Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors tang safety issue

FB2's solution is exactly what I had to do with my F 308. Go slow.

The hardest part of this process was getting that darn trigger in the right position when reassembling. Also had to move the safety back and forth to remove and replace the trigger, and getting that little trigger spring down and sliding the trigger pin thru it took some practice. Overall it's more complicated than the lever safety models but the safety is visually a very positive yes, it's on (all the way to the rear), or no it's off (all the way forward).

I feel like there's even less opportunity to mess this system up than the old models. Maybe that's one of the motivations behind Savage changing the internals in 1960, more resistant to tinkering that may result in a slam fire situation?

At any rate, Keiths point about the safety not working from the beginning is an interesting point. It does seem to me that he is right, there's no way I can visualize this setup working straight from the factory, and how did that happen to make it past QC? We all know that Savage fell on hard times but a safety not working seems unfathomable to me.

The tang safety is supposed to be a boon to lefties but I found it hard to operate with a low mounted scope. Not much clearance. I also had hunted a lot with a lever safety 99's and found myself reaching under the lever with my left hand when using the tang safety models. Old habits die hard, you can't teach an old dog new tricks, etc. I plan to keep hunting with my lever safety 99's.

As a left-handed shooter I abhor the lever safety. My first 99 was a tang safety and I deeply regret selling it. (A 1970's 99A Saddle Carbine in 250Savage) (stupid, stupid, stupid decision.) My last was a lever safety 99E 300Savage 20" barrel. I like the short barrels as I am "vertically challenged" me self. If I was sitting in a stand with plenty of time it was almost acceptable, but I still had to think about it. But it was an impossibility for me if I were hunting on my own hind legs; my preference. And a low mounted scope did hinder the easiest access to the tang mounted safety but I could handle it so much better/faster. Others, I understand, have learned to deal with the lever safety to their own satisfaction. It was just too awkward for me.
I hope to have another 99 someday. It will be a tang safety and I hope it's a Saddle Carbine 99A like I had before. The caliber is negotiable, as is barrel length, the tang safety is not.

Thanks very much for the directions Fireball! I just finished fixing a 243 that I bought about 4 years ago. Pretty sure it had never worked from new as that little flat spot on the trigger where the safety linkage is supposed to ride onto was completely blued. Works perfect now.

Schit howdy.