Combo Camp Gun

For small game or survival readiness, the savage Model 42 is now available as an easy- to-carry takedown Gun.

- Steven Paul Barlow

The idea of an affordable, versatile long gun that you always keep handy is appealing.

Call it a camp gun, truck gun or knock-around gun, if you’d like. It’s not one that you match with a $1,000 scope and keep meticulously tucked away in your gun safe to await that special hunting trip. This is a gun of opportunity for whatever game presents itself. When you need it, it’s always there. You don’t mind if it gets scratched or beat up a bit as it accompanies you through the bumps and bruises of everyday living.

Several years ago, Savage Arms resurrected its concept of a combo gun. The Model 42 featured a rimfire rifle barrel (.22LR or .22WMR) over a smoothbore .410 shotgun barrel.

Now, the company has updated that design by making it as a takedown model. I wanted to find out if this newer version would make a suitable and effective “knock-around” gun for my purposes.

MODEL 24 CAME FIRST

The Model 42, of course, is just a more modern take on an old idea. For years, Savage manufactured its Model 24, a wooden stocked over/under that was offered in many more configurations than the current gun. I owned one with a .30-30 barrel over a 20-gauge shotgun barrel. It was an ideal tool to procure camp meat. I kick myself a lot for trading it away.

For a while, I looked to find another one to replace it, preferring one in .22LR over 20 gauge, which I figured would be an excellent gun for small-game hunting. But the price for those old guns (many of which are in rough shape) is now in the $400 to $500 price range—comparable to the price of a new Model 42.

IMPROVED DESIGN