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Enormous amount of 99’s this year. Every isle seemed to yield more lever guns. Only thing that came home with me was a ‘41 model 70 standard rifle. What did I miss? I only saw about 60% before we gave out

You missed free mints, Savage calendars, signed books and misc Savage stuff!

I came by the back wall on the
Lower level twice but your table was covered if you were in the same spot as the past?

We moved. Last back row of lower level all the way to the north end. This spot we’ll renew

Brent Geistweidt took 8 copies of my book and sold them out in a few hours on Friday. I guess I should have gone with a bunch of books.

another basically neighbor on this website that I have never encounter before.

This year was my first time at Tulsa, and I had never seen a model 99 in person before. I used to look at pictures of them occasionally, and didn’t think much of them. After seeing many and handling one last weekend, I think I have a new love affair. If I wasn’t in the middle of building a model 70, I would have bought one. I can’t wait to get my hands on one.

Over all, how were the prices still exorbitant or coming back to reality? The small shows around here vendors think any lever .30-30 is worth $900-1200.

I didn’t pay too close attention to those, and the ones that I did look at tended to be the more “collectible” type. Overall though I was surprised by the sheer number of lever guns.

Lots of Savage 99's there. Prices were often quite silly. $1250 for shooter EG's, a nice 1950's 99R in 300 for $1400, a half octagon Leader Grade with 0% bluing left on the receiver for $10,900..

One fellow was pricing them a bit more reasonably and selling quite a few. Had a nice 1899A in 303 with lots of mirror blue left and nice figure in the buttstock that tempted me mightily.

many people on here can fix you up

Had a great time at Tulsa, had about ten mints left out of a gallon jug. The kiddies loved them and Moms and Dads always made them say thank you.

GeneB stopped and pointed out a very unusual rear sight I had on my 1899 Takedown in 38-55. It had a little dial with cogs on the side and according to Gene was quite rare.

I had this old 99 for about 12 years, and never noticed this dial on the sight. I pointed it out to a gentleman that was looking at the gun and he came back later and bought it.

Thanks Gene, Miss Morty said you stopped by and I was out shopping. Sorry I missed you. Nice visit with Rick and Rory.

Always good to see ya there!

Bilwil, I just stopped back to get more free mints, you have to make sure you have more next time, you were about out (I think I 'walked them off' by the time I got back to Rory & Rick's table at the other end to get a couple tootsie rolls).

I did not see many Savage 22's and the good ones I saw were ones I already had examples of. There was a new in the box Model 29B with a 1952 date code but I am not really interested in having the boxes. I noticed the bolt was in it backwards, so I put it in the right way for the dealer. I walked by again the next day and it was in backwards again, people had been handling it and opening the slide fast, which will flip the bolt right out the action of a taken down 29-A or B and they were just putting it back in loose. I put it back in again and then the dealer tied the forearm so it couldn't be opened. A lot of people handle without asking and don't know what they're doing.

I found a circa 1881 Whitney lever action that is probably a prototype, very poor shape, but functional and very rare, if not unique. Its currently getting put back together after I took it apart to see how it worked (it was working, so hopefully it still will when I get it back together... no extra parts yet!). It has no markings at all but is definitely Whitney,. It does not even have a caliber marking but it appears to be 45-60, a little bigger than the 22's I'm used to. Part of it is based on Eli Whitney (Eli the third?)'s patent US247452, issued Sept. 20 , 1881. It's a side eject action somewhat similar to an Model 1881 Marlin.
US247452A

Marlin patents that appear to be for the 1881 -
US222414A
US271091
US297424

Not the best pic, but is this the sight. This one is on my 1912 SRC 30-30.

No, he had the 1911 patent sight with the miniature rack & pinion gears for the fine elevation adjustment. They are around but what is rare is to fine one with the gears still intact enough to work as they should. They were used for only about 3 years from what I can find. from sometime in 1910 to mid-1913 or so. There was one for sale in display case at the show but it was missing the pinion gear. I've has some but only one really worked correctly. Any moisture on the small teeth and rust will eat them away. His gun dated to the period they were used.

I do not think the elevator pictured is correct.

Thanks Gene. I have a sight "like" that, or vary "similar". I was thinking mine might be a King. Did they make something like that? Now I'm going to have to go did it up. I thought it was cool how the little gear worked.