Savage Revel: A Modern Rimfire Lever-Action Rifle

After nearly three decades, Savage returns to the lever-action battlefield with a new rimfire.

April 29, 2025 By J. Scott Rupp

With all due respect to Winchester and Marlin, the Savage 99 was the best lever-action rifle of all time. Arthur W. Savage’s internal-hammer design was strong, accurate and damn good-looking. Sadly, the 99 is no longer with us—it ceased production in the late 1990s—and we will probably never see its like again. But Savage Arms is back in the lever-action game with the Revel takedown, a tube-fed rimfire available in Classic and DLX versions. Currently the only chambering is .22 Long Rifle, but .22 Mag. and .17 HMR rifles are planned.

The Classic I received for testing is, well, classic. It features a nicely grained walnut buttstock and fore-end. The wrist is straight, not a pistol grip. The butt has no checkering, and there’s a subtle ridge in the lower third. You may not notice this ridge at first glance, but once you realize it’s there you’ll appreciate the embellishment. The buttpad is hard black plastic with light texturing.

The slim fore-end features angled bevels that result in a comfortable gripping area for your fingers on the sides and a nice styling cue at the front. There is no fore-end cap, just a screw that anchors the magazine tube. The Classic model doesn’t come with sling swivel studs.

A quick note on the companion DLX model. It, too, has a walnut stock, but the buttstock is a pistol-grip design. It has a significant relief cut on the sides with through-cuts, and the fore-end gets a similar “ventilated” treatment—racy aesthetics that will probably appeal to the younger set. The DLX also has a threaded barrel and a hooded front sight, neither of which is found on the Classic.

Components

close up of barrel crown — While the DLX version of the Revel features a threaded muzzle, the Classic doesn’t, but it does sport a target crown. (Photo courtesy of J. Scott Rupp)

The Classic’s magazine is your standard brass tube; capacity is 12 rounds of .22 Long Rifle. The cap is knurled for a sure grip and easy turning, and there’s an O-ring that keeps out moisture and ensures the cap won’t rotate by itself—plus it eliminates any chance the tube will rattle in its housing.

The Revel Classic’s 18-inch steel barrel is button rifled and has a medium contour with a 0.70-inch diameter. It’s matte-finished, and although it’s not threaded, the muzzle does sport a target crown.

Sights include a semi-buckhorn rear and a bead front. The rear is the traditional sliding elevator set in a dovetail. Lift up on the sight to move the elevator for elevation, and drift the sight for windage.

The receiver is cast aluminum alloy, which knocks the weight down to a handy five pounds, 15 ounces on my scale. For comparison, my Marlin 39A .22 lever action, which has a steel receiver and 24-inch barrel, tips the scales at six pounds, nine ounces.

Finishing Touches

The receiver is cast aluminum alloy finished in black Cerakote, and it features removable side covers. The smooth action features a large lever and a great trigger. (Photo courtesy of J. Scott Rupp)

The receiver’s cover plates are finished in a black Cerakote. The application on my sample wasn’t perfect, as there was some rippling in the finish. You’re not going to mistake this for a blued steel receiver, but it’s one of the better-looking receivers of its kind you’ll find at this price point.

Savage’s director of marketing Beth Shimanski pointed out something I had failed to notice in the receiver. Underneath, forward of the lever where the last four numerals of the serial number are stamped, you’ll find a trunnion. This is a key structural component to the design, and it’s made of forged steel.

Like all lever actions in modern times, the Revel incorporates a manual crossbolt safety. It’s located directly behind the trigger and below the hammer. The area around the safety is relieved so the button is not flush with the receiver sides. Shimanski said this was done to soften the edge of the safety, and I think it will also prevent accidentally pushing safety on or off. On Fire, the left side shows a painted red notch.

The receiver top has a narrow profile, and it’s drilled and tapped for a proprietary rail that’s currently available only from Evolution Gun Works. I asked why Savage’s designers went this route instead of opting for a rail setup that would accommodate the ubiquitous Ruger 10/22 rail or maybe grooved like receivers of old. Shimanski said they avoided a grooved receiver to maintain the lines of the receiver cover. Further, the narrow top required coming up with a proprietary rail that would work with the contour without adding bulk.

The Revel is a takedown, and that’s accomplished by opening the action with the safety on and then driving out the two takedown pins from left to right. They’re captured, which is a nice touch because you don’t have to keep careful track of them. With the pins out, all you have to do is separate the halves.

