Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors A shift in the collection

Did you guys start out intentionally targeting certain guns? Were they for hunting or did you start in Savages collecting? Was it always an investment or how did you start?

My beginning was a single 99 in .375 for hunting. Ammo was $25 a box back then, big money by $7.99 30/30 ammo standards. But I was convinced it was 3 times better so I kept it. Killed alot of big stuff with that gun. John/saddlering now owns that same 99.

Went through a bunch of hunting guns looking for things that fit and functioned well for me, but landed back on the lever action Savage as my favorite. I think the lightbulb moment was when I realized other cartridges were available and if I wanted to, I could probably hunt other stuff with different 99's if I bought some. I'll admit it, I learn slower than some.

As I learned more about them, I found they were becoming a little bit collectible. Not Winchesters yet, but moving up. I found a little 99EG 250-3000 still in factory grease and bought it for $600. While researching it, I landed here. Since then, you basterds have cost me a small fortune!

Now that I have more than I need to hunt, I target certain models and calibers in nice shape to set aside. But I started as a hunter.

What about you, what's your story?

I pretty much started rifle hunting with a Marlin 45-70, I took my 1st deer with a 12gage, than a rem 742 06, had to buy my own rifle when the Marlin got bought! Im left eye Dom. but right handed so lever guns and single shot rifles are what I hunt with! Killed alot of deer with that 45-70, than got the single shot bug, than to make it harder the Black powder sharps ect. One day i picked up a Win.1886 light weight 45-70 made in 1901, took alot of game with the old girl, one rifle I wish id never have sold! My 1st 99 was a Saddlering 303 per my handle on here. Caught the bug from here owned 48 1899/99s at one time, have owned around 70 and alot of rare ones have come & gone! down to 4 now, and dont think they are going anywhere, hope not! Med. issues and life got in the way of my collecting, so that faze is over, did look at 2 99s today, but just looked! also anyone looking for a 410 savage 99 barrel I know where one is nice shape but I think been reblued All there for $250.00 PM me and Ill tell ya where! not mine!

I just started accumulating them after my vintage Harley bug died. Then one day I realized I had most of the models and most of the calibers and decided I needed at least one of each. Now according to my idea of what constitutes all the models and all the calibers I have at least one of each. Could this be mental illness?

I can't remember how young I was when the gun bug bit me, but my mom says I was still in diapers when I would point a finger and make shooting sounds at the cowboy shows on TV. I started out a bolt gun deer hunter in the mid-60's (milsurp Mauser sporter) which coincided with my first foray into semi-serious smallbore shooting, again with a bolt gun (M52 Winchester). I remained a bolt gun and single shot guy until nigh onto 40 years of age when I inherited my Dad's collection of Savages. God only knows how hard I had tried to talk the old man into giving up on those fool things and get into "better" stuff. (Mind you, I came of age during the early post-mil period and recognized them as being tinny junk and had little use for one. I also bought into the tripe about junk post-64 Winchesters too. All that served to prejudice me against the "second rate" Savage rifle.) Thank God he had better sense than to listen to me, although the bolt guns and Martini's started showing up in his house more and more.

As I was disposing of Pop's stuff, I took a hard look at those Savages (all EG's and older) and couldn't help but see the innovation and workmanship present in them. The seeds were sown at that point.

Do I venerate all things Savage? Not by a long shot. Have I made a spot for the 99 in my heart? Need you ask? Have I forsaken all else for the Savage lever gun? That is to laugh.

Truth be told, if not for you bunch of swell fellas I may have lost interest and moved on to the next Big Thing a while ago. Your enthusiasm is infectious, and feeds my interest. It's rather a lot like a pendulum- entropy will slow and eventually stop every pendulum no matter how frictionless it is made, but with a little impetus applied it can swing forever.

On the other hand, I've been getting the British roadster bug again...



Edit- Yes, I've got insomnia tonight.

Well after obtaining my 99 F, checkered straight stock model I decided this is what I would collect, sold off everything else to have funds available. 10 years and I still only have the one, seems a little uncommon down here LOL I would be happy if I could just find one in 22 h.p.

Johno

Back in 2004, a good friend of mine gave my wife a 99E in 243. Never held a 99 before that. If you look at my first post here on the 24, it is inquiring about that gun.

My wife only uses that gun for hunting. She has killed some respectable bucks with it. Never missed and recovered all the game. That friend was special to both me and my wife. Unfortunately, he is on his last legs now. His hunting days are over and it kills him not to be.

Basically, from that time on, I started collecting them. Have a couple now.

I've been a fan of the 99 ever since I saw an EG in .300 that was owned by a buddy's father back in the fourth grade. I still keep in touch with him and he still has his dad's 99. That rifle has not been shot in nearly 50-years and I seriously doubt it was shot much before that. Since then I've acquired a small collection of 99s and other Savages such as 19s and 23s. I too like old bolt guns and have a major weakness for 1903 Springfields and Krags. In that vein, and with my interest in Savage, someday I'd like to find a nice "Lend Lease" era Enfield. Savage made a ton of these for the Brits and they represent a major contribution on their part to the effort in winning WWII.

