Wondering if either the Brush Gun or Model A in 358 or 375 ever came with a 20" barrel?

Brush guns didn't. Model A did from 1971-1976 when it went to 22" GW

No.

Both brush gun models (.358 and .375) were 22". I don't think the 99A was ever chambered in .358. The 99A was chambered in .375 Win, but since it came out in 1981, Savage had already made the change to 22" barrels for the 99A.

... so the brief answer, No.

99A in .358 on top- 1974 IIRC

Thanks for the info, I have a 99A in 358 as well... :-)

When did the 99A start in 358?

Hey Todd going on memory here but it seems like 1974 they made a few.

I dug through the safe, I have a 99A .358 with a 20" barrel. I'll have pics tomorrow, sure looks all to be factory.

I bought it several years ago from a WWII vet, wish I could remember his name. Not sure if he was the original owner or not.

Maybe you guys could shed some light on it

Thanks Fireball,
I've placed notes in my Murray's on pages 3-75 and 4-0 to reflect. David's book does not mention it either.

Does anyone know the first and last year the .358 was offered in the 99A?

The reason I asked my initial question was wondering if I'd ever have a chance to find a 99 in .375 Win with a 20" barrel.

I have a .375 with 22" barrel already. I knew there were two .358's in the safe, but I had forgot that one indeed did have a shorter barrel. Here's the two 358's, the shorter having the schnabel type of forearm. I think I remember the WWII vet telling me that, "this was a rare one", not sure if he was meaning the 358 in 99 overall, or this configuration of shorter barrel in 358.... Sure is a cute handling gun!



The 20" barrel stamping, C650xxx:


22" barrel stamp, D178xxx:

I had heard of the 358 99A's but as they were an uncataloged version I decided to leave them for the book on engraving, special features and factory special ordered rifles and uncataloged versions. David

My thoughts on non-cataloged configurations are that without perfect provenance, at least a "factory letter", I don't trust them to be "real", regardless of what the owner/seller says. A lot of gun sellers are outright liars looking to screw some unsuspecting buyer out of his/her money.

Interesting. The 20" C650xxx dates to 1978 (per David's book). Murray had said the switch to 22" barrels was in 1976. "Never say never".

Have you actually taken a measuring tape to the .358? It appears shorter than 20"; when I measure both on the computer screen and then math ratio using 22" for the brush gun, I'm coming up with about 18".

Measuring from the end of the barrel to the port opening on each gun, there is a 2-1/8" difference.

The crowns look identical, so if it was shortened they did a fantastic job making it look factory.

I have not collected a lot of data on these later rifles. I do have one 99-A in .358 listed but it has a 22" brl. The serial is in the C653xxx range which is about the time the Brush guns were added and a short time after the change to 22" brls.

Fireball2, what is the serial of your rilfe? 20" or 22"?

c456024 22"

So we have seen anomalies turn up before, like the "RT" which is uncataloged, but with the number we have seen and recorded, no doubt something different and something real. Nobody ever even heard of such a thing 5 years ago.

The OP isn't trying to sell his gun here as a factory oddity, he just came here to find answers. So his motivation to me appears to be genuine.

Although this gun may seem suspicious, I don't think it can be categorically discounted as a non factory hoax without further investigation.

It wasn't very long ago when we though there was no such thing as a cut checkered 284.

Just sayin,

"c456024 22"

Around April 1977 and after the Brush Gun was added.

That 99A .358 had a blued lever Rick.

A lot of sellers don't know diddly about what they're selling and jump to conclusions about what they are selling from their limited knowledge. The worst ones are the guys who think they are experts and their egos prevent them from admitting they're wrong. I didn't buy a 99E from a guy at a gun show a few months ago because he insisted he was right about a feature on the gun even though he knew I had written the "Collector's Guide...". Let the buyer beware and with Savage "never say never." I hope Savage starts producing historian letters again soon. We need them badly. David

Why because there's a handful of them? No way, I'm with Jeff on this, just somebody having some fun at the factory. The guy that used up a bunch of old stocks one day would laugh his arse off now if he saw it was in a book and had a name.

Can we create a LBS model to lump all Lunch Box Specials into. It might be a sub category I can afford to purse, Joe.