Hi Jed,
Nothing wrong with Marlin and Win. They got the history...Win won the West. Marlin made Savage 1895's for Savage Repeating Arms Co. until Savage Arms Company went on their own in Aug of 1899. Roe Clark (deceased Savage historian) told me the drawings for Savage rotary magazine came from Colt Pat Firearms.
Win 1886,1892,1873 models are hard not to like...wouldn't give sweat off my sack for a 1876 model.
Savage perfected the Lever. Fewer moving parts. No tube-magazine.
George Madis (deceased Win guru) said that Savage made the best levergun ever.
Nuf Sed
A couple observations:
1. If Savage was the best levergun why didn't Marlin build off their experience of actually building them? Now the first thing someone might answer is that the design was patented, yes however in the world on manufacturing, if you fear, an another companies design you move to top it or at least coral it and limit it by filing your own patents with IP disclosurers. Marlin did not do this (that I know of). Wouldn't a clip instead of a topfill rotary magazine have been a logical extension?
2. Savage stopped making their 99, for lots of reasons; however Marlin is still making their levers.
You know that I like the 1899's as much as any gun and was liking them before some of the readers here were part of this world. I liked them when other gun collectors won't give them a second look. They are a wonderful rifle with many attributes including great function, pointy bullets, and sleek lines. I do like them but I only add here, to qualify them.
