Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Who Inspired You To Collect Savages?

My brother in law Jerry got me started on Savages. He is a huge Savage fan and was always talking about them and his latest finds, usually a 99 of some sort. After seeing his 99’s and hearing him talking about them and doing a little homework on them I finally took the plunge and bought my first 99 in 30-30 cal. As soon as I seen it, held it and noticing the good condition it was in I realized I had to have it. All ready looking forward to my next one.

Welcome JW19.
Good first post!
What is in the pic?
S.N.?

Sorry I guess the pic didn’t turn out very well. It’s my 99A #330287.

Looks like a model 1895 cheek pad. ??

My bro in law has a History of the Savage Model 99 Rifle handbook and we looked it up and it states it’s a Model 99A featherweight w/ 24” barrel. Produced between 1926/27 to 1937 with serial #’s 290,000 - 370,000.

I posted a few more pictures in the image section. Hope it worked and they came out ok. Still trying to figure my way around here.👍

Well that's probably what it is then.
Do all the serial numbers match?

Might just be the photo, but the cheek pad looks more 1895 than 1899.
Can you take a close up?

Yes, all the numbers matched.

Welcome JW! I know your BIL (and the rest of us here know him too, but I'll keep his ID a secret for a minute), and must say he is a gentleman of impeccable tastes in fine firearms and good whiskey and a raconteur of note. If he blessed this rifle then it's as you say. (We had a phone conversation pursuant to it the other night.)


.......6 5 4 3 2 1. Ok. He's the oldest otter on the Campfire.

lol
That sounds like him. 👍
Many nights drinking whiskey and listening to him talk guns and Savage.

Yea, 1899.

I'm not sure exactly how I was inspired, growing up on a 1960's farm and only 3 miles from the Duck Mountains Park (550sq miles) with moose,elk, whitetails and bears every farm had a 303 Sav/British,30-30 Winchester or Remington 14. I remember my brother buying a 1899 303 for $15 in about 64' and taking a hacksaw to the too long barrel as I guess a 20" was easier to push through the swamp spruce

I don't remember a year that we weren't eating moose or elk for supper all year, that has all changed for the folks that still live up there as hunting has been decimated to the point of being closed for the last few years due to traditional rights using atv's with 3mil spotlights and .300 loudandboomers.

My first Savage 99 that I bought in 2003 was the .375-CD that I'm still trying to figure where/when/who made it. I had seen it in an Alberta gs for about 3 months for $425 and had fondled it a few times on my stops there. One stop in there ,old George convinced me that it would go great with the .375 Win and Marlin that I already had so that was about 28 Savages ago. Funny how they grow in numbers,and watching and listening to you all has only made it worse-but I thank you all!

You guys did!

A buzzard! Shot out of a tree a long way away, with a scoped Savage 99 300 Savage 55 plus years ago! Never shot a scoped rifle before that.

If we had a "Like" button, I would have clicked it twice!

My dads oldest brother had a gun store in west plains mo, when we went in to see him he would push a chair up to the gun rack so I could get up close to the guns and lookem over. all my dads brothers were big lever fans ( early 60s ) so there was always 99s in the rack. when I turned 13 my dad gave me a 336 in 30-30 ( that I still have ) but I always hunted with an uncle that was 99 fan and a horse trader, every year he had a bunch of different guns to trade. one year his 99f in 308 was in the bunch to trade , I begged him to put a price on it but he wouldent. later that yr I was given that 99f for christmas . that was the begining of my addiction ! IF only someone would have warned me !

a freebie! that's a good way to start a collection.

Hey Gary, my BIL is impressed with the fact I've buffaloed a schmart guy on the Savage collectors forum. I have talked him to coming to this years get together. Only hope Joe says its copacetic with count.

Just what I was going to say. Bought my first one this year at age 72, and in 358 Win, because Iowa made the chambering legal for deer. A 99A of year 1980. I really would like to use it on elk, but those days are probably behind me.

I like it.

This also parallels my attitudes toward 99’s, early on thinking they were odd-looking, and resembled a disemboweling with the action opened. Never had one until this year though I had some 336’s and BLR’s over the years.

But reading here and recognizing the cult-like following, the knowledge of guys like Calhoun, and seeing the collection of LBK, along with some other interests finally tipped me over.

I always was somewhat intrigued by the 358 Win but it didn’t seem to fit the kind of hunting I did — ten of my bull elk were taken over 400 yards for example, and deer hunting in western states was also mostly a long range affair, relatively speaking.

But then the Iowa DNR came out with a bizarre list of legal cartridges for Iowa deer last summer including the 358 Win. This coincided with my growing interest in 99’s so I found the 99A with a tang safety (I’m a lefty) and probably paid top dollar, but I have it and it’s in excellent condition.

With a doe tag, I was blanked this year but Lord-willing, there’s next year. I have plenty of Win ammo, bought back when it was in the $ mid-thirties/box. I notice now they are over $50/box if you can find them. I also have components coming in, so may try some different loads.