Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Where to reblue?

Who can do a good job reblueing a 99? I imagine most any 'smith set up to blue can do it - I just want to make sure it goes back together right!

Any can do it... but who can get the blue close to right? Too many do the glossy blue. Right up there with recoil pads imho unless it's a rainy weather hunter.

Need to find somebody who won't buff off the letters and edges, and can do a good comparable blue to the original.

Yeah, many modern hot blue finishes, to me, have a real dark tint; almost black. Most of the 30-50s vintage 99s seem to have a more silver or grey tint - and I'm not talking about blue wear. Maybe someone on the Gunsmithing forum can explain the process used by Savage. There is a bluing question currently posted with a couple answers.

What is the time period (serial range) of the rifle you want reblued?

Doing the blueing is not necessarily the biggest concern, but how good are the skills of who you choose at polishing. I have seen too many that call themselves gunsmiths ruin a good rifle because they don't keep corners, edges, flat surfaces flat and other features nice and sharp. To many just want to polish to a high luster and in their process dub off many features as they polish. Choose wisely. JTC

To do it right, IMO, it has to be polished by hand with stiff backers behind the abrasives, to preserve the sharp edges and lettering referred to above. After that, I feel rust bluing is the only way to duplicate the charcoal grey of post-WWI Savages. If you wish to duplicate the high gloss blued receivers of pre-WWI, then you had better send it off to someone like Turnbull who has made a career out of duplicating exotic finishes of that nature.

To buff with wheels and then throw it in a hot blue tank puts you squarely in the ranks of "Bubbas R Us". (Although I guess it would be appropriate to do so with post-mil guns, as well as using Krylon, cerakote, and Sears WeatherBeater house paint for same.)

Rust bluing has made a comeback of sorts in recent years. No longer is it necessarily a boutique service, as more and more artisans offer the service, and more and more discerning gun owners are demanding it. The neat thing too is that anybody with a modicum of skills can execute it at home, in the kitchen if need be.

It is pre-1 mil. I think the orig barrel was an "F".

Bubbas R Us - I'm pretty sure I've seen that shingle flapping in the breeze before. Oh yeah, he messed up a Browning Hi-Power trigger job. I don't have that pistol anymore but that's another story for another day. But still, ya gotta like the name of an establishment like that.

I'm not a fan of reblueing guns, but I had a very very good reblue done on a 99 by Dick Williams Gunshop near Saginaw, MI. They are an old-time shop run by people who understand their work. I highly recommend them.

http://www.dickwilliamsgunshop.com

Rod

Do you have any pictures to post?

The barrel is "in the white" and I haven't put the forearm stud in yet. Also I have to pull the barrel again and deepen the extractor notch. It is too shallow and puts a bit of stress on the extractor when the lever is fully closed. I also might trim the barrel length before bluing. I'm thinking 21"-22", it is 23.5" now.
Once I get the metal work done I want it blued and reassembled correctly.

How are you going to stock it. Interesting project you have there.

Don't forget to take off the lever, it shouldn't be blued.

Thanx - I did not know that.

I have a laminate set for it. I'll get pix up when I get home.

Not exactly "traditional" but I like it.

Maybe not traditional but a good choice for making a modern interpretation of the 99. Who made the stock set and do they make different patterns/colors of laminated stocks? Thanks.

A few/several years back someone made a batch of laminates for the 99 and I believe several campfire folks bought them.

Aren't they on the heavy side?

They tend to be, and are fugly, IMO, on a classic rifle. But they are very stable indeed (and bloody hard on checkering tools).

I'm not that big of a fan of laminated stocks but for something modern you either go that way or go synthetic. I only know of one synthetic maker of 99 stocks and they are pricey. I like traditional but I also appreciate any good execution of rifle design/redesign.

I bought a blank from Boyd's and had Dave in MN cut the 99 pattern. He does outstanding work and I'll use him again on future projects.
He goes by "inthe10ring" over on Mauser Central.

I know they are ugly to some but when most folks zig, I zag. A bit heavier than walnut, but not enough to bother me. Very durable and easy to touch up if you damage them. I've heard the glue is tough on checkering tools, this stock will be smooth.