Savage 99 Identification Help

[paintchip]

Hi, I just purchased my first 99 and I'm trying to identify it because it came with a terrible aftermarket butt plate that I want to replace. The problem is that the butt plate on this gun seems to be smaller than on other 99s. It measures approximately 3 3/4" x 1 1/4" and is straight, not curved. From my research I am thinking it is a model E from 1928 (maybe an H), but it doesn't quite fit the description in Mad Dog's post (in the FAQ) or savage99.com. It's a light 99 with serial number 310xxx, a brass round counter, 24" barrel, dovetailed front sight, and marble rear sight, in 303 savage.

Mad Dog's post seems to indicate that the E did not have dovetailed sights and that they didn't make a 24" in 303 savage. Savage99.com seems to indicate that the H was only a 20" carbine version. If it is an E, is there anything special about the butt plate other than the size? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

https://postimg.cc/gallery/1mgh3hlqo/

https://i.postimg.cc/hf1GMzrq/savage1.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hf1GMzrq)

https://i.postimg.cc/TLnxwFNX/savage2.jpg (https://postimg.cc/TLnxwFNX)

https://i.postimg.cc/Y45ktM33/savage4.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Y45ktM33)

https://i.postimg.cc/jLcsyVxx/IMG-20200111-143506.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jLcsyVxx)



https://postimg.cc/gallery/1mgh3hlqo/

[Travis98146]

My 1927 99F (SN 293xxx) in 30-30 came with a slightly curved steel buttplate. So yours has been swapped out. There were a lot of barrel changes made after 1926 but your barrel should be about 22 inches as the 24" barrel was used for the .300 cartridge.

[paintchip]

I don't think mine is an F and maybe that's why they have different buttplates. Also, my barrel is definitely bigger than 22". 22" from the muzzle misses the chamber b a couple of inches.

[Mad Dog]

Ya your right, it can't be an F, they were take downs and yours is a solid frame rifle.

Sure looks like an E to me, only the butt has been cut and a recoil pad added. If that had been an untouched stock the serial numbers would have been stamped on the back of the stock under the buttplate.

[paintchip]

So it doesn't have a standard E buttplate and there is no hope of finding an original replacement for it? That explains why I couldn't find any of that size. The recoil pad is shot and I really don't want to put it back on :D

[Mad Dog]

Ya, they would have cut the curve out of the factory formed butt and made it straight to add that recoil pad, even if you did find a replacement buttplate you would have had to do some pretty fancy grinding to make it fit.

[Savage 94C]

I'll 2nd what MadDog posted about getting an original buttplate to fit. Once upon a time after installing a recoil pad for myself I got to doing it for others-can be easy or a challenge depending on firearm. Several years ago while searching for an unrelated firearm part, I ran across a source that made recoil pads for older, vintage firearms like the Savage 99, Remington 81, and others that had the end of the stock sawed and a more modern style of recoil pad installed like a Pachmayr that worked, but didn't look natural on the gun. Can't recall the name or location, wrote it down, but the paper lost in the shuffle. Ebay has some early Pachmyr's and others listed for sale, in fact there's several currently being offered that look similar to yours 'paintchip' made by an outfit by the name of "Noshoc", listed as a 1920-1940 era pad. Just a guess, not very expensive, less than $25. If item was from that era hard to say condition of rubber, but they look new, even have original boxes.

[paintchip]

Thanks Mad Dog and Savage 94c. Savage, I found that pad you were talking about on eBay, but, unfortunately, it is too big. It looks like the stock was shaved down quite a bit because I'm having trouble finding anything even close to small enough. I also measured it with something more precise and it's actually between 3 3/4"-4", which will make finding a replacement even more difficult. The old recoil pad is completely shot too.

[Travis98146]

Just an idea. It could be that the stock was shortened and the recoil pad added for a young or lady shooter.

[Putoluto]

Hi, I just inherited some guns from my dad, and we are trying to get more info (age, variation, etc) and value range on two Savages. Right now I'm only asking about the Model 99.

It has a peep scope with a smaller insert ring, and a wooden stock with a Decelerator (Pachmayr?) butt pad. It has some stock wear, and some bench wear on the bottom of the receiver, and slight scratches on the left side of the receiver. The Blue Book of Gun Values is not very specific and varies according to age, variant, etc. This gun has a six-digit serial number starting with 746XXX. It is a 24-inch barrel and is in .300 Savage.

I've attached some (sorry, a lot!) of pix below. I'm no photographer and not a firearms expert. If this is asking too much of the good folks here, is there someone that is still doing historical letters I might contact instead?

Thanks

https://i.imgur.com/yhn3Ltf.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/gahDrUB.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XsQQ81V.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/RUsYP5Q.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/fQqBCej.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/uF8FzSQ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/KsMfWlJ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/a1fpaVx.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/yDpHTsq.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/6aWElNH.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/NtvdERU.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/jRKw8BI.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/tvKcvSd.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/9dWRJpE.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/sS6oJmY.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/1gyIaoH.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/xpRvnqL.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/62EsHGs.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/nQHfSrR.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/VWXvoMd.jpg

[Big Al1]

That's a really nice, unmolested 99. Ser# puts it after 1951. There should be a lever boss code, a letter, that will determine the year it was made. http://www.savage99.com/savage99_dates.htm
The Lyman peep has two different size apetures, there's a little tab on the sight you push forward and it flips the small apeture down. The pad was added later.
Don't even think about drilling to mount a scope!! :)

BTW, more people would see this if you started a new thread instead of tagging on to an old one.

Looks like a 99 EG made from 1935-1960. The rear sight may have been replaced with the fold down when he put the peep on. They came factory drilled and tapped for scopes in 1957. So it was made between 51 and 56.

[Putoluto]

Thanks for the great info Big Al1! I will start a new thread. I will look to see if I confined a code on the lever boss. Is that going to be lever itself or beneath the stock?