Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors But WHY!!!

What you guys are saying. I got my first EG 300 in 1958. Saved my money and had it drilled and tapped in 1959 and mounted a Weaver K3 and Pachmyr top mount. I was 14 and had no idea the gun would be collectable some day. I didn't have a clue about much at 14.

Ah, but you didn’t take a 99 that was already drilled and tapped for scope bases and drill more holes in it.

I have a gaggle of honest hunting rifles that were hunted, often d&t by the owners. Don’t bother me much.

How true.

"We grow too soon old and too late smart."

Allow me to shed some light on this situation. I have 3 99's with Williams side mounts. I didn't have them placed there as I sought out these rifles intentionally that had already had them mounted--A G, AN EG, and A mid 60's E. I turned a pair of Williams HCO rings 90 deg(outboard) and mounted Leupold scopes in each. All 3 are 300 Sav. In Dec. of 2011 I had a heart attack followed by a quad bypass. I was sitting on the side of the bed getting check out instructions from a nurse when I threw a clot that lodged in the capillary feeding the optic nerve of my right eye. I ran off a passle of decent whitetail trying to become a left hander. By mounting one of these on my right shoulder and using my left eye, I've put 5 bucks and 2 does in the freezer since then. I'd bet that after WWII, Korea, and probably 'Nam, folks were coming home with visual injuries and probably did the same thing. I can cross stock low recoil rounds like the 30-30 and 303 Sav, Also I have Williams top mounts on a 358 post mil 99 and a Bar 338 with a Boss. By using the same rings, I can use my left eye on them with my R shoulder. The 358 is a close race as it came to me with a set of Bishop circassian stocks with a thick monte carlo. If that Bar didn't have the boss, I'd bloody my nose each time. The E I have is factory d&t'ed. I purchased it from a old man who was a victim of a botched cataract operation. He loved the gun but had a pace maker installed in his right shoulder area and was going to try things lefty. Sometimes we all need to look a little deeper as a lot of us old farts will do most anything to keep up our heritage.

No this one that im talking about put the scope over the top of the factory D&T holes! I shoot left handed most of the time and I know what your saying loggerhead.

Quite possible that the owner was told by somebody that side mounted scopes are far more stable than the top mounted.

About 40 years ago I received several rifles with G&H side-mounts, including a 99G in 250-3000 and a 99EG in 300, as gifts from a friend of the family who was losing his sight due to macular degeneration. He and his wife never had children and he wanted the rifles to go to someone who would appreciate them. While neither of the 99s were factory d&t, some of them were and he still opted to use the more expensive G&H side-mounts. The only rifles that he gave to me that didn't have them were a pair of Remington 37s and a Winchester 75 Sporter.

I bet you knew what a good lookin' girl looked like at 14! And you probly woulda drilled and tapped her too if'n you coulda!



Sorry David, I'm weak.

I would say (1) for personal reasons the owner preferred Williams over other mounts, (2) the 99 was a tool and not a damn fangled museum piece that belonged in some fancy Dan's personal collection, and (3) he didn't give a rats fart about what succeeding generations thought. And I would also say more power to him for having done the deed.

If the gun wasn't drilled and tapped for a scope already you could make the argument for and even kind of defend the side mount

But it was, so you can't.

At 14 I had enough sense to know that the Savage 99EG was one beautiful rifle. I knew a good looking girl when I saw one too.

I couldn't agree with you more when it comes to the EG, and I'll double down on that for the prewar guns.

I understand and agree with your point. But, my 1959 R had a side mount put on it. I went to the big Amish auction in Punxsutawney a few years ago. They had 69 1899/99's, all but about 5 of them were D/T'ed. I was talking to another guy holding a copy of Murray's. I said it was a shame all of these beautiful 1899's were drilled. A young Amish fellow politely asked, "what's wrong with that". I said nothing from a hunting point, but from a collecting point, the rifle was ruined. You can't take the screw holes out of the logo. If he had of bought the 1899 SR in 38-55 that was not drilled, I'm sure it would be on someones drill press, getting drilled soon.

Yep, and I don’t think I could have argued with the fellow. At its core, a rifle is nothing more than a tool. And that’s the way a lot of “fellows” look at it. It’s only us who pack em into closets and basement. And I bet ya that Amish guy didn’t have one “safe queen” to his name.

Of the 69 rifles at the auction only a few were not drilled. He had a few nice ones too. Two 38-55's, one 1899A and an 1899 SR, both with good bores, an A in 30-30 and something in 32-40, but everything went high. The cheapest rifle that sold that day was a 50's 300EG with someones initials carved in the off side of the stock, facing out for a righty. The initials were full width of the stock, and it sold for $750. The 1899 SR 38-55 sold for $1700, I had over $3000 on me and let it go. Still cry over that one.

Nothing wrong with buying a rifle that somebody else has already f-ed up.

But,there ain't no good reason to drill holes in a rifle that already has holes in it for the same intended purpose.

Period.

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You'll get no argument from me. I have several rifles that are after market D&T'd. The last one I bought was the pre war EG with the K3 on it sitting in Weaver U mounts. And I bought an EG 250-3000 that has beeb dubbed "Gramp's Rifle. It came from Illinois and has a GREAT story and history.

Here's another one that I bought from member CTW. It was a fun thread with many of the old members chiming in. I still have it holes and all.


https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/4097905/7

If side mount holes in a 99 cause you reason for pause, then take a look at this one and ask yourself the proverbial purpose:

https://www.gunbroker.com/Item/815697152

The seller took a lot of pictures and the more you look the sadder it gets.

There's an unbelievable amount of Pre-64 Model 70 375 H&H rifle's out there D&T from the factory with G&H sidemounts.And a lot of post 64 factory D&T Shoenauer's too.Make's me puke.