Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors 1899A short rifle

Is this what this is? With a later (50's) vintage 99F wood set? Is it common to see a slotted screw head on both sides of the lever boss? I know its nothing special, but I like most old guns, they all have stories and I wonder what this one could tell. I paid 250$ for it and it shoots all right.










[img]https://i.imgur.com/08UX0ZT.jpg[/img]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/VuWHekf.jpg[/img]

I think you nailed it if the barrel is 22". They bent the lever to fit the stock, and hogged out enough of the barrel channel to fit the barrel that the 99F rear boss cutouts aren't there any more. The fluted comb indicates the stock is from 1956-1959. Is it a bit barrel heavy with that barrel/stock combo?

The slots on both sides of the lever retaining bolt (or whatever you call it) is definitely not normal. One side should be smooth, the other should have the slot.

For $250 you got yourself a great range/hunting rifle. Now you just need a peep sight or Lightfoot mount and scope.

Good score for $250!

The lever bushing has probably had a slot cut in it so the screw can be tightened. There is a small stop on the bushing that is supposed to mate with a slot in the boss but it is easily damaged if you don't know it's there. After that the bushing just rotates.

My original thought was that the lever was bent, it does look slightly buggered. But then I thought that this must have come with the pistol grip option. Was it an option in 1911? I think that is when this dates to. Whoever cut the extra slot in the lever bushing did a nice job. I had to remove one recently in which the small stops were rounded off.
I used two pieces of oak in a vice to hold the smooth side.

Pistol grip was an option in 1911, but pistol grip 1899A SR's are very uncommon. And your lever still has a sharper bend to it than one from that time would - plus a couple "kinks" in the metal. They did a far better job than most gunsmiths who bend levers.

Interesting. Thanks for sharing. I guess this gun was loved by someone at one time!

Yep. 109 years later and it's still ready to head to the woods.

The pre-WW1 1899s with pistol grip stocks and curved levers had a very shallow radius, except tor the 1899 250-3000 Rifles. I agree with Rory's analysis, a parts gun combining an 1899ASR barreled action with 1950's vintage 99F wood. If the bore is good, I'd drill it, tap it, and shoot it with a nice low magnification scope.

I don't care much for Savage rifles, but I would have been happy to pay $250 for it.