Something Different

[Lee Davis]

I just bought another Savage 99, and this one is very interesting. Serial number is 256050, Barrel length is 24 inches, Takedown, with shotgun butt plate, and .300 Savage. Lettering on the top of the receiver is Savage 1899 model. Checkered (stamped) pistol grip. Seems like a typical Model G, built in 1926. Now for the interesting part... The takedown barrel is marked Chicopee Falls! It is quite obviously a replacement, for it is not the lightweight or tapered barrel of my 1921 99F, or the G's, but rather a heavier barrel as on an R. Since Savage didn't make takedown models while at Chicopee Falls, it appears that it was a special order from the factory. It has the schnabel forearm, but that is longer than a typical G or F one, by about 1 1/2". The forearm seems to date from the same period as the barrel, without any number markings. The checkering is stamped, as typical factory, but the odd thing is that the wood is evenly proud of the metal at the rear by almost 1/8". Seems that the forearm wood was made for the new barrel, but they couldn't fit it close without some special effort, so they just used it as is... I guess takedown forearms threw them into a quandry. The Barrel is mirror bright and is very much a takedown version, with the proper lug attached. Savage made takedowns till 1940, and the factory didn't crank into production at Chicopee Falls till 1946... so that makes this a real oddity.