Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Box magazine rotor types in Savage 1899

I have a 1899 made in 22 Savage Hi-Power built in 1914. How would I determine the type of the box magazine rotor? How could I determine if the rotor was specifically made for 22 Hi-Power or the more generic rotor made for the slightly larger caliber 30-30 Winchester? If I were to remove the barrel, would 30-30 Winchester rounds cycle through the rotary magazine and action or would they jamb? I seek to better understand compatibility and interchangeability of cartridges in the 1899.

I only have 2 take downs, and with the barrel off, I tried to fill the 303 mag with 22HP. Could only get 3 in the mag, they cycled and ejected fine. more will be along with better details.

Kind of hard to come up with an exact answer without trying it. It would seem from your pic that you have a takedown rifle and a spare barrel there- have you experimented at all yourself?

I've got a feather weight 30/30 barrel if you need one. Got some .410 barrels too if you really want to trick it out.

The 22HP rotor is surprisingly similar to the .303 rotor. Most of the 22HP rotors I've seen are stamped with 22HP. I have also seen a number of rotors stamped .303. I've studied both of them and I have yet to identify the difference in the two. I think either one will feed .30-30 just fine. I've not seen a rotor that was specific to the .30-30.

What is different is the cartridge guide for each round.

As suggested, the best approach is to see what your gun will handle.

Thanks men, Joe Martin; Lightfoot; Fireball 2 and Gnoahhh. As you all suggest, over the Independence holiday, a neighbor loaned me some spent 30-30 cases. With the barrel off, I was able to load four rounds into the magazine and they functioned and did not jamb. Unlike a few years ago, I'm confident now that the magazine and rotor will manage any of the cartridges based upon the 30-30 Winchester. I am especially buoyed with confidence because of your remarks and experience, Lightfoot and Joe Martin. Gnoahhh, I do have a spare barrel, the original that had badly rusted rifling. I replaced it with a similar but better barrel from a gentleman I met in this very forum. Thank you men for your support and terrific advice without which I would have been unable to recondition this fine and innovative old rifle and reload effective cartridges for it in 22 Savage.

I would be interested, Fireball 2, in the extra barrels but am very short of funds now. Perhaps we can talk more about the fittings into the receiver. I have read there may be different types for this rifle.

Essentially (theoretically) any TD barrel will work in any TD receiver- but there are so many if's and maybe's so as to make it in reality a real crap shoot. Again, only one way to find out...

In my experience some do and some don't. In some of my experiments the groove in the barrel and the groove in the receiver don't line up making it impossible to reinstall the forearm with its key that keeps the barrel from loosening up on firing. David

Thanks Gnoahhh. I appreciate your help now and in the past.

As I said before, just getting the timing slots to line up is only half the battle. The barrel must make solid contact with the receiver at two spots also, front and rear. And then there's the silly little matter of headspace. Not an insurmountable job but a bit tricky nonetheless. Then again some times they fall right into place.

I bet the old guys at the factory who spent their days fitting TD barrels were heavy drinkers after they punched out and left the building!

It is such a shame that such brilliant designs and cartridges meet with poor steels and inconsistent manufacturing. No?

Not really, it was cutting edge metallurgy and manufacturing technology of the day. Wish those Savage workers were still making guns today....