Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Optional Checkering on an EG?

After watching this 99 EG on GunBroker for about six weeks, I decided to buy myself a Christmas present.

Here is a link to the listing: https://www.gunbroker.com/item/912076756

I received the rifle yesterday. I have confirmed that the serial numbers all match, and the front of the receiver is stamped EG. The forearm is stamped EG as well. By serial number (361536) this rifle was produced in early 1937, well before checkering became standard on EGs around serial number 387800. Rory posted on the Facebook page that a 1935 price list shows that Plain Checkering was available for $5.00 and Fancy Checkering was available for $7.50. For both it says, “on Grip and Forearm”. There is no mention of checkering on side panels like that found on 99 Ks. I have a price list that was effective February 1, 1937. It does not list any optional checkering, but based on what we know about Savage, that doesn’t necessarily mean they wouldn’t do special checking if asked.

The important question for me is, is the checkering on this rifle a factory option or not? The only 99 I have with 3-point checkering is a 1931 99 K. The 3-point checkering on this rifle is slightly different, but it looks like Savage checkering to me. I have never seen a 1930s vintage 99 with such extensive checkering on a schnoble forearm. Of course, the only 99s in this era that came standard with checkered schnoble forearms were takedowns, so the checkering had to “avoid” the takedown latch.

So, some questions:

1. Does anyone have any Savage literature or other information that would show what was available for optional checkering in the mid-1930s?
2. If this is optional factory checkering, any guesses as to whether this is plain or fancy checkering? With the 3-point checkering on the pistol grip and extensive coverage on the forearm, I might guess that this is fancy, and plain would be more like the 2-point checkering found on contemporary
99 Gs and what would become standard EG checkering later. But obviously this is only a semi-educated guess.
3. For those of you who are familiar with what is available in the ledgers, for a rifle from this time period, is optional checkering likely to be listed in a letter from Cody, or am I just likely to learn that this is an EG that was shipped to So & So on a certain date?

Thanks for any input.

Jack, it looks modified after the fact to me.

Jaaack, on the 1935 pricelist there is:

Extras for Savage Model 99 Rifles
Plain Checkering - $5.00
Fancy Checkering - $7.50

I think that checkering is absolutely right. I'd guess it's the "Plain Checkering", since I think the "Fancy Checkering" would be a K style with side panels checkered.

It's early enough to letter.

That is a sweet EG 303!
It looks like a Savage checking pattern to my eye. After market patterns can be nicely done, but, usually contain obvious differences from Savage patterns.

Up to that point in time the pistol grips like the 99G had 2-point checking as standard. Possibly plain.
Your early EG has the same type of pistol grip and 3-point checking. Possibly fancy.
EG's thereafter have 2-point checking. Possibly plain.

A factory letter might just indicate "checked" or abbreviated "CK" since it was an adder at the time.
Without definitive knowledge or a catalog/advertisement, the plain/fancy checking is just a guess on my part.

I think it would be worth lettering.

The one question I have is that I'm thinking the R's with 3 point checkering from that era also had 3 point checkering on the forearm. Is that right?

This rifle has 3 point checkering on the wrist and 2 point on the forearm. I don't know if that is cause for suspicion or not?

The checkering does look Savage to me though, but I am not an expert in that regard.

The 99R's up to 1935 did have 3pt checkering on buttstock and forearm. But more pertinent in my opinion is that the 99K had 3pt checkering on buttstock and forearm very similar to this one. The major difference is the 99K had the side panels checkered. A minor difference is the 2nd point down on Jaaack's forearm goes farther back than the standard 99K checkering for a forearm.

So very similar to the 1930's 99K checkering, minus the side panels.

Similar isn't factory, similar is faked.

So your theory is that somebody faked the wrong checkering onto an EG? Because finding an example of EG checkering is really, really hard?

It may not be factory. But special checkering WAS available. The standard EG checkering hadn't been created yet. So I don't see how anybody can dismiss this as definitively fake.

I just see variations in the checkering where it was altered. Where's deerstalker?

Here's another 99 with awfully similar 3point buttstock checkering. This rifle dates from 1945. It also has the side panels, which would make it fit the "fancy" checkering option, in my mind.

OK, my mistake. I didn't read as much as look at photos. If these was prior to factory checkering then it's either special order or after market, not altered. My mistake, feel like dogschit today.

Yep, almost 3 years before factory EG checkering.

No problem.. we're all learning here. This is definitely a different one.

Sorry gentlemen, I should have read better.

From what I've seen of the ledgers, I'd guess there is fairly good odds that if anything is recorded it would just be a job number. But even that would indicate something was done to the gun, and it looks like the checkering is the only non-standard thing about it.

I was thlnking the earliest we've seen checkering on the stock of a Spiegel was around this SN range. That might provide some thinking that at this timframe optional plain checkering may have been like EG and fancy like this 3-point.

Most Spiegel checkered buttstocks showed up from 377,xxx and above (Jaaack's EG is 361,xxx). Even if you found an earlier Spiegel with checkering (and I have notes on at least one), you can't rule out that it wasn't just a receiver that got finished 6 months or a year late.

So Jaaack's is early 1937
Checkered Speigel's are mid 1938


Checkered forearms on Spiegel's happened about the same time as checkered EG's.

The checking does look a little crispier than I'd expect.
Even if touched up it's still the same pattern.

Dogchit everywhere is terribly offended.

Funny thing is most all of these rifles fall into non letter able SN? At least the ones with panels

Very nice early EG. Looks completely legitimate to my eyes. I see the same consistent depth and flow as any R from this era. I own 3 rifles with the three finger pistol grip which look totally similar. If it is or isn’t authentic, it would have the same value in my collection. The checkering is top quality