Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Where can I find a quick primer on Savage 99's?

Id love to see a pic of that stith mount, if anyone can get one posted.
I had intended to make up a brass quarter rib and mount some of the old Australian Tasco World Class rings to it.
Id rather have something authentic I think..

Oh man -

This afternoon I ran into another one, this time a Utica marked gun (391XXX). Also .300 Savage.
Definitely shooter condition - solid frame, 40% blue and thinning, the forend looks to have been replaced with a homemade or modified one, the buttstock has a crack alongside the tang, oddball rear sight.
But the bore was good, no one seems to have played with the internals, extractor edge didn't show wear, etc.
Part of a large collection of estate guns that nobody wants, and the owner commonly modified good guns - swapped out unoriginal parts etc, and/or made up Frankenstein guns from whatever assortment he had on hand. At least he didn't spray paint this one as he did the others. The store had had his collection for sale for around a year now.

I might make on offer on this one, but I can't see it being more than $250. But it appears to be a 1940 rifle - in this condition I would not think that matters. Am I wrong?

I’d buy the other gun, nobody wants this gun for a good reason.

Sweet jeebus, WHO does that?

Sheesh.

Well, one reason is that its for sale at $600...
The store realizes that the price is wrong on this one, and would relay an honest offer to the family. I'm trying to determine what that is. Book value at 60% was $300. And it isn't 60% at all.

I agree. It might seem like fun to grab something like that right now but eventually that Fraken-Savage will become a POA and make you wonder why you ever wasted your money on it. Buy the first 99 and then put the money you would have spent on the second into something like a good receiver sight, a Lightfoot's mount, or a Stith mount.

I hear you guys, and I'm paying attention.
However, there isn't all that much difference in the two guns.... Both are shooters with wood issues, incorrect sights. One is a '53 in a bit better shape, the other a '40 that seems to be mechanically quite good despite the finish loss.
Here are some pics of the older one

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/15301887#Post15301887

Could this be a 99T? They had a different forearm and rear sights. If it is you might be surprised at how much they want for it.

Lee
didn't see the pics, I must need sleep. carry on.

Looks like a good project if it was cheap enough. I could tinker with that thing all winter...

I sat with one of the guys in the store who's more up on the older guns, and because the checkering is very shallow and the Schnabel doesn't really match the profile of the other guns we guessed that it was either replaced and/or reshaped from a round profile forend. Neither of us is a Savage guy so we were basically taking weak guesses.

Does anyone know what the "3" in front of the triggerguard indicates?

I'd take either one for $400. I've used a 99 since 1964 (a '27 built that was passed down from my father).

The first 99 looks solid to me. The other looks kind of sketchy. I'd pass on the second and keep your eye open for something else. There are still plenty decent 99s to be had and you just started looking.

Can't I just buy them all...? ha ha!

Do you want a project gun or a hunting rifle? I’m a deer hunter and didn’t want to waste my time trying to bring something that nobody else wanted back to life. New England should be full of nice 99’s if you are willing to be patient and don’t want to go the Gun Broker route to find one. As a Midwest deer hunter, what I wanted was an unmodified, mid 50’s, drilled and tapped, lever safety, pre-million serial number, lighter weight 99F in either .308 or .300 Savage. The ‘57, .300 Savage 99F that I found was at a collector show slung over a guy’s shoulder for $385. The thing has gone up in value rather significantly. My advice is to pay the price to get a nice one. Money comes and goes, nice 99’s aren’t made any longer.

Good advice Windfall.

I'm simply looking to own and enjoy one, because they are an important part of the American firearms story, and a part.that I'm only coming to late.
I'll shoot it, and possibly hunt with it for the novelty but I have other rifles for that.
The second rifle appeals to me as much as the first, because it seems like someone truly "owned" that rifle for a long time before it ended up in the collection that it is now being sold out of. There a lot of handling wear but the bore is good, etc. To me, it has character. So its still of interest to me.
That said, I didnt ask for advice to ignore it. And I have been given good advice.

I may just table the Savage 99 purchase until one jumps out at me. It would be a good time to wait - Covid has definitely affected my household financially.

I'm really hoping that someone can ID the second one though. I'd like to know what it is and what its worth if the store comes back to me with an adjusted price.

Your second 99 looks like it could be an early checkered EG. Not an early EG as they were not checkered but had smooth slim schnable forearms and pistol grip stocks. If you have dated the second gun to 1940 then I'd say it looks correct for a circa-1940 99EG, albeit well used. I would still give it a pass and put your money on the first. Savage 99s in decent shape are still out there to be found and well used 99s are fairly pedestrian in comparison. If it was me, I'd only perk up at the prospects of a well worn example if it was something fairly rare, such as a 1895 or a 99 chambered in 32-40 or 38-55. Or, judging by your handle, a classic Krag sporter.

Thanks S99VG

The first centerfire rifle I bought, long years ago, was a neatly sporterized 1898 with a ratchet rifled barrel.
I'll die with it.
Some of you may have the same commitment to a Savage rifle or two.... 👍

In addition to 99s I'm also a sucker for Krags and 03 Springfields; milspecs and sporters alike. As of late I've also been corrupted by a member of this forum into the world of 1885 Winchesters/Browinings, 44 and 441/2 Stevens, and Ballards. And judging by the humble size of my wallet it may be time for me to start knocking over convenience stores and banks!

You and me both!

I consider myself lucky to have an American, Danish and Norwegian Krag, all sporters. And an 03 sporter to go with my military versions.

So many guns.

So little time and money

Sigh......