Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Burning questions

What is the one piece of information or question you may have for anything Savage?
The factory(s)?
Arthur or other people?
1899/99, pistol, .22 or other data?
Other?

Stock carver(s)

WTF were they thinking when they created the 22 Savage HiPower?

I know literally what they were trying to do, but WTF were they thinking?

LOL

One piece of info?

That's so hard to pin down... I can do 2 off the top of my head. Not sure I can choose between the two, and could probably think of another 50 given time.

1) Why did Marlin stop makng 1895's after 5000 rifles?
2) Why was Arthur let go?

We are pretty certain W.I King did ~1899-1911. He may have carved extras for later use. Carving was not limited to 1 person, there were others. Documentation is slim.

It was a collaboration. Charles Newton created one of the first successful attempts at creating a truly small-bore high-pressure cartridge. Savage jumped on board.

1 piece? Gotta start somewhere. Agree, dozens of questions.
We've read different things. No one knows exactly what the Marlin contract called for. Or if it was breeched for whatever reason.
Arthur was a wanderlust. As I understand it he had already moved to Duarte, CA seeking citrus fruit, gold mines and probably more. Meanwhile he was still under contract with Savage and on payroll from afar. I suspect Savage management felt like they weren't getting much for the money and discontinued the relationship.

I think the evidence points to the Marlin contract being for 5,000 rifles and up to at least 10,000. Marlin chose to end it after 5,000. Were they selling too well? Made Marlin nervous, or just demanding too much of their employee's time? Or did Arthur tick them off somehow?

And Arthur didn't move until after being let go from Savage. I don't think he had any plans on moving out in the short term, as evidenced by the fact he still owed several months of rent on the home they were living in. He also didn't leave Savage Arms of his own accord.. he was pushed out. I think that's pretty clear from the announcement published in magazines. Might be they caught him doing gun designs for other companies? Maybe just a class of strong willed egos and he lost? Love to know.

We call it the 99 RT, but why did Savage make them? Was it a special order? We know most of them have discontinued barrels, but if they were just using up parts, why the different forearm? New version of the 99 R that was never cataloged? (RTs in 30-30 and 303 don’t support this theory.) Other ideas?

Im with Jaaack, the RT is an interesting topic, odd there is no factory info on this variant. I like them cuz they resemble the T”, and the forearm shape.

I always figured, from this vantage point and time that Marlin was helping Savage get up and running and that they were just supportive of them when they were starting out . Their rifles
, of course, clearly exhibit Marlin characteristics, like the Rocky Mntn. front sight blade , rear sight and the early pistol grip stocks.

The RT does present a conundrum...

25 caliber was the small bore centerfire of the time. mr. Newton (- "The Father of High Velocity") had his hand in the development the 250-3000 ("...fastest cartridge in the world!"), and obviously "had the (burning) need for speed". Scaling down the size of the bore (still) seems like a very logical way to achieve more speed, so a .228 bore size introduced lightening-class speed into the new world of smokeless gunpowder!

What a time to be a shooter!

Chas. Newton's connection with Arthur Savage is why that prototype model 1920 long action chamberedin 256 Newton is so intriguing. I can only imagine Mr. Savage must have been a bit of a speed freak himself, (Savage tires?) , and what exactly was Newton's "Leverbolt rifle" (a straight-pull bolt action), and maybe co-op marketing for some sort of unique hammerless leveraction??

How about just the "T"? Their short barrels were not such a grand departure, carbines had already been widely accepted for their handiness. But the slender barrels with beaver-tail forearms? That was a whole new thing, maybe geared to the smaller-faster cartridge designs?

I've kind of wondered why Savage didn't introduce thier own larger bore cartridge in the earlier goings of the 1899/99. They were still reasonably popular at the time, and they chambered 38-55. Something along the lines of 35/303 or 35/300?

To be candid, I believe alot of my beef with the 22HP came from a messed up set of lyman dies. Between the dies and the European gun/Savage lever gun interface, it was a disaster. New dies corrected some of the issues.

Some good questions guys.
It appears the rifle known as RT garners interest due to the fact it is unique and not cataloged.
Probably deserves its own thread.
Anyone have data on RT's? s.n. range etc.
I would be interested in analyzing the data.

Is there a compilation of names of Savage company officers with dates when they held positions?

Bailey Brower was once putting together one but have not yet located it in his notebooks.

Kinda sorta.. I've got copies of some. Never been published, was wondering whether to include it in my bigger book.

I am in Iowa, Mom is in the hospital. When I go I’ll see if I can find and share what Bailey had. I recall he had Roe Clark put together some information.

Why didn't savage introduce a few more new caliber's in the 99 ? a .270-08 a .323 or .338 ??
A few may have gone a long way to help sales along

plab

Other...

I am fan(atic?) of the 32-20. All the power I need for the for the hunting available to me locally.

If the 1893 prototype were put on the market, I would be a contender.

The stuff dreams are made of...