Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Note in buttstock

I was reading another thread where someone was talking about finding a repair slip in the buttstock of a 99.

That reminded me of a 99 on bought on gunbroker a couple years ago from a pawn shop in canton Ohio. I found an old ammo box flap with the owners name and address written on the back in the buttstock.

I did a little google research and found the owners obituary. He had died a couple years prior, born in a small town in WV, worked in a canton factory most of adult life, enjoyed hunting, had two sons, one in GA and one in OH as I recall. Based on his dob, he was about 11-12 years older than the gun. Makes me wonder if this was his first deer rifle. Makes me kind of sad to think about all the years he probably hunted with that old .300, probably back home in WV, and it ends up in a pawn shop.

I showed my wife and kids, and put the note back in the buttstock… where it belongs.

Anyone have a similar story?

Been thinking about checking all of them.

There was a thread about this not too long ago. But I can't find it in the awesomeness that is the search function. I'm not suggesting there shouldn't be a newer one. Just saying if someone is truly interested in the subject, and if someone can find it, it might be worth a read for some folks.

Found this in the butstock of a Spiegel 30-30 that I bought this year. The only thing he didn't write down is what store he bought it from.

found a name in the buttstock of a 22HiPower tried to trace the name no luck

old hunting licence and spare 303 in another one

I found a the #15 rear sight, with a Marbles elevator, in one of my 250-3000s that had a peep sight on it when I bought it.

In a 99T I found: candle, fish hook, foil, dime, needle, fish line and matches.

👍

I have found a number of names and addresses in the buttstocks of rifles,i generally just put them back in.One deluxe engraved marlin 1881 model in 32-40 used to belong to a big sawmill owner in western pennsylvania,at least that was what i found out searching the net.Don

I found one in a 99 barrel band.

I have a bolt action 3006 from a viet nam vet the (gun is British made) NIB. He had it shipped to his home in Idaho, but he never made it back.
His name rank serial number is on the box.

I told my brother about it. I was worrying about what I should do with it.

My brother said…..

“ John, how many guns do you own that were once owned by dead people?”

I kinda wish I could simplify things like my brother.

Merry Christmas

A few years ago I bought a ratty 99 250 with a Fellas name (william McGoon)and Rock Springs, Wy engraved(poorly) on the receiver. I found his 1946 deer/bear license rolled up in the stock. The deer coupon is mssing but the bear coupon is still attached. Did some research on him, just an old Wyoming cowboy. License is back in the stock.
Also found a 1916 Michigan license in a 1915 ratty old Model 12 12ga. Sold the gun and kept the license.
Removed every butt plate after those 2 and have come up empty since.

A few years ago, a friend bought a 99 at a gun show we were at. I always check under the butt plate so we looked. He found a $100 bill.

Traded for 1887 Winchester 12 gauge and found in the stock a note that showed ownership. Don't recall the name but read like this . "I John Smith traded two coyotes for this gun in Kimberling city, Idaho on April 4, 1922. Left the note and added another with my name. GW

cool thread. Makes me want to start pulling buttplates.

I pull the butt plates (and everything else) off of every gun I buy. (To me a thorough disassembly and deep cleaning is the act by which the "new" gun becomes truly mine.) In all these years I found but one note, in an old M24 .22/.410 I gifted to my Dad, that identified the gun as a Christmas present to a kid in Brooklyn, NY, sometime in 1950's I recall. I did find the issue three piece cleaning rod still there in a Krag butt stock once, and two truly ancient moldy cartridges in the butt trap of a M1908 Mannlicher-Schoenauer.

Do notes on the buttstock count? I've had a couple of those.

When one of the previous threads on this subject came up I checked all of mine, nothing. The 1902 engraved rifle has the name, date, county, and state engraved on the end of the pistol grip. Kurt knows a family of that name in that area. When I got the rifle I wondered why a 1902 rifle was engraved with 1904. When I got the letter it stated the rifle was sold and returned in 1902, then sold again in Dec of 1903. Making the carved date more understandable.

I forgot to mention after I got off the phone with the 284 owner I added some information to the note about his age and new date, plus mine.

I found a 30-30 rolled up in scrap of paper, to corroded to shoot.

Just had a thought. Since I didn't get the $75 Letter, Just the $5 search, I'm going to print another copy and put that in the stock.