Looking for recommendations for gunsmith to re barrel my Savage 99. What has been your experience?

My experience is the guys here get real uptight about it.

I do all my own gun work. I wish I knew someone to recommend.

Not knowing what you are starting with or what you are making... might try Googling Nevada gunsmiths and see what turns up.

C'mon Roy, stop tryin' to stir the pot. Your comment is way off base.

Is it? This is a collectors forum, where originality is valued first and condition second. Non-original guns while interesting and useful get plenty of raised hackles here. Some guys get very bent out of shape about it. "The end of the collector's forum" was one recent comment. Dr. Frankenstein another. If my memory was better than 45 seconds or so, I could remember many more. I'm not stirring any pot, I'm simply telling it like it is. They weren't my comments, just what I read written by others. Collectors don't appreciate barrel swapping, wood swapping, drilling holes, refinishing wood or metal, etc.

While some appreciate their usefulness, true collectors do not appreciate them or their influence on this forum.

No pot stirring at all, just the facts.

times change..post-mil square threads transition rifles are the new hot item!

And you'll never know you if have one without removing the barrel.

Still, changing an intact original 99, of any vintage, does a disservice to the beautifully designed rifles we all cherish. So choose a molested junker to start with, it doesn't take that much work to tune up a beat 99.

Yet.., We have Savage factory "prototypes" that are obviously molested in the name of research, and we respect their efforts. And Bill Ruger, who absolutely wrecked a 99 creating his first semi-automatic rifle (of All thing!!)

https://www.americanrifleman.org/articles/2012/7/18/the-first-ruger/

We have a member here (CTW), who's building a new service for re-barreling 99's. I'm sending one his way as we speak.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/11973651/Re:_219_Zipper

I came on to a savage action without stock or forend. Sights are gone. The barrel is badly pitted, the receiver is actually not bad on the outside but needs a little work. Hoping to piece together a nice hunting rifle, and a pretty rifle along the way as it is not much use other than parting out. I thought it would be nice to have a nice grade of walnut and re barrled in 300 Savage. I own 2 other 99's that are orginal and are going to stay that way. Also love orginal Winchester Model 12's and 97's, so I understand the views of collectors. Didn't mean to offend anyone, just want to bring an old rifle back to life.

An admirable undertaking. Do keep us informed as it progresses, with lots of photos if you would. We like photographs.

Jeff, I wasn't aware that Chris was gearing up to do Savage barrels "for the trade". Chris, if you're following this, please chime in. I'll betcha there are several guys here who would fill your pockets with filthy lucre to have 99's re-barreled.

As for the philosophical debate over originality at all costs versus customization, it's all good. Both approaches foster a greater understanding of a unique American gun design, and are not mutually exclusive in terms of stirring up passion for the 99. Everybody brings something to the party.

Switch, if you are planning on doing a 300 Savage, I suspect it will be cheaper in the long run to pick up a factory barrel, albeit used, most hunting rifles have pretty low miles on the barrels.

In my humble opinion It's all about nice wood!

I was also thinking 250 Savage W/ 1 in 10 twist. Rifle came from a Nevada ranch, probably spent most of its life in a saddle scabbard, and used as a tool to harvest a couple of truck loads of big Mules. I'll keep you informed with pictures as soon as I get around to learning how to post them

Probably a few lamb killing coyotes along the way.

You have to take this on a case by case basis. I just had the barrel shortened on a 1957 vintage 99F 308 that was in above average condition except that the barrel had a bulge behind the rear sight and a ring around the bore. The wood was really good and I swapped it to a 99F 250-3000 that had a recoil pad and battered wood. I'm in the process of changing the 308 into a straight stock with a straight lever. If you have a rifle like switch's there is nothing wrong with resurrecting it. I have a really rough first year production short rifle (?) that came from the Sweetwater Sheriff's department with brown paper glued to the stock with the name of the guy they took it from in the 1950's. I would never molest this rifle even though it is UGLY! It has some serious history. I am adamantly against "restoring" original well worn rifles. They are still collectable even if they are well worn. They are actually more interesting than pristine rifles. It makes me wonder what the story is on them.
Just thoughts from someone who considers himself a serious collector. David

Respectfully David, while some may view the salvage of a damaged Savage a noble cause, it has no place on a collectors forum. There are other websites where Savage modifications are talked about more freely, one of them would be better for this topic. Listening to the long time posters that are left, it sounds like the inclusion of project rifles has upset the focus of the forum and caused the loss of many of it's most valued members.

