Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Found the Unicorn - 30in 1899B

I'm going to hazard a guess and say not many, but more than a couple.

I have a couple old marlins with 30" barrels, both in 38-55. Wish I had a 99 though...

That is one fine rifle, great find.

Ken

Checking my 1899 data up to WWI, about 1100 rifles, I count 7ea 30" and 10ea 28" have turned up.

In the 1895 data, about 590ea there are 5ea 30" and 4ea 28".

I have one 1903 28" 1899-B in .303 but it is a gray rat.

I'm curious about barrel taper too. We discussed at some point in the early 99 spectrum of barrel lengths, all terminated in the same muzzle diameter, so tapers were different, specific to the finish length.

I’ve got my C&R so you can ship it right to my door, I’ll have it when you land. I’ll even file the claim for you when it comes up missing?

Is that a double negative? “I’ll have it when you land”? “I’ll file the claim”, HMMM.

I have a very rough 1900 1899B in 303 with 28”, and a reblued 1911 1899A takedown with 28”. Passed on an 1899C with 28” years ago with 28” barrel that Fug bought. Never ran into a 30” except on big internet auctions.

All I have access to right now is a ruler with cm/mm. On a 26" B I measured 16mm at the muzzle; on the 30" B 15mm (flat to flat). I'll measure with a caliper in a few days.

Now that’s a cool rifle! Congratulations and thanks for sharing.

Very nice find. Congratulations!!

WOW!

What a great find! Congrats!

Pinging on just a couple of conversation points. First, the longer the barrel, the greater the sight radius. Whether 4" is significant, perhaps "in the eye of the beholder". Pardon the inevitable pun! Yet, the sight radius as moving to a receiver from aft barrel sight, also its percentage of contribution. (Effect in handguns for me, really noticeable!)

The comment about original long barrels suffering "cut down", I suspect such was quite prevalent moving to 'more likely than not', probability. A rote generalization, but my perception that factors making 'long tom' factory orders themselves rare, also working similarly on the "second owner - et al" market. Where such as integral forged type front sights weren't involved, a 'pro job' typically easy and retaining 'factory original' appearance. The Great War, with Springfield orientation, sealing the deal. Viewing the hoards of cut down 30" barrel Krag rifles, by far the seeming majority existing today! My amateur thesis, over a century now of max 26" barrel popularity; past half century, max 24" or less, as 'almost' relegating longer to "highly individualized and often $$$ customs!

Yet 'hangin' for any barrel taper info available!
Best!
John

WoW, just WoW!

Catalog #15 covers 1905~1906 and the standard 26" barreled 30-30 retailed @ $21.50 and listed at 8lbs, the extra barrel length was $1 per inch up to 30", so an extra $4.00 (18%). The extra length being listed per inch would suggest you could also order 27" and 29". The same barrel length options were available for the Model 1903 pump but it had a 24" barrel standard so a 30" for it would be $6.00 extra, they retailed at $12.00 so that would be a price increase of 50%.
'
The telegraph codes for ordering these were complete words with the octagon barrels starting with 'B', the 1899 'B' in 30-30 would use the code "Beach", 38-55 = "Bite", 32-40 = "Bold", 25-35 = "Bulk" and 303 = "Bait".

The catalog pictures still show an 1895.

Gene, thank you for posting that info.

Keith, When I looked up the above information I did not see any additional telegraph codes for some of the listings on the options pages, looking again I found the ones for 28" & 30" barrels on the last page of the catalog.

Telegraph codes varied by year/catalog. With Keith's rifle being a 1900 rifle, the 1900 catalog did list telegraph codes for the 30" 1899B in 303, and it's the same as in #15 - "Barb".

1906 Rory 698xx

Sorry. Was thinking of another.