The Revel comes as a takedown rifle. You can detach the majority of the receiver from the lower receiver. This cuts the gun’s overall length in half. We live in a world where takedown guns are few and far between. It’s certainly not a matter of technology. Takedown rifles and shotguns were extremely popular at the turn of the 20th century.
Remington, Winchester, Savage, and most American long gun companies produced takedown variants of their guns. It was a major selling point of a lot of guns, from the Winchester 1897 to the Remington Model 8 rifle. The Revel represents one of the few rimfire lever guns with takedown capability.
The Takedown design is cool, but it’s not the only thing that attracted me to the gun. I like that they took a modern stance on lever guns. They are producing a classic model and a DLX gun with a more modern stock and nice checkering. Both guns are drilled and tapped for optics. The sights are adjustable, and it comes with an oversized lever loop.
More Than .22LR
It seems like the initial release is the always popular .22LR. However, Savage is resting the Revel on .22LR. They are producing a .22 WMR and a very awesome .17 HMR option. I think this will be the second .17 HMR lever gun on the market.
Capacity varies on caliber. The short .22LR gives you twelve rounds, and the .22 WMR and 17 HMR will give you nine rounds. It’s not a terrible capacity for magnum-like calibers. I could see the Revel being a solid working gun for pest removal. It’s light, and the takedown makes it easy to throw in a truck or on a tractor.
I have a family that tends to cattle and routinely switches from a handgun to a rifle to shoot coyotes. The switch occurs typically based on how much of a pain it is to grab a rifle when working and how hard it is to hit a coyote with a handgun. Something like the Revel in a magnum caliber might be the best option for them.
Show Me the Money
Another factor that piqued my interest was the price. The base model has an MSRP of $439, and the DLX is $539. That’s not terrible, especially since we all know it will sell well under MSRP. The Revel might be a winner for Savage and does something a little different from the classic Henry guns and the latest Winchester.
For more information, please visit SavageArms.com.
