Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Post War R

The other day I picked up a nice post war Savage 99-R in 243. I usually don�t pay that much attention to the post war rifles because my interest is focused on the early 1899s, but it was nice, and priced right, so I picked it up. It�s in the 9224XX serial number range; factory drilled for scope, lever safety, sling eyes and damascened bolt finish. I can�t really remember seeing another post war R in 243. Is this a scarce chambering in the post war R?

The .243 was chamered in the R for 4 years but of course it is hard to know how many were really made. I've not seen one before. Does it have a 24" barrel?

Lightfoot - yes, it has a 24 inch barrel. I'm not up on the post war serial number ranges. Does anyone know what year this rifle was Manufactured? Thanks, Chris

Chris,
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<br>Your rifle was produced late 1956. There were around 69,000 of the 900,000 serial rifles made and I will guess that only 3-5% were R's. Spread that over the 5 calibers, .243 being one of the lesser made, and you will see that there were not many made. I do know of one other 922,xxx like yours.
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<br>Rick....

Rick99,
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<br>I've only seen two (2) Models 99R in .243, five (5) in .358, and a couple of dozen in .308. Nice catch Chris!
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<br>Sincerely,
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<br>Bearrr264

Chris,
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<br>congrats, I hope you show it off to me at one of the future shows, sounds very nice.
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<br>TxT

Lightfoot, Rick99, Bearrr264 & Txtornado - thanks for all the input on the R. I appreciate your comments. -- Chris

TxTornado - are you going to make it to the market hall show after thanksgiving? - Chris

Rick 99,
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<br> I happen to like the Model 99R. But based on production numbers you listed it never gained much popularity. My thinking is that it is almost the only vintage 99 that gives you factory sling eyes, factory drill for scope, plus heavy 24" barrel! Why don't others value this?

Chris,
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<br>I will be there for sure, I hope you bring it out to the show, I would really like to see it, I really like the R model probably the most of the later guns - longer & heavier barrel, larger foreend, sling studs, D & T.
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<br>Hard to beat for a hunting gun.
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<br>I have been pretty busy since I saw you last, hopefully things will calm down very soon so I can get back to the show circuit.
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<br>TxT

TxTornado, i'll pack it to the show so you can take a look. See you soon. Chris

I think the average 99 fan probably preferred the schnable forend and the more delicate look of the model F. I like the R though, and I would not mind finding a nice one around these parts. Just dont want anything with a MonteCarlo stock, sorry all you model T fans.

Damn Rick!
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<br>Your like the ATF. You know my collection better'n me! I was heading out the door deer hunting, and had to look at my serial # to realize you were referring to mine!
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<br>Was gonna try a different 99 every day I went out this year, but weather has forced me to pack the s/s 700 a couple of days already.
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<br>Yep! Love that deer hunting in the rain, snow, slush and the 40mph winds. Nothing better.
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<br>NOT!

JackPineSavage,
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<br>Remember that the serial range I listed was the 900,000's (1955-1960). The EG and R was up against the NEW Model-F. But even during 1950-1954 the EG out sold the R/RS by something like 3 or 4 to 1. Several things might have effected this balance: weight, cost, you could add your own sling eyes, scopes were not a hot item yet and the slim forearm was the old standard. It's interesting to look back at what sold and what didn't.
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<br>Another interesting point is that production from 1950-1954 was double (2 models, 2 calibers) that of 1955-1959 (3 models, 5 calibers). The publics view of what was wanted in a rifle was changing.
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<br>Rick....

RAM,
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<br>You might be right! I wondered if you would catch that line. Savage seemed to batch the 50's production so you see groups of rifles in the same calibers in the same serial range.
<br>Save those 99's for the good days when you don't have to worry about the weather. Good hunting!
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<br>Rick....
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Rick99,
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<br> Thank you for the information. Have you ever thought about writing a book? I am serious. Serial number info beyond 1950, production numbers for different models & calibers, etc. To me, this is fascinating stuff! And Murray really doesn't address this. Thanks again.

Bearrr264,
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<br>My data sample is from about 75 rifles in the 900,000 range. That's a very small sample size. What do think about the 3-5% Model-R statement? I'm always open to comments and will take any good data you can provide. My collecting was always kept to the pre-war rifles so didn't have much experience with the post-war rifles. When I started on the old Gun & Knife board is was obvious that there was a big void in available information on these later rifles. Once I found how to identify the production year it was just a matter of collection the data. Thanks to a lot of good 99 people on the forum and Jack C., I have a pretty good table of the quantity and model of rifles produced up to 1960. I still need more data to narrow in on the year-end cut off dates (and I never pass on the providers name). I need model, caliber, the first 4 numbers in the serial, number and letter stamped at the lever boss, whether the receiver ring is side or top marked, the rotor material and if there are any unusual markings. My e-mail address can be found by "clicking" on my name. Put the word Savage in the subject line or I might dump it without opening. It's been an interesting project and I hope it has helped the board users.
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<br>Rick....
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JackPineSavage,
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<br>I love digging for the details. Maybe some day but there is still a lot I have to learn. There are a lot of people on this board that have knowledge and experience in areas that I'm lacking. It keeps me humble. RAM and I started on the Gun and Knife board about the first week it started several years back. Before that, on other boards, I noticed a lot of questions asked but not many were answered. I decided that on the new Savage Board I would try to respond to all questions the best I could. I wasn't always right (that�s been were RAM came in and still does! ) . The questions forced me to dig in areas that I had over looked or not thought about. It was great. People would come and go. There are still a lot of the old G&K people here on the "24". We were like a lost flock for a while when the G&K folded but we kept it going. There were ups and downs (bad words tried to crash it two times) but we have made a good standing here. We are 4th in the amount of input on the "24" and that is just 9 months. New people find there way here every day. We all learn. This is where you go when you can't find it in Murray. I know there have to be Savage people out there with vast collections and more knowledge but they are not talking or writing. So for now, I think this is as good as it gets.
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<br>Thanks for the positive comments and participation,
<br>Rick....
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ChrisD. What is the date on that show at market hall after Thanksgiving? I assume thats Dallas you are talking about.

Cowboy77845 - Yes, it's the Market Hall show in Dallas. It's the weekend of Nov. 30 - Dec. 1. That's our best show in the Dallas area. Not quite as large as the Houston Astrohall show - but still a solid 1800 tables. Chris