Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Savage 99 .300 savage

I'm new to Savage collecting and will be receiving a 1949 built model 99. I'd like to know what model it is. It has a beavertail forearm, no sling studs, not drilled, 24 inch barrel, 300 savage in excellent condition.
Any help in identifying a model would be appreciated.

1949 and "Beavertail" don't matchup. Most made in 1949 would be EG's (Schnobel forend)and possibly a few R's.

So that we don't give you a wrong answer...
Do all the numbers match, butt stock, receiver, forearm...?
Can you provide a photo?
How do you know it is a 1949 production? What is the serial range?

99EG:



99R:

The serial number is 504XXX and I'll keep trying to post a pic.
Thanks

Also would the 150 grain .300 Savage Hornady Superformance ammunition rated at 2740 MV be safe and practical to shoot. Pressure, stress on stock etc?
Thanks

Definitely would be safe to shoot in the action, as long as there is no pre-existing damage to it already. And as I understand it, the SuperPerformance doesn't have higher pressures than normal factory ammo, it just might keep a high pressure for a mite longer. I don't think that would be much more of a risk for getting the Savage crack behind the tang than normal ammo.

But the chance for the Savage crack to show up is always there.

My hand-loads in my 1953 Model 99 (EG) from all the different powders I've tried all the IMR powders from IMR3031 through IMR4320 + H4895 which have yielded 2630 fps to 2685 fps and no game I've shot with it ever "complained" it was a "tad" slower muzzle velocity than a .308 Winchester which was designed FROM the .300 Savage cartridge.

The highest "consistent" muzzle velocity I ever got outta my Model 99 was a 5-shot average of 2707 fps using powder I bought in 1995. After 1995, every can of IMR4895 I bought yielded a little lower average muzzle velocity until 2007 when the IMR4895 only yielded a M.V. of just 2547 fps with a 150 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullet.

That's when I changed from IMR4895 to H4895 and got a very consistent 2635 fps � 3 fps, regardless of the outside air temperature, with very good accuracy. I still use 40.8 grains of H4895 as my deer hunting load... .2 grains UNDER the "maximum" book load for the .300 Savage cartridge.

The SAAMI maximum chamber pressure listed for the .300 Savage is 46,000 C.U.P. (Copper Units of Pressure).

As concerns the year of manufacture, here is some excerpts from my files on Model 99 ages. Draw your own conclusions. Note the inclusion of comments from Rick99 in RED. Rick99 is our resident Savage Guru:
:
1948: 494,000, 513996 (It would be a 1948 production-Rick 99)( Ref: #5160xx-no LBC-"I would say 1948. Most have a "*" or "3" stamped on them. The date code (Lever Boss Code or LBC) started around the 517xxx range."-Rick 99

1949: 528,000 (The change to the LBC with number and letter started at around 520,000 which I think was near the start of 1949.-Rick 99)

1950: 566,000 581260, 582xxx

As concerns Lever Boss Codes (LBC's). The most accurate way to determine the age of a Model 99 made from 1949 to 1968 was the LBC. Here is an explanation:

Savage began using what we call the Lever Boss Code ("LBC") in 1949. The LBC begins with a number (the inspector's number) followed by a letter which indicated the year of manufacture. In 1949, the letter used was "A". In 1950, they went to "B", in 1951 to "C", in 1952 to "D" and so on to the letter "Y" in 1971. The letters "O" and "Q" were skipped due to their similarity.

Apparently... and for unknown reasons, some rifles were pulled off the assembly line and set aside. Then, later, they were put back on the line and the manufacturing process was finished. This created a situation wherein the rifle's serial number may not accurately ascertain the year of manufacture for SURE. Thus, we can fall back on the Lever Boss Code to determine the year of manufacture if the rifle has one.

All the Model 99s (to the best of my knowledge) manufactured from 1949 through 1968 (inclusive) had Lever Boss Codes inside a small, lightly embossed OVAL located on the lower front side of the receiver opposite and just above where the lever rotates. Often, the OVAL in which the LBC is stamped and the LBC itself are so lightly impressed that it requires a magnifying glass to see them... and then, some of the OVAL and/or the LBC may be too lightly stamped to be fully determined.

I hope this further helps you....


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

My 99PE's and DE don't have LBC's. Maybe they got lost during the engraving process. David

Thanks for all of the detailed information on my questions I look forward to being a part of this forum as I get further into my Savage shooting and collecting. I plan on leaving my 99 as is with open sights only. Most shots here in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan are under 100 yards. Looking forward to taking a nice white tail this November. I have both Remington 150's and the Hornady 150's. I'll see which are most accurate . Does anyone use the 180's?
Larry

have used Fed. 180's on bear and feral hog successfully. But 150's are my "go to" round for deer...

All this talk of which bullet works for this and that has me chuckling. I have yet to fire a shot when hunting with a Savage. When they see me with one, deer just wave a white flag and ask for directions to the butcher shop.

But the 180 Corelokts do work.....or else it was the plaid.



Although, no plaid worn on this one or the buck in my sig line area....so maybe not.

Good looking deer and rifle...Looking forward to doing the same with my 99 this year in Michigan's UP!
Looks like Remington now only makes the .300 in 150 grain. I would think that would work just as well.

Sorta OT but I used to hunt in Michigan and used a 99. Used to hunt in the Skanee area. Where are you from there?

Originally from the southern part of the state and now live In Negaunee just outside of Marquette. Love it, beautiful country. I've been hunting up here in the UP for 30 years.

Copper Country is King. Have relatives in Ontonagon and L'Anse. Back in the day we used to lease a section from Ford and called our camp Camp Major. Big log cabin that's probably collapsed and overgrown by now. UP is splendid and Pasties are great eats. I'll shut up now. Sorry for the hijack.

Just picked up the new 99 today and it is better than expected, looks close to new and barely fired! It was my error when I first posted the serial number...it is 514 not 504XXX as originally posted. There is no oval/LBC that I could find on the receiver. So given the info Ron T provided it looks like I'm the new owner of an excellent 1948 99R!
Thanks for the input.

Not on the receiver. Look on the lever boss just above the lever hinge. There will be an oval stamped their with a # and a letter in it. The letter will tell u what year the rifle was manufactured.

To early for a lever boss code,they didnt start untill around 566,000

My new 99 has a good looking brass bead insert in the front sight. Was that the standard sight?