Following in the Footsteps of the Model 99 is the Revel Classic
Savage Arms was founded by Arthur Savage to produce a lever action rifle with which compete in military trials. The rifle, designed in 1892, had some unique features. While it was a lever-action, it did not have the exposed hammer and under-barrel magazine tube of its contemporaries. Instead, it had a rotary magazine, that could handle the new powerful smokeless powder cartridges with spitzer bullets. Its spool-type magazine even incorporated a cartridge counter that could be seen through a port on the left side of the receiver. Unfortunately for Savage, it failed in its bid for a U.S. Army rifle contract, and became the civilian Model 1895, chambered in .303 Savage. This rifle in turn evolved into the Model 1899, which was a standard-bearer for Savage until it was discontinued in 1997.
The new Savage Revel Classic .22 lever-gun will make a perfect field companion for potting bushy-tails in the tree tops.
“Not Your Grandpa’s Savage”
This new theme for Savage Arms can certainly apply to the Revel Classic, which is their first lever-gun in some 28 years. The Classic is the first of two versions, which will soon include the Revel DLX. I had the opportunity see and shoot one of the Revel .22 Long Rifle models at the 2025 SHOT Show Industry Day at the Range. It had an impressive streamlined design, smooth lever action, and contoured walnut stock. Being a lever-gun fan, I requested a sample gun for T&E.
Classic looks mated with modern styling will appeal to traditionalists and to those who want an affordable rifle. Factory photo.
The rifle arrived in a cardboard box, and came with an owner’s manual, empty chamber flag, safety padlock, plus a packet of foam-rubber ear plugs. I did a once-over from muzzle to butt, and fit and finish was quite good. The carbon steel 18-inch barrel is medium profile, with a 1:16 twist rate, and a matte-blue finish. Mounted in a dovetail near the muzzle is a post front sight, while the rear sight is dovetailed into the barrel and has a U-notch that is step-adjustable. The rifle is devoid of superfluous markings, excepting the serial number on the bottom of the receiver, and the Savage logo on both sides of the lever. Stamped into the top of the barrel, just ahead of the rear sight was a country of origin marking, as the rifle is manufactured by Savage Arms Canada.
The rear sight has a U-notch and is step-adjustable for elevation and can be drifted in its dovetail for windage adjustment. Factory photo.
The Revel Classic receiver is a three-part assembly; the outside is a black-coated aluminum cover. The top of the cover is drilled and tapped for optics. This cover mates with a black aluminum lower receiver unit, and sandwiched in between, is a steel upper receiver unit. Into this 3-piece receiver assembly is fitted the barrel, steel magazine tube, plus the other internal parts of the action. There’s also a large-loop finger lever, trigger and hammer. The trigger is well-proportioned, smooth-faced, with a pull weight of just 2lbs., 7.4 oz., per my Lyman digital trigger pull gauge, and it’s surprisingly crisp. The hammer spur, is serrated and easy to access. There’s a cross-bolt safety just above the trigger, inside a recessed area of the lower receiver unit. Pushed from left to right, the safety is ‘on’ and locks the lever and hammer. If the action has been cycled, then the safety applied, it locks the trigger and hammer in the cocked position. I found it’s easily disengaged with the trigger-finger, for right-handed folks. There’s also a safety notch, incorporated into the hammer at the first “click” when cocking manually. Cartridge capacity is 12 rounds of .22 LR, and in the near future, the Revel Classic will be available in .22 WMR and .17 HMR.
The walnut butt-stock is straight-wristed, with a satin finish, and has a checkered, black plastic, butt-plate with the famous Savage Indian Chief emblem. Both sides of the butt-stock have a peculiar ridge that’s mostly ornamental. The walnut forend, also has this ridge, plus there’s a big red Savage sticker on the bottom of the forend. Like most tubular magazine .22 rifles, the Revel Classic is loaded through a slot in the magazine tube. Turning the knurled magazine cap unlocks it, then the inner brass tube is slid out, opening the slot for cartridge insertion.
The walnut butt-stock is straight-wristed, with a satin finish, and has a checkered, black plastic, butt-plate with the famous Savage Indian Chief emblem
A big selling point for the Savage Revel Classic is its take-down feature. The rifle can be broken down into the barrel, forend and upper receiver section, and the butt-stock and lower receiver section. This makes for handier transportation, as it requires less room. To do this, first be sure the rifle is unloaded, and safety is activated; then lower the lever fully. Next, press in the two takedown pins on the receiver cover as far as they will go. They’ll protrude, but the pins are captive and can’t fall out. Pull the upper and lower receiver halves in opposite directions to separate them. To remove the bolt to allow cleaning the barrel from the breech-end, the four hex screws on the cover must be removed, using a 5/64” hex wrench. The cover and bolt are removed together by carefully sliding the cover upward and off the barrel assembly. Make sure the bolt remains within the cover. The bolt can now be slid forward and out the front of the cover. Reassembly is in the reverse order, but read your owner’s manual for the details.
Ammo Selection and Range Work
For whatever reason many guns chambered in .22 LR seem to have a preferred load. With this in mind, I selected five different brands of .22 LR cartridges. First up was the CCI Mini-Mag Varmint load, it has a 40 gr. segmented HP bullet. Next was Federal’s Hammer Down, that has a nickel-plated case, and a 40 gr. copper-plated HP bullet. Third, was the TAC-22 load from Norma, its designed for reliable performance, and has a 40 gr. solid-point bullet. Remington supplied their new Ranch Hand; it has a 38 gr. plated HP bullet. Number five was Winchester’s Wildcat, a high-velocity load, with a 40 gr. solid-point bullet.
