Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors New to me .308

I found a 99 in .308 today and was able to get it for 340 out the door, ser# 1009874. The Good News: It has nearly 100% bluing on the receiver and only has the factory mount holes on the top with a like new bore. The Bad News: <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />Some previous owner got something on the barrel that didn't agree with the bluing and left a bare metal spot about two inches long and a quarter inch wide btween the front and rear sights. And <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> some knucklehead had the stock a little too close to the campfire one night and burned a chunk off the top of the stock just in front of the buttplate. Sure would like to know the story behind that one, I'm betting there was some alcohol involved in that accident. It looks just like the 99 I already have in .300 Sav that was made in 1960 and this one looks about the same so I'm guessing a similar vintage.
Oh, a word about the price. Here in No. Ca. 99's bring very high prices for the most part. I recently saw a 99E in .300 savage that originally had no checkering on its plain Birch stock, but someone had thoughtfully carved some in with a pocket knife or rusty barbed wire and the only bluing left was under the forearm. That little jewell brought 400 dollars, so I'm pretty happy with this one even though I will have to replace the stock. Now I just have to wait a couple weeks so The State can make sure I'm not crazy or a former prison inmate.

Welcome to the forum. Might want take a real close look at the rifle to make sure its just cosmetics that are screwed up. Maybe let a smith look it over before shooting it.
steve99

If nothing's wrong mechanically, that rifle will shoot a deer just as dead as any other. When ready to fit and finish a new stock, ask here. If you haven't done it before, we can point you to a thread or two where it's discussed in depth and the results are very good! Patience is the key..

Stock should have been checkered at the factory if it's a 1960, methinks... cut checkering too. But, maybe bubba decided to enhance it.

Welcome, sounds like another 99 loonie is born! Never stops with just 2, ya know...