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Evidence? Some factory paperwork.

What you say makes sense, but only if you're sure that Savage started production at their new factory in Utica using new stock designs. If they started the factory in Utica using existing 1895 forearm design, that would explain the appearance of 1895 forearms on very early guns. Might have only been a few months of production before they switched to the straight bottomed 1899 design.

We don't see really early guns that often, but it sure seems like the large majority of the 10.xxx range of rifles seem to have these forearms, plus a scattering afterwards.

First year SR:



First year ratty 1899C:

Another... every rifle I have from 10.1xx to 12.1xx has the concave bottom on the forearm, but pretty sure I've seen some 11.xxx that have the straight bottom.

Feel free to share "the paperwork".

"If they started the factory in Utica using existing 1895 forearm design, that would explain the appearance of 1895 forearms on very early guns."
So would the small number of extras shipped from New Haven to Utica.

It's not mine to share.

And the few that were shipped wouldn't have covered the first week of production of 1899's... probably not the first day. There's no way that would account for what is probably hundreds up to a thousand 1895 style forearms on 1899's.

Ratty? That's a safe queen around my house

All I can add to this is 10.449 has the concave forearm and 10.735 has the straight forearm, I think, 10.735 is real heavily used. The schnable is almost worn off.

I don't have good data on this subject but I do have several 1895 forearms reported up till the 105xx range. That would be in the first half of the years 1899 production.

more good Savage info to gathered

Ok so I have a partial factory letter, still waiting on info for the stock serial #. The letter states the rifle was Accepted on May, 13 1896. Shipped on June 25, 1898. Sold to Nelson and Mattson. And then it says “Job number 5507 on December 5, 1924 for Kennedy Brothers”

What do you think?

Well, the easy answer is that the gun was sent back to Savage in December, 1924 where they fitted a leftover early buttstock and barrel to it, checkered and engraved it. Engraving definitely appears to be by Enoch Tue, checkering is definitely Savage Arms A3.

It's slightly odd they would have a Marlin S pistol grip buttstock and early stamped Savage Arms Co. barrel from 1899 still laying around in 1924, I almost would bet there was another work order that was done in 1899-1900 that didn't get recorded.

Either way, I'd say that explains what it is. An 1895 that was later improved by the Savage factory.

Beautiful gun! Love it when a letter helps explains the gun.


In 1896 there was a Nelson and Mattson doing Bicycles, Guns and Locksmithing in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
In 1924 there was a Kennedy Brothers Arms Company in Minnesota, but "Kennedy Brothers" was a fairly common company name with other companies in Michigan, New York, Saskatchewan, etc. Considering the MN company was "Kennedy Brothers Arms Co", I'd guess it's likely this was a local company the owner worked with to ship the gun back to Savage.