Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors What the heck of I got? Weigh in..

Could get that, as soon as I get motivated and find my stock screwdriver.

It is an interesting piece of the puzzle.

Regardless of What It Is, "It" is Nice!!

Start with the tang externals.

Here is the mystery gun tang safety, versus... a model 420 shotgun safety. The shotgun that wears the same stamp as the Spiegel EG.

Hmm. Same?

If I recall correctly the RTs have 22" barrels; I know my .303 Savage does and I have notes on one .300 22".

Looks like an RT with specially checkered wood with the add ons; worth a lettering? ... Gotta be a 99RST

How in the he!! are you going to get the buttstock off with that safety?

I would absolutely love to letter this. But.. 1945. No ledgers. All they have are serial numbers on shipping invoices. Can't even confirm model or caliber.

I lettered my lucky EG that's only 65 or so serial numbers off of this one. That's all they had.


Yeah, I was looking at it. Have to unscrew the tang safety and hope it comes out easily, and is easily reassembled.

Ha ha ha... I think I'm holding off on that for now.

Unscrew the tang safety and BONNGG, have the plastic bag ready.

Rory
we have talked about that style safety before you walked by a 99EG R&D gun with that style safety also one was made in

New York I have the paper work on that one but can't find in right now WE could have looked at lot more stuff if you had not found

Marden's

I remember that EG, we talked about it and chatted about the dual sided safety that I think Loggah has. But I didn’t snap a pic of yours, so I wasn’t sure if the tang safety matched. I know there were some aftermarket versions sold. When I saw the safety on a 420 on the way home, it sure looked identical. The aftermarket ones were usually attached to the end of the tang if I remember right.

1) Between the RS studs, the fact it wore a receiver sight at one time, and the R and 8 stamped on the barrel, I think this was a special order postwar RS with improved checkering and factory installed tang safety. The major argument against that is the 22” barrel, since R’s in 300 always had 24” barrel.

But then I’ve always believed the RTs were a transition from prewar R to postwar R.

2) Second “likely” possibility to me is a prototype or R&D gun.

3) Last is that it’s a total rat from oddball parts done aftermarket.

We’ll never know for sure, everyone can just pick the theory of their choice.

This dog’s gonna get hunted in November tho!

Time to review some tang safeties on early 99’s. This is the one that I remember seeing the most. I think this is a dual tang/lever safety.

This aftermarket set still in the box is closer, but doesn’t match mine, I don’t believe.

I owned the Nelson prototype rifle the safety is not in the same position. How does it look next to a 1920 safety? The shotgun is not a perfect match.
The rifle long beard king has is interesting as well but I have not seen the safety mounted stictly in the wood like yours.

At first blush your rifle looked like something a talented firm made like G&H and thier competition , I have also owned a rifle in the no letter range that had checkered cheeks and it to looked right to me.

Griffin & Howe wasn’t a bad idea. Just checked, not on their list.

I don’t know what it is but I’m pretty sure what it’s not. It’s not a standard catalog offering. However, I would say you have someone’s mildly customized 99.

The tang safety looks like the one in patent US2465699 by Wilfred Smith and assigned to Savage Arms - applied for Dec 1946... so the date is close. (the patent is on the patents CD from the Savage Fest). The safety is shown separate from the tang and the exposed part that catches the lever is shaped the same as yours. Looking at the patent, one screw should allow the safety button to lift up so the so the stock can be removed. You might have the prototype, it logical they would have used a safety button they already had so it might be exactly the same as the shotgun's.


Here's one by Charles Nelson for 1917, a little more complicated. (also on the CD)

The rifle came from the maine area?

Yep. Dick & Craig’s at Wildwood, of all places.

Good find, Gene! Knew of the early one, didn’t know of the 1946.

The 22" 300 Sav brl is common to the RT's of that period.

Forearm appears to be RT (not T).

Butt stock appears to be mid 30's (fluted, 3 pt) RS. Best scenario, something in stock that they used because it was there? Optional K checkering and optional recoil pad...? Down hill from there...someone swapped parts.

What does the recoil pad look like?

Rick, the buttstock checkering is slightly different than early 30’s R checkering (the line across the top behind the safety, for example). Compared it to one I have. Stock might be leftover, but I think it was finished and checkered with the gun. The buttstock also matches the ads and catalog pictures for the R/RS in 45-47, which still showed 3pt checkering. Or as you say, like K checkering. Though forearm obviously doesn’t match.

Recoil pad is a “NO - SLIP BUTT PLATE” made by “FRAY - MERSHON INC.” of L.A. Caliif. The white line spacer in it makes me think a 60’s/70’s replacement, probably same time as the d&t.

Well... ain’t this interesting. I’d have lost this bet.

The White-Line recoil pad by Fray-Mershon was available starting in late 30’s and up into the 40’s at least. Fray-Mershon was bought by Pachmeyer in 1955. Which means the white line no slip buttplate could possibly date to late 40’s. Fray-Mershon even had a trademark on White Line in 1937.


http://www.lcsmith.org/faq/recoilpad.html