Over 50+ Years Without a Savage 99...

[Old No7]

I was a long-time poster over on the rimfire forum, then I went inactive for a few years (after I got interested in Trapdoors and Flintlocks), so my user name got deleted... But I just set it up again, and now I'll be coming here for the Vintage Savage Rifles, and maybe for some .22 posts too. We'll see... It's good to be back! Here's my first post for this forum...

Usually you would see a post saying something like “50 Years With an XYZ…”

But in this case, I went that long without something. If you’d asked me 5, 10 or 20 years ago, I don’t think I’d say I was interested in a Savage 99 at all. Or even 6 months ago… But over the last couple of months, something made me start to look –- and I liked what I was seeing! And holding! So I’ve now added a new-to-me Savage 99 to my stable!

It’s not like I didn’t know what the Savage 99 was...It's just that they weren’t common among the hunters that took to the woods with me. Oh, I’m sure if I could have asked my late father or uncle about them, they might have had a story or two to tell me, but I just had “no exposure to", and to be honest, "no interest in” these leverguns earlier in my life. Now, I’ve always enjoyed the Winchesters and Marlins that I’ve shot or owned, and the first-ever gun I shot was a lever-action Daisy BB gun. And this novel Savage design came just on the heels of the old single shots like the Ballard's or High Wall's that my father introduced me to at a very young age. But I just never got bit by the “99 bug” -- until recently, that is…

I looked at many .303 Savages, a bunch of .308s, and a smattering of .300s, but I never found a .250-3000 Savage, which really would have sealed the deal for me. Without getting into the serious collector-type pieces, I was seeing 99s range +/- $200 from a $600 average, with stock sights. Scopes or octagon barrels always added more. I think I did well at getting this one, with the $120 to $200 value (depending on where you look and how bad someone wants it) Lyman tang sight on it. My price was $550 out the door for all, and I think I did OK. Did I???

Here she is, a 1938 Savage 99F Take Down with the desirable (at least to me) straight-grip stock, schnable forearm tip and tang sight. Those are 3 features I inherited a love for, from my late father. Come to think of it, my vintage .22 & replica .38-55 High Walls have all those features too:


You can see from this angle that I’ll need to fill the dovetail slot with a blank. The rear sight was still on it when I got her, but I like the clean sight picture of not having the rear sight there when a tang sight is used.


Here’s a shot of the receiver and the Lyman No. 1A tang sight, followed by an original ad for that sight. Mine has the flip-down “combination” smaller aperture inside the larger peep, but it’s stuck for now, so I will have to soak it in Kroil overnight. I'll fill that drill & tapped hole too, and there's 2 more on the receiver bridge (those may be a reason why the price was low for this one).




There’s a low white-bead front sight on the ramp for now, but the sights are too high at 25 and 50 yards, so I’ll add a slightly taller brass-bead sight instead. This should be just the ticket to use in the thick woods here in Southern Maine or when it’s pouring and I don’t want to take a scoped rifle out in the woods.


I went a long time without having a Savage 99… And I had never shot one before a couple of days ago either! But 10 shots went downrange well, and now that I’ve got her –- yippee!!! It's odd, but the older I get, it seems the more I find myself attracted to the guns that my father would have (or could have) enjoyed in his younger years. He's been gone 6 years now, so maybe this brings me closer to him... As he's just a "heartbeat away" anyway...

I sure will enjoy cleaning her up some, re-pointing the checkering, staining the buttstock & forearm to match (it is odd that they don't as they both have the rifle's serial # stamped in them), changing out the front sight and sighting her in. I have plenty of time to get her all ready for this fall….....................

After all, I waited almost 54 years for her to come along; so I guess just a little more time won’t hurt us any.

* Does anyone have any good .300 Savage reloads to share?

...$2.00 a round for today's 15-minute adventure at the range... Yikes!!! :shock:

* Or do you have any good Savage 99 memories or hunting stories too?

Tight groups!

Old No7

[mech1369dlw]

I bought my .300 Savage back in 1968 for $25 from the old guy next door. I love this gun. Taken over a hundred deer with it. For reloading, I use 40 grains of IMR 4064 and 150 grain Remington Core-lokt bullets. Works great for me.

[Mad Dog]

Nice F and they're pretty uncommon with the checkering.

Do the numbers all match to the serial number? The forearm looks a bit lighter than the butt, just wondered if one of them had been swapped or just the way the pics were taken.

I'd say you did real good on the price if they match.

[Old No7]

Nice F and they're pretty uncommon with the checkering.

Do the numbers all match to the serial number? The forearm looks a bit lighter than the butt, just wondered if one of them had been swapped or just the way the pics were taken.

I'd say you did real good on the price if they match.

Thanks for your comments Mad Dog!

Yes! All the wood and steel buttplate has the receiver's serial # stamped in it. They had a 99 takedown in .300 Svg at the Scarborough, Maine Cabela's yesterday, for $650 without the Lyman sight or any checkering... And another one in .300 Svg with the Lyman rear sight was "only $950", with checkering and a pistol grip stock... So based on those prices -- mine looks like a steal!

