Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Here's something to talk about on a boring Sunday..

with Savage never say never!

I thought I remembered our resident DL collector had some DL's with 24" barrels and the rear sight boss. Maybe the long-boss barrels will all group together in the middle of a group of non-bossed. It might be easy to overlook barrel length when you're just looking for the sight boss.

The 99DLs with cut checkering were cataloged with 24" barrels and had the rear sight boss, so that would have been 1960 thru 1963, right?

When Savage went to pressed checkering, they standardized the barrels for the 99C, 99DL, and 99F at 22" with the rear sight boss, or at least I think that is how they were cataloged.

EDIT: Except the 99s in 284, where all of the production guns had straight tapered barrels without the barrel boss. IIRC, at least some of the pre-production prototypes had barrel bosses.

Very close.

24" barrels on 99DL's were 1960 to late 1962, might extend into early 1963.
All the 24" barrels for 99DL's in this time frame had rear sight bosses, as did all 99C's and 99F's with 22" barrels. 99E's were only ones that didn't have rear sight bosses from 1960 to 1963.

The lack of a rear sight boss on 99C/99F/99DL's was end of 1970.

Except: No 284's ever had rear sight bosses, as you say.

I doe-know how you fellers keep all this straight. Every day I forget more than I ever knew.

So my question is this:

Is there any such thing as a cut checkered DL with a 22" barrel?

Notwithstanding the possibility that there may be a 284 (or 2) out there as such somewhere.

Roy?

Anybody?

Oh yes. Have some.

Murray's book says 22" started in 1963 and pressed checkering in 1965, so there should be hand checkered 22" DLs out there (if Murray's is right).

22" featherweight DL with the raised monte carlo comb. Mmmm hmmm. Send me some of that love sweetheart.

Actually pressed checkering started in 1964 with the double diamond pattern and then switched to that awful pattern in 65.

I have to admit and I have said this before, the post mil cut checkered DL's and F's have been growing on me recently.

Also it gives us something new to talk about. I have been a member here for over 10 years now and we have beat everything pre-mil to death. It seems there is still a lot to learn and talk about as it regards these early post mil rifles.

We may even have to start a new collecting category. "Post mil, pre 64"

Did I really just say "pre 64" in the Savage Forum?

I may be misunderstanding what you fellas are discussing about barrel lengths, checkering and DL’s, but I believe my 1966 DL in 308 has a 24” barrel. At least it was sold to me as being such. I’ll have to measure. Definitely has that pressed checkering nobody likes. Lol. What is a “sight boss”? And how does one determine if the barrel is lightweight/featherweight or standard? Thanks.

It's the raised area where the rear sight mounts on the lightweight barrels. There's a pic on p. 86 of my book.

I should buy one of these books.

David (Wyo1895) will sell you one, signed and numbered.

What's that old saying about "... not able to tell the players without a program". It is even more so when it comes to Savage lever action rifles!

How much?

"A Collector's Guide to the Savage 99 Rifle and its Predecessors the Models 1895 and 1899." First printing is $55, second printing $60. This amount includes shipping by media mail. I inscribe it to the recipient and sign it. The second printing has a few updates and some spelling corrections. I only have two first printings left. You can get it cheaper on Amazon but it won't be signed, etc.

At the bottom of his posting:

"For a copy of my book on Savage lever actions rifles send a check for $65 to; David Royal, p.o. box 1271, Pinedale, Wy., 82941. I will sign, number and inscribe the book for you.
www.davidroyalsavage99.com "

I've lowered the prices slightly. See the post before Rick's.