Manual

1
Congratulations on joining the Savage Arms
family of sporting firearms owners. With
reasonable care, your firearm should deliver
years of reliable service and perform to our
“legend of accuracy”.
For your convenience, this INSTRUCTION
MANUALhas been divided into 5 sections:
SECTION 1: 10 Commandments of Shooting Safety
SECTION 2: Basic Functions
SECTION 3: Rings And Bases For Mounting A
Scope
SECTION 4: Statement Of Limited Warranty
SECTION 5: Model 62/64/954 Series (Parts List and
Diagram)
SECTION 1
10 COMMANDMENTS OF SHOOTING
S A F E T Y
(The following excerpts are from SAAMI bulletin
#081 1MM 7/97 BP. The entire booklet can be
obtained by calling: NATIONALSHOOTING
SPORTS FOUNDATION, 11 MILE HILL ROAD,
NEWINGTON, CT 06470; 203-426-4358)
Firearms Safety Depends On You
From the time you pick up a firearm, you become
part of a system over which you have complete
control. You are the only part of the system that
can make a gun safe – or unsafe.
You can help meet this responsibility by enrolling
in hunter safety or shooter safety courses, if you
have not already done so. You must constantly
stress safety when handling firearms, especially
to children and non-shooters. Develop safe
shooting habits and remember firearms safety is
up to you. Make no mistake about it.
ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND GUNS DON’T MIX
1. ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A
SAFE DIRECTION
This is the most basic safety rule. If everyone
handled a firearm so carefully that the muzzle
never pointed at something they didn’t intend to
shoot, there would be virtually no firearm
accidents. It’s as simple as that, and it’s up to you.
Never point your gun at anything you do not
intend to shoot. A safe direction means a
direction in which a bullet cannot possibly strike
anyone, taking into account possible ricochets
and the fact that bullets can penetrate walls and
ceilings. Even when “dry firing” with an unloaded
gun, you should never point the gun at an
unintended target.
This is your responsibility, and only you can
control it.
2. FIREARMS SHOULD BE UNLOADED WHEN
NOTACTUALLY IN USE
Firearms should be loaded only when you are
in the field or on the target range or shooting
area, ready to shoot. When not in use, firearms
and ammunition should be secured in a safe
place, separate from each other. It is your
responsibility to prevent children and
inexperienced adults from gaining access to
firearms or ammunition. A loaded gun has no
place in or near a vehicle or building.
Whenever you handle a firearm or hand it to
someone, always open the action immediately,
and visually check the chamber, receiver and
magazine to be certain they do not contain any
ammunition. Never assume a gun is unloaded –
check for yourself! While in the field, there will be
times when common sense and the basic rules of
firearms safety will require you to unload your
gun for maximum safety. When in doubt, unload
your gun!
3. DON’T RELY ON YOUR GUN’S “SAFETY”
Treat every gun as though it can fire at any time,
regardless of pressure on the trigger. The
“safety” on any gun is a mechanical device,
which, like any such device, can become
inoperable at the worst possible time. The safety
serves as a supplement to proper gun handling
2
but cannot possibly serve as a substitute for
common sense.
Never touch the trigger on a firearm until you
actually intend to shoot.
Your firearm is a precision instrument.
Regardless of the position of the safety, any
bump strong enough to actuate the firing
mechanism of a gun can cause it to fire. The
only time you can be absolutely certain that a gun
cannot fire is when the action is open and it is
completely empty. You and the safe gun handling
procedures you have learned are your gun’s
primary safeties.
4. BE SURE OF YOUR TARGETAND WHAT’S
BEYOND IT
No one can call a bullet back. Don’t shoot
unless you know exactly what your bullet is going
to strike. Be sure that your bullet will not injure
anyone or anything beyond your target. You
should keep in mind how far a bullet will travel if it
misses your intended target or ricochets in
another direction.
Be aware that even a .22 short bullet can
travel over 1
1
/
4
miles and a high velocity
cartridge, such as a 30-06, can project a bullet
more than 3 miles. Shotgun pellets can travel
500 yards, and shotgun slugs have a range of
over a half-mile.
5. USE CORRECT AMMUNITION
You must assume the serious responsibility of
using only the correct ammunition for your
firearm. Read and heed all warnings, including
those that appear in the gun’s instruction manual
and on the ammunition boxes. Using improper or
incorrect ammunition can destroy a gun and
cause serious personal injury. It only takes one
cartridge of improper caliber or gauge to wreck
your gun, and only a second to check each one
as you load it. Be absolutely certain that the
ammunition you are using matches the
specifications that are contained within the gun’s
instruction manual and the manufacturer’s
markings on the firearm barrel.
Hand loaded or reloaded ammunition deviating
from pressures generated by factory loads or
from competent recommendations specified in
reputable hand loading manuals can be
dangerous, and can cause severe damage to
guns and serious injury to the shooter.
Ammunition that has become very wet or has
been submerged in water should be discarded in
a safe manner. Do not spray oil or solvents on
ammunition or place ammunition in excessively
lubricated firearms.
Form the habit of examining every cartridge you
put in your gun. Never use damaged, old or
questionable ammunition – the money you save is
not worth the risk of possible injury or a ruined gun.
WARNING
DISCHARGING FIREARMS IN POORLY
VENTILATED AREAS, CLEANING FIREARMS
OR HANDLING AMMUNITION MAY RESULT IN
EXPOSURE TO LEAD AND OTHER
S U B S TANCES KNOWN TO CAUSE BIRT H
DEFECTS, REPRODUCTIVE HARM A N D
OTHER SERIOUS PHYSICAL INJURY. HAVE
A D E Q U ATE VENTILATION AT A L L T I M E S .
WASH HANDS THOROUGHLY A F T E R
EXPOSURE.
6. IF YOUR GUN FAILS TO FIRE WHEN THE
TRIGGER IS PULLED, HANDLE WITH CARE!
Occasionally, a gun may not fire when the trigger
is pulled. If this occurs, keep the muzzle pointed
in a safe direction. Keep your face away from the
breech. Then, carefully open the action, unload
the firearm and dispose of the cartridge in a safe
way.
Any time there is a cartridge in the chamber, your
gun is loaded and ready to fire – even if you’ve
tried to shoot and it did not go off. It could go off
at any time, so you must always remember
RULE #1 and WATCH THAT MUZZLE!