1907 front site

[DjZep]

I am trying to help a friend restore his 99, serial number put's it at a 1907 manufacture. The biggest issue is the entire front sight assembly is gone. It also appears to have the wrong base plate, as the one on it is a bit too large. Anyway a lead on parts would be great he is really focused on putting on the correct parts for the gun and keeping it as original as possible.

Thanks!

[Mad Dog]

I'm not getting what you mean by base plate?

If there is no front sight, what base plate are you talking about?

[DjZep]

Sorry, right now the barrel is bare there used to be a ramped front sight at one time on it. This is evident by the solder that was used to put it on, I can still see the outline of the base. In the center of the barrel under where the base was there is a slit, not a dovetail, for what I can imagine was supposed to help secure the front sight base. I know that on some of the older 99's they used a ramped front sight then dovetailed a sight into the ramp like a Marble. I have no idea what was standard on the 99's for the period or if there was a standard. Also the gun is chambered in 25-30, it has a rear sight leaf and a tang peep sight.

[Mad Dog]

K, now I'm really confused.

First off, if it was made in 1907 there wouldn't be a ramp, they never used a ramp on any of the early guns made in 1907.

25-30???? I'm guessing you mean 25-35, that makes that gun pretty rare, they didn't make alot of them in 25-35.

Secondly, most of the 25-35's I do see are usually model 1899H's. Sometimes they will be take down models. I'm thinking what has happened is that it is a T/D that would have come factory with an integral front sight. The integral part is that it was built right into the barrel and then a blade was slid inbetween these edges and pinned in place. That "slit" your talking about might be the old integral front sight walls and someone ground them down flush with the barrel and put a ramp on over top of it. That SUCKS if thats what happened cause there isn't any "fixing that". Best you could do is get me some pics of the gun and I'll know for sure.

[Mad Dog]

This is what I mean by integral front sight.

http://www.savage99.com/images/front_integral_short.jpg

[DjZep]

Definitely not that sight, I will get some pics up later tonight. Sorry about the 25-30 it is a 25-35 I have only had the rifle out of its scabbard twice to take measurements and that is all. It also has no previous bevel for a dovetail sight, whatever the original front sight was it was either held onto the barrel by a small screw or it came with a ramped base of some kind. I will get pics up later for sure because I am lost in the dark on this one.

[Mad Dog]

I'm lost to, pics are great.

Describe the scabbard for me to, might be a factory original option.

[DjZep]

Front sight

http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad272/Blazed30/20130214_084612_zpsef48dd89.jpg

[DjZep]

Rifle itself Serial #73,2xx

http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad272/Blazed30/20130214_084651_zpsfa0656eb.jpg

[DjZep]

Ill fitted buttstock cap

http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad272/Blazed30/20130214_084710_zpsb040084a.jpg

[DjZep]

Scabbard is definitly not factory would be pretty amazing if it was, but it looks to be about 1970-80's era by the pleather and vinyl make up.

[Mad Dog]

Ya, definitely not factory on the scabbard.

DJ, can you tell me what the barrel address is on that gun? (Whats it say on the barrel). Just want to make sure it hasn't been rebarreled.

Also, that tang sight looks a little screwy to me, can you get a pic of it?

[Mad Dog]

Ooops, just brightened up the pics, it's a Savage #18 tang sight. The rifle is what I figured it would be, an 1899H. Not a take down model, it's a solid frame.

Would still like to know what the barrel address is.

[DjZep]

Here are some more pic's

http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad272/Blazed30/20130214_174549_zps0adf5580.jpg

http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad272/Blazed30/20130214_174511_zps6134d6c6.jpg

[DjZep]

Barrel Markings, although if anything has been replaced it was all done at once along with the action. The patina and all hardware are right, if anything i would be more inclined to this maybe being a custom order. Anyway here are the markings.

Barrel Reads : MANUFACTURED BY THE SAVAGE ARMS COMPANY UTICA N.Y U.S.A.
PATENTED FEBUARY 7, 1893, JULY 25, 1893. OCTOBER 3, 1893.

http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad272/Blazed30/20130214_174319_zps99607712.jpg

SAVAGE HIGH-PRESSURE STEEL
MODEL 1899
At the base of the barrel it is stamped 25-35 right below the leaf sight on the same side as the Savage Steel marking.
http://i943.photobucket.com/albums/ad272/Blazed30/20130214_174331_zps32895dc0.jpg

[DjZep]

Hope these can help some more, thanks!

[Mad Dog]

Yep, thats a Savage #18 tang sight, the rear sight looks like a Remington, definitely not a Savage sight.

Barrel address is correct for the rifle so it hasn't been rebarreled.

I don't get it, usually pretty good with sights but this has me stumped, can't seem to see what the heck they did to that front sight.

[DjZep]

Hmm any suggestions as to where I might go to find what may have been on there?

[Mad Dog]

You can try the 24 hour campfire in the Savage collectors section, but I'll bet you get the same answers there.

Looks like something got ground down, just don't know what it was, maybe the earlier models had narrower integral mounts than the pic I posted, not sure, never owned an H.

I'll keep digging.