Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Savage 1895/99 Orginals still in Existence In North America-World

New guy joining in.

I just got a 99 gifted to me by my Step-Dad day before yesterday.
Joining to find out info on it because it seems from my research I have really got something here.
To put it gently his mind is failing and I can not take anything he says as gospel anymore. He had told me it was a Winchester lever action 30-30.
1 minute in my hands and I discovered it is a Model 99 chambered in .300 Savage.
Serial number reads 4074XX. I found two savage data bases say that makes it a 1941!
http://www.savage99.com/savage99_dates.htm
http://www.savageshooters.com/showthread.php?55730-General-Model-99-Date-of-Manufacture-Info
The Lever Boss Code is not a letter, it is a number "3"
stamping reads Utica N.Y.
It is hand checkered.
It is beautiful case hardened colors on the lever
It has a brass Mag counter
If this gun is actually 78 years old , it is in amazing condition.
The blueing is flawless aside from one small, fine scratch on the receiver opposite of the counter. No visible wear at all.
The action is not jeweled like some I have seen.
It does have a Redfield tang mounted dioptler peep rear sight.
The leather sling is the old WWII style you would see on an M1

Pics are attached

Welcome HD, the lever boss code dating system didn't start until 1949, 49=A, 50=B, etc. No O or Q, they look too much alike. The number on your boss is an inspectors stamp. With the rounded fore arm, with the line cut around the tip, makes it a pre war model R. Others will be along with more specifics.

Still half asleep and only half a cup of coffee in me. With the Redfield and sling it may be an RS. If it's the original sling that's cool. You might want to start another thread on this one to get more exposure. Sometimes I just glaze over this thread thinking of it being a numbers gathering thread. If all of the finish is original you may have something special, it deserves it's own thread.

I'm starting to wake up, it looks like it has the pre war sling swivels that are quite hard to come by. Now I want to see what the guys with knowledge have to say.

Outstanding Joe... Thanks!

EDIT: here it is...
MY THREAD

"Sleeping Beauty" is on the right track...

Yep, that is it... so an early 99-R
Thanks!
I put an edit above to link to my own thread on it.

If that rear sight is factory original it is an RS. Are there any marks on the barrel that indicate a rear sight might have been installed?

There is an empty unmarred dovetail at the rear of the barrel.

Just passed up a reasonably priced Savage 1899H in .22HP. Looked like the buttpad might've been redone in plastic, the sights had been removed, and Savage or Redfield Scope mount and rings were installed. Otherwise looked pretty good for its 100+ year age. Just couldn't afford the travel expense to go get it, which is curious considering I could hypothetically justify the expense of locating or recreating ammo.

Anyone want to knock me over the head for not buying it?

They did come with plastic buttplates but it sounds like it was drilled and taped for scope mounts which kills the collector value.

I'm pretty sure this plastic buttplate isn't original, but you'd know better than me. My first call was to my dad to reference your book.

I have only one, a 1920 vintage 1899A Takedown Short rifle chambered for 303 Savage.
it is unaltered, with a mint bore and chamber. Exterior is excellent as well. An 85-90% rifle overall.
It shoots well with 190 grain Silvertips, of which I am lucky to have a decent supply, but it places 150 grains like the ones from Graf invariably high, even with the sights on their lowest position.
Not a problem as I plan to acquire some 190 grain Originals from Barnes, or possibly Hawks 190 grain flatpoints and handload them to match original factory iterations. I'll just shoot up the Graf ammo for fun, and reload with better and heavier projectiles.
Also have some 165 grain Hornady Lever evolution bullets that I may give a whirl. Just have to shorten a few cases most likely to get the OAL down to a functional length.
Anyone here had any luck with these?
I really don't need them, as I find the 190 grain bullets work superbly on any game I am likely to see in my area, but since I have them, I am considering it.

Here is an original old survivor I found recently. It is a Model 1899 Saddle Ring Carbine with 1/2 octagon barrel in 303 Sav 54xxx serial#. It came in a friend of mines shop from an old collector. I am WAY understudied when it comes to classic Savages. I know enough though to recognize an oddity when I see it. All number match, so I sent off for a letter today. I would love to see a pic of a similarly configured rifle; if one exists.

Welcome to the campfire! I hope that letter comes back confirming that gun, it's a unicorn.

I believe there's a couple more in captivity.

The rear dovetail is cut as if it were a standard/26" barrel.
SRC round barrels I have are cut much farther back.
Front of the forearm is either broke or adjusted as well.

Q: Could you post a clear pic of the barrel address?
Is the s.n. stamped on the underside of the barrel? If so, post a pic.

It just seems that if the factory pulled a half-oct barrel from inventory, cut to length that the rear dovetail would have been cut similar to other SRC's.
If I was to guess from afar I'd say it was a cut half-oct barrel added.
Get the letter and prove this theory wrong.

Keith found this and put it on FB. It was posted 10/22/18 by Loggah. Not sure what he really meant by it?

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...ingfield-bass-pro-pic-heavy#Post13222765

Here is another pic of the other side of the forearm. It is not broken, the left side is. I did not see a serial # on the barrel. I'll check again, I could have missed it... Also here is a closer image of the barrel legend. I can take better pics later when I get home.

I have one that letters as a 22" barrel half octagon saddle ring carbine in 38-55, without looking at it its in the 50,000 range.! Heres a picture of it at the first savagefest.