Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Even with David Royal's book, this 358 still a mystery to me ???

I have been waiting months to receive David Royal's updated 99 book, which I received today, just to clear up the one 99 that I had never seen before. It is listed below, which is currently on layaway through a dealer on GI.

http://www.gunsinternational.com/gu...1719-77761AC6-D129-888C-156104192784F88A

I looked through David's book intently, but aside from establishing the year made as 1974, I can not find this particular 99 listed anywhere in 358 Winchester with 24" barrel. So it remains a mystery to me. I wish I would have bought it instead of hesitating because of the unknown.

Savage99F358

Yeah, it is odd, but didn't hold any $2K appeal to me. Course not much does!

That sure doesn't look like 1974 wood. Isn't that what's seen on last built models?

At least some of the 1974's had blued levers, and that one is case.

Well, I also collect graded Parker and Fox shotguns, so 2K is a give away price in comparison to the SxSs. I just wanted it because there wasn't another one, that I have ever seen.

I wonder if that came out of the Savage custom shop Brother Steve down in Florida ran for a few years??

So how can you rule out a put together 99 if there is no solid evidence of it being a factory offer?

That's not a 90's stock, the checkering looks like a good type of pressed checkering rather than cut.

It looks like one of the non-cataloged 99 configurations that were put together in the mid-1980's from whatever leftover parts they could find in the warehouse.

I sure wouldn't pay that kind of $$ for a non-cataloged configuration that didn't have any provenance, not even a factory letter. Looks you'd be paying 50% for the rifle and 50% in the hope that it is something more special than it really is.

Haven't seen or heard from him in I bet close to ten years.

24" 358 barrel with correct stampings? That seems like an unlikely left-over part. Very interesting rifle, even if it does have a tang safety.

It appears as though Savage doesn't stamp barrels until they are staged for assembly. When I bought a 6.5 Creedmoor barrel from them in 2014, it came without any roll stamps, just threaded and chambered. Same/same for the 22-250, 7mm-08, and 375 99 barrels that GPC used to sell. The 24" barrel could easily be explained as a finished, or partially finished, 99EG or 99R barrel.

However, since the rifle in question is a non-cataloged configuration and there isn't even a factory letter to validate what it actually is, any story a seller or buyer want to concoct is as good as any other. The better the story, the higher the price.

Thus rendering it a problematical rifle to own and a giant pain in the butt should you ever want to sell. If i decided to sell I'd have to ask myself if I was comfortable pitching the story to someone else with no factory provenance or any other supporting evidence. I wouldn't find that too comfortable.

Used gun dealers are no better, as a group, than used car sellers or antique sellers, etc. Lot's of people have no problem lying about something that they are selling, if the lie will move the sale forward.

I knew of some of these types of rifles and mentioned in the book that they were out there. At that kind of money a letter is definitely needed. I doubt if it's a leftover EG or R barrel. It has the later front sight held on by screws plus the EG and R barrels would have square threads not compatible with a post mil receiver. David

The wood likes like the style the C went to in 1976 now that I dig into it. Still thinking it was a custom shop put together.

that gun may very well be correct IMO. I recently saw a clip model in 358 that looked just like that..I'd have to a close look at it ..

plab

The non-cataloged configuration 99s that Savage put together from parts back in the mid-1980's could have had the receivers cut with square threads just as easily as with v-threads. I wouldn't make any assumptions without taking the thing apart and verifying. If it isn't cataloged and/or it doesn't have a Callahan letter, it could be anything.

It is not the first we have seen here on the Forum. The first was reported by Miki any years back. I think about four have turned up with serials from Feb to Apr, 1974. Barrel markings and sights, butt plate are correct for 1974. I think the others have the standard 1974 Model C wood.

This one has the C style wood but the finish looks more like what was used when the stock had cut checkering in the 70's. Also has a case colored lever. I don't know if the other did or not.

I don't know the history behind this group of .358's but I think (for whatever that is worth) that they came out of some part of the Savage operation in 1974.

Might be worth checking with JTC to see if there is any infor in the records (I don't know what info is available from this time period).

PS... 1973 was the last year for the F and DL (rotor receivers with the window cut)

Rifle is not correct. Serial late 73 very early 74. Wood got 74 C written all over it. Metal got DL written all over.

How do you get a .358 without a re-bore...

Look at the fore arm....totally too short for a barrel of that length.