Just got 388,XXX in today. Beautiful gun. 99EG with checkered stocks. 300 Sav.

Not counting Saleman Samples, does anyone have an earlier one?

Thanks,
RAS

Friend Jeff,

NO FAIR. You have to show us photos!!!

Blessings to you,

Your friend Steve

Hello Steve,

I will. But PB is on the fits right now.

You can find it here.

http://www.gunauction.com/buy/13828032

Though after cleaning it up, it looks even better now.

All the best,
Jeff

NICE!

WOW, what a fabulous 99.

Pretty rifle, my friend.

Steve

Thanks. Very happy with this one. Will mount a stith on it later this week.

My notes are on my other computer.. But I think a couple of checkered EG's in 22HP are the earliest checkered and standard EG's we found. Was the switch to checkering at 387,xxx?

It's an early one, and very nice looking! Congrats!

Nice one, Jeff. I posted this link for a checkered EG 30-30, 387533, that sold on gunrunner 2 weeks ago.
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...h/true/Checkered_99EG_30-30#Post11128051

Rory is correct. The earliest checkered EG is a 22HP, 384043. We have seen two HP's in this range.

Excluding the HP's and Spiegel rifles, the earliest checkered EG in my data is 387533 that Keith referenced.

Dang, you guys got this down pretty tight.

Wait a minute then. Maybe I have the earliest checkered EG in the highly desirable 300 Savage.

Cool beans.

Actually, I am going to try to warm the barrel on Friday during a sight in.

Thought I could play....but my .250-3000 at 397XXX isn't even in the running.

Can't play either with my 399xxx 303. [img:center][/img]

The checkered EG, .30-30 I just picked up is 379782, a new low. The serial number dates to late 1938, so either: 1) the receiver sat for a while, or 2) maybe an early EG checkered prototype, or 3) maybe it was sent back to the factory to have checkering added, or 4) did EG checkering start earlier than we thought and transition in.

I'd guess 1 or 3. We've seen too many uncheckered EG's from 379,xxx to 387,xxx to think they started generally checkering them at 379,xxx. In fact the only checkered ones we have in that range are 22HP EG's and Spiegel EG's.

Sample of one is an outlier and falls into the "Never Say Never" category. If a few more pop up, then we might consider that they started some earlier.

Very cool gun tho.

Calhoun,
Your comment on the Spiegel EGs made me think of a another way the 30-30 EG I just picked up could have ended up with checkering. The serial range is right about the time Savage made the Spiegels ... since some of the Spiegels wore checkered stocks/forends, perhaps there were some checkered stocks/forends (before drilled for studs) from the Spiegel run that were used.

like you said, never say never.

A factory letter from JTC should show if it was sent back. You need to ask him to check for a later entry.

David,
I think the serial number falls within the non-letterable (is even a word) SN range (3797xx). Are you saying, JTC may have later entries for rework on file?

I have a 1908 vintage rifle that apparently was rebarreled at the factory about 7 or 8 years later. It had been returned to the factory for unspecified work at that time. It has a later half octagon barrel with the later barrel address that matches that time frame. However, records weren't as thorough in the late 30's due to the startup of war production so your rifle may not letter as to the work. David

In the late 30's nobody was gearing up for war work, except Nazi Germany, Italy, and Japan. Heck, Britain didn't start gearing up until after war was declared, and the only reason we did in '40-'41 was to help pull Britain's fat out of the fire. Up until then it was business as usual within our arms industry.

Of course in the the late 30s we were still climbing out of the dark hole of the Great Depression, to which war time production certainly helped make better. Sometimes I fear that with the passing of the last who can remember that experience so too will go the country's ability to comprehend the landscape of mass poverty, and the paths that take us there.