After watching this 99 EG on GunBroker for about six weeks, I decided to buy myself a Christmas present.

Here is a link to the listing: https://www.gunbroker.com/item/912076756

I received the rifle yesterday. I have confirmed that the serial numbers all match, and the front of the receiver is stamped EG. The forearm is stamped EG as well. By serial number (361536) this rifle was produced in early 1937, well before checkering became standard on EGs around serial number 387800. Rory posted on the Facebook page that a 1935 price list shows that Plain Checkering was available for $5.00 and Fancy Checkering was available for $7.50. For both it says, “on Grip and Forearm”. There is no mention of checkering on side panels like that found on 99 Ks. I have a price list that was effective February 1, 1937. It does not list any optional checkering, but based on what we know about Savage, that doesn’t necessarily mean they wouldn’t do special checking if asked.

The important question for me is, is the checkering on this rifle a factory option or not? The only 99 I have with 3-point checkering is a 1931 99 K. The 3-point checkering on this rifle is slightly different, but it looks like Savage checkering to me. I have never seen a 1930s vintage 99 with such extensive checkering on a schnoble forearm. Of course, the only 99s in this era that came standard with checkered schnoble forearms were takedowns, so the checkering had to “avoid” the takedown latch.

So, some questions:

1. Does anyone have any Savage literature or other information that would show what was available for optional checkering in the mid-1930s?
2. If this is optional factory checkering, any guesses as to whether this is plain or fancy checkering? With the 3-point checkering on the pistol grip and extensive coverage on the forearm, I might guess that this is fancy, and plain would be more like the 2-point checkering found on contemporary
99 Gs and what would become standard EG checkering later. But obviously this is only a semi-educated guess.
3. For those of you who are familiar with what is available in the ledgers, for a rifle from this time period, is optional checkering likely to be listed in a letter from Cody, or am I just likely to learn that this is an EG that was shipped to So & So on a certain date?

Thanks for any input.

Last edited by Jaaack; 12/20/21. Reason: Modified question 2