The new Savage Revel is not just another rimfire lever action cowboy rifle.
The Revel features toolless takedown, making it easy to stow, easier to clean and a perfect companion for a day pack. The Revel is not the first takedown rimfire lever action rifle, but it’s one of the simplest to take apart without undue hassle or risk of damaging or losing parts.
The takedown process is quick and straightforward. With the gun cleared of ammunition, lever open and crossbolt safety on, you simply push two takedown pins on the receiver from left to right as far as they will go, and lift the upper half from the lower half. Like the takedown pins on an AR platform, the pins are retained, so there’s no fear of losing them.
To reassemble the gun, you need only have the lever fully open and check to make sure the bolt protrudes from the upper half to the hammer cut out. You then slide the lower half inside the upper, ensure everything is aligned, and push the pins in until they are flush. It’s that simple.
That feature alone sets the Revel apart, but Savage engineers didn’t stop there. The Revel blends traditional looks and innovation into a design with features today’s shooters want in a lever action gun. The rifle is initially offered in two distinctly different models. The Revel Classic follows more traditional lever action lines with a streamlined, satin-finished and contoured walnut stock with a straight grip. The Revel DLX has an upgraded walnut stock with a pistol grip, well-executed stippling, and aesthetic or lightening cuts. The DLX adds a hooded front sight and rubber butt pad, and the muzzle is threaded 1/2-28 so you can add a suppressor. All models have a powdercoated black aluminum receiver.
The Revel’s lever cycles with buttery smoothness, and has an oversized (but not too big) loop to accommodate large or gloved hands. The trigger break is crisp, contributing to enhanced accuracy. The angular, rebound-style hammer has a half-cock position, and the hammer spur offers good traction with deep serrations.
Both versions of the Revel come with stout, medium-contour carbon steel barrels that make the gun well-balanced when shooting from the shoulder. Barrels have a 1:16 rate of twist for 22LR and 22 WMR, and a 1:9 twist for 17 HMR. Both models are currently chambered for .22 LR, but .22 WMR and .17 HMR chamberings are on the way. Capacity of the under-barrel tubular magazine is 12 rounds for LR, and nine rounds for 17 HMR and 22 WMR, offering plenty of firepower for small-game hunting or plinking.
Loading the tubular magazine is fairly effortless. You simply turn the knurled magazine cap, remove the inner brass tube, and drop rounds into a cutout on the outer magazine tube. You then reinsert the spring-loaded brass tube, and you’re ready to go. A rubber O-ring between the tube and cap ensures solid engagement.
Like all classic lever action guns, the Revel is equipped with iron sights. The bladed front sight is drift-adjustable for windage, while the ramped, U-notch rear sight is adjustable for elevation. You’re not limited to use of iron sights, however, as the top of the receiver is drilled and tapped for mounting optics. Savage chose not to equip the Revel with a Picatinny rail in order to maintain the gun’s classic appearance, but if you want one, aftermarket rails are already available.
Overall, the design is streamlined but beefy where it counts, as evidenced with the barrel, barrel band and front sight. The gun has an overall length of 36.5 inches, and weight is just 6.1 pounds. This makes the gun quite handy and maneuverable.
Happily, the Revel is eminently affordable. The Classic has a MSRP of just $439, while the more lavishly adorned DLX has a price tag of $539. That’s a lot of bang for the buck for such a handy gun that’s just plain fun to shoot.