A real mystery 99

[jas89]

I have a real mystery for you folks. The short story is that I have a Savage 99F .308 win. caliber with a lever boss code of 19W, which indicates a 1969 manufacture date. That is consistent with other features found on the gun. Unfortunately, the serial number is A056xxx. That is typed correctly. The serial number appears to be in the 56,000 range. Can anyone shed some light on the unusual serial number? I have entered it into a couple database searches, and it always returns an invalid entry.

The following details may help:
The barrel is 22 inches long and is marked 308 WIN on its left side. On top it is marked "Savage Arms" with "Westfield, Mass U.S.A." just below. On the right side it is marked "Hi-Pressure Steel Proof Tested". Back on the left side of the barrel and just forward of the receiver is an indistinct stamp that appears to be some indistinct letter followed by a W surround by an indistinct ring. Above that is another stamp that appears to be the letters SF or SP surrounded by a ring. The font sight is a ramp with a dovetail cut on top and a shaped vertical blade fitted in the dovetail. The vertical blade is rounded on top with a brass dot on the rear. The rear sight is dovetailed into a raised area on the barrel. It is a classic buck horn shape with a square notch and a vertical, white line below. Elevation is adjusted with a stepped ramp.

The receiver is marked "Savage" on the left side, forward of the bolt and between the scope mount and the forearm. Just below that is marked "Model 99F". Below that and just above the forearm near the forward edge of the receiver is marked "Q". Also on the left side of the receiver, low and toward the rear is the serial number "A056xxx". The round counter appears to be steel rather than brass. The right side of the receiver is unmarked.

The forward face of the lever mount is marked with the lever boss code of "19W" in a circle. The trigger is gold. It has a tang safety with a brass loaded chamber indicator just forward. The bolt is decorated with light swirl marks over its entire surface.

The stocks are walnut with what appears to be pressed (I could be wrong about pressed) checkering on the sides of the forearm and pistol grip. The pistol grip plate appears to be plastic with pressed checkering. The but plate is steel with horizontal groves covering the are between the mounting screws.

I think that the 1969 manufacture date is correct, but why is the serial number so unusual?

[Travis98146]

According to David Royal's book, Savage started the alpha/numeric serial numbers on Dec. 16, 1968 with A001001. January 1969 started the numbers at A009045. The pressed in checkering came about 1965 along with the gold trigger (one on my 1965 99C). There are surely others here that will have more definite info on your 99.