308 model C ?

[yukon254]

Hi, I've been getting good info from this site for a long time now, but just registered today. I have a question on a Savage model 99C. I found one in really good condition. Its on consignment at a gunsmith shop I know. Price is $900 CAD. My question is do the clip models have any known problems, and how are they accuracy wise? I have had and still have a couple of older 99s in 300 and they shoot great. Thanks for any information.

[J.Baker]

Can't say I've ever heard of any problems with the later C models, they just aren't as desirable or sought after as the earlier guns by collectors.

[Big Al1]

And a replacement magazine is $$$, if you ever need one!

[deerhunter99]

I have had two, good guns the price is a little on the high for the one your looking at !!!

[Travis98146]

I've used a 99C in .308 for several years. It has a 3-9 Weaver on it and shoots 1" groups off the 100yd bench. I have it centered at 250 yds but haven't done any serious bench shooting. The price is a little steep. I found new clips for mine in the $30 range.

[Model24]

900 CAD = 675 Yankee Dollars, more or less. Not so steep, I'd say.

[Travis98146]

I guess I dated myself. I've never spent more than $400 for any of my rifles but then I haven't priced any at gun/pawn shops lately. Of course, none of mine would be considered "collectors". They are range or hunting rifles. I am planning on doing a little shopping for another Savage 99 this year. I don't know what caliber (not .308 though) so it'll depend on what's out there. I know the gunbroker prices are higher since they have to make a profit from the sale.

[shastacaster]

My go-to hunting rifle is a 99C in .308
$700USD is a pretty standard price for a Savage 99, but I'd see if you could talk them down 10% just because the detachable magazine version isn't nearly as sought-after as the internal rotary ones, and a 99 chambered in .308 is actually pretty common.
I've never had any feed or ejection issues, but the lever tends to be pretty firm when chambering the first round.
I also wouldn't worry about buying a second magazine for a couple of reasons. The magazine that came with the rifle is going to have the same amount of years and wear on the finish, so it'll match better than a replacement, and in any case there are so few scenarios where you'll need a spare magazine anyway, especially if it's going to be used for hunting. Plus you can top off the magazine through the ejection port; you'd be surprised how easy this is. For target shooting it could be a different story, but with the steel butt plate it's good to give your shoulder a break between every 5 rounds.
Hope that helps!

[Model24]

Shastacaster, Topping the mag through the ejection port is a nice trick, thank you! However, I have to differ on magazine philosophies. Ya can't have too many spare mags. The primary benefit of a mag fed rifle is the ability to dump an empty or non-functional mag and reload in a quick hurry. Rarely needed for hunting, yes, but it could be useful when facing dangerous game. Mag malfunctions do happen, and they are most quickly corrected by replacement. 99 mags are breathtakingly expensive, but with time, patience, and the power of the interweb, deals can be had.

[shastacaster]

@Model24 to each his own, you did get me to thinking about how cool it would be to use one in a vintage gun shooting match.
If you're interested in getting extra mags, Numrich has the best prices I've been able to find; they're less than half the price of any on eBay, and newly manufactured
https://www.gunpartscorp.com/products/1478370A

@Yukon254 if you're still paying attention to this thread and still debating buying this rifle, I'd say go for it.
Their asking price is fairly standard, and while that may seem high for a decades-old gun, the 99 has a reputation of excellence for a reason:
120 years on it's still being listed as one of the best deer rifles of all time and only stopped being produced because it became too costly to manufacture.