Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors model 99 in .243 - pre mil - update with pic

I love the 99 in the smaller calibers, for shooters. A local store has a model 99 in .243 with a serial number around 920,000, 22-24" barrel, and lever safety. Nice bluing - around 85-90%, no pitting or rough spots.

The only bad part I see is the wood. The finish is very shiny and the butt stock has a nasty looking pad installed. The forend has a tapered gap at the rear where it butts up against the receiver and the forend screw head sits way up above the level of the wood - but the forend fits the barrel well. I think the forend might be a replacement (aftermarket).

Asking price is $495. I want it for a shooter and am capable of fitting a new pad and probably a new screw on the forend and stripping of the shiny finish on the wood. And maybe getting a new aftermarket forend and fitting it.

What are your opinions on this?

Thanks
Nick

they know you want it, offer 450.00, see if they got any holiday spirit. Buyi f the wood is original to the gun at least, if not, let it alone.

Sounds like a friggan R if the forearm tapers back to the receiver quickly.

To bad about the pad, that gun would be one nice find.

Don't know if me meant it's an R, or if somebody just went sanding crazy and sanded the edges down in front of the receiver.

Either way... project gun. If you can fix it up nice you'd probably get your money out of it when you look to sell it. There's worse things to spend your money on.. but for a couple hundred more you can get a decent premil F.

well, I went back and took a closer look. The wood is all original. We took the forend off and it was numbered to the gun 920,1xx LBC looks like 291 or 29I in an oval. They threw in a new pad to replace the nasty pad on the gun, I can fit it myself. It has a set of swivels but I don't know if they are original. The wood finish is original, the forend screw was too long and had a washer in place - easy fix by shortening the screw. The gaps at the rear of the forend look kind of like the wood may have shrunk, but it doesn't look sanded. Barrel blue about 98-99% with perfect bore. Receiver blue about 85-90%. Barrel sights are replacements I added a tang sight and can't wait to shoot it.

To bad you added the tang sight, if it came with it it would have been a steal.

It's a 99F, it'll have 99F stamped on the right hand side of the barrel.

For under $500, I'd say you did pretty good for a pre-1960 99 in 243. I'd expect the LBC to be an H for 1956, but 1957 is reasonable also.

The gap is probably just wood shrinkage.. got one or two with a bit of that, seen others.

Not really, most of the 308's I've got marked are56 and 57 but the majority of the 243's and 358's I've got jotted down are 58.

I call it a solid triple. Without the butt pad would have been a homerun. What were people thinking when they put these butt pads on 243's and 250's? Any 13 year old little girl can shoot a 243 or 250 without a butt pad.

Probably an I on LBC which would make it a 57

Randy

Good info.. I was actually referring to the serial number. Not as goofy as the 600,000's, but the early 900,000's seem to span 1956/1957 more than most. The chambering might be the ticket, I haven't saved serial numbers by that.

No, no, I digress. Your right this time. The serial number always tells the tale (except the 600's), didn't take that into consideration. In to much of a rush to burn you again!

Both of my 243 - 99F's are 1957.

Blair

My wife and i just finished a bottle of screech rum for our 22 anniversary and im to lazy to go check on my pre-mill 243 serial numbers!!!!! Ha HA !!!!!! Don

Congrats Don...!!!


Mike...

Did you get that right outta Newfoundland?

Congrads Don and same to Cheryl!!!!!!
John

the state of N.H. got it out of Newfoundland!!! I got it at the local liquor store!

Congratulations on the anniversary and happy holidays!

Glad you like the Screech.

Al

See Al,,,,,,,,,,,,ya dun good. Look whatcha started!!!!!!!!! Wish I had me some Screech right now.

For you s/n and lever boss code enthusiasts, 99 EG 243 s/n 924856 lever boss code 17H, 99F 243 s/n 935196 lever boss code 19I, Don