Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Year savage 99 action length change?

308 150gr cast flatnose seated 2.600" fed and ejected fine.

Then you'd basically be shooting a 300 Savage.

So use a 300 Savage.

Or buy a post-900,000 308. Not like there aren't plenty of 1950's 99F's in 308 floating around.

Nobody should convert a gun where the owner has to handload standard cartridges 5% or 10% shorter than every manual says.

Just curious. I knew a guy who said he wanted to convert his pre-900,000 300 to 308. It was a long time ago and I didn't know enough to tell him the drawback to doing this. I sure wouldn't do it and I have a few 308's. I'm not one to tinker with firearms.

Q: Why does SAAMI exist?
A: The SAAMI Standards are published to provide safety, reliability, and interchangeability standards for commercial manufactures of firearms, ammunition, and components.

Very interesting to read the changes and improvements as the action internals evolved. My 'need to know' is for the other end of the 1899 development. I have 1900-1901 production, an A in 30-30 and a C in 303. Both very much grey dogs, but basicly serviceable. Cocking indicators don't rise (worn off internally?) and one has no friction to the safety/leverlock. Works, but will fall out of engagement. How is the safety removed? Looks to be different from later parts with a cross pin and friction spring. I have found replacement cocking indicators, looks like just a cross pin to remove after the bolt is dismounted.
On these early models, is the firing pin pinned or threaded on the hammer? What parts break out drawings I have found for this early are rather sketchy.
When did they change the configuration of the nose of the bolt? Is the configuration of the hammer bushing critical? There seems to be several different size slots for the retaining screw to ride in.
The one time that I had the 303 to the range, I had several fail-to-fire rounds. Maube old ammo, but will strip the bolt and clean/lube the hammer assy, and hopefully replace the cocking indicator. I do have a spare hammer assy if necessary. Should I plan replacing the spring? Wolf replacements are on Ebay.
If all else fails, can anyone recommend a competent Savage 'smith in NW Arkansas? I am near Fort Smith.
Thanks for any advice. I want to keep these pieces of history working properly.

Squeeler's letter confirming the (first?) 99F in 243 was significant evidence of a cutting-edge new development hitting the streets. Was there a "custom shop" back then too?

243 win was just introduced in 1955, and this was all happening at the time of the model 110 introduction too!

I should think it was at least as big a manufacturing shift needed to bore and rifle a 6mm barrel, when no other smaller-than-quarter-bore barrels existed for the 99, at least as much as it was to fit a longer rotor. New cartridges like the 243W (..and like the creedmoor family), have always generated a lot of buzz!

Out of curiosity, did the bolt travel (backwards) also change with the longer 308/243 intro? Sounds like the lever arc did not change, maybe just used a shorter bolt stop?

In addition to lengthening the carrier, several other changes were necessary to accommodate the longer cartridges. The auto cutoff was completely redesigned, moving its hinge point from the rear of the carrier spindle to a drilled hole in front of the cutoff, providing more than half the required increase in length. The carrier rear support was changed from a (very expensively) machined web integral to the receiver, to a stamped part hinged on the sear screw, and this provided most of the remainder. Yes, the bolt travel was provided by a shorter stop. I am not sure this is all, but it is all the changes I can think of at the moment. I am preparing a technical note on the safety features and mechanisms of the lever safety 99s, and will post it on this site when done. I have not found any changes to lever or trigger at the time of magazine length increase.

As to the 6mm bore, Savage had produced the .227" 22 HP earlier, albeit quite a few years earlier, and I believe only in the Utica factory.

Savage made some replacement 22H-P barrels in the early 1960's/ They are stamped "Westfield". The OD on my 243 99F is slightly smaller than the 99F 308 barrels

One obscure change was made with the 900K action that seems really unnecessary was the spindle head screw. They increased the diameter a few thousandths so it won't fit the older guns.

Availability of the old screw has really fallen off so it's a hardship if you need to replace one. Be careful if you go to Numrich for one!

David is right. I omitted service barrels from my thinking earlier.

I got a mint Westfield 22HP barrel off GB. The guy had it listed as something like, "Weird Barrel". Opening bid was $100, I was the only bidder. I guess no one wanted a Weird Barrel. The Westfield replacement barrels still have the old threads. I wanted to find a Westfield action and put the 22HP barrel and R wood on it, but it wouldn't work.

Yep, any of the Chicopee Falls and Westfield barrels made for the "obsolete" cartridges in 99's would be threaded for pre-1960 actions. They wouldn't convert 99's to those cartridges, only rebarrel them.

Are there Westfield / Chicopee barrels for other than the 22HP cartridge?

1961 service letter says they provide the following barrels:
22 Hi-Power
243
250-3000
303
30-30
300
308
358