SAVAGE 99: Of course the dollar has inflated its value in the interim by double +. I paid $279 plus 4% sales tax back in the day for a NIB '66 from a local gun store that was closing down. Looking at todays prices for the same rifle in the same excellent 95%+ condition as mine...they are going close to $1K, and the sales tax has increased here in Texas to 8.25%. I have no idea what a NIB 99E would sell for today. I remember I was debating getting a Winchester 94 which at the time was $149 or a Marlin for a little more. I did not want a 30-30, and lusted for a NATO .308. The 99 just felt better, more balanced, solid. Paid more but got a lot more! At around the same time, I purchased an 1865 56-50 Spencer in almost new original condition for $179 with 60 rounds of black powder ammo which I still have, and an 1884 45-70 Springfield trap-door in excellent original condition.
Interesting, just for the heck of it, I sent Springfield a request for a letter 6 months ago for any documentation on the trap-door. Could not believe it, as the letter confirmed it was issued by the U.S. government to the Texas Military Guards in the 1898 Spanish American War, and ended up in Col. Mabry's Texas Volunteer Guards. This is the same Mabry that was Adjutant General of the State of Texas in charge of the Texas Rangers at the time and organized what was soon to be the Camp Mabry military base in Austin. Mabry quit his Texas government post when Teddy Roosevelt went to San Antonio to ask for volunteers to fight in Cuba. To make an interesting story longer...I contacted the Texas Military History Museum at Camp Mabry and asked if they were interested in it because of the Mabry history . The director went head over heels for this documented Mabry rifle. I donated it so this Mabry rifle was returned (Oct. 23, 2019) 120+ years after it was issued, and is now owned again by the State of Texas. The rifle will have its own glass case, so if you are ever in Austin, go visit the museum and see it. The museum is fantastic in itself...historical artifacts from the Alamo to today.
And as they say, that's the rest of the story.
I love the history of these old timers! If they could only talk!! I have two 1884's, a rifle and carbine, and both are a hoot to shoot!!
Don't tell people how great the 99's are or the prices will even get more jacked up!! There's a lot of gun shop that don't even know what a 99 is. I saw one at the local LGS a few weeks ago. It was a .303 made in 1940, but the tag said it was a model 303 Savage in 7.62x39!! Knob heads!!
That's really cool of you to donate the rifle. Hopefully lots of others will enjoy it!
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