Savage · Shotgun

Savage Model 720

Name: Savage Model 720
Brand: Savage

Long recoil · 12 Gauge · introduced 1930

Also known as Savage M720, Savage 720 Humpback

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About the Savage Model 720

The Savage Model 720 was a 12-gauge long-recoil semi-automatic shotgun produced by Savage Arms from 1930 to 1949 under license from the John Browning Auto-5 design. It carried the Auto-5's distinctive 'humpback' receiver and friction-ring recoil system, holding five rounds (four in the tube plus one chambered). A short-barreled 'riot gun' form served the US military during World War II, primarily for guard duty and aerial-gunnery training.

The Model 720 was Savage's licensed production of John Browning's iconic long-recoil 'Humpback' Auto-5, the first mass-produced semi-automatic shotgun; about 14,500 served the US military in WWII, mostly guarding home-front sites and training aerial gunners.

Savage Model 720 specifications

General

Type: Shotgun
Action: Long recoil
Firing mechanism: Hammer-fired
Trigger: Single stage
Calibres: 12 Gauge
Magazine capacity: 4 rounds
Magazine: Tubular magazine

Dimensions

Barrel length: 711 mm (28.0 in)
Overall length: 1270 mm (50.0 in)
Weight (empty): 3.63 kg (8.00 lb)

Barrel

Rifling: None

Materials

Barrel: Steel
Receiver / frame: Steel
Stock: Walnut
Finish: blued

Performance

Effective range: 40 m

History

Introduced: 1930
Discontinued: 1949
Production status: Discontinued
Country of origin: US
Designer: John Browning

Features

Humpback receiver
Friction ring recoil system
Browning auto 5 design
Pistol grip stock
Beavertail forearm

Safety

Cross bolt safety

Because the semi-automatic action left no room for a bayonet lug or heat shield, no true 'trench gun' version existed - only the short-barreled riot gun. Roughly 14,500 units were procured by the US government from 1942 to 1945.