Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Suggestions for a 99 gun smith for rotary mag work

So having feeding issues with the 1970 75th anniversary 99 that I've previously mentioned. I'm hopeful that I can adjust the magazine spring as I've read about and get it to feed correctly myslef. It currently will not push a cartridge up as it should and the rotary magazine isn't advancing/turning as it should. Looking at the "innards" it looks like brass plated aluminum. Interesting. I'll have to spend some time later this week to pull it apart.

All this leads me to this question. If I'm not able to get the rotary magazine to work as it should, is there anyone that the group here can recommend to work on it? I have a couple of smiths I trust on Mausers, but I've not talked to either on this issue yet. If it helps, I'm in the DFW area.

Thanks!

If you follow the steps in the sticky, adjusting the rotor tension, (IF that is the problem) is a piece of cake.

I do a lot of work on 99s, including magazine repair and adjustment, but Longbeardking is right; you should not need me.

I've seen and read on the spindle adjustment. Not fully sure that is the issue yet, and wanting to find options if needed.

I appreciate both of your responses!

My son was recently given my grandfather’s 99A 300 savage. Lightfoot placed it as a Dec. 27’ or Jan. 28’ manufacture.
It has 2 collectibility gigs: It has been d&t’d for a Williams K4 60-B mount & scope and it has been refinished. The refinish was very well done and the walnut grain is beautiful. That being said, it is a treasured vintage heirloom.
My question to you folks is about the cartridge counter.
The highest number shown in the window is 4 even with 5 brass snap caps loaded. Closing the breach loads one of the snap caps and counter window shows 4.
Unloading the snap caps cycles the counter window downward until it shows 0 however there is still a snap cap remaining in the chamber.
I’m thinking that the counter is off by 1 full count and that it should start at 5 and cycle down to 0 when the rifle is empty.
Is that correct?
Thanks for your feedback.
Tom

That's probably correct.. but I think most of us would suggest leaving it alone. If it loads and feeds correctly now, you risk having the spring be off if you adjust the rotor.

In reality, it's annoying it's not right.. but practically nobody uses the cartridge counter window to check on loaded shells.

The 99 takes one in the chamber and 5 in the magazine, except for the .284. I don't have a clue when I ever looked at the number in the window.

The rotor stop is a tab on the cartridge guide. It can be adjusted by bending the tab. I've done a few but it is pretty hard to bend very far. With it being that far off I'd be concerned about even trying.

Gotta think maybe it's got the wrong cartridge guide but that's just a WAG.

+1

You might be able to re-orient the rotor stop tab to show "1" when the rotor is empty, then indicating that there might (, or might not) be a round in the chamber, I think that would be a mistake.

..., I think the round counter is meant to indicate how many rounds are in the rotor, therefore in "reserve". The cocking indicator shows if there is a round chambered and ready to fire.

Check the cartridge indicator as you load the snap caps, it should be at "0" when the rifle is empty, "1" with the first cap pushed in past the cutoff, etc. Your rotor should have a number "5" on it, check that by pushing your 5th snap cap into the rotor and holding it down so the bolt slides/closes over it.

I agree ,when the the gun is empty ,the window should say 0 . When the rotor is empty the window should say 0. When the rotor is empty and you have a round in the chamber ,the rotor should say 0 and ,if cocked , the cooking indicator up.
You can try real bullets as well as snap caps since you don't have to fully chamber the round before you can eject it and cycle a second round the same way from out the rotor ,in case the snap caps are no good.
I would try to procure an extra .308 solid brass rotor and test it against your aluminum 1970 one that may be too soft ,galled and hanging up on its bearing surfaces.
The rotor spring has to be just right ,probably within + or - 1 either side of the perfect notch.
You can hold the rotor down and rotate it with your fingers and a pencil to see it go from 0 to 5 and if it's jamming or hanging up . Aluminum corrodes with other metals, that's probably why it's plated.

I’ve never looked at the counter once since I’ve owned 99’s

I looked at mine once when the elk was still up and moving. It said zero. Luckily there was still a round in the chamber but no more on my pockets. I let him lay up for a long time before I went in to finish him. Even after a 30 yard shot through brush I had to finish him with my pistol. Not fun, wolves had followed me a few weeks earlier and I didn't want to take on a pack of wolves with a 38 special. The wolf pack must have been out of the area.

Thanks to you all for your feedback.
With what I’ve learned from you together with additional testing on my part this is where I land.
Loading 1 snap cap at a time AND CLOSING THE BREACH, the counter works perfectly! It’s a little tricky as you have to eject the round from the chamber then put it back into the magazine and then add the next round and close the breach again. Follow that process through loading the 6th. round. Close the breach. The counter reads “5” with the 6th in the chamber. The counter will decrease with each ejection until it reaches “0” with a round in the chamber.
Take aways:
The breach must be closed to get a good counter read.
The counter is for magazine count only.
A 0 counter will not reveal a round in the chamber.
The magazine will hold 6 rounds…… new to me, I thought it topped out at 5.
You may all know this but in the interest of sharing, if you’re putting the rifle away empty, pull the trigger when closing the chamber, the lever can be closed and the rifle will not be cocked. This will avoid dropping the hammer on an empty chamber.
Thanks again to all.
Tom

FYI
My son applied for a letter today.
SN: 3063XX.
It will take 5 weeks.
I’ll share when it arrives
Tom

"Not fun, wolves had followed me a few weeks earlier and I didn't want to take on a pack of wolves with a 38 special."

After seeing a wolve pack in Yellow Stone Park, I get goose bumps just thinking about that experience.

A Wyoming Game and Fish wolf guy was really interested in that experience. A large black wolf got between me and a herd of elk so I started back to the truck. I had been hearing barking a ways off. I realized the barking was getting louder without changing direction. In other words they were following me. The black wolf on the hillside was watching me. I was a ways over a ridge from the ones that were barking. As soon as I turned around the barking stopped. In other words the ones that were barking couldn't see me. The G&F guy said they thought the wolves could communicate with each other without making a sound. He used the word telepathically. I went back over the ridge mad enough to shoot one. I probably wouldn't have since it was illegal to shoot them at that time. Of course I would have if I had to defend myself. I didn't see anything. There is a creek bottom with some heavy timber below me and it continues up the other side of the creek. I was in the open. After scanning the area for a while I started back to the truck. They started barking and getting closer again. I kept watching behind me but they never came in sight. The black wolf continued to watch me until I went around a bend to where the truck was parked.