Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors 75th anniversary rifle

So, I'm going to solicit a bit of input on this rifle. I know that this commemorative edition is often rebuked and I understand why.

So the big question is in looking at it, I'm thinking that it is essentially a 99A with a 24" octagon barrel and a few minor variations, even though the 99A came out a year later in 1971?


I picked one up a few months ago for cheap. Someone had dropped it on its butt and broke the butt stock toe, and bent the crescent buttplate. It it totally usable as is, outside of a slightly strange looking butt that will put a strange mark on your shoulder..

I purchased it for I wanted a 308 for certain reasons, and I'm fond of octagon barrels. I could do without the engraving and the medallion. Has a very nice 4x scope, etc. I totally view this as a hunting rifle, not a collectable. It shows promise as a very accurate rifle. It's actually a shame that the stock is wacked, for it has some very nice wood.

For longe term plans I'm currently planning to restock it with a straight grip with a cheek piece with a shotgun style butt and a new forend. I may or may not replace the brass lever... I'm thinking of taking it to Africa in a couple of years as a backup to my 1909 Argentine in 30-06..

I bought one cheap, $350, in the same condition as you are describing many years ago. About 1" of the butt stock toe missing, rest of rifle in great shape, but had normal field use wear on it. I hunted with it for a number of years. Some guy recently made me a trade deal on it I could not pass up, basically $1,000 in cash value on something I needed more since I am not hunting in .308 anymore. It was a great rifle. Re-stock that puppy and enjoy it!

Sounds to me like you have a good foundation for building that 99 of your dreams. As far as it resembling any variant of the 99, keep in mind they started with the basic action for making everything.

Sounds like a plan. It's frahuntzed now as it sits so why not transform it into what you want? These things aren't religious icons no matter what the "white glove crowd" says.

Another option would be to send the stock to someone like Jay ward at Dandee reproductions, and have him repair it. That way you get to keep the nice wood.

frahuntzed

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I can’t think of anything you could do to a 75th that would “ruin” it…

Well, it’s not from a 99A.

The receivers are a modified 99E receiver. Lever safety..

+1

Calhoun,

I forgot that the 1971+ has the tang safety. Thanks for the reminder.

FSJeeper,

Almost sounds like the same rifle! 😊

I could believe that no one bid against me in the action I was at.

I took "frahuntzed" to mean messed up...

I had a 99 in 308 Win in a cheepo version. Functional, with detachable mag, but hardwood stock and just cheepo as the my purchase price reflected. And I sold it cheap! Just didn't ring my chimes for 'essence' of the 99 genre! Also similar experience with liking a Marlin 336 pattern Zane Gray Commemorative features. "Limited to 10K production hype. Factually limited to few thousand less as 'insufficient market', production ended! . That was in '70/'71. Marlin with the distinctive tapered barrels holding few thousand in excess. '72, the "Marlin Octagon" Model appeared. Some several thousand production matching supply. Same straight stock & lever without the Whoop-de-doo. Exactly what I wanted, but quickly sold out. Finally, some years later a pristine piece at bargain price. Now mine. 30-30 Win chambering only. Suited me fine!

If to make the Savage of your dreams, go for it! If a fixer-upper, I'd not spend much and "shooter" term to attach.

Good Luck! John

I view this as a fun hunter build. When you pick a rifle up for what many rifled actions go for, you have some leaway on things, and it keeps me out of the pool hall.

The dream rifle would be an early 1899, in 30-30.with a perch belly pistol grip stock. Engraving optional....half octagon even better. Or the very rare true 1895 with 26" octagon barrel, straight wrist with perch belly butt stock. But I'm not made of that type of money.so I'll make a modern version of one

Besides, my teenage daughter is having a hand in designing this one and she will get to keep it. She already took my Stevens 418 from me and a few other items.

"Frahuntzed": a Pennsylvania-Dutch word meaning "screwed up". Sorry, just a bit of "wicked good" vernacular humor.

I think the brass buttplates are too soft. I bumped my shooter grade 75th on the concrete floor and it bent the buttplate and took a chunk out of the toe of the stock.
Savage made 10,000 of them which was too much for a commemorative and dealers had to dump them cheap to get rid of them. This resulted in many of them being bought for shooters.
Nothing wrong with using them for shooters. But my mind set is that I have another one in pristine condition and it will stay unfired. To each his own.

TXTROUT, this is the 75th Anniversary one I traded last year in Houston but without the scope. The owner sent this pic after he installed the scope. The toe was chipped off and runs about an inch up the stock. Not super noticeable, but kills any collector value thus making it a nice hunter of which it did this job damn good. I used this one for about 10 years before switching to a 99 in .358 and ultimately making a Savage 99 in 450 Bushmaster which is the perfect brush gun IMO, especially for South Texas. Still not done and needs a lot to complete, but usable. Since this picture I have much lower scope rings and am still working on a scope base with integral peep and rearward mounting point for the Aimpoint Nano red dot which I think will end up being the primary sight for this rifle.

I just assumed it meant that other word for screwed up that starts in F we all seem to use to much!

FSJ,

The 450 BM conversation is very cool! How long is the barrel? I would also agree on that as "the South Texas brush gun". Was planning a 45-70 single shot, but you just presented me with a whole new option.

Your 75th isn't the same rifle, but it's interesting that there are at least three of them with the same broken toe issue in this conversation.

TxTrout, the barrel is 16". I had another one made in 20" but am totally in love with the 16 incher so the 20 incher is going to another one of our esteemed Savage Forum members unfinished. I have always been fascinated with the 47 70, but not the lever rifles it comes chambered in. The 450 Bushmaster is basically a 45 70 equal but will run in the action and has super low operating pressures that make it ideal for the Savage 99. The guy who barreled my two 450's is CTW who is our resident Savage 99 rebarreler and gunsmith. He was the first ever to build one in 450 Bushmaster, and his is a rotary using 284 guts. This is the crème de la crème of big bore lever 99's.