Arthur William Savage facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arthur William Savage
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Newspaper photo Arthur Savage and a new steel tire, circa 1911
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| Born |
Arthur William Savage
May 19, 1857 |
| Died | September 22, 1938 (aged 81) San Diego, California, United States
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| Occupation | Inventor, explorer, businessman |
| Spouse(s) | Annie Bryant |
| Children | Arthur John Savage |
Arthur William Savage (born May 19, 1857 – died September 22, 1938) was a clever British inventor, explorer, and businessman. He is best known for creating the Savage Model 99 rifle, a type of gun that was made for over 100 years! He also started the company Savage Arms. But his most important inventions might be radial tires (the kind of tires many cars use today) and the modern removable box magazine for guns. He even invented an early torpedo and loved building and racing cars.
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Arthur Savage's Early Life
Arthur Savage was born on May 19, 1857, in Kingston, Jamaica. At that time, Jamaica was part of the British West Indies. His father was from Wales and worked as a special commissioner. His job was to help set up schools for people who had been freed from slavery in 1834.
Amazing Travels and Adventures
In the late 1880s, Arthur Savage took his family on a big adventure. They traveled to Australia in a covered wagon, like pioneers! He became the owner of what was then the largest cattle ranch in Australia.
About eleven years later, he sold the ranch. Then, he bought a coffee farm in Jamaica. In 1892, he moved to Utica, New York, in the United States. There, he worked for a railroad company called the Utica Belt Line Street Railroad. He also found part-time work at a gun factory, the Utica Hammer Magazine Company.
Starting Savage Arms Company
Arthur Savage and his son, Arthur John, started designing guns together. In 1887, Arthur Savage created his first rifle. It was a lever-action rifle, which means you operate it by moving a lever. This rifle had its ammunition magazine in the stock, not under the barrel.
Six years later, he got a patent for a new lever-action rifle. This rifle could use modern military cartridges. This gun, called the "Model 95," was the direct ancestor of the famous Savage Model 99.
Savage invented a special rotary magazine for his rifle. A cool feature of this magazine was a counter on the side. It showed the shooter how many bullets were left!
In 1894, Savage started his own company, Savage Arms, in Utica, New York. He rented a space to make his new rifle. A little later, in 1897, he patented a very similar gun. This new version had a removable box magazine. This became the well-known Savage Model 99 lever-action rifle. It was so popular that it stayed in production until 1999!
The Modern Box Magazine
Arthur Savage also invented the modern removable box magazine often seen on military rifles. He created this in 1908 as an improvement for his Model 99. This invention didn't become widely used until his patent ran out in 1942. However, some rifles like the Lee–Enfield already used a similar design.
The box magazine has many great features:
- It holds bullets safely when removed from the rifle.
- It works well with different bullet sizes.
- You can put it in or take it out of the gun at any time, even if it's not full.
- This lets a shooter reload quickly and carry extra magazines instead of loose bullets.
- It's made from inexpensive metal parts.
- When empty, it stops the gun from trying to fire, letting the shooter know it's time to reload.
Other Inventions and Ventures
Savage also worked on inventing a torpedo with someone named Halpine. This "Savage-Halpine torpedo" was eventually used by the Brazilian navy. Even though it worked well in tests in the U.S., the American navy didn't adopt it.
In 1905, Savage sold his remaining share in the Savage Arms company. He moved to Duarte, California, to try other business ideas.
Savage Tire Company and Later Years
In California, around 1901, Savage tried to grow oranges, but that didn't work out. So, he started the Savage Tire company. This was a big company that made tires and inner tubes for vehicles.
He later moved to San Diego. There, he invented radial tires, which are a common type of tire used today. He also found new ways to make tires. In 1917, Savage and his son, Arthur John, started another gun company, but it wasn't successful. Savage sold his tire company in 1919.
Arthur Savage tried many other jobs before he passed away. He worked in oil drilling, gold mining, and even making pipes, bricks, and ceramics. He also managed the San Gabriel Water Company. Arthur William Savage died on September 22, 1938.
