Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors 1899B

Hello all, recently obtained a very nice looking 1899B, 303sav., 1903? (27.7xx ser#), one site says 1901, another 1903, old either way...my question is...is this factory looking checkering on this 1899B, with all numbers matching? The bolt is nice condition, with the cocking indicator, not a lot of rounds down the octagon barrel.

Here's the numbers, butt stock, receiver, forend, and metal crescent butt plate

The rear looks to be factory but not sure on the forearm. I am not an expert on the early guns. Beautiful gun either way.

Overall pics...it has been reblued, owner wasn't sure when his grandpa had it done, but his Dad said, he didn't do it, and it was that way when he got it, it was bought by the great grandpa, apparently. Whoever did the reblue, did a nice job on it...very appealing visually, I think, I'm more for originality, but the price was right and it looks nice and came with 5 super condition boxes of 303 Sav by Remington, late 60's, early 70's vintage, I believe.

Go forth and murder small helpless animals.

That is all.

That's a beautiful rifle! 1899B, should date to fall of 1901 if it was finished on time, special order pistol grip and A3 checkering. Actually in 1901 it was cataloged as $5 and A checkering (both), it was renamed to A3 checkering in 1905.

Serial number is about 1000 higher than the bottom rifle here, which is a 1901 1899A SR in 303 with pistol grip and $5 checkering. My rifle lettered as accepted from factory in August, 1901 - but didn't have an entry for the checkering. It's absolutely factory though.

WOW those are some nice guns.

Norm

That's a very Pretty model B! Congratulations on carrying (literally) this great family tradition!

TBigBuck,

If you ever get tired of that gun, let me know.

RAS

It does date to 1901. The barrel looks like it may be shorter than the standard 26". Measure it from the back of he receiver ring to the muzzle and let us know.

I am attaching a comparison pic with both of our 1899Bs. Mine is also 1901, 21,7xx.

I love these early ones with the optional marlin-like pistol grip.

FINALLY we're getting some guns worth drooling over. Congratulations on a FINE piece TBigBuck.

Thanks for the compliments...I feel that it's shorter than the standard 26", as well, I just haven't measured, yet...have a call into Cody as a search to see how it comes back, hopefully with more info than a birthday

So, it comes in at 22" barrel, which is a special order, correct?

Don't have a 1901 catalog. I have a picture of a 1905 catalog that lists the full octagon and 1/2 octagon were available in 22" AND 26".

There was no 1901 catalog, they were still using the 1900.
Which page does the 1905 catalog list 22” octagon/1/2-octagon rifles?

Looking through the catalogs the only mention of a 22" option for half or full octagon I found is for the Crescent Grade rifle in catalog #16 from about 1907 (page 19), I did not see anything in the earlier catalogs - the 1900, 1904 pocket, 1902, 1903 or #15 from about 1905. Certainly it would have been something that could have been ordered on other models. I find it odd that it seems to only be listed for the Crescent Grade.

I would love to find something like a Crescent grade in the affordable price range!

Yep, any rifle could be special ordered with 22" barrel. Just hadn't remembered regular octagon/half-octagons catalogued that way.

I did see the Crescent Grade with those notations in the 1907, but since that was the first listing and it went away in the 1909 catalog I kind of wrote it off as a typo and didn't include it in my book. They'd have made it if ordered in 1907 or 1917, of course, with any barrel length desired.

Given that it is a 1901 rifle anything that came after is immaterial. It was all special order items at that time. Hopefully the Cody search will list all items.

Very nice short barreled rifle! Bring it to the Savage Fest so we can get a better look at it.

So, Cody got back to me, no extra features listed, just octagon barrel, no length and date of 1902...that's disappointing, was hoping for difinitve factory proof...it sure looks factory from pictures i've seen and the fact of numbers all matching...would general real world thinking be this is a completely factory rifle by looks even if lettering/search doesn't specify the non standard stocks and length?