Greetings all.

How much does this crack hurt the value of a Savage 1899 in 25-35? The rest of the gun is in pretty good shape. Serial number 113568 with a 20" barrel.

I would call that more then a crack! looks like the piece is completely broken and maybe reglued. I think if it was fired that piece might actually break off. It takes it right out of the collectable category to me.

-25/35% GW

So, what is the better option?

1. Leave it as is.
2. Find a non-matching serial number stock and forearm?
3. Try to fix this one somehow better than it is now.

Depends entirely upon what you plan on doing with it.

That will be a difficult repair cosmetically, the damage will likely always be apparent to the casual observer. It's a damn shame that stock got broken. Beautiful rifle.

That said, repairing the wood is your best first step, then look for replacement wood as you choose. If you choose AAA custom replacement wood, most 1899 lovers will want it for the caliber, and be willing to pay extra for the nice wood.

Collector value is gone. You have a great 1899 barreled action in a desirable caliber!

Leave it for someone else to worry about.

The desire for that rifle will be entirely for its shoot-ability. If, and only if, it has a nice bore (and with a .25-35 that's a big if). Given that it meets that criteria I would stick a replacement stock on it and shoot the heck out of it- but only if the repair weren't sound. Keep the old busted one to pass on with the gun if you ever get rid of it.

Weird, but most of the .25-35's I looked at had rotten bores. Is it coincidence or have others noted the same thing?

I have a number of rifles like that , to me it depends on the caliber ,rairity and configuration , model,.
far less guns to chose from in Canada and even though it got busted its an honest gun , clean it up use it . if you don't like hunting or using it with the broken stock repair have another made but keep the original.
I have had stocks made to repair guns that guys have brought me that were family guns 2 had hand made replacement butt stocks in oak one in a hard wood , all somewhat functional but the guys wanted the family guns back close to original, finding cresent butt plates has been the hardest part of fixing their guns.

norm

that plastic butt plate is as hard or harder to replace as a old cresent one don't lose or break it.

There's always a bunch of plastic repro butt plates on ebay, Norm. But I guess that doesn't do you much good in Canada, what with the restrictions on foreign trade of evil gun parts.

I agree with that 100%,. however that 1899B 25-35 that I posted pictures of a while back has an absolute pristine bore and shoots light out. It is going to the iland next month to kill a deer or two. In January I am travelling to pick up the two I let go last May. I bought the B in 25-35 and a B in 30-30. I am picking up the one in 32-40 and the 38-55. All 4 of these guns had mirror bores. A couple have small tang cracks, but I would be foolish to pass because of that. The two cases in the picture were the FIRST two I fired. They BOTH split. I was to the point of being devastated. I shot the rest of what I had and nothing more split. Since then I have fired over two hundred rounds with no issues. It was brand new Hornady brass.

There you go! Nice, LBK. I think you're well armed for your trip.

That's a sweet group! Strange how things happen like those splits. I can't tell from the photo but guessing the split is right in the side of the case, long ways? If so I would guess bad brass. But what are the chances those two would get fired first?

I was REALLY perplexed. The splits are very hard to see in the pics, but yes they are long on the sides. If you look closely, it looks like a black dot at the ends of the splits on both cases. Not a single one since, Fingers crossed.

ya i have not bought any yet but will , original is nice

norm

i have had nothing but trouble with Hornady brass. never with factory loaded, but always with their brass, and i load at wimp levels.