Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Proud New Owner: Model 99 .300 Savage

Howdy - I stumbled across this forum when performing some research on my new firearm that I recently acquired. It's a Model 99 chambered for .300 Savage with a Weaver scope. I think the exact model designation is covered up by the scope mounts, but went to Savage99 and looks like it may be a 99EG. SN431709 mfg 1946.

Sorry - pic isn't very clear. Definitely will take some better ones later. Checkering fore and aft.


Recently, my Uncle just auctioned off most of his possessions. He's getting up there in years, and decided to clean house. For years I've been hearing about this rifle from my Father, who has always talked about how much he liked it and really would like to buy it from my Uncle if he sold it. Well, my Uncle offered it to him before the auction, and my Father being who he was thought it would be unfair to accept it as a gift or offer him less then what the auction would bring. I talked to my Father, and he said he would bid up to $250 for it. I kind of let him know that that was probably where the bidding would start.

I was lucky enough to be in town and was able to attend the auction. Sure enough, bidding started at $300, dropped to $250, then people started bidding. Once the price hit $450 or so, it was just myself and another Gentleman. Every time the price went up and I bid, I could just see my Father cringing beside me, thinking about the price. That evening, I could almost see the tears in his eyes twice - when the bidding ended at $590 with my winning bid then later when we were talking with my Uncle who expressed that he was very happy it was staying in the family.

I couldn't be happier myself, and now have to purchase a new set of dies and start working up some loads for it. It is in very good condition, with the bluing being almost completely intact, 99% free of any pitting, and the stock only has a few very minor dings.

My first instinct is to take it down completely and clean it. But from the searches that I've seen here, sounds like I should just take the wood off and clean it without disassembly - which I'll do. From the sounds of it, probably less then 50 rounds have ever been fired through it.

Second instinct is to clean the wood up and re-apply some oil. Looks like some Murphy's soap and snake oil is the best way to go on this?

Any help with clarifying the model number, best way of cleaning up the stock without refinishing, would be greatly appreciated.

This will be a rifle that will be taken to the range enough to work up some good loads and hunted with, and shot on occassion after that. I have other rifles that I shoot\hunt with, but just seems like it would be an honor to properly familiarize myself with it at the range and bag a couple bucks. Need to send a picture of the next deer to my Uncle before he passes.

Lenghty first post, but I'm pretty excited.

Stephen

That would be an R. I personally don't think you paid too much for it, especially if it has family blood in it.

Looks like a nice gun. Congrats and enjoy.

Randy

Actually, that's the wonderful uncatalogued model made during the war years. Some folks think it's a transition 99R from the pre-WWII version to the post-WWII version, others think it's a 99T with altered checkering.

Since there's no documentation on these (we've seen quite a few, so it's not a "parts" gun), some of us just call it a 99RT.

Congrats, that's a beauty and I'd love to add one like it to my stable. The d&t for the scope mounts wasn't factory, that was done after market.

For the stock, I wouldn't do a thing - can't get rid of dings without refinishing, and that should be a last resort. Lots of us use a product called Snake Oil (www.oldwestsnakeoil.com) sparingly on the stocks and metal to help preserve them, others don't do much of anything except keep them out of excessive humidity.

For a cleaning, shouldn't need to go any farther than removing the forearm and the buttstock. Can get to most of it from that point. Can also get tricky taking more than that down. Be very careful not to bugger the screwheads.. and you'll need a LONG screwdriver to remove the stock bolt.

Welcome to the forum!

Just for the fun of it, I would like to know the length of the barrel as the R's were 24" and the T's 22". Can't really tell from the picture.

Randy

Thanks for the quick replies. Took another look at the R and T models on Savage99. I was kind of confused when I first looked there, as the "R" model referenced there has the 22" or 24" barrel, but doesn't have a reference to having checkering on the forearm. The "T" had checkering on the butt and fore, along with a mention of a red bead on the front sight, but only 20" or 24" barrels.

