(Large Post picture heavy) This is where you guys kick me out of the club. I have finished the 99C. I did not go the traditional route on the refinish. If this was a finely patinia-ed 99C with matching numbers, I would would have had the gun reblued. The finish I chose was developed by a dear friend of mine who has left this world. His sons now run the business and are doing a fine job. The finish (Black T) is used by some of the most elite military and law enforcement units in the country. It is very resistant to humidity, salt spray, etc. Many of my guns have this finish and I love it. The rifle is matte black and the lever is done in dark grey. In the sunlight it appears lighter than it is. The lettering highlights are for the pics and easily removed. On the stock, I used 10 coats of tongue oil and polished off the high gloss. If some of you guys don't like it, I'm sorry. The gun looks great and is ready for the woods. Enough jabbering, ya'll can start zing-ing me now.






[img]http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/skullaero/99C003.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/skullaero/99C002.jpg[/img]

Bert
Here Comes the Zing. It Looks Great, Turned out very nice. Congrats on the restore to your likings.
Nice to see old stuff have some life back in to them.The wood Looks Great. Now ya have a all weather resistant not afraid to take out Gun.

Steve

ZING ZING ZING looks kind of cool ,antique gun modern finish,workable ,useable ,
just not quite right

Bert,

Here comes your zing...and it's a real problem.

It doesn't live in my house.

Very nice job on your "resto-mod" as they say in the hot rod community.

It is very good to see an old warrior spruced up and put back into service.

Thanks for sharing your treasure with us.

Ed

The lever as pictured is strange on a 99, but overall a beautiful redo Bert...I'd hunt it! Did they put the same finish on the tang sight...looks like it in the pic's.

The rifle looks great! The lever... would take some getting used to.

The lever looks real light in the pics, but it appears darker in person. When I have the rifle inside the lever looks quite a bit darker. I thought about doing the lever in black, but on the 99 the lever has always been a contrast to the rifle. I had options to do the lever in tan, dark earth, light grey, OD green, dark grey and pink. The tang sight, and the original rear sight were refinished in Black T. Thanks for the compliments and zings!

Looks like Teddy Roosevelt dressed up in Spandex .

Nice rifle for a snowy day.

Rod

If you really wanted to get booted out of the club you could have sealed it with a pink lever!!

Nice work overall. Nothing wrong with making them usable again!

Its all quite well done especially so when compared to most of the bubba'ed crap that is out there and I have no "issue" with the rifle but I can honestly say it would not get a second glance from me if it were for sale...

I'm workin' on startin' the Booted Members Cryin' Shoppe& Shed, Bert I'll save ya the good chair, by the fire I find ya good company, and I like the work on yer rifle. The untouchable quality pieces are beyond my reach it seems, so I'm playing the hand dealt. But, in the meantime...already started the "OMG, there it is", fund

I friggen love it!!!!!!!

Not what I would've done, but ok nonetheless. I would definitely have had the lever re-CC'ed.

With the exception of the lever, I find the rifle quite attractive.

Thanks again gents! The lever was something I pondered over and finally just had to pull the trigger. I wish I had the money to do the CC'ed lever. I looked around the internet and didn't see any cheap prices. I saved money on this finish by doing the assembly and disassembly and metal work myself.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/5264490/1

Looks like a great hunting rifle !!! at least it still has wooden stocks!! just wont fall into the collecting category. Don

around 1990 i built a 7mm mag. on a model 70 action, and i had it done with a finish that i think was called T black. not black T. i wonder if it is the same stuff? i liked the finish, it looked good and was tuff. i got rid of the gun snd got back into 99s

I was tempted to say I wouldn't mind a rifle finished like that for foul weather hunting (which it would be great for) then I remembered that I'm not gung-ho about hunting in foul weather anymore, so it would've been a moot point! If rain/sleet/snow is in the forecast I prefer to do my hunting in an easy chair by the fire with a glassful of single malt!

Hey its your GUN! I think its nice, your going to use it for hunting not to sit in a safe! Now Id like to see this rifle is a pic with a dead critter! can you do that? good hunting!

The work looks very well done and neat, so for a resto of a well worn functional shooter, I can't imagine anyone getting upset.

Now if you start asking "what is the hottest load it will take?", that will get folks upset

"Ok, I've got the rope... everyone have their torches lit?"

You can take the boy out of the country but you can't take the country out of the boy. It's still a '99 at heart no matter what it is dressed like! Great contrast.

Bert:

That is the same rust bucket you started working on with a file isn't it??? Nobody seems so horrified as they were when you started with the draw filing))))))) I personally believe it is worth much more as it is now, than as it was. Plus, you have the satisfaction of having done it yourself. Not many start and complete a job like this. You did quite well, the rifle is pleasing to my eye. You should be proud.

John

Hope you get a big one with it...would like to see you posing with one this season! Happy hunting!!

Hey, its your soap and your....rifle. If you like the end result then that's all that matters.

A black synthetic stock would top it off perfectly, very cool!

I like it. tastefully done.

The gun looks great, but I have a question. Don't all "C's" have a half octagon barrel? (or did you replace the barrel in the overhaul?)

1899C's have a half octagon barrel.

The early 99C from the 20's and 30's had a heavier and shorter barrel. It was the successor to the 1899A SR (short rifle).

And just for everybody's enjoyment, here's his earlier thread on this rifle. I don't think anybody can knock him for restoring it.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...6323/99C_restoration_started#Post5176323

Well I like what you have done, you certainly have made a good shooter out of a nothing rifle
You have obviously enjoyed the redo & had fun in the process
Now go & fill the freezer & enjoy
Well done
Cheers

Nice looking gun. I can understand the purists not wanting to go this route, but it is an all-weather 99 now.

Walt and the crew at Birdsong are indeed good people. I have spent some time there getting a few guns done, and made the mistake of asking Walt about politics. 3 hours later I left for home... I intend to get back by there again soon to breath some new life into a Marlin 1894 in 44 Mag.

Bert, that was a real sow's ear when you started!! You should be very proud of that resurrection!