I just came from the gun show in Cottonwood, AZ where a dealer had an 1899 in 38-55 with the half-octagon barrel. It was in excellent shape and appeared to be all-original and unmodified. He was asking $2700, and didn’t really want to sell it. He graciously allowed me to fondle it. It will be available tomorrow if you want to buy a plane ticket.
There's no firm numbers for how many were sold in various cartridges. Somebody would have to go through 15 years of factory ledgers for 150,000 guns to count them up.
I think the early cartridges (pre-WWI) go something like in this order of commonality:
303 Savage
30-30
250-3000
22HP
25-35
32-40
38-55
Just my take having watched sales for 15 years. Others think the 32-40 and 38-55 should be reversed.
Bit funny the 250-3000 being way up there since it was only sold for 3 of the pre-WWI years, but they show up for sale often enough.
From David Royal, author of A Collector’s Guide to the Savage 99 Rifle and its Predecessors, the Model 1895 and 1899
”We don't have a total figure on the Winchester calibers. There appear to be fewer 32-40's than 38-55's or 25-35's. That's the best we can come up with.”
And yet the 38-55 was by far the hardest one for me to find, had a couple 32-40's and 25-35's before my first 38-55. Never taking a 38-55 to display at Tulsa again, either.. "You sure you won't sell that? Come on, name a price.". Dang vultures.
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