Five brands of .22LR cartridges were used during the T&E.
For the T&E I decided to use the factory iron sights on the Revel Classic rather than mount an optic. IMHO this is a short to medium range rifle, and most useful for potting small game and varmints in the field, plinking at targets of opportunity or informal competition.
At the indoor range, I set up my Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph to get velocity readings for the test ammo shot through the 18” barrel of the Revel Classic. The velocity figures are in the performance table. I had positioned a target 15 yards down-range to check the point-of-aim/point-of-impact (POA/POI) with the sights while getting my velocity measurements. These shots chewed a big hole out of the center of that target.
I next sent Targets Unlimited 5-bullseye target sheets down to the 25-yard line for an accuracy potential evaluation. These targets have a 1.5-inch red aiming circle in the center, and the middle bullseye is bigger than the four corner targets. I started with the center target to see where the POA/POI was, and then shot 5-round groups on each of the other targets. The red circle is about the same size the head on a bushy-tail up in the tree tops. All shooting was done from the bench, using an adjustable rest.
Accuracy potential testing was performed at 25 yards, shooting from the bench, using the rifles iron sights.
One thing I noticed was the front sight was hard to see as basically, it’s black on black, and its tubular shape at the top covered the targets red circle. A dab of white or yellow nail polish on it would help. My aiming point for some shots was a center hold, some a 6 o’clock hold, and some a half-center hold. Windage-wise, it shot slightly to the right. The tightest 5-shot cluster at 0.85” was made using the Remington Ranch Hand .22 LR ammunition, and the CCI Mini-Mag load was right on its heels at 0.95”. All of the group data can be seen in the table. Considering the sights and my 70-year-old eyes, none of the group averages exceeded 1.68”.
The best 5-shot group measured 0.85” and was made using the Remington Ranch Hand cartridges.
I sent a Truglo reduced-size “Gunslinger” target down to the 15-yard line to do some reliability testing. The tubular magazine on the Revel Classic was filled to its 12-round capacity with a mix of the test cartridges. Then, using a standing, unsupported position, I emptied the rifle, shooting as fast as I could work the lever, get a flash sight picture, and press the trigger. This was done twice. Out of 24 shots, 9 were in the X/10-ring, 9 were in the 9-ring, 5 landed in the 8-ring, and 1 strayed into the 7-ring. Most of the bullet impacts were to the right.
A TruGlo Gunslinger target was used for the rapid-fire reliability test.
Wrap Up
In my book firearms reliability is the watch-word. I’m pleased to say that of 174 rounds shot through the Savage Revel Classic, I had zero malfunctions. Feeding and ejection with the smooth lever action was 100%, plus there were no misfires. The outstanding trigger pull of this rifle certainly contributed to its accuracy. I’m sure it would’ve scored better had I used an optic sight. My suggestion to Savage would be to add a gold or ivory bead to that front sight.
Two things were discovered during the T&E. After shooting the two rapid-fire strings, I noticed the rear takedown pin was protruding from the receiver. Apparently, the vigorous working of the lever moved it outward. It also slid out as I was cleaning the rifle. I contacted Savage and found out there are two tiny set screws in the right-front and right-rear of the right side of the receiver cover. They can be tightened (go easy) with a tiny star wrench, which provides friction to keep the pins in place. I also noted that the black coating on the non-ferrous parts, like the lever, was less than durable as some of the finish wore off when the lever contacted the top of the bench during shooting.
I believe the Savage Revel Classic with an MSRP of $439.00 is a bargain and will find a ready market. Its classic, yet updated appearance, will appeal to blue steel and walnut people like me. It’ll make a great beginner’s rifle, an inexpensive hunting rifle, a dandy plinker, and might even be seen at the shoulder of a little buckeroo during a Single Action Shooting Society cowboy action shooting match.
Additional Information
Savage Arms www.savagearms.com
Targets Unlimited www.targetsunlimited.com
Truglo (targets) www.truglo.com
Savage Revel Classic Specifications
MECHANISM: Lever-action rifle
CALIBER: .22 LR (will be available in .17 HMR & .22 WMR)
CAPACITY: 12 cartridges
BARREL: 18.0”
OA LENGTH: 36.5”
EMPTY WEIGHT: 6.1 Lbs.
SIGHTS: Post-type front, step-adjustable rear
FINISH: Matt-blue barrel, black coated receiver
STOCKS: Walnut
MSRP: $439.00
Savage Revel Classic .22 LR Performance
|
Cartridge |
Ave. Velocity |
Best Group |
Average Group |
|
CCI Mini-Mag Varmint 40 gr. Segmented HP |
1,189 FPS |
0.95” |
1.55” |
|
Federal Hammer Down 40 gr. Copper-Plated HP |
1,093 FPS |
1.49” |
1.68” |
|
Norma TAC-22 40 gr. RN Solid-Point |
1,011 FPS |
1.09” |
1.45” |
|
Remington Ranch Hand 38 gr. Plated HP |
1,178 FPS |
0.85” |
1.27” |
|
Winchester Wildcat 40 gr. RN Solid-Point |
1,237 FPS |
1.35” |
1.61” |
NOTE: Bullet weight measured in grains, velocity in feet per second, 15” from the muzzle by a Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph, and accuracy in inches for four 5-shot groups at 25 yards.
For dealer sales contact www.davidsonsinc.com
For consumer purchase visit www.galleryofguns.com