This piece has the 22" barrel along with a faded red tint on the bead. The stamping on the boss is "3" which I haven't seen a reference to yet.

Thanks for the welcome and the info! (Can't wait to look at the rest of the site, as any site with campfire on it has to be full of good stuff).

It's an undocumented model.. it's probably 24" like the pre- and post-war R's, but there's also no reason that Savage couldn't have modified the 99T to be a 24" barrel along with altering the checkering.

Arguments to be made both ways. Call it a WWII 99R, or a late version 99T, or a 99RT.

Remeasured the barrel just to make sure. From tip to base of chamber, definitely 22". Kind of curious to find out what the boss code stamping means though, looks like the stampings with alphabets started in 1949 with "A"? Anyone know what the stamping "3" designates?

This is kind of like a puzzle, but with a trigger ... loving it. Again, thanks for the feedback, I'm so happy with this right now that I could bring the rifle to bed, but then The Lady may not quite like that.

If it has a 22" barrel I think you can make a better case for it being a modified T.

But I have no objection to calling it an RT

Boss letters did start with A in 49. Your "3" stamping probably indicates an inspectors code.

Kachad

Congrats on your Find and Nice Rifle
I Have a Few "99RT" or as some say Lunch Box Specials
My self.
The Number 3 is a Inspectors Mark
I Have 2 with the Same Mark
Steve

Now your going to find out why eveybody like their 99(s).

Enjoy your "new" 99.

Beautiful rifle. It looks great and only you can know if you spent too much on the rifle. I think it was a good price. tell us how she shoots

I've got a 99 RT with serial numbers just a little later than yours (432XXX). Mine's a 30-30 with a 22" barrel and probably my favorite hunting rifle. You did good picking this one up.

Rod

I think once you start shooting that 99, you will forget about your other rifles. I have a few in my safe, but there is nothing like a 99. I only have one, bought a just about 3 years ago after wanting one for many years. I have an old EG in .300 Savage and it is really nice with just some honest wear, by no means a closet queen. You won't want to shoot anything else. I'd like to get to a Savage Fest and pick up another, maybe in 250-3000!

Thanks for all the feedback, really appreciate it. Picked up a box of cartridges at Cabelas today, kind of spendy. Hopefully will grab some range time this Sunday. Will be ordering in the new dies and have to pick up some IMR 4064 powder - looks like that is the powder of choice for this caliber. I typically use Varget for my 30-06, because I like it's reliability with temperature changes (MN WI hunting), but always looking for an excuse to play with different powder.

Also, I usually just use CLP for maintenance, but since your not supposed to break down these 99's like I would most other rifles, picked up some Birchwood-Casey Gun Scrubber. I think it's one of the few cleaners that use trichlorehthylene - figure that's probably the best for flushing out the action.

Doesn't look like a ton of information on the web about reloading this caliber, can't wait to dig into that a bit further.

p.s. Snakeoil is on order, thanks for the suggestions.

Stephen

Varget would do fine in the .300. I use Re15 as do a lot of folks around the fire. Also had good luck with some I4895. Come to think of it, I don't know what's 'bad' in the .300. the .303 also shoots well with lots of different propellants!

That gun scrubber might do a major discoloration of your brass rotor...

I don't let any of the stuff anywhere near my 99's. Let us know what happens.

Thanks for the heads up. I sprayed and soaked some brass cartridges with it this morning and didn't see any discoloration. Don't know if that's a valid test, but thought I would try it out before using it on the 99.

Varget is a good choice for the 300 savage. Take a look at the Lyman 48th edition Reloading Hand book. Accurate and fast loads with low pressure with 150 and 180 grain bullets.
Good Luck Steve

Welcome aboard. Sounds like you're going about it methodically and intelligently. Kudus for that. So many people just rush in with little knowledge and end up wrecking a family heirloom.

Be careful. "The Savage goblins'll getcha if ya don't watch out." (Apologies to Little Orphan Annie) It's almost impossible to stop at owning just one once you wander in from the Dark Side!