I recently purchased a new Savage 93R17 BTV (RJ) .17HMR at a local gun show. It was one of those rifles that you just have to have, it has a thumb hole laminated sporter stock the laminates are grey black, a red (maybe cherry) and brown walnut. It has a rainbow appearence. The barrel and action are blued. I can't locate it in the catalog or anyplace on the internet. I'm curious if anyone out there has seen one like it? I topped it with a Busnell Sportsman 3X9, shot a few rounds through it on a break in procedure and cranked it in at 25 yds. The last two shots stacked on top of each other so it appears it is going to be a tack driver. Will do more testing when the sun comes out again. I might add the accu-trigger is a nice crisp 2 1/2 pounds.
Sounds like it has been stocked with a custom stock, I have a friend that did just that with a Boyds, down right pretty and functional.
I suppose that is a thought, however the stock is identical to that shown in the (2006) catalog page 24 for the 93R17 BTVS (stainless)except that the laminates are totally different color. It has the three vent holes and two forward sling swivel studs. Note the BTVSS just beneath on page 24, mine has layers of this black and grey mixed with the red and brown. I think it is pretty but when my wife seen it she went gaaaaaah. Well, you know how they are.
Mystery solved, since no one seemed to have heard of this rifle I contacted the Customer Service at Savage Arms after giving the Model and s/n the lady told me this was a special built rifle by the request of their sales department for dealers. Evidently the dealer I bought it from did not want to keep it so he sold it (to me) at a Gun Show. It was brand new so I am a happy customer. I shot it today, had a few 5 shot groups smaller than my thumb nail at 50 yds and it doesn't have a box of shells shot through it yet.
sounds like an exclusive run for a distributor. the standard catalog BTVS is a brown lam thumbhole and stainless. either way, cool find and good shooter.
TM
The stock color is called "Royal Jacarunda". Boyds made them for Savage. They were a limited run for a major distributor. I have two of them. They are all over gunbroker.com. Link so you can see pics.
http://gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=70206370
It is pretty easy for commercial stock makers to get whatever color mix of laminated stock blanks that they want. Just call Rutland Plywood, place an order for the Colorwood mix of your choice and, after a period of time, they arrive at your loading dock.
www.rutply.comJeff
That answers the question of what the (RJ) is on the box. Thanks! I sorta had a hunch that Boyd's built the stocks for Savage.
I just took a look at gunbroker.com and that is the rifle for sure. I paid $339.00 for mine. I thought it was a bit high at the time but wanted the rifle bad enough I didn't care. It beat their $366.00 starting price.
It's a distributor exclusive, not a custom gun. It is not a regular catalog item. The Savage catalog model name for the thumbhole is BTVS. Nice find, enjoy it.
TM
I guess I was intrigued by the stock plus the barrel and action are blued. I'm still old fashioned I really like blue. I have a Ruger 22 mag VMBZ in stainless, rather a grey look to it and a couple revolvers in stainless but the rest are blue. I like the Savage BTVS but the blued rifle wtih this stock really drew my attention.
IIRC, in Savage code B = Laminated stock, V = Varmint weight barrel, T = Thumbhole stock, and SS or S = Stainless metal.
The only thumbhole stocked Savage 93 currently cataloged is the 93R17BTVS, so it differs from your rifle in that it has a different color of laminated stock and stainless metal.
If your Savage 17 shoots as good as my pre-AT 93R17BVSS, you'll be very pleased with it!
Jeff