Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Lightest Savage 99?

I'm curious as to what the lightest Savage 99 is?

I read John Barsness (Mule Deer) somewhere (maybe rife or handloader magazine?) state that some 99's go under 7 pounds, I do not remember the weight he gave but 6 3/4 maybe?

I've (my wife) has a tang safety 99F, as in featherweight but it's around 7 1/4 pounds, I've got a tang safety Savage 99A, 20 inch barrel that weighs just over 7 also, I had a 20 inch barreled Savage 99 (? wish I had you guys ID it for me) 30-30, 20 inch barrel but the barrel contour was very heavy (I wondered if it had been shortened?) that weighed around 8 pounds.

So (presently) my Savage 99 holy grail is a light (under 7 pounds) & trim, 20 inch barrel that does not have a crescent butt plate... of course not D&T'd or otherwise violated.

Can you steer me to the right model?

Thanks,

Jerry

Jerry,

I have no way to verify this but I expect the 1899H Featherweight is probably the lightest production Savage lever gun made. However, you specified "99" and I believe that honor goes to the 99H. Mine goes a fuzz under 7 pounds. Then there is the 1895 that forum member "Plab" posted about a few years ago. Factory letter calls it "lightest", but I don't think he ever posted the actual weight. Anyhow, they are rare as hens teeth...

Of course, the bigger the hole, the lighter the gun.

Good luck with your quest.

Doug

So a 99H in .38-55 (Is there any such critter?) or a worn out .30-30 or .303 H rebored to .38-55 or.375 Win. would be THE "featherweight" 99?

My gut tells me 1899Hs, early 99Gs, post war 99Fs, and 1899 Deluxes are your choices for light 99s.

Get yourself a 50s era 99F and don’t look back. It was the “featherweight” of the era though I don’t think the factory intended the F to stand for that. It’s factory drilled and tapped and according to one source I have comes in at around 6.5-pounds. They can still be found in great shape and for good prices. Older guns may have a certain panache but I think you’d be splitting hairs trying to come in lighter.

My 1899H in .303 with canvas sling and Lyman 57 weighs 6 3/4. I suspect with the sling, swivels and the 57 removed it would make 6 1/2. In comparison my 1930 99 E (.300) with Williams FP and sling weighs just over 7 . The way the 1899H carries it feels like it weighs about 6 pound or less.

Darryl

The 99H was catalogued at 7lbs in 1924.

The 99E and 99F in 1924 listed at 6 1/4 lbs.

The 1899H was listed at 6lbs.

For some reason my picture posting host isn't working, how ever I just weighed a 50's F in .358 and it was 6 pounds 12 ounces.

I'm guessing that the 1899-H, solid frame, 30-30/303, with a hard rubber plate, will take the prize.

Haven’t actually weighed it, but I have a 1923 vintage takedown featherweight 30/30 with a light contour 20" barrel that feels lighter than my father's '57 99F 300 (neither have scopes).

The 358/375/38/55 might take the prize lotta air in a bigger bore.

I had a pre WW l 1899 H take down in 303. That was the lightest 1899/99 I ever owned.

I don't know if it weighed 6 lbs...

On the other end of the scale you can get a post war 99R, slap on a bohunk scope fit for Mt. Palomar and get two coolies to haul it around.

A solid frame 1899H Featherweight in 38-55 would have me dusting off my checkbook! Of course, it would have been a special order as I don't believe Savage ever listed such a configuration.

Anyone ever seen (or heard of) such ?

Sheit, the hole in the end of the barrel weighs three pounds!

All across the country these last couple days, guys have been digging out their kitchen scales. Not me- I knocked my digital scale on the floor last winter and haven't gotten around to replacing it. I'll vote with my gut and say the M1899H takes the prize for lightest carbine.

I reason that if a M1899 carbine were offered in .38-55 it would probably weigh about the same as a .303/.30-30- I bet they would've used a thicker barrel to accommodate that size bore.

Now you have me wondering what the weight difference is between the hard rubber buttplate and the serrated, steel buttplate. 2 ounces? More?

Can't be much. Funny how a guy will deliberate over a couple ounces on his 99 and not the extra girth on his belt, which I can lay claim to owning a bit myself.

Ouch S99VG, true though. I only wish any of my bolt actions came up and pointed as well as that 99F of mine. Growing up, I always thought that 99's were kind of misshapen, but was I ever wrong. From a purely ergonomic standpoint that Savage is the best handling whitetail rifle that I've ever owned and I don't even know what it weighs.

As you can see, I haven't chimed in on this one. I have a Postal scale less than 10 feet from my 1899H, and a big person scale about 25 feet from me. I don't like scales.