Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors What's the going value of a correct 99T rear sight?

None of my 99T's have a correct rear sight.. looking at one in 300 that does, but price is a bit high for condition (in my book). Trying to justify that the rear sight makes it worth the buy.

I bought one on eBay for just under $200 a couple years ago. They don't come along very often.

Rod

Anything under $200 should be viewed as a bargain.

I know a fella who gets $300 for 'em when he can.

$200 and a long wait in between.

Well, darn.. that probably means I'm gonna have to buy it. If it had the red bead front sight, I'd have snatched it up. But it's got a white bead.

Whew! I had no idea they fetched that kind of money. Was the red bead front sight carved in stone or did white beads make it out of the factory too?

I've never seen an ad saying it came with anything but the red bead front sight. But 90% of 99T's don't have the red bead front sight..

Course, most don't have the correct rear sight either.

If authentic is not important, it would be no big deal to modify a taller Savage sight by grinding it down, then working the white line in. It'd actually be a fun project. Plenty of $40 donor sights available.

This based on my memory of the details of a T rear, maybe someone could post a closeup of the white line to refresh my memory of if it's painted in a recessed channel or not.

Front sight


Rear sight


The white line is recessed.

Rod

I was thinking it was. That adds a little time to the project, but all in all I bet it could be done in short order. Maybe I'll try my hand at one when I get a few minutes.

No writing on the sight that I can see, and that rear portion is pretty thick with a shallow curve in it. I'm not a sight guy, but I think it'd be tough to find one similar to modify to look exactly like this.

I betcha a guy could modify a buckhorn sight to look like a T sight. Probably not difficult to swap a white bead for a red one too. As long as it wasn't passed off as original...

I wonder why so many T's are missing the red bead. I can see why a guy would lose the rear sight as soon as he got his new rifle, but the front sight, no- perhaps they are worthless in the dark deer woods? The bead in Rod's pic looks to be very opaque which leads me to ask if perhaps they dulled with age from a more brilliant original hue as they aged and forced owners to replace them?

I read that Savage did not have enough red bead front sights on hand and included a letter to buyers that one would be sent when they became available. I can see where most people would not swap them out if they received the correct red bead, but where are all the extra red bead sights? Tom

I've heard from several collectors like Ralph that the red bead front sights were hated by hunters because they suck so bad in morning and twilight and would be swapped out as soon as the guys bought the guns. I'm sure it happened, but how much did it happen? Dunno.

This one just sold, somebody got a good price on a hunter. Seller just emailed me that it had the correct rear sight (after it sold, grrr). Is that a red bead front sight on it? Can't tell on my phone.

http://www.gunbroker.com/item/566218303

Can't tell if it's a red bead, but shape of the sight does not look correct.

Yup, that ain't no Savage factory sight on there.

I was watching that one, and was tempted. I keep telling myself I'm at a point where I only want to buy stuff with condition and as original as possible. Then I see a nice hunter in a model I want and it's hard not to buy, so I never have the money for condition, Joe.

Yes, that is thick. Anybody pull out the sights today and look at what might work?

Savage started putting a low profile sight on the Fs to allow for scope clearance. I saw one of those counterfeited and sold on gunbroker quite a while back. It showed up again on ebay and I messaged the seller, as a bunch of others did, that it was not a bonafide T sight. The notch was still in it but it had been milled and the white line added.

The poor guy that was duped sells a lot of stuff on ebay. He professed to knowing all things Winchester but was a Savage novice.

Since both my Ts are wearing stith mounts, I have two T rear sights sitting in my sight box right now. Really dont need the money, so I will hold on to them for a bit.

Showoff!

Here's a close up of the red bead front and rear sight on mine.

Good pics Keith. Though a lot of T's have a white vs red bead on the front. I have both on my 2.

Did any T's come with a gold bead on the front? I have a T with a front sight that looks just like Keiths except it gold. Wondering if that came from the factory that way?

Don't forget about the no-bead option. I can't be sure, but I would be surprised if my grandfather switched out a beaded front sight with the one on the gun now. Just wasn't his style.

...or maybe the bead just fell off?

And You will find 1/2 that don't or no red Bead Front Sight.

Rear Sights Correct Sell 175.00 to 300.00 from what i have seen And Red Bead Front Can Fetch 65.00 to 150.00.


If You Need a rear i have about 6, and 12 Fronts.

Steve I am also looking for a front red bead for one and a rear sight for another if you would be willing to part with some.