If you’ve ever shot a Savage rimfire rifle or know someone who has, you know the universal complaint is the magazine. They’re cheap looking, made out of sheet metal and don’t always work well. Admittedly, I’ve been pretty lucky with my Savage magazines. Of the five I own, only two are defective. I fixed one, but I still have a 5 rounder that has a broken baseplate, that pops off so all the rounds dump into your pocket. In addition, factory mags are available only in 5 or 10 rounds. Thankfully, us Savage guys now have better options as there are other companies making replacement Savage Mark II magazines. CSSPECS makes Savage Mark II magazines with 10, 15 or 20 round capacity. They also sell a loading tool, but a free came with the 15 round magazine I bought from them. A highlighted statement on their website says, “These fit the MK II bolt action in .22lr ONLY.” In the Mark II, the same magazine is used for both 22 LR and 17 Mach 2. I’m not sure if the statement pertains to the 17 Mach 2 or something else. I have a Savage Mark II in 17 Mach 2, but haven’t tried the CSSPECS mag in it. They do not offer a magazine for the 22 Magnum or 17 HMR.

A second company, MK Machining (https://www.mkmachining.com) also had Savage Mk II custom magazines on the internet until a few weeks ago. I sent them an email asking about their magazines. MK Machining responded to my email question, saying they “withdrew them because we need to do some refining on the feeding issue. We plan to release them again, hopefully in the near future.” When they’re back on the market, I’ll probably try one out.

I bought a 15 round magazine from CSSPECS for $28.50. Shipping was fast and inexpensive. The magazine is made from metal like the factory Savage, but it doesn’t look cheap like the factory mag. There are small witness holes on one side for rounds 3, 5, 10 and 15. The body of the magazine is carbon steel with a molten salt nitride finish while the follower is stainless steel. The factory mag doesn’t have witness marks and has a plastic follower. CSSPECS has a specific procedure for breaking in the magazine. I wasn’t aware of the break in process so I just loaded it up and shot it. I’ve run probably a hundred rounds through it without any problems. The magazine loader that came with it works, but I didn’t need it.

I can recommend the CSSPECS 15 round magazine for the Savage Mk II in 22LR. I’m pleased with mine and wouldn’t hesitate to buy another one.

This post was edited on 10/19/22 at 4:26 pm