I’ve long been a fan of the Savage Model 24 over and under rifles. They’d been made since the late 30s, and were available in a myriad of rifle and shotgun caliber and gauge combos. Most of those old Model 24s were blued steel with wood stocks. The idea of a compact rifle/shotgun combo as a camp or survival rifle is appealing, and Savage hasn’t forgotten that. Their current over and under combo rifle is the Model 42. It’s a takedown rifle with synthetic stocks, and they just dropped a couple of new color options for it.

The Earth Tone Model 42s

The Savage Model 42 breaks down with the simple push of a button. It packs up into an included Uncle Mike’s Go Bag, and you can stuff it easily in your truck, your boat, strapped to your ATV or just stashed out of the way in your camp.

The Model 42 is a simple break-open combo gun that fires rimfire rounds from the top barrel and .410 bore shotgun shells from the bottom. A number of the old Model 24s offered centerfire rounds and other gauges, but the current Model 42 keeps things simple by offering .22 LR or .22 Magnum rifle options over a .410 shotgun barrel. This allows them to keep the guns light, compact and affordable.

The short length of pull and light recoil make the Model 42 a great option for new or youth shooters, too. The synthetic stocks are weatherproof, and the barrels have a matte black finish that’s easy to maintain. Black with some red trim used to be your only option, but Savage just added Flat Dark Earth (FDE) and Olive Drab (OD) Green stocks as an option as well. Being that these are guns made for the outdoors, those muted, earth tone colors make sense.

Model 42 Features:

• 20-in. barrel combination rifle/shotgun
• .22 LR or .22 Mag. over .410 bore shotgun
• Simple break-action design
• Adjustable rifle sights
• Simple one-button takedown
• Removable rear sight to allow optic mounting
• 2 sling studs
• Included takedown carry case
• Black, FDE or OD Green synthetic
• MSRP: $579

Where To Buy