Wm Gough engraved Savage 1899 rifle, 1927

[MrBojangles]

Also, checkered, with pistol grip, and fancy walnut. In .30 - 30.

[Big Al1]

Nice tease!! Now let's see the rest of the rifle!!

[MrBojangles]

Here are more photographs.

[Big Al1]

I need a cigarette!!

[MrBojangles]

I need a cigarette!!

What does that mean?

[J.Baker]

What does that mean?

I think he was trying to say he prematurely ejected something in his pants after seeing those pics.

[MrBojangles]

That’s what I thought! I don’t buy junk.

[CalhounRR]

Beautiful! Technically it's a model 99K, and 1927 was first year that Gough engraved for Savage. Enoch Tue, who had engraved for Savage Arms since 1899, passed away unexpectedly in the summer of 1927. Gough probably engraved this rifle either at his house or at Fox, where he did full time engraving. Savage would go on to buy Fox in 1929.

[MrBojangles]

Beautiful! Technically it's a model 99K, and 1927 was first year that Gough engraved for Savage. Enoch Tue, who had engraved for Savage Arms since 1899, passed away unexpectedly in the summer of 1927. Gough probably engraved this rifle either at his house or at Fox, where he did full time engraving. Savage would go on to buy Fox in 1929.

Thank you for this!

Is a biography available for Enoch Tue and/or William Gough?

I sent photographs of the engraving to David Royal, author of A Collectors Guide to the Savage 99 Rifle, and its Predecessors, the Savage 1895 and 1899, and his opinion is as follows:

“Definitely Gough's work. Or it could be an employee of his. Since it's an early 99K I'm pretty sure Gough did it.”

[MrBojangles]

I was able to answer my own question with regards to William Gough:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...engraver-gough

[CalhounRR]

David Royal has a new book coming out on engraved and special Savage rifles, From what I hear I believe it will have chapters on Enoch Tue, William Gough and Rentzke.

[MrBojangles]

And here’s the factory letter.

[CalhounRR]

Nice! Normally I'd expect that serial number range to be spring of 1927, but with Enoch Tue passing away and this being a high end engraved gun - a 6 month delay in shipping it isn't unusual at all.

99K's in 30-30 are hard to find. Congrats!

[MrBojangles]

Nice! Normally I'd expect that serial number range to be spring of 1927, but with Enoch Tue passing away and this being a high end engraved gun - a 6 month delay in shipping it isn't unusual at all.

99K's in 30-30 are hard to find. Congrats!

My understanding is that less than 1000 Model 1899 rifles were engraved to begin with. What calibers are the most common? Presumably .303 Savage? How many in .30-30?

[MrBojangles]

Also, any ideas what Job 19025 02 Jan 1930, C A Lindquist & Co refers to? Presumably a repair???

[CalhounRR]

Could be anything done by the factory. Maybe adding sling studs, maybe a repair, maybe fitting it to a case or 410 barrel that's no longer with it, maybe replacing the entire gun? I find that last one to be extremely unlikely..
The custom shop records were lost a very long time ago. I've had a couple with obviously replaced stocks.

[MrBojangles]

Could be anything done by the factory. Maybe adding sling studs, maybe a repair, maybe fitting it to a case or 410 barrel that's no longer with it, maybe replacing the entire gun? I find that last one to be extremely unlikely..
The custom shop records were lost a very long time ago. I've had a couple with obviously replaced stocks.

You mention sling studs. Do these look to be factory work or subsequent additions by a previous owner?

Also, what is the commonality of a Savage 99-K in .30 - 30, as you state it is hard to find?

[CalhounRR]

I looked up 25 different 99K's when researching the book. A small sample, but probably representative.

13 of the 99K's (52%) had sling eyes added, 2 others had obviously aftermarket studs. The sling eyes were offered by Savage at the time, the catalogs show them with a carry strap. I think they are factory, a $1.40 or $2.00 option added on to a deluxe $80 rifle (1927 price).

Of the 25 99K's I looked up, 3 of them were 30-30's. So I'd guess in the range of 10% or so.

300 Sav - over 50%
250-3000 - about 30%
30-30 and 303 each about 10%

That's just an unscientific small sampling, don't go saying I researched it in depth. :-)

[MrBojangles]

I looked up 25 different 99K's when researching the book. A small sample, but probably representative.

13 of the 99K's (52%) had sling eyes added, 2 others had obviously aftermarket studs. The sling eyes were offered by Savage at the time, the catalogs show them with a carry strap. I think they are factory, a $1.40 or $2.00 option added on to a deluxe $80 rifle (1927 price).

Of the 25 99K's I looked up, 3 of them were 30-30's. So I'd guess in the range of 10% or so.

300 Sav - over 50%
250-3000 - about 30%
30-30 and 303 each about 10%

That's just an unscientific small sampling, don't go saying I researched it in depth. :-)

What is your book? I’d be interested in purchasing a copy, as you are very knowledgeable.

Do the sling eyes on my rifle appear to be factory?

[CalhounRR]

My book is The Savage 99 Pocket Reference. Concentrated on all the catalogued and relatively common uncatalogued models and the variations they went through. Kept it small so it would fit in a pocket for carrying through a gun show tho, so no large pictures in this one. And very little on Savage history, or precursor rifles, and things like that.

A lot of the data in it is data gathered at the 24hourcampfire by Rick Edmonds, Mad Dog, many others. So don't think it's all me. I was just the sucker who wrote the reference book. :-)

And yeah, I'd say those sling eyes are factory. We see them on too many 99K's to think they didn't do it.