1909 Savage '99

[Bull]

My son-in-law sent me a message that has an "old beat-up Savage '99" that has been it his family for ages. He was always told it was made (or perhaps purchased) in 1909. At any rate, he doesn't shoot & doesn't want it, so he is giving it to me. I hope to have it this weekend, but as of yet have not seen it. I do know that the fore stock is split.

Does anyone know, or have clue, as what I should expect? I imagine it is chambered in .303 Savage as I'm unaware of any other chamberings during that time. What bore was used then, .308 or .311? Assuming that the bore is in usable shape, I'll also need a source of parts. Finally, should the barrel be beyond repair, is it feasible to re-barrel the old rifle to something like the .250 Savage or maybe .30-30?

Yeah, it is all conjecture at the moment, but as one who still shoots his Dad's old .300 Savage from 1952, I get excited when i even hear Savage '99!

[bootsmcguire]

It could possibly be a Savage 22 Hi-Power chambering. I believe it was available then, but I may be wrong.

As far as .308 vs .311 bore it could be either. I know I have read in a few places that Savage was kind of playing around with the 30cal bores in those days trying to find what was liked the best, and there didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to it as far as year or model variations.

[Bull]

If it turned out to be a .22 I'd be tickled pink - especially if the bore is good. Dad's old .300 is still a shooter's dream and has taken more game than any one rifle as a right to hope for in its lifetime - and a few mountain 'turkey shoots', too. I can't image the thrill of having two of these fine rifles.

It also dawned on me that I wasn't thinking clearly when I wrote my 1st post. I've ot checked the charts, but rebarreling - as difficult as it may be - would be dependant on what head size the bolt is cut for, wouldn't it?

[bootsmcguire]

I would think that would be the case but I have no experience there. Hopefully one of the more knowledgeable members on the 99s will chime in here. Hope it turns out well for you and keep us posted.

[Eric in NC]

Would depend on the extractor (rimmed vs. rimless) and more importantly the rotor (couldn't put 250 Savage cartridges in a 22 Hi-power magazine).

You could rebarrel a 303 Savage to 30-30 (or 35-30!).

[99trix]

You will have to post more information when you get it. By 1909 savage was producing the 1899 in 303 sav, 30-30 win, 25-35, 32-40 and 38-55 in different models. The 22 hp came in 1912, the 250-3000 in 1914 and the 300 sav in 1920. And yes rotor and extractors were different for certain calibers. The easiest switch is 303 sav to 30-30 as they used the same parts.

[bootsmcguire]

1912, I was close :)

[Bull]

I got the rifle today!

She is a straight-stocked Savage '99 marked simply ".303".
The approx. 20 inch barrel is covered in surface rust with the bluing mostly gone. (There is also a mud-dauber wasp nest in the chamber.) The factory sights are still in place. The action has some very fine bluing left and the case-hardening still shows on some of the lever with all still on the curved part that runs into the stock.

The stock... Well, the fore-end is in good shape, & small. The buttstock is split length-wise from near the bottom of the action back to the upper rear of the wrist, completely in two. With judicious use of epoxy, brass pins, & latex tubing I may be able to repair it. If it is a shooter I may just replace it. The question will be if it could withstand recoil. The buttplate is of the earlier curved variety.

ALL parts are marked with the same serial number which is #3051XX, so it couldn't be as early as I was fist told. Under the buttplate is also a "K" deeply stamped into the wood right below the serial number. The fore stock has an "X3" & some other terms I can't quite make out pencilled in the barrel channel. Looking at the screws & threads I believe this is the very first time it has ever been taken down this far.

Photos will follow.

Tomorrow I hope to clear the bore, clean it well and have a look at the rifling. *IF* that goes well I will slug the bore & determine the bore size. (Praying for usable rifling & a .308 bore!) Any date info would be greatly appreciated, along with advice on how to proceed.

All-in-all, I love it! Sure, it isn't the beauty that is my Dad's '99 in .300 Savage, but it is small, light, and clean-lined. The trigger is crisp & much lighter than the one on Dad's rifle. If she shoots, this is one you could carry all day with no issue. I can just see her taking residence in my Jeep come hunting season. Might be counting chickens before they hatch...

[Bull]

BTW: it *does* have the magazine counter,if that helps. The rotor appears to be made of bronze, but I have made no moves toward disassembly of that portion. (I can imagine that the coil spring could be a nightmare.)

[99trix]

DOM is 1928. From the description it sound like a 99H. Lightweight carbine manufactured at that time in 30-30 and 303 sav. Bore will be 308.

[Bull]

DOM is 1928. From the description it sound like a 99H. Lightweight carbine manufactured at that time in 30-30 and 303 Sav. Bore will be 308.


You just made my day! This thing should be in the woods, not in pieces in my safe. It will be a dandy deer/hog rifle.
I intend to put it back in service. The broken butt stock may be a problem, but I'm sure I can overcome it. I load ALL of my own centerfire ammo, so that isn't an issue either, once brass is acquired.

[Bull]

One other thought...
I don't intend to scope this rifle. Instead, I'm thinking about a tang sight. What do you guys recommend?

[Eric in NC]

I would suggest one of the old Lyman type that mounts on the tank but looks like a bolt action receiver sight (i.e. not one of the folding "staff" type sights). More solid, easy to adjust etc. I think they make a current production one but the older steel sights are a LOT nicer than the new cast aluminum ones.

Link to a closed auction for this type_

http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=7868774.0

[Bull]

I finally had a chance this morning to clean the barrel & chamber. I was worried with that wasp nest in the chamber, but after knocking the mud out with a brass rod I swabbed out the chamber before plugging it with a cork. Next came the good ol' Kroil. Three hours later I went to work.

That barrel was full of dust. Where ever it was kept in the past must have been bone dry. (Odd for Mobile, AL) While the bluing on the outside is all but gone, the bore & chamber look better than a lot of new guns I've seen in the last few years! w00t! That is one step closer to a 'new' deer rifle!

Next, dealing with that broken stock... I'll try to post some photos of the stock tonight. Perhaps you guys can offer some solutions.

[Eric in NC]

Great quality "semi-finished" stocks here:

http://www.gunstocksinc.com/

You will need some basic woodworking skills to finish the inlet and finish these but not hard (if you have some patience and a bare minimum of skill).

Boyd's also sells prefit/prefinished for some of the 99's - you need to pay attention to their specs on tang length, pistol vs. straight grip, etc..

http://www.boydsgunstocks.com/SAVAGE-99-STOCK-p/200-222.htm

[jonbearman]

Is there any possibility it is a take down as they made quite a few like that.Mine is made in 1910 and is a tight great shooting .303 which incidently was the gun of choice for all the maine guides around the turn of the century.They loved the caliber and it is a little hotter than the 30-30. There are people selling brass but it is exspensive,but it lasts and lasts. If I can find the link to the .303 brass I will pm you with the details. If you epoxy the stock,wash the crack out with a couple cans of carb cleaner to remove the oil and then acetone later to remove any residue.Plain old gumout works good for drying oil out of gunstocks and acetone leaves nothing behind .Let it air out for a few days and then try gluing it up.I have done quite a few of stocks like this and it works like a charm. By the way wash it outside or you could be overcome by the fumes.Be careful and stay away from any flame or cigarette. Be careful.