Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Barrel replacement option for 99 Takedown?

I have a 99F Takedown in 303 SAV. As you guys know 303SAV rounds are few and far away. Graffs is the only place I have found them. I do have Reloading dies for it too.. But to be honest I am looking for a simpler solution. Most likly my solution may not be a cheap one. This brings me to the thought...Can I get another barrel in say 30-30 or 300Sav? Would one of these barrels if I where to find it fit into my receiver?

I have an older 99F with a lightwieght barrel that is 20" long.. If I were able to find a different barrel would my Forearm mount right to it?

For another barrel to fit the forearm it would need to be a lightweight barrel produced about 1926 or earlier. It may or may not index properly to the receiver. In which case it would need to go to a competent gun smith. Personally, I would reload for the 303. You have the dies and a little searching will turn up brass. It's about the same power as a 30-30 and you can use 30-30 load data. David

Yes and no.

First off, finding a nice barrel such as you want is difficult, but they're out there. Usually when found they have condition issues.

While all Savage TD barrels were made to the same system and will universally screw into all TD receivers, that's as far as it goes. To be functional they must achieve the following: 1) the barrel must mate snugly at the front of the receiver and also at the "C ring"at the breech, 2) the indexing slots on the receiver and barrel must line up perfectly at the same time #1 happens, and 3) after all that happens, headspace must be good. The odds of all three conditions being met by an orphan barrel are fairly slim- but you may get lucky. Usually it means employing the services of a machinist or a gunsmith to make it happen.

Then after all that, you have the rotor and cartridge guide to contend with. Often "foreign" cartridges will feed one or two out of the wrong rotor, but that's it. Often too, not at all. (.303 and .30-30 are compatible in each other's rotors.)

Good luck! It's always nice to have a multi-barrel takedown set!

I hear ya.. I was just wondering more than anything the problem would be the indexing more than anything. Finding a good gun smith is tough now days. Most only know black guns..Sad really

I've often read about reforming other brass into 303 but haven't given it a shot, but here's some links to some discussions on the topic:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/152990/1
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/6094092/2
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/5782626/1
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/1000835

http://smith-wessonforum.com/reloading/108611-303-savage.html

https://www.firearmstalk.com/threads/303-savage-brass-mfg-will-tell-how.1085/

PRVI brass is around. Not quite as cheap as we would like, but not bad- and it's darn good brass. I just did a quick Google search and found some for $57/100- in stock. Out of stock in a about half the outfits that list it.

As long as new factory brass is available I feel it's foolish to try to make it out of other stuff. It never comes out exactly right, and is best reserved for when times are desperate.

and the correct head stamp is always preferable. especially as one gets older.

My take on the 303 is that's its pretty much a reloader's rifle. From what I understand, take downs can be converted into solid frame receivers, but you probable run into the same issues with things lining up as said above.

Haha. That never bothered me. 40+ years of messing with wildcats cured me of that. Heck, way over half my supply of .22HP brass has either .25-35 or .30-30 headstamps on it. Ditto a bunch of .300's with .308 headstamps, 8mm Mausers with '06 headstamps, etc. etc.

I have a circa-1929 F in 303. I also have a set of dies and reloading data. What I haven't made myself find is time enough to work with is, at least I haven't in the last several years. Maybe I shouldn't have bought a house that's tuned into a "reloader's" special?!

and 375 winchester with 30-30 hs, 32-40 with 30-30 hs and 351 wsl with 223 hs. it has been fun making stuff like that but there are some i prefer the correct hs on.
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