Old No7

[BillPa]

* Or do you have any good Savage 99 memories or hunting stories too?

Old No7

I wish guns could talk. I'm sure this one would have a few good stories to tell.




Its a 111 year old B in 303 passed down to me by one of my late uncles. Its used and abused and will remain as-is until I pass onto one of my grandsons. On Mad Dog's urging I had it "lettered" by John Callhan, it seems to be somewhat of rare one.



Yep, I wish it could talk!!!!


Bill

[rlott]

Nice rifle. I think that sight is actually a "hard to find" Lyman 30 1/2. I happily paid $250 for the one sitting on my 1899A.

[Mad Dog]

With the fold down peep it would make it a 29 1/2, screw in peep will be a 30 1/2.

[Old No7]

Thanks for the correction about which Lyman tang sight I have... I knew mine had the windage screws, and the fold-down feature too, but I guess I never paid enough attention to that old Lyman No.1A ad.

It's great to hear that it's a "hard to find" Lyman variant, as that makes me think I got an even better deal!

Old No7

[rlott]

Thanks for the correction about which Lyman tang sight I have... I knew mine had the windage screws, and the fold-down feature too, but I guess I never paid enough attention to that old Lyman No.1A ad.

It's great to hear that it's a "hard to find" Lyman variant, as that makes me think I got an even better deal!

Old No7

IMO you got a great deal - A really nice rifle with a really nice sight. I paid $550 for mine without the sight, then spent 5-months looking for one & paid $250 for it.

For what it's worth, you may want to re-think re-pointing and re-staining the stock. Maybe just a good cleaning with a soft toothbrush and a non-intrusive cleaner wax.

Thanks to Mad Dog for the clarification - I've always wondered what the difference was between the two sights.

[rlott]

I wish guns could talk. I'm sure this one would have a few good stories to tell.




Its a 111 year old B in 303 passed down to me by one of my late uncles. Its used and abused and will remain as-is until I pass onto one of my grandsons. On Mad Dog's urging I had it "lettered" by John Callhan, it seems to be somewhat of rare one.



Yep, I wish it could talk!!!!


Bill

Do you have a close-up pic of that peep?

[Old No7]

IMO you got a great deal - A really nice rifle with a really nice sight. I paid $550 for mine without the sight, then spent 5-months looking for one & paid $250 for it.

For what it's worth, you may want to re-think re-pointing and re-staining the stock. Maybe just a good cleaning with a soft toothbrush and a non-intrusive cleaner wax.

Thanks to Mad Dog for the clarification - I've always wondered what the difference was between the two sights.

Thanks again, I do think now that I got a smokin' deal!

About your comments that I underlined above... Yes, I am rethinking the whole "restore checkering/refinish" idea; I might just keep the older/vintage finish and patina "as is", maybe cleaning it up, as you say, and possibly rubbing some oil into the forearm to see if that helps the woods colors match better. But I've checked again, and both pieces of wood have the receiver's serial # clearly stamped.

By the way... Are you Roy B, aka "rbertalotto" from the Leverguns forum? As "rlott" and your interest in leverguns seems to suggest (to me) that you could be that guy.

Old No7

[Mad Dog]

Thanks to Mad Dog for the clarification - I've always wondered what the difference was between the two sights.

Here's some visual differences in sights. I pulled some off the shelf to give you guys an idea of whats what.

From left to right:
Back row:

A Savage #17, Savage #18 and then 3 Savage #19's. One of those #19's is marked SP on the bottom which was an early marking by Lyman for a Savage 1899 in 32-40, the other 2 are marked SA for Savage 1899's.

Front row:

A Lyman 2A SA, a Lyman 29 1/2 and then a Lyman 30 1/2.



A few oddballs:
Back row:

A couple Watson Sight Co from Niagara Falls Canada back in the 20's and a Parker Hale, all for Savage 1899's

Front row: A first variation Marbles and then a second variation Marbles, then a first variation King followed by a second variation King sight.



Receiver tang sights:

A Lyman 56SA, a 57SA, a 57B (used on 99 rear scope mounts) and a Redfield 70LT.

[BillPa]

Do you have a close-up pic of that peep?

No, but I'll take one sometime today.

Bill

[rlott]

Thanks again, I do think now that I got a smokin' deal!

About your comments that I underlined above... Yes, I am rethinking the whole "restore checkering/refinish" idea; I might just keep the older/vintage finish and patina "as is", maybe cleaning it up, as you say, and possibly rubbing some oil into the forearm to see if that helps the woods colors match better. But I've checked again, and both pieces of wood have the receiver's serial # clearly stamped.

By the way... Are you Roy B, aka "rbertalotto" from the Leverguns forum? As "rlott" and your interest in leverguns seems to suggest (to me) that you could be that guy.

Old No7

No, that's not me.

I'll bet you'll be shocked at the amount of grime that comes off the butt stock with a good cleaner wax.