First deer rifle is one I bought myself in 1978. A Win 94 in 30-30. Oldest son has it now. Didn't really collect, just hunted.

Found my first 99 in a local shop 8 years ago or so and thought is was cool. A 99F in 300 Savage. I no longer have that 99F, but it is still my favorite of all of the 99's for hunting purposes. I still use one.

I still basically just hunt, but now I hunt in style....

Im just a gun nut !not specific to any brand,just like leverguns most of all. still got some guns i had when i was 12, got a bunch more since then!

Just been offered a near mint 1950's 99F in 250-3000. "Problem" is it has brown synthetic stocks. Metal is pristine. I'd love to have a set of those stocks to play with on another rifle, but then what, mismatched wood on a mint 250? What a conundrum.

Roy, I thought non-typical stocks were what you liked to work with. Synthetic brown ought to be an easy start for an all weather gun. If the price is right, you have options. Tom

Yeah, the stocks are great and I'd love to play with them on a different rifle, but what do I do with a mint 99F in 250 with no wood? It's not that I don't have wood I could fit to it, it's that the gun deserves better than mismatched wood, due to it's great condition. I guess custom wood is about the only option for that nice a barreled action. The price isn't a giveaway, but it's fair considering what it is.

I would never consider altering the 250 by making it an all weather rifle due to it's high condition. It must remain as good or better than it is now. The only way it could get better would be custom wood, and I really don't know if I want that project right now. I'm busy with work all summer and would be tying up $1000 until winter, then I'd have to spend a bunch more for custom wood, not to mention the time to fit and finish.

May pass on this one. The seller says it'll be on GB this weekend if I don't buy it. Look for it.

Relative's in the Catskill's,N.Y live on a 400ac. farm since 1949.Uncle's,cousin's,Father all shot 300Sav,EG's & F's.Once in a while saw a 94(32 Spec)or a Marlin 35Rem.Bought my first pre-mil 308F for $165 in the summer of 1976 and shot my first buck with it that Nov.

Would you sell the .250 sans the stocks?

Right after I first started deer hunting at 17, I borrowed a 99C in 284 from a friend's dad for several years. That went away when they moved, and that was it. 20+ years later I was helping my mother-in-law to sell off my FIL's guns, and tracked own this place to get info on this funky engraved, checkered, reblued, rebarreled gun in something called 250-3000 that dated to 1899.

Then I picked up an EG rat to hunt with.

Then I picked up an 1899A for fun at the range.

And one or two more in the next 10 years. And it's all YOUR guys' fault. Totally. Except my wife doesn't believe that.

PM sent.

[quote=Calhoun 99C in 284 [/quote]

That's a good start.

I'd LOVE to get my hands on that sucker sometime again. Might have to get hold of my highschool buddy, at one time I was told it was pawned off by his brother, but years later I heard he had it. Probably rusting in a closet somewhere.... GRRRRRRR!

Being from Kansas there was no deer season till 1964 so center fire hunting rifles were not common. My dad grew up hunting but took an interest in collecting Winchesters when I was around 5th grade. The Gun Digest and American Rifleman soon became my go to books and I was soon hooked.

1st 99 I remember seeing at a gun show was a 300, RS, recoil pad, Zeiss scoped in early D&T'd Stith mount. That was the 60's. Still have it and a few more.

At that time there was little info on the Savage levers...and little interest. Finally found the Murray's book. Had to read through it 3 or 4 times before things started falling into place. Later found the Gun & Knife Forum and other people with the same addition as me. Those were the days when the serial numbers ended at 566,000 in 1950 (Murray). How were we to know if a 99 qualified for C&R???

Then started the 24HCF and the search for info. I enjoy owning and shooting 1895/1899/99/pre-WWII .22's/pistols, etc. but I think the hunt for info has been the most interesting and enjoyable part for me. For as much as we have learned here there always seems to be something new to look into.

Thanks to all, old and new, on the "24" for helping me with my addition.

Back in 1966, I attended the NRA Annual Meeting in Chicago, if you can imagine such a thing. My interest at the time was mainly Winchesters, but an organization of collectors had a display of special order Savages. I was aware of 99's, as I read every Gun Digest and other book I could get my hands on, but this was the first time I had seen one with checkered cheeks in the flesh. I was hooked. Over the next few years, I always had a Savage or two, but still was enamored of Brand W. Finally, I realized it was not going to be fun to be pursuing guns I could not afford, particularly while my daughter was in college. Trapshooting and deer hunting consumed my time and finances; then, at the Missouri State Trapshoot, Bass Pro had a booth, with several 99's, including a deluxe of some kind WITH CHECKERED CHEEKS! I phoned my wife to tell her what I wanted to do, and to my surprise, she encouraged me. Picked up a first year .250/3000, deluxe wood and checkering. That later letter to the corporate secretary of Savage, J. DeP. Lynch. I was and remain hooked.