Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors savage prices.........I don't care for what I've seen

My great grandfather had both the Savage 99 in .300 and the stuffed coyote he shot with it when I was kid. I was WAY too far down the line to get either when he passed.
<br>For the past few years I have been keeping my eye out for a good deal on a used 99, although I would prefer in .358. So far all I have seen is really beat up stuff for more than I could buy a new BLR for.
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<br>Is this normal? Junk 99's are going for $400.00. What should they be priced?
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<br>Thanks,
<br>Shane

Shane, It is quite true that many of the Savage 99 offerings on the internet are, to put it kindly, overpriced for the condition. Many try to sell rifles that look like they have been driven over (several times) for hundreds of dollars.
<br> Having spent much time in my life as as savage 99 collector (decades before the internet), here's my advice. 1. cruise local gun shops. and not just once every 6 months . stop by frequently and let the folks who work there know that your the guy to call if a 99 (be specific of caliber and style ie: pre-war or post-war, take down or solid frame, etc.) should come in to the shop. I have bought several fine rifles at reasonable prices this way..2. go to the nra.org web site and search for gun shows in your area and go to them early on the 1st day to see what's available. I've seen 99's at gun shows all over the country, but there seems to be a higher concintration in the North East. and 3. Some, but not many, good deals are to be had on the internet, you just have to be very patient, it could take months or a year before the right one comes your way
<br>(that is if someone doesn't out bid you).
<br>I mainly collect post-war F's (pre 1 mil ) myself and will only pay $400 if the rifle has great wood, blueing and bore, or wears a good scope. Needless to say i'm not finding them often. which brings me to my last point, if you come across a 99 that your gut tells you to buy, but you think better and pass. BUY IT or at least put a small deposit, because you'll go back an hour later and it will be gone and you'll want to kick yourself. -I hope this helps and good hunting (99 hunting that is). -Tom T
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What should I be looking for as far as sights, stock options (if any), or other features? How do I recognize a post war, and how do I recognize a take-down?
<br>Is there a price difference in the take-down?
<br>Is calibers other than 300 worth more than the 300?
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<br>I wanted to find a good price on a somewhat beat-up one that I could re-stock and re-blue, which ones should I decide are better collectors as they are?
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<br>Thanks,
<br>Shane

Shane;
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<br>Your direction appears a bit off.
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<br>What do you want to do, collect? hunt? rebuild grey rats into hunters?
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<br>You also appear to be trying to start in the middle and attempting to work out. Go back to the begining. Study West, study Kimmel, study Murray, study savage99.com, and most of all, study this site, and look for other sources on the net. Sure the on-line auctions are ridiculous, but they do provide pictures, something to help you with all your "newbie" questions (no offense)
<br>We lost a lot of good information when G&K went kaput, but this site is building. Read and learn, the questions will follow.

Shane, I will only mount a scope on a 99 if it came pre-drilled from the factory. If you go to savage99.com, you will see "some Tang sights found on 99's", check out the pictures. you will find several being sold on ebay if you search for "tang sights", but the selling prices seem to be more than I used to pay for a whole rifle. many collectors love the Stith brand scope mounts as they use the rear tang sight screw holes and barrel dove tail slot to mount the scope (ie: you don't have to drill any extra holes to mount a scope), but the older scopes that fit these mounts (old weavers for example) are no where near as good optically as, say, a new Leupold is. I am a collector, but I'm a hunter first, so if the optics aren't great, I won't pay $150 for a mount just because it is correct for the period (but that's only my opinion). the serial number is a good indication of pre and post war models, but as you will find by many posts on this forum, Savage didn't keep the best records, so there are always inconsistancies concerning that. If you call information for Doug Murray in Westbury Long Island, NY, you can order his book "The Savage 99" (I recommend this to so many Sav. 99 fans i should get a commission. -haha) it will answer most of your pre/post war questions (although there are some mistakes in that book too). you can tell if its a take-down if it has a release mechanism on the fore-arm stock and an extra piece of metal where the forearm meets the receiver.
<br> as far as prices go, the .300's seem to sell for the least amount of $$ followed by the .30-.30's,.303's and the the .250-3000's and .22hi powers. The prices jump for the, .358's or older hyphinated black powder calibers (such as 38-55). That doesn't include the prized engraved models suck as the K's that sell for thousands of dollars. I hope I answered your questions, but I have to run to take the kids to that Spiderman movie. I'll check in later. - Tom T

RAM,
<br>Thanks for the heads up on the savage99 web site.
<br>I mostly want a huntable rifle without a scope that may need a bit of cosmetic TLC, just to make the price right. The problem is (obviously) I need to know more about the value of the guns and why they are valuable. All I have seen in hock shops and used gun racks is beat-up nasty boat anchors for $450-500.
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<br>TomT
<br>Thanks for answering my "entry level" questions.
<br>I will start paying more attention to the guns I have seen.

First off, Welcome to the club pal.
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<br>You should buy the Murray book about the savage 99. It may run 30 bucks but it's good to help you find stuff. One easy way to tell pre-war from post war is if the address says Utica NY. If so it is pre war. The Murray book will also give you pictures of all the different variations of the model 99 and breakdowns of calibers available.
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<br>Ohhh and once you buy one, you will just keep buying more. It's an addiction.