I certainly qualify as a long time poster and I don't share that opinion at all. I find most of the shared info here to be quite interesting. As long as people remain civil I don't care what they bring here.

I do hate the trolls though...

I take that to heart Roy, being one of the biggest offenders of sharing project guns, and I'm saddened to think it's so. The wealth of knowledge and experience here is second to none, and it would be a shame to lose even the smallest bit to anger or frustration.

But, in defense of tolerating the internet blather, it is contingent on the old guard collectors to grow the next generation of collectors, by sharing, teaching, and spreading their enthusiasm for these special rifles. ..if not, then all they have gained is simply self-indulgence.

I vote for sharing the enthusiasm, not the elitism.

Some day I'll have a 270 Titus, even if I have to make the darn thing, Joe.

While I dislike seeing a collectible rifle in its original condition modified, I recognize that whoever owns the rifle gets to decide what happens to it.

I have been thinking about doing a quick twist, 1-8" ROT, 22-250 on a 99C. I have 11 99Cs in 243 and 308 that I bought to rebarrel and since I keep tripping over them, I figure that I might as well do something with them.

Sorry I ruffled so many feathers, guess I'll abandon this project and use the barreled action for a jack handle.

Why do you care what anonymous people of the internet think? It isn't as if you're bound by their recommendations.

I named this forum Savage Collectors. Didn't state 1895,1899 or 99's but those are the items it started with. Didn't state it was to be about original condition rifles, only, but that is what I prefer. Didn't state what a collection was or how many. Since 2002 and earlier on the Gun and Knife Forum we have covered a lot of information. A lot of members have come and gone, for whatever reason. Each person a little different as to what they are interested in so topics vary based on who is posting.

Personally, I'm here to learn and interact with others that have the same addiction for Savage items that I do. I enjoy it all. I'll always be for keeping it original but there are Savage's that are beyond that. I don't modify Savage's but would like a 1899 SBR in .25-35 with one of the short pad special order style 1895 stock sets. I do have a bunch of 10/22's that are no longer original but those are Ruger's so don't count.

Keep it friendly, keep it civil, it's all good.

Thanks for weighing in Rick!

Some people come here for that kind of interchange and others enjoy starting a battle. I have no use for the troublemakers and I don't need them misrepresenting my view on what's 'proper' for discussion.

This is just one of thousands of internet forums where people who I don't know and, mercifully will never likely meet, will post things that I may or may not agree with. On this site, if I find the person particularly rude and/or disagreeable, I put them on "ignore" and go about my business.

I'm for keeping it civil too since normally I'm the one on the receiving end of the sheit pipe not the delivery end.

Mike, if you're referring to me, I didn't direct anything at you personally, so you have no reason to be upset with me. I'm speaking in general terms. You and I have the love of tinkering on Savages in common. My apologies for any offense taken. Absolutely none intended.

Listen Savage friends, I've got a kid dying of congestive heart failure that needs a heart and lung transplant, so if someone wants a fight with me, just hit the right button and you'll get more than you bargained for, perhaps more than you deserve. Not looking for sympathy, save it, just understand what you're kicking around.

It's never been fun being put down here. I'm a grown damn man with a family, business, everything else, I know I don't need any garbage from internet posters. I've tried to be friendly to any and all until they earn otherwise.

If it's got a tang safety and handles 308 length I figure it is "fair game". So my favorite hunting rifle is a tang safety m99 in 260 Remington. Anyone need a 22" .308 barrel?

Gunsmith in Bend, Oregon put the barrel on for me but he's now retired. But he didn't make any big deal of it -- I think many decent gunsmiths can do the job. I'm sure Sunmountain gunsmithing, also with Bend, Or address could put a bbl on your 99 action.

Tom Wills in Bend rebarreled a rifle to 17 Ackley Hornet for me, same guy? To date the most accurate rifle I've ever owned.

Of course I ruined a perfectly good Anschutz 1432-1434 on that deal.

Yes, Tom Wills. The brain just couldn't come up with the name when the fingers needed the info...

I heard Toms boy took over when Tom retired. Haven't heard anything in a few years. Tom did a good job on the .17.

Rick
I think you should build it.