Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Finally received the 22 hi power. Did I get hosed?

Finally got the Gun Auction 22 Hi Power. The stock was a thing of beauty- some kind of mystery white softwood with gunky stain. Did my best to clean it up until I restock it. Original drawbolt was missing, replaced by a threaded rod and nut. Mechanically it works but it looks, well....not right.
I'm wondering if the front bead and butt plate are correct for this rifle. Serial 173xxx. 1915 manufacture? Bore and rifling are clean and sharp, some minor pitting on bottom of lever, bluing is about 85%. Let me know what you think.

Does the serial number on the buttplate match the rifle?

The pads don't look like they've been sanded a lot yet the buttplate doesn't fit at all. I believe they used the hard rubber buttplates on those rifles but don't quote me cause I've never owned an 1899H.

Some of the 22 HP rifles have steel buttplates.

Rod

Butt stock has the lines of a factory stock, but it sure looks like it was not made of walnut. Soft maple would be my guess. Perhaps by a very skilled craftsman who made it look just like a factory one. Fore end pic is too blurry to comment on. Butt plate? When did they switch from hard rubber to steel? I can't remember, if I indeed ever knew.

What the heck. If the rifle was gotten for a righteous price, it would seem to be a good knockaround shooter.

Is that one of those rare triple set trigger models?

Are there any documented cases of the factory using "fruitwood" on rifles that early?

Murray's just states the steel butt plate was special order. I've got both, they should fit perfectly and match numbers.

I have a 18999 H of the same year and I often thought that the stock looked like soft maple instead of walnut but I'm not a wood expert. It has a steel butt plate also. #s match except for the butt plate. I'm curious if the #s match on the your rifle.

Lee

It ended up looking pretty good IMHO! I don't know where in the Thumb you're located, but if you're ever heading toward Midland let me know and we can get out and shoot our 22 HP's.
yooper

I'd like to be able to shoot this thing! Can't find anything to make it go bang yet. What is your trick for finding/making ammo?

Get ahold of 1899Savage Stever!

Buy a set of dies and a bag of .25-35 brass. Run the brass into the HP sizer die until the bolt closes, then load 'em up. Hornady .227 bullets may (or may not) work, but can be made to work if they don't. If you aren't gonna shoot it much, use .224 bullets short enough to stabilize in the 1-12" twist. (.750" bullet length is the magic number) Buffalo Arms sells .228 bullets too. Load 10 grains Unique/70gr. bullet for a fun plinker load that will keep your brass healthy for many shots. Up it to 25gr. 4895 for a hunting load, but expect brass life to suffer a bit.

I'd listen to this guy, he might just know a little something about the HP shooting.

The front blade is a replacement but this is so common that I don't even consider it a reduction, especially if the screw is still good.

The style of plate was used in that serial range but most of the 22HP's have the hard rubber plate (very good repro's available). The plate should be Serialed to the rifle.

I've seen no evidence that Savage used none walnut stocks on standard production rifles till the 99-H in the 20's. I would say someone did an excellent job of making that stock. I think I would fit a repro hard rubber plate or the one it came with
and call it good.

I've seen some of these pre-WWI receivers that appear to have been assembled after the war. The preWWI should have the high luster blue finish. Most of the post WWI's have a dull finished action. I can't tell want your finish is from the photos.

Rear sight would have been the windgauge version.

Polecat- Guess I should have checked the numbers on the buttplate. They match. The stock has no serial numbers, and it appears that it is soft maple. I guess steel buttplates WERE used in 1915. Check out the pics-

WISH I could find some 25-35 brass! This ammo (and brass, etc.) is like finding the proverbial unicorn. Tried to order brass (showed as in stock) from a couple different places, bullets, loaded ammo, etc. My eyes hurt from staring at the damn computer screen. Time to take up knitting I think.

That style of steel buttplate came in with the model 250-3000's in 1915 as far as I know. Seen it on a few earlier ones, but not sure they were correct. Interesting to see one on an 1899H, I always think the hard rubber buttplate or the smooth shotgun style buttplate on those.

From the looks of things I would guess the original butt stock met its demise in the extraction of the original stock bolt. I hope the receiver end isn't rethreaded so an original bolt can't be used.

Have you tried a search for some Norma or Sellier & Bellot 5.6X52R, it's the same thing as 22 Savage.

Receiver end looked like 5/16-24 thread. Hope that's right.

BTW, in case anyone needs any... Graf's has 5.6 x 52r Norma brass in stock.Expensive as hell, but I couldn't find anything else.