The receiver cover plates are held in place with four 5/64 hex screws, two on each side, and this is to facilitate easy cleaning. Unfortunately, two of the four screws on my sample were really tight, and the screw drives buggered as soon as I applied a degree of force to them, so I was unable to examine this feature.

The trigger is great. It’s got a wee bit of smooth take-up culminating in a light, crisp break. Savage’s specs say it’s a touch over two pounds, but I got one pound, 12 ounces on an average of 10 pulls.

Accuracy Testing

accuracy results chart — (Accuracy results chart provided by the author)

For testing, I mounted a Zeiss Conquest 3-9X on a rail that Savage supplied. The 50-yard results I got were terrific—and not just for a lever gun. That’s solid accuracy for any rimfire short of a high-end competition rifle, especially when you consider I tested only roundnose plinking ammo and high velocity hunting loads. Best five-shot group of the day of 0.51 inch came courtesy of Remington’s Golden Hunter.

The rifle handled well offhand, too, at least in terms of feel and balance. I particularly like the fore-end, which is nice and slim, and its contour fit my grip just right.

One thing I didn’t care for was the stock’s long, 14.25-inch length of pull. Between that and the large-loop lever, along with my relatively short arms, I was at the very limit of my ability to run the lever to its forward-most position without taking the rifle from my shoulder.

Overall I give the Savage Revel Classic a B—good, but I think it could be better. First off, I don’t understand that long length of pull. Shimanski said this length was chosen to fit the rifle’s ergonomics and project the size and feel of a centerfire rifle. Well, it does that, but it’s longer than is typical even on centerfires.

Length of Pull

wood butt stock shown — The straight-grip walnut stock has a nice color and good grain. The only embellishment is a subtle ridge toward the bottom. (Photo courtesy of J. Scott Rupp)

Just looking at lever actions, the current-production Marlin 336 .30-30 has a length of pull of 13.4 inches, and the Winchester 94’s length of pull is 13.5 inches. Even the Browning BLR, which I always found too long for me, has a length of pull of 13.75 inches.

Granted, the Revel is a rimfire, and for the most part it doesn’t much matter how fast and effectively you can operate the lever. And like I said, I have short arms, and a lot of adults will have zero problems with the design, but small-statured and some young shooters might.

The design of the lever loop, which is similar to the lever on Henry’s .22 carbine, doesn’t help matters. If it didn’t have that big belly it would shorten the throw at least some. Also, I’m not a fan of large-loop levers from an aesthetic standpoint, but that’s pure personal preference.

The removable receiver covers are a great idea, but the screws need to be made from harder metal or have deeper, better-machined drives—or both.

Capable Rimfire

rifle taken down — The Revel is a takedown, and this is easily done by pushing out two captured pins in the receiver and separating the upper and lower components. (Photo courtesy of J. Scott Rupp)

I’m certainly no gun designer, and I’m sure Savage’s reasons for the proprietary rail have a solid foundation. But convenience does count, and until rails and/or bases become widely available, it is a slight hurdle to getting the gun to the range right away if you want to scope it.

None of my criticisms are disqualifying, though, and there is a lot to like about the Revel. The understated stock with its sharp-looking wood is right up my alley, and the weight and balance are spot on.

Savage has always been known for its quality barrels, and the Revel’s produced the kind of accuracy you want in a field-capable rimfire. The target crown is a nice touch as well.

The trigger is a big part of the accuracy, and it’s not often you’ll find a lever-action trigger with such a light, crisp pull. The action is smooth, and there were no failures to feed and no jams in more than 150 rounds—including rapid cycling.

Lever-Action Renaissance

Lever actions are definitely experiencing a renaissance, but rimfire options remain limited. Browning still sells the BL-22, but that’s in a whole other league. The Savage competes with offerings from Henry and Rossi. The Revel is comparably priced with the Henry carbine and a little bit more than Rossi’s Rio Bravo, but not enough to matter.

All in all, the Savage Revel is a worthy addition to the .22 lever-action universe. Shimanski said the introduction is all part of Savage’s plan to be a “complete firearms company,” and the Revel is a good choice to complement the firm’s extensive line of semiautomatic and bolt-action rimfires.

Yes, the Revel is no Model 99, but for plenty of shooters and hunters it will fill the bill as a fun rifle on the range and one you’d be proud to carry in the field while chasing small game or cruising a trapline.