Anybody have a list of items that would be plated if you paid for these options?

Screws?
Safety?
Trigger?
Buttplate?
Lever?

So far it seems like it's screws for sure.

1900 - Nickel plated trimmings $2.50, Silver plated trimmings $4.00, Gold plated trimmings $10.00.

Here's an example of gold trimmings, I think. Though the gold on the barrel probably isn't standard.






And this 1903 with a few more parts gold plated..

https://www.morphyauctions.com/jame...del-1903-pump-action-savage-rifle-44844/

I like the gold screws. If I were a bit wealthier, I would hunt that one. I don't care for the gold mooses. They make the rifle look like a made for collecting rifle, even if the original owner hunted it. I'd like to see more of the wood on the gold mooses rifle. I think I'd like to mix and match. Yes I know I misspelled mooses.

That rifle looks familiar. I think I photographed it for the new book. Don't have the energy to go through 900 pics right now.

The rifle is Enoch Tue's 1899 that sold at Rock Island in 2018. So no questions about the rifle, one of the best 1899's ever made. Just using it as an example.

https://www.rockislandauction.com/d...ity-savage-model-1899-lever-action-rifle

Curious about the "trimmings" special order option.

That Model 1903, as well as some other guns from the Wes Adams collection that were in the Julia auction, went through Rock Island Auction in 2019. It appears the gun did not get a bid since no realized price is listed.
rockislandauction//76/1112

That gun might not be a good example, I went to the viewing and I'm not sure how much of that gun is factory work, if any, I remember some things about it that raised some questions.

Look at the fine details of the engraving, it just does not look like it's up to the quality I would expect from them at that time. Not pictured - the stippling goes right over the serial number obscuring it to the point that two of the numbers are very hard to read - I would not expect the factory to do that. The fit of the butt plate was not very good. Part of their description is - "Most of the replated nickel remains on the buttplate and slide bar. The replacement stock is very good with missing slivers near the upper tang, crude checkering". The slide bars were always unfinished or jeweled with out any other finish added, this one is nickeled.

PICTURE from Rock Island Auction, 2019


The tang sight is the No 17 for the 1899's and it will not fold down all the way, as pictured it was stuck tight, I did manage to get it flipped up but it did not sit at the correct angle for a 1903. Also on a 1903 that sight has to be adjusted almost 3/4 up just to see over the receiver, not sure if the company would put on that sight. The rear barrel sight has a added piece of tube which is not very well done.

PS, I went to the viewing excited but after seeing the guns from the Wes Adams collection in person I left very disappointed! The cataloger for these in the Julia auction was LM (who I was told is a well know dealer) and there was a lot of very incorrected information put in the descriptions of many of the 22's. Two standard 1903's were cataloged as 'very rare model with only a few thousand made' even thought both had serial numbers over 130,000.

The attachment is a detail of the engraving, look at the curls of the stems and the leaf details.

As a tour de force, an exhibition of craftsmen's skills, they are superb and most enjoyable to view. Would I want one? Oh hell no! I honestly find the beauty in a gun to lie in its well thought out design, clean lines, and careful fit&finish - the rest is just raisins on the cookie. But OMG, do I ever respect the talent of the guys who did that engraving and stock work.

Rory,
Special Order gold inlay on those guns, a few steps above Special Order gold trimmings.
That is typically where gold inlay is placed on barrels.

Thanks, Gene.. so the 1903 probably shouldn't be considered as a factory example. At a minimum it's been reworked to some degree.

Here's another example, this one with nickel plated screws and a birdseye maple stock. Picture isn't the best, but the screws are all that's plated. Obviously the tang filler screws are gone, but it looks like the top buttplate screw might be plated? Safety isn't.

And another example from Maine.. and the safety isn't plated on the other side. It's looking to me like just the screws?

That's as good of theory as any. Unless somebody comes up with Savage's definition of "trimmings".
Of course Savage would do just about anything asked. See also P.J. Noel.

I do have to say, adding 50% of the cost of the gun to just have some screws being gold plated does seem a bit steep.

Here's a link to P. J. Noel's Model 1914, probably a better example of Gold trim - jamesdjulia/item/lot-1092
Trigger, safety, pins and screws including ones for the forearm and tang sight.

Good stuff here guy's.

Really enjoying the pics, and Craftsmanship!

Gene, do you know what that gun sold for? Out of my pay grade but beautiful.

Mike

Mike, I think the price listed is what it brought with premiums added in, so $46,000.