Help identifying and pricing a Model 99

I recently came into possession of a Savage Model 99 that, unfortunately, I really have no use for. The rifle appears to be chambered for .250-3000 Savage, which isn't sold anywhere by me and is more expensive than anything else I shoot now. I'm also not a fan of the action or lever design. While it is a very pretty rifle, I don't really ever see myself getting much use out of the gun, and I could really use some extra cash. Looking around online though, has reveals Model 99s going for anywhere from $300 to over a thousand bucks. I'd really like some help in identifying exactly what type of Model 99 I have, and how much it might be worth.

The serial number for my rifle is 210467, and if my research is correct, then that means it was made some time in either 1918 or 1919. If it really is that old, then the gun is in amazing shape. With the exception for a little wear on the bolt face and a tiny bit of corrosion on the receiver, the bluing on the rifle is very good, and the wood doesn't ave any nics or scratches or discoloration from what I can tell.

Other marks on the rifle are as follows-

On the base of the barrel: "Savage Hi Pressure Steel 250-3000"
On the middle of the barrel: "Manufactured by Savage Arms Corp Utica USA" and then under that a string of dates:

July 25 1883, Oct 3 1899, Sep 10 1907, May 25 1909, June 1 1909

The only other marking I can find is what appears to be a small R or worn down B located on the bottom of the receiver under the lever.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Some pictures:
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/v...9/DSCN2152.jpg
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/v...9/DSCN2155.jpg
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/v...9/DSCN2156.jpg

Nice takedown rifle that has been reblued and drilled and tapped for scope mounts as well as having the barrel band put on. Checkering doesn't look quite right either.

So not of interest to a collector. It is worth whatever someone wants to pay for a shooter and (my opinion) the take down construction hurts that (we don't travel by train or horse much these days so that feature is useless and they are less solid).

Don't think you would have any probs getting $400 for it though - maybe more on the right day.

Damn, are you sure about all of that? I was really hoping it would be worth a little more seeing how old it was. Exactly how does one take down a Take Down? I can't seem to figure out, there don't seem to be any caches or pins or screws anywhere.

Well on looking at it again - maybe I was wrong on the take down. Looks like a button/slider on the bottom of the fore arm (like a takedown) but the receiver doesn't look like a TD.

If it is a TD you slide the button on the fore arm and take it off, open the lever/bolt, and just turn the barrel off. Do you have a pic of the bottom of the forearm?

If you have the SN correct (200,000) it certainly shouldn't have holes for scope bases or a blued lever (lever should be color case hardened).

Last 4 digits of SN should be stamped on the wood at the rear of the fore arm and under the plate on the stock.

I think its a takedown,take the forearm off and the tang for the forearm fits into a specail square hole and the forend becomes the wrench.You should only have to turn thwe barrel a half turn and it should (barrel) slip straight out as it is an interupted thread.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jonbearman

I think its a takedown,take the forearm off and the tang for the forearm fits into a specail square hole and the forend becomes the wrench.You should only have to turn thwe barrel a half turn and it should (barrel) slip straight out as it is an interupted thread.

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Too late of a serial number for interrupted threads. It is a second variation 1899 250-3000 and will have full threads. Although there is a lug in the forearm to remove the barrel I wouldn't recommend using it. I have know of more than one forestock that has split. You are dealing with nearly 100 year old wood that came with no finish on the ends or barrel channel.

Upon closer inspection, I' starting to believe more and more this was a refurbish job. The lever has a slightly darker bluing than the rest of the gun, and it looks like when the gun was reblued, some of the compound stained the wood around the metal parts. There is a switch on the forearm of the rifle, but I never could figure out exactly what it was. Fiddling with it doesn't seem to do anything though. One of the screws on it is different though, looks like a normal screw to me, not like anything else on the gun. There isn't any numbers on the gun besides for the serial itself and what was on the barrel.

http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/v...9/DSCN2162.jpg
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/v...9/DSCN2166.jpg
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/v...9/DSCN2167.jpg

There also one other thing. On the back of the receiver, there are these two screws. Now when I fire got the rifle, one of them was a little up, but after handling and dry-firing the rifle a few times, I'm not sure, but it looks like they are coming out more. I tried lightly to screw them back in, but they wouldn't move; I' not sure if I just never really noticed them before or if they really are coming out.

http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/v...9/DSCN2171.jpg

So does the new pics help at all?

They confirm what was said earlier - refinished and it looks like a "parts gun" or "frankenstein". Put together from multiple rifles. Looks to be all Savage but can't tell if it started as a takedown or not.

The screws on the tang are left over from a tang sight that was on it at some point. There were fill screws in there originally, the screws on it now were to mount a Lyman or Marbles tang sight.

If it shoots good, it is worth what any good lever action deer rifle is worth - zero collector value in the condition and not worth what it would cost to restore it (sorry!).

Well damn, and here I was so excited it would be worth a lot since it was so old. So about a few hundred bucks is about all I'll get for it? Since it's not all matching parts and I have no idea how it shoots, how hard do you think it'll be for me to sell? Are there any interest at all for a gun like this?

I know that this was posted so long ago so its probably a huge long shot but are you still looking for interest in the Savage 99? Have a family member that would probably appreciate it.