Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Rifle Mag. 32/40 "Target" 99 saw yesterday

FYI everyone--couldn't find the previous post of a few wks ago about the 99 featured in Rifle Mag--the writer couldn't figure out what it was or if it was special ordered.
Saw one in flesh yesteday at a local gun show. Exactly like the gun in the story--octagonal barrel, flip down front sight, Lyman rear tang sight, cocking indicator on the bolt, curved buttplate. Had been brought back from the dead so the owner said including reblue and new color case work too.
Anyone know much about these guns? Looks like more than one were made for sure
Sorry, but didn't get the serial number off it.

reblue equals death to the collector market

Was this the article? https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth..._very_cool_article_on_savage#Post4331839

The .32-40 featured in RIFLE was simply a standard model with an octagon barrel. The only things special about it, other than its condition, are the sights. And those sights were most likely after-market additions. It is a rifle with a rather high serial number for a .32-40 and that makes me guess it was made during the parts clean-up time that followed Savage's decision to discontinue all of the Winchester calibers except for the .30-30. The author's statement that this .32-40 was not a hunting rifle simply means it wasn't owned by a hunter. Also, his method of breech-seating the cast bullets is often used but it means you must keep those rounds very clean before firing them. The bullet lubes attract all kinds of fine particles of sand, or so it seems. It's a good story.

like2shoot--yes,that't the thread.

303Mike--the (older) gent who was selling this gun was pretty straight up about it. He said it was a basket case when he got it. Said he pd. $500 for it, missing the forearm and it had gone patina. He found a forearm for the octagonal barrel, but it had checkering (kind of like fleur-de-lis), so he had the stock checkered to match. (IMHO,the stock checkering wasn't very good) He'd have been better off sanding off the forearm checkering I think. So it had reblued barrel and reciever, color case redone on lever and buttplate--the metal work did look pretty good to me. He was asking $1,000 and said he had over that in to the gun.
But, it seems there are two of these out there--kind of coincidence if each was a special order done exactly the same? Maybe they were a limited run, or sales samples?

SteveS, I don't think we should call those guns "sales samples." Savage would not have made example of rifles with barrels or calibers they were discontinuing. Like I said, those rifles had standard options and they were made in standard calibers. The fact is that those options and calibers, especially when they are on the same gun, are rare enough today to make those guns quite desirable. And, having one that is nicely re-built is much better than not having one at all. Shoot sharp, Mike

Thanks for the heads up on the options--didn't know about them.
Didn't buy the gun by the way--spent enough on my vacations this summer already! Plus, I don't reload yet, so couldn't see getting something in 32/40, even if it's available, I doubt it's cheap. Also don't need another gun project for a while--to sand off the checkering or find replacement wood--have enough projects going now!

Just thought you guys might be interested

having one that is nicely re-built is much better than not having one at all.

as long as your $$ ain't tied up when a good one shows up