Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Cleaning the old 99's

Probably beat to death somewhere but what do you guys do when picking up a 99 that has been hunted with for many years as far as cleaning them up?
I presume turn it upside down on a cleaning stand, swab from bore, yada but to get the counters clean, just tidy up the overall appearance. Thinking Ballistol which is in the garage and Hoppes down the tube. Any tricks of the trade to make them look as good as they shoot?
Me and pal who has my first 99 are looking for some advice from you all.
Thanks,
Smiley
PS
Not interested in taking them apart. Neither of us are that handy. Handsome, but not handy.

Depends on how they are dirty, and to what extent.

For a collector quality, clean what I can reach without removing anything. I'm not going to shoot it any way. Foaming bore cleaner, swabs for inside the receiver and the counter window, maybe some fine bronze wool or 0000 steel wool for bolt and metal.

For a shooter, as above plus usually just happy to pull the stock and get to what I can with swabs. If it's REALLY bad, pull the stock and pour about a gallon of boiling water through the receiver. It's amazing how fast that strips out old oil and grease. Dry very, very well and lightly lube and reassemble. I've had a couple where I had to pull the bolt and disassemble it due to too much grease inside that it was light firing or in danger of locking up in freezing temps. Sucks, but sometimes have to do it.

PS: Use insulated gloves to hold the barrel when pouring boiling water through. Trust me.

Good advice from Calhoun, but instead of steel or bronze wool, I normally use a Big45 metal scrubber pad to clean metals as they wont scratch the metal or bluing while removing rust and residue.

I primarily use Rem-Oil on all metal and wood surfaces. Been using these 2 products for years with no issues gumming up, etc...

Occasionally, I will clean a stock with some old hand-mixed 3-part cleaner and that puts an oil finish back onto it along with some beeswax.

To be honest, I think I enjoy cleaning an old rifle up as much as I enjoy shooting or hunting with one.

Dave

I would at least pull the wood off and give it a thorough cleaning. You'll thank us later for that. Removing the buttstock is not hard. The only warning would be to pull it STRAIGHT off the back- twisting/wiggling it may well initiate the dreaded tang crack.

Once the wood is off the innards are exposed well enough to give it a thorough cleaning as stated above. Any of the gun oils and solvents on the market will work ok. (Hint: do not be tempted to use WD-40 at this point. It'll gum up with time and you'll be cursing us instead of thanking us.)

Do yourself a favor too, and use a bore guide for your cleaning rod when scrubbing the bore. More rifling has been damaged/worn over the years from improper cleaning rod use than by shooting, in the case of occasional shooters.

I would like to add...scrub out the chamber.

This is great! Why've you been hiding this idea! Thanks for sharing, this is way better than those bore snakes with the brush section

Good idea. I would take it a step further and permanently affix the brush. That would make it so you can rotate it in both directions without it loosening. Loctite, epoxy, solder (in a non-aluminum rod), etc. Apply heat to remove when brush replacement becomes necessary.

"To be honest, I think I enjoy cleaning an old rifle up as much as I enjoy shooting or hunting with one." Dave

I have to agree with this!

Thank fellers,
I still am a chickenschit regarding pulling the stock. If I saw it done in person, maybe. I am not real good at directions, just ask my wife.
I enjoy cleaning flintlocks but I have a decent idea as to what I am doing. 99's not so much so thanks much, Appreciate your help.
Smiley

if you are going to take the stock off use a flashlight to find slot in stock bolt ,easier than blind feeling for it.

norm

take out the screws in the butt plate, and the long bolt at the end of the hole in the butt stock. If you got a big old screw driver, fine. If not, I have used an old lug wrench with a flat blade end used for popping off the hub caps. Use a light to align the slot as mentioned above. If the stock won't budge by pulling, hold the action in the left hand and hit the stock with a backward motion with the right hand.

reassemble in reverse order.

Charlie

Smiley, you really don't appreciate the simplicity of a savage until u take the big step and open it up. I'm sure most first timers were apprehensive like myself but nothing more gratifying than backing out that bolt, lightly but sometimes firmly tapping off the stock and opening up the innerds to clean things up. Also gives u the chance to see if anything been messed with. Some excellent u tube clips on cleaning. Once you do one your on your way. The stock bolt is the first challenge but as mentioned large long screw driver fit snugly in the thread. Just use common sense. Just got done with recently acquired 1899f 30/30 made in 1920. Now she is ready to go!!

First 99 that I completely disassembled was a 1923 vintage. Think it was in the late 80's when I took the plunge. No experience, no manuals, no internet forums, just took my time and was very careful. The rifle had been hunted hard its entire life up in the adirondacks - eastern big woods, rain, snow, dirt, spruce needles working into the action, no blueing left on receiver, etc. Was amazed at the gunk built up inside the bottom of the receiver when I removed the rotor, had to scoop it out. Figured out how to take up the rotor tension a little when re-assembling, no lost or broken parts, worked a lot better after. Once you get it open everything is pretty easy to see and figure out. But its probably only needed once every few decades or maybe 2 to 3 times a century! Took that rifle out hunting last weekend.