Seems like all us new members are hijacking this thread, so why not me?
My first Savage was actually a model 1907 .32 pistol I bought from an old boss about a decade ago. This past year I wanted to pick up a rifle to start shooting at the range with some friends, so naturally I thought "I wonder if Savage ever made a lever action rifle....." and found out about the 99.
A couple of weeks later I walked into a local retail store, and there on the used rack was a beat up 99E in .243 Win, serial number A903XXX. I couldn't whip out my credit card fast enough at the price on the tag. I refinished the wood, since from lurking here I figured I wasn't hurting the value of a late "E" by doing so, and it was seriously scratched up.
Here it is after the refinish:
I've since scoped it with an old Weaver K4W (OK, I had bought a newer scope for it but it just didn't look right.) It's a really nice shooting rifle that I'm enjoying a lot.
Anyway, from scrounging through the posts from many of the forum regulars I was guessing this at very early 70's?