Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Want to discuss this one?

Picked this one up not too long ago. Several members here think it’s right and others here have questions. Let’s see where it goes!

A better pic of the butt stock.

I'm having a heck of a time with your pictures but it doesn't look like the buttstock, butt plate and receiver are original to each other. It looks like they all have different serial numbers, meaning the buttstock and plate came from two different 99s.

I'm very curious as to the evidence that it's correct. Some of the speculation on this type of stuff is eye opening. Looks like it's been together for quite some time.

Cool carbine nonetheless. I'd be happy to own it.

I’ll see if I can link it together. I believe it’s a 99H BB that was ordered from the factory with a pistol grip.
The factory took a buttstock that was designated for an EG, xxx’d out the original SN and stamped the new SN in the buttstock while leaving the butt plate SN stamped with the original, still visible, buttstock number. To verify that it was done at the factory, the last 3 digits of the receiver SN were stamped on the lever arm prior to being case hardened, linking the rifle together as a factory made rifle.

Maybe, the crossed out serial and the last three matching digits of the new serial is interesting. I'm not sure if the factory would care about trying to show it was done at the factory, since it was sent back to the factory for the work. Seems if they were worried about things like that they would have kept better, or more accurate, ledgers.

In the past I have wondered when they stamped the serial number in the butt stock. I have always thought it would be after it was fitted to the gun but that's a guess. I wouldn't think they would have a lot of unfinished/unfitted butt stocks sitting around with serial numbers on them. If they did I wonder why they would take one stamped for another rifle to use on a gun sent back for work. They'd have to make a new one for the rifle that was supposed to get the one they took.

I know I'm not the most Savage educated member on here but I'm not sure we will ever know. Maybe letter or look up this one and the serial number that was crossed out if you can read it. If the crossed out serial doesn't exist as a rifle, that might be an indicator.

only a letter would convince me ..

plab

Don't know why serious collectors would ever consider that as a factory rifle short of proof. Seems silly.

However, I love it!

The partial serial number and R on the pistol grip lever is the one thing making me thing this could be a factory job. Needs a letter.

They did advertise pistol grips on straight stocked rifles for some of the 1930's. In 1934 it was $5.88 to add it.

There is no possibility of a letter. This SN range was destroyed by the fire.

I knew that.. I shouldn't post after midnight.

The 1919 250 I got from Randy has miss matched butt stock. He lettered the receiver and butt. The receiver came back with all of the usual info. The Butt number came back with, "No rifle left the factory with that number". The consensus was they are original to each other. If you lettered the butt and it came back, "No rifle left the factory with that number". You would know that it's not part of a "parted out" rifle, and make a more sound assumption they were original. The wood on the 250 matches well.

Sorry, pics aren't very good.

I don't know what to make of the stampings? If someone put the rifle together from parts guns, and restamped and marked out the old numbers trying to build a case, it's a weak one. It's like a kid making a "B" on his report card from an "E". Last year Cody had a booth at the Baltimore show and was doing "look Ups" for $5. I plan on going Saturday, PM me the original numbers on the butt, they are the only ones in question. If Cody is there this year I'll have them do a search. You'll owe me a beer.

OOPS, I missed the part about the fire.

I have a 1912 1899 H that letters as being returned to Savage for unspecified work with no date given for the return. But one of the things that was done was the addition of a "Savage Model 99" stamping to the top of the receiver, so it must have been returned sometime after 1925. This rifle has an "R" stamped after the serial number on the bottom of the barrel and the complete serial number followed by an "R" stamped on the lever web.

So, I think it's very possible the original rifle was returned to Savage and modified at the factory.

I thought all the BB-H's had carbine butt plates. Irregardless of the wood being correct (or not) factory option, you claim they kept the plate serial numbered to match the receiver?

Did the H's have any stamping on the front of the receiver (like the early EG's)

That's my guess as well. Most likely the buttstock got broken in a fall, or from a horse accident, or someone just wanted a curved lever and pistol grip after the fact, and both were replaced hence the number on the lever.

So, is there a believable explanation on how the last 3 digits of the receiver SN of a BB H are stamped on the arm of the curved lever? My understanding is that this could not have been done after the hardening process was completed.

Not all barrel band 99H's had carbine buttplates. It varied. I have one with a correct, shotgun style buttplate. Most 99H's above 375,000 will have shotgun buttplates.

Unless you bought it as an investment expecting to make a profit in a future sale then all that really matters is if the work was done decently and if you like the rifle. As for the first it looks well executed and for the second I think it looks just fine. It looks like someone wanted a pistol grip on a carbine, and that's something that doesn't seem too strange to me.