Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors 99E circa 1961

I was hoping to get some thoughts on a 99E with date stamp 12M. I think that means it was made in December 1961, though the barrel is stamped Chicopee Falls. Its a 243 Win 20" barrel with Redfield buckhorn style rear sight, brazed front sight ramp and schnabel forend. Cut checkering, grip cap and steel buttplate all seem correct for a 50's era 99. The serial number is 1018900. Do all of these features seem consistent with its manufacture date?

No. Lots of problems there. I'll let someone smarter than I sort that one out. BTW, 12 is an inspector #, not Dec.

Well that's helpful too because the buttstock is also stamped 12 but instead of 'M', 'WD' is stamped adjacent. I read somewhere that serial numbers under 1,048,000 were manuf before 1961 so why would a 1,018,000 number be stamped as a 1961? That's my basic question I suppose. I'm sure it's an M, I used a jewelers loop to be sure.

At some point the serialed parts went to assembly codes as you see on yours. I do not know the when.
A 1961 gun with a 20" barrel, marked Chikopee, with a schnable, pistol grip with a cap is what's odd. The easiest explanation is the stocks have been replaced, which is not unusual. Don't know what to tell you about a 20" 243 barrel marked Chikopee.
On the receiver, these fellas will tell you that they weren't assembled in order, necessarily.

Early post-mil 99Es looked exactly like the pre-mil 99EG except they were missing the round counter window. Sounds like what you have.
As far as I know, anyway.....

Well, you can compare his specs with this and draw your conclusions. I'm not feelin it.

No counter window, no tang screw holes, lever safety, Chicopee address, 20" brl...would be correct for the 12M (1961) production date. The wood would not be. I would have to assume the wood has been replaced...for the better. The original wood for a 1961 E was a plain-Jane hardwood stained walnut.

I think I saw the one he's looking at.

Replaced wood from an EG and front sight ain't right either, iirc.

Early E (1960) were leftover 9xxxxx serial range receivers. They had counter windows, plastic butt plate, non-checkered, non-pistol grip stocks. Some with EG style forearm but most with F style. All I have heard of have 24" brl in .300 Sav.

Mine is a steel buttplate.

I don't understand the Chik barrel on his 243. If this is a leftover barrel, there wasn't a 20" 243 in the late 50's was there? I'm missing some piece of knowledge here. Want to learn it!

Interesting idea. A make shift, 20", .243 EG with lever safety would make a handle and nice looking rifle if done right.

Roy, I've seen the gun. Soldered on front sight base.. pretty sure the barrel was cut. You are right, the only Chicopee Falls barrels in 243 should be 24" unless they have a rear sight boss - so that would be confusing. But since it's cut...

Franken99.

Thanks Rory, just wanting to be sure I wasn't missing something.

I though the early 1961 E barrels were marked Chicopee. Could be wrong. Don't have a lot of data on the post-mil rifles.

Rick 99,
Yes I failed to mention: it has a lever safety, no tang sight holes and no cartridge counter window. It looks like typical savage field grade walnut and it has factory cut checkering and factory fitted metal buttplate (confirmed by stampings underneath). The wood may not be correct for this model, the longer schnabel forend looks oddly too long on a 20" barrel. Perhaps the '12s' are just coincidence. I almost didn't buy it because of these presumed irregularities so I went to look at it and became convinced that its an oddball 1961 from the parts bin. Thanks everyone.

Don't all post war E's have 20" barrels? The barrel crown and front sight ramp look original to me. The stock was sanded (badly) and refinished but I think it can be improved and the checkering cut a bit. There's a repaired chip behind the upper tang that could be done better with epoxy.

20, 22, and 24 at different times and in different chamberings. Most you will find for sale will be 20".

Maybe it's not the same one I saw.. front sight ramp on the one I saw definitely looked added on.

If you remove the buttstock, the stamping on the buttstock/buttplate should also be on the left side of the receiver above the lever. Only way I know of to confirm wood to metal correctness on 50's and later rifles.

Right above the lever loop in this pic:

Thing was on gunbroker for months, apparently.

Search for auction 444117102, it dates from 9/25.

Calhoun,
Do you mean the frame should be stamped '12 WD' (like the wood) if the stock were original to it? I'd have to check it later but I think it's stamped 'RUU 12' on the side of the frame. Do those letters mean anything specifically? It needed a hammer bushing screw so I have the stock off.