Savage Model 24

The Savage Model 24 is an over-under combination gun that pairs a rifle barrel on top with a shotgun barrel on the bottom, offering two distinct firearms in a single compact package. First introduced by Savage Arms in 1950, the Model 24 was produced in a wide variety of chambering combinations over its long production run, which lasted into the late 1980s. Common configurations included .22 Long Rifle over 20 gauge, .22 LR over .410 bore, and .223 Remington over 20 gauge, among many others. A barrel selector switch, typically mounted on the hammer or on the side of the receiver, allows the shooter to choose which barrel fires when the trigger is pulled.

The Model 24 was designed as the ultimate utility gun for rural Americans, farmers, ranchers, and outdoorsmen who wanted a single long gun that could handle nearly any situation they might encounter in the field. With the rifle barrel, a shooter could take squirrels, rabbits, or other small game at distance. Flipping to the shotgun barrel allowed them to take birds on the wing or dispatch pests at close range. The break-action design made the gun simple to operate, easy to clean, and quick to load. The exposed hammer provided a visible indication of the gun’s status, and the overall package was light enough to carry all day without fatigue.

The combination gun concept has deep roots in European sporting traditions, but Savage made it distinctly American by pricing the Model 24 within reach of working people and by offering it in the calibers and gauges that American hunters actually used. The gun earned a devoted following among trappers, survival enthusiasts, and backcountry travelers who valued its versatility above all else. Over the decades, Savage produced the Model 24 in numerous variants including the Model 24V with centerfire rifle barrels and the camouflaged Model 24F. While no longer in production, the Model 24 remains one of the most recognized and beloved utility firearms in American sporting history, and good examples command strong interest from both collectors and shooters who appreciate a gun that can do two jobs at once.