It was worth waiting for. anyone recognize it?

Ron Coburn’s rifle. Pg. 118-120 in your book.

Nice. REAL nice.

Superb! Congrats.

Beautiful.

Hunt that puppy!
"Nice" GW

WOW!

Stunning !

Unreal !!!!!!!! Cant get any better then that,beauty !!

WOW!!

Triple WOW! Don’t know what else can be said.

David, is that a Rentzschke?

Super! What a treasure, for sure.

Ron asked me to donate it to the Cody Museum eventually. It'll go there when I'm too decrepit to take it to collector gun shows.
Rick, it was probably done by one of the German engravers like Gustave Kirchner. The O'Conner rifle which was produced at about this time was done by Gustave Kirchner according to his family. The O'Conner letter is dated June 14th, 1976, and the inscription on the bottom of the receiver to William J. O'Conner is dated September 1969. Rentzschke had left Savage employ by that time. The rifle I got from Ron is closer appearance wise to the rifle that Savage presented to Joseph V. Falcon in December 1967. The serial number places it between the O'Conner rifle and the Falcon rifle. I think J.R. LaRue sold the rifle to Ron many years ago. Ron doesn't have any provenance on the rifle. I'll request a Cody letter on it right away.
These three rifles will be covered in great detail in the new book. Looks like it's going to have 800 plus photos.
Thanks for all the comments, David

WoW David, You scoring that is an expression of trust for sure! You have officially become the keeper of Savage history! Nice to be able to hold a thing like that before it goes in a glass case.


Throw down those pictures next time someone says "post-mil crap"!

Cody's website says they don't letter Savage 99's made after the late 1940's. I left a telephone message for the person who is the contact for the letters explaining what rifle I have.
I just looked over the engraving on the 1,000,000 NRA 99 engraved by Rentzschke. His engraving on this rifle is much shallower and sort of finer than on the 3 rifles mentioned above.

Good to know. And the timeline fits.

WOW!!! Can hear 'Jingle Bells' just comin off your 1st post! Had to go to your book for a double take!

That's a fancy PE.. sweet! PE Plus..

Almost wonder if that wasn't the inspiration for the CE.

WOW!
That's a Ballbuster of a rifle! Beautiful!
Congratulations!
Ed

All right, all right - so how does it shoot?

Hope you didn't have to give too much for it, lots of deep scratches and discolored metal on frame and lever.

All i can say is WOW!! It couldnt be in better hands!! Congrats David.

Joe

Lawdy lawdy lawdy.

The holy grail in my book of 99's is there in that picture!

Thanks for all the comments. He gave it to me. I'm just the custodian until it goes on to the Cody museum.

Noble gesture.

Well as a responsible custodian don't forget to wipe it down after hunting it. You need to use it atleast twice with a picture of it over a nice buck antelope and another over s nice mule deer buck. That way part of it stays with you when it goes to Cody. And only quality libation after use. If you would what is the chambering?

I wouldn't hunt with that gun, as has been suggested, and subject it to possible damage. There are plenty of other 99s to hunt with but you have an artifact of Savage history. That 99 is unique. There isn't another one like it. With that rifle you are a steward of history and, if you ask me, history isn't worth a damn if it isn't preserved for the future. You certainly do have a museum piece in that 99. Nice rifle!

I am very fond of the checkering mixed with carving. Is there anyone that still does this type of work?

I'll keep my post-mil opinion's to myself.

Sling swivel studs, so it can't be original. That's what you guys keep telling me about my '57 99F.

Seriously, a rather nice piece you have there.

The rifle is a piece of art and I wouldn't consider shooting it or hunting with it. Things can happen. Here is an example below. 99DL, 284. I tripped over a rock covered in snow and landed on the rock with the rifle between me and it. I can't run the risk of doing damage to something as important as this rifle. I wouldn't be keeping the trust Ron Coburn extended to me.

The lever has some really great case coloring. Now it's damaged.

I'd hunt that rifle. Hell yeah I would.

All.
Season.
Long.

It's gotta lotta bling, like my sunshiny personality.

So that fact that you dropped the 284 is the bad news. The good news is now you can hunt the piss out of it.

Got to look at the glass as half full.

Whew whee ain't she purdy!

I'll still hunt with the DL. Been using the 99K this season. It's probably time to take the 30-30 SRC hunting. The DL is kind of modern for my taste and I have trouble getting used to the tang safety even though I shoot left handed.

What scope are you going to put on it? Something that classy needs a 4-16x50mm in some Weaver see-thru mounts at least. Seriously nice gun and gesture

That should draw some attension at the next show! Very nice.

I have owned three savage lever rifles that I did not shoot
1. Factory engraved 1895 Stratton rifle. I was worried about damaging it.
2. Nelson prototype , was unable do to caliber was hoping the sale would provide a spent case? Was told the rifle was fired but no spent case.
3. 1899 cutaway 303 savage , just never got around to it but I do believe it was/is fully fireable.

I do have another savage 110 cut away that is not fireable so I will not shoot her.

Maybe you could speak with Ron on the rifle and allow it to be shot in a controlled environment with a donation to Cody ? Some would line up with a donation for the chance to fire and a photo op maybe myself included.

Tell us more...???

1. Factory engraved 1895 Stratton rifle.

Sounds like the one Leroy Mertz has for sale.

Stratton ordered 4 or 5 , the one I had was not the one Mertz currently has. I never did find out who FCT was the initials engraved into her when she was made

I am sure David will have a section on these in his new book

Josh Weiner has the FCT Stratton rifle. CTW, there is a chapter on 1895's. A pic of the FCT initials will be included.

Somewhere around here I have a packing list Stratton made for a hunting exposition/ trip. It does not mention the rifles but talking with curators he was not an avid Hunter . If we could find out who went on that trip may be able to find out who FCT was.

The current owner got a pretty good deal on the pair of rifles because someone could not keep the screwdriver away or at least assemble with correct parts

Just to cover all aspects of the rifle in the book, it's also pictured on the front cover page (or whatever its called) and the back/dust cover of the book.

I hadn't looked at the inside front cover in years. I had completely forgotten it was there. That's the same photo as on the outside back cover and back dust cover. Thanks for the heads up.