Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Oddball sale - 1949 99RT?

Well, Savage did have quality assurance standards and having the correct sights for a model for each cartridge would have been a step. So I think normally they'd have adhered to the specifications.

But we know that the specifications in the catalogs didn't always match production. The 99H, for example, the checkering on the 99R/99RS, etc. They did make a big point out of the 99T sights in the catalog tho.

I also agree that if they ran out of red bead sights, the same exact sight was available with gold and white beads and I wouldn't be surprised if some left the factory with them.

The August 1949 Outdoor Life has a picture of a Model 99 T with the forend checkered like a post War R. Jack stated that it would be made again. There is no mention of an RT in the article. This most likely was a picture of a rifle that Savage thought of producing. The RT is what Today's Collector calls these "oddballs" that we sometimes find. I thought that perhaps this article would shed some light on this mystery.

I'd love to read it... don't think I'm going to spend $35-$40 to buy it off ebay tho.

Back in the day it was a Grey Rat. Apparently today its Cody material 🤪

Today's Collector? Do you mean Wikapedia based learning? The internet is full of BS . Plus there are Sites you can go to and fill with BS to support the First BS. Little respect for learning and garnering knowledge from extracting information from digging, reading and talking. not posting, talking. America is forgetting how to communicate, and Hero's are Medaled by a much lower standard.

Spoken true to form.

Well today's collectors certainly aren't as learned, intelligent, knowledgeable or as humble or as helpful or as patient with people just trying to learn as you are, which you seem to take every opportunity to point out.

Why are you so angry?

now that would be a cool gun to own! Especially on the more svelte small frame!

AND JTC signing the documentation,

Eeeeeh, is that pretty nasty to shoot? 😬

Nope. Not at all. However, I did not buy it to shoot.

I imagine it doesn't kick all that terrible but I do suspect its pretty front heavy?!????

True that.

I have some information on the 99 That started this. The lever code is present it reads 26A. The forearm is unmarked. The lever is case hardened. The barrel is not marked with a serial number. There is a number 5 stamped there. The number 5 is also stamped. On the butt stock under the butt plate. The butt plate is also stamped with a 5. The forend is very proud at the bottom of the receiver. The fit is excellent in the barrel channel. The pre war RS sling swivels have a Savage issue 7/8" sling The red front sight is Lyman marked. I reviewed the Jack O'Conner article in Outdoor life August 1949. In that Jack states that the only improvement that He would make on the Savage 99T would be to add detashable sling swivels. Interestingly in the 1952 Outdoor life shooting annual O'Connor has another picture of a Model 99T with a post was 99R foreend. With all that I have named the above rifle the O'Connor 99T since he announced it.

So a 1949 rifle, with a pre-1947 barrel and sights, with unmarked forearm but stamped buttplate/buttstock/receiver.

5 isn't an unusual stamp on a barrel, have a number of them with it. It is unusual on a buttstock

The studs/sling swivels were still available in 1949, so nothing surprising there.


Based on just "5" being stamped on buttstock/buttplate... my guess is:
1) Special order parts gun assembled for somebody that wanted a 99T. O'Connor, other customer or employee? Who knows. Used leftover 99T forearm/sights, put on a receiver, fitted a buttstock, and shipped it.

At the time they only had the 99EG in production but were only a couple weeks from starting the 99R Version 2 that was drilled & tapped and had different forearm/checkering. They'd have had the spec and design sheets done for the 99R Version 2 prior to this. So if it was a prototype 99R, I'd expect more similarities to the production 99R or less finish on the gun.

A production EG with swapped parts later would have full serial number on buttstock/buttplate, or full assembly code.

No matter what it is, it's very cool! If Cody ever gets access to their microfilm data, I'd letter it. At that time I think it would give you a model and ship date.

It's got to be a leftover T barrel that they found somewhere, sights and all. 22" Utica barrel. No such thing as a 22" 300 barrel in 1949.

Not?

I agree. And a probably the forearm also. Machines at Chicopee Falls had never been set up to make 99T forearms or do 99T checkering.

What is the serial number of this parts gun?

The serial number is 531871. In September I plan on going to the OGCA/ Winchester collector show. Jessie Bennet from the Cody Museum will be there. Hopfully, when I talk to Jessie she will have some more information on this rifle. I will post what I find out here.

They don't have access to that data yet. Maybe by September they will.... but I wouldn't hold my breath. I'll cross my fingers for ya tho!