Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors The Savage CRACK

I have always been under the impression that the all too common tang crack that is too often seen on a 99, was from a mis-fitting stock, and recoil. In discussing this with a friend who does a lot of work on the 99 stocks, I learned that (in his opinion) many, if not most of these cracks come from the gun being dropped or bumped sideways, not from recoil. I must say that after going over this in my head, his explanation seems to makes sense, given the thin wood structure on the side of the tang. Your thoughts are appreciated. Going foreward, I will never put any of my 99's in a soft case and lay them across the back seat floor of my vehicle, teetering over the drive shaft bump.

Could be the same reason certain shotguns get the same crack.

Probably lots of factors with over tight butt stock/thin wrist contributing to many. Any type of bonk could exacerbate the problem.

The tang on a 99 (and any other gun that has a tang) is nothing but a steel wedge being driven into the wood every time a shot is fired.


Mike

While that is true, the Savage 99's get this crack far more often than other guns. It has even been named the "Savage Crack". While I love this gun design, I do think the wood in the tang area is so thin that its design contributes to the too often seen tang crack.

I have to say when I first read the title of this topic I thought it was going to some OT subject about plumbers. I think cracks are caused by all of the above as well as inherent weakness in wood as a medium for making stocks.

As a carver, I have fortified quite a bit of material, such as wood and antler, with extremely viscous cyanoacrylate. I wonder if a person could do the same with the wood pores on a 99 stock in order to stop/prevent the cracking.

The "crack" is what it is. It is SO common, that I don't give it a ton of attention. If it's just a "run of the mill" gun when I pick it up and it's cracked, I just put it back down and move on. If the gun is something I want to fill a hole in one of my safes, then I might buy it anyhow. Having what you are looking for, cracked or not, is better than not having it. The other thing, the seller HAS to realize that the "crack" is going to cost him something. NONE of the guns I own that have the Savage crack has gotten any worse from shooting.

Good point, LBK. A lot, if not all, cracks I see are ancient. It would indeed seem that they tend to crack initially, and the stay that way forever without getting much worse, unless some additional trauma takes place. I personally subscribe to the "tangs acting as wedges" theory, being driven back into the head of the stock through recoil and stock bolt over-tightening. Solution? Don't over torque the bolt, and reduce the gun's consumption of full throttle factory loads. (Low velocity handloads give the same amount of fun- if not more- and are cheaper and easier on the gun and shooter both.)

How about a thin rubber washer between stock and receiver?

Taking this subject to the next level, do any of you attempt to repair these cracks or just leave them alone? I've seen methods for gently spreading the crack open and inserting an adhesive etc etc, but do these work or just make the appearance even worse? I've been fortunate that only one of mine has the dreaded "Savage Crack", a nice 250 EG with a Stith mounted scope, which I don't want to mess up so I've left it alone.
yooper

Sayak LBK , Gnaohhh I think you are all right on , the other factor after laying on there side on a hump or under a heavy weight is any rifle that has been in a saddle scabbard has that
potential as well as horses love to rub and nothing gets in there way I have used the crazy glues with much success, but they should be ones that can deal with oil and grease. they do flow well into a crack and can be worked so that the glue is coming out of the finest part .

norm

generally if I buy a gun with the crack I will repair it ,if you oil the stock with the crack oil gets where it don't belong if you don't fix it and stock drys out it can crack some more or water and dirt invades the crack as well.

I have taken stocks that are in 2-4 pieces and put them back together, they may not always be pretty but are funional and I use them for hunting ,, after all they are original

norm

[quote=gnoahhh]... Solution? Don't over torque the bolt, .../quote]
How tight is too tight?

I don't have a clue as to exact torque specs (it would probably vary from gun to gun anyway). I just snug it up so there's no play in the stock. Firm but not tight like you're tightening a lug nut.

But I always crank my lug-nuts until they squeeke. . .

My latest Savage crack is compliments of the shipping gorillas. Thanks, it survived 50 years until you got it.

Yep. The way the 99 stock was designed it doesn't handle side to side stress very well. Often poorly packaged rifles endure such stress and you seem to have gotten the benefit of that.

I get a savage crack at the end of a week long moose hunt.

seems you've been in the same moose camps as me!LOL