Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Just acquired my first Model 1899/99

Here's the pictures

That's a beauty but someone shortened the barrel. It originally would have a dovetail slot for the front sight. It is a 99A that originally had a 26" barrel.

I wouldn't have the slightest problem carrying that rifle to the range or on a hunt, it looks good. better than a lot of my 99's. Love the Stith and Lyman Alaskan, that's a classy setup.

But, it has been refinished. Somebody loved that gun, and had the stock refinished, metal reblued and the barrel shortened. Good work on the receiver, but it's a bit darker than the normal 1925 blue on Savage 99's. And the lever is blued rather than case colored, a common sign that a 99 has been reblued. The side panels on the buttstock are a bit subdued from being sanded, and there's some wood missing on stock corners like above the lever and the top rear corner of the forearm.

It is what it is, and I bet it shoots just fine.

It's tough to find 99A Version 1's that weren't used and most seem to have quite a bit of wear. Here's a 1929 99A, the studs are aftermarket but the rest is factory. You can compare the stock and bluing to see what I'm seeing.


https://www.auctionzip.com/auction-lot/savage-model-99a-lever-action-rifle_7EB4D4FB35

So someone refinished a rifle that had possibly 5 shots out of it, with ZERO wear on moving parts? They were able to absolutely remove all wood to metal and oil discoloration on a 97 year old rifle. They blued it with while leaving all letter and number absolutely crisp? They cut off possibly 4 inches of barrel, but somehow there had been a front sight removed just back of the current existing crown? The tiny very thin corners of wood on foreend were chipped not sanded off....The stock's current lack of any discoloration is not possible with steaming, sanding, chemical etc.
And the subtleties and the fine condition of the bluing is absolutely consistent with the stock's, and the lever is not blued..Calhoun you first started the the rifle would have had a 26" barrel, then the catalog suggested a 24" was possible, it seems like you're trying to fit a shifting and non definitive information base with your initial narrative? You cannot evaluate the bluing subtleties by way of marginal photos...If I somehow presented a new in box model 99 from 1925, you would almost certainly say it had been refinished because it was to shiny?

Also your example of the bluing on the rifle you posting is just starting to show the metal underneath, a blued rifle in better condition would obviously look darker?

99A's in 300 Savage made later than yours would have a 24" barrel. Like the barrel of MY 99A in 300 that I posted a picture of when I showed how to measure a barrel. I've been consistent in saying YOUR rifle would have a 26" barrel.



As to the rest.. Let's see who else weighs in. No reason to trust just me.

PS: I could be wrong on the receiver being reblued.. been fooled before by pictures. But I don't think so given a blued lever and a refinished stock.

You're ignoring the fact a trained gunsmith said 0 to 5 shots fired out this rifle, why refinish a stock and blue metal that's never seen the outside of a safe?

The 24" barrels didn't come out until 1926 and on some models 1927. They were medium weight your rifle has the heavier rifle weight barrel that was discontinued about 1926 or 27. That groove near the muzzle on your barrel isn't anything Savage did. your barrel would have had a dovetail slot. All 99's had case hardened levers at that time.

...and my gut reaction to reading the first post proves out. Another internet troll has found the campfire and exposed all of you frauds who people regard as experts. What would we do without these self proclaimed saviours??

I don't think he's a troll, he sent me the pictures from a personal account.

He doesn't like what he's hearing, and doesn't realize that there are practically no gunsmiths outside of Turnbull's shop that are Savage 99 experts.

News flash, it ain't factory original. Bluing is not factory, barrel length is not factory. Sorry it hurts you, but it's the truth.

You're ignoring the fact that your gunsmith is an idiot.

Here's a comparison for the bluing. Your 99A on top, glossy and really dark finish. A very nice original condition 99G in 303 below, serial number 272,368. These two guns were made within 3 months or so of each other.

The 99G isn't as shiny black as yours.



And the 99G lever and receiver again, along with the sharply defined side panel present on unused/lightly used 99's.




We all need to be educated, there are just too many different guns that were made with different finishes to be an expert on all of them.

Calhoun,
I came here to find out the particular model 99 I had purchased, you and these other members are no doubt highly experienced in the subject matter. I am not, but I do have some experience with rifles in general, and an appreciation for well preserved antiques and collectible pieces of history. Besides the specific information regarding, I also wanted to share finding basically what I thought was a treasure. Unfortunately you decided to make definitive judgments on the finishes, that unlike the potentially factual knowledge of models, calibers etc, might require a closer evaluation? Since my last post I took the rifle to a man who has 40yrs of experience, not with Savage 99s, but has blued hundreds of rifles, and refinished, and made as many stocks. He said that he was 100% sure the bluing was factory, as was the wood finish. Also he said that the line near the crown had certainly been a integral front sight removal. That does not preclude the possibility that someone cut off a 26" barrel, and the installed a new sight, and removed it later? The great overall condition does not suggest that kind of hands on history, but 97 years is a long time...
I think its possible that there were custom shop rifles, and maybe you have convinced yourself that you have all the answers, instead of just most of them?

The bluing on my rifle is not as dark and shiny as my crappy photo suggests...I would difine mine as mellow blue with a mild shinne.
Your stock is definitely crisper, but my gun seems more like a lower end model, like a sporter Weatherby Vanguard, cheaper at the time

This is what I went from - you asking for model, value, miscellaneous observations.

Everything I say is "my opinion", and not put out to diss the gun or you. Just to pass along what I think. I could lie to you if you'd prefer, but that seems... silly.

If people disagree we should still be able to keep the conversation civil.

Going just off the pictures, I'd say there is no doubt ( in my humble opinion ) that gun has been refinished. But pictures are sometimes hard to show things. However, one thing that does it for me is that lever sure looks like it's been blued. Also the finish on the wood doesn't look like varnish, but again hard to tell.

Nice rifle either way, and has my favorite scope setup for 99s.

If you'd rather go for more official information, lettering it may tell more.

That's why 6 million Jews burned.

Wow you are a powerfully stupid troll. I'm sure Hitler's entire hatred of jews came from arguing about antiques.