Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors 1899 H takedown in 30-30 made in 1921

I backed away from the 99EG I asked about a few day ago. Seller was not forth coming with accurate info.

Meanwhile I have located another I may take a 6 hr. round trip drive to look at and could use any specific info on what to look for.

From the seller, "The original finish is nice and is not a high gloss blue but more of a flat bluing which is proper. Has Marbles flip up rear peep sight and Marbles rear sight also. Butt plate is fine checkered steel with Savage Indian logo. Barrel is 20 inch and bore is great."

I am attracted to:

1) the peep sight as my old eyes shoot a pre 64 Win 94 with a Williams pretty well and I would not have to fuss with scope , mount, etc. I don't understand two rear sights however.

2) I have buckets full of 30-30 components.

Thanks

It's pretty common to have a rear tang sight and a rear barrel sight. It could have come with the rear barrel sight, then an owner added a tang sight. They make blanks for the rear dovetail. But, if I added a tang sight, I'd just leave the factory sight where it is.

Gun sounds correct. The high mirror blue was last made in 1917, when production restarted in 1919 it had a matte blue. Same with the 1899H buttplate - in 1917 the standard was a hard rubber buttplate, but starting in 1919 it switched to a serrated steel shotgun style.
In fall of 1921 the name changed from the 1899 Featherweight (we call it an 1899H) to the 99F (takedown), or 99E (solid frame). No change was made to the rifles, just a name change.
Marketing thought "1899" was too old fashioned, they removed "18" and "19" from all the guns over the next year or so. The 1920 became the Model 20, the 1919 became the Model 19, the 1917 pistol was even called the Model 17.

But if it's in good shape and a good price, that's a good gun. Light and short barrel, very easy handling.

Odd description of the butt plate. The “Savage Indian” sounds right but “fine checkered”???? Never thought of the shotgun serrations and fine checkered.

From the seller.

That is correct.

I say buy it! But I buy almost every 99/1899 in 30-30 I can swing. I have not nearly as many as some people, and way more than others, and most of mine are in 30-30.

I will have the rifle in my hands Weds and probably buy it.

I could become be the 4th owner. The seller says he has had it for 20+ years and never fired it. He got it from the son who inherited it and held on to it for 30+ years, never firing it. His dad bought it new fired it who knows how many times.

The son is still alive and to the best of anyone's knowledge the rifle has never been apart (taken down). The seller has said he removed the forearm once years ago and took note of the indexing marks and that was far as he wanted to go.

All that said, is there any reason I should? Or shouldn't?

With a lot of teeth gnashing, I have reluctantly decided not to purchase this rifle. Ultimately a rifle without provisions for scope mounting is not for me. The seller has been notified of my decision.

If anyone is interested I will gladly furnish the sellers contact information. I have no further interest and I am not passing along any sort of scam.

Thanks for your help both and off list.

My search for a suitable rifle with scope mount holes will continue

I am building a TD in 7-30 Waters, with scope mounting holes and fancy walnut stocks. It will be a few weeks before completion, as I depart tomorrow for an elk hunt. Let me know if that interests you.

PM sent.
Good luck on your hunt!