Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors 99T Red Bead Front Sight

Fug pulled out some of his 99T's and was looking at the ones with red beads, and if there was a common sight style between then.

This is the sight he found, this is on an early 1938 99T. That is a red bead, just has some scuff marks on the plastic.




Here is a very similar sight on a high condition 99T from 1940 that tommyguns sold, doesn't look messed with. But the front of the sight




Another 99T, this one from 1938. Same style of sight, but no bead (tho somebody painted red on it? Sigh).




Another 99T from tommyguns, this one from 1935. Almost identical to Fug's, different colored bead.




Here's a 1936 99T in 250 of mine. Replaced bead, but same sight shape as the others.

Going through Stroebel's, these all appear to probably be Lyman 31's - which it says was available with different colored beads.

I think the same sight with a gold bead shows up on some or all of the 99R's. The first 3 99R's I looked at from the 1930's have the same shape. Not sure about other models.


The sight, amazingly, matches the catalog. Always have to triple check catalog pictures. Straight edge on the muzzle end, a very curved shape on the rear.

If anybody has a Lyman sight catalog from 1935 to 1940, I'd love to see what they list for the Lyman 31.

Lyman 1931 and 1946 are the same - The No 31, 1/16" bead; the No 37, 3/32" bead; and the No 39, 1/8" bead were listed together under the heading - "Special Lyman Front Sights". Description - "The long shank discloses any canting of gun and thus tends to keep the gun in proper level position. Lyman front sights can be furnished with gold, silver or red beads if preferred. Supplied in a great many heights"

Ivory beads were standard.

I posted a usage chart listing the heights in an old thread that's out there somewhere......

Where the ones furnished to Savage marked Lyman?

Stroebel's did mention the No. 37 and No. 39 as being the same, but I presume Savage used the No. 31. I should mic a couple and see how the beads come out, I suppose.

I'll see if I can't get some heights also.

Fug said he could read Lyman on the sight on top.

Is this the chart? Doesn't have heights, so probably not. But under "MODEL 99 NEW MODEL WITH RAMP" it lists the 31, 37 and 39.

I have pics of 2 different red bead front sights. Both claimed to have been factory.

1 looks like the Lyman.

Savage shipped without them due to a shortage. Did they second source some?

That second one looks like the Lyman. I'd hazard a guess the first might have been replaced.

But we don't know if they swapped vendors in that 5 years, or used another because Lyman couldn't supply them.

So my guess is just that.. a guess.

Gene, found this 1945 Lyman chart of yours, gives the different heights of Lyman sights. It's big, so I'll just link to it.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/gallery/80/full/91254.jpg

I have a 1931 K, a 1939 R, and a 1940 R. All of these have front sights I believe to be original, and they are gold bead Lyman 31s that are marked Lyman. I also have a 1938 T with a white bead Lyman 31 and a 1939 T with a gold bead Lyman 31. I suspect both of the T front sights are replacements as neither has the correct rear sight. Interesting the four sights mentioned first are marked on the left side of the sight, while the sight on the 1939 T is marked on the right side of the sight. Maybe a later replacement?

I can see this discussion going on for years....

The 99T sights I have all have LYMAN stamped on the top left side of the dove tail. Do yours?

The one i have is smaller then all the ones shown and has a M and an arrow on the bottom. so i will assume that it is not the proper one , it is also lower in hight.

Norm.

PS thanks for all your replies