After watching this 99 EG on GunBroker for about six weeks, I decided to buy myself a Christmas present.

Here is a link to the listing: https://www.gunbroker.com/item/912076756

I received the rifle yesterday. I have confirmed that the serial numbers all match, and the front of the receiver is stamped EG. The forearm is stamped EG as well. By serial number (361536) this rifle was produced in early 1937, well before checkering became standard on EGs around serial number 387800. Rory posted on the Facebook page that a 1935 price list shows that Plain Checkering was available for $5.00 and Fancy Checkering was available for $7.50. For both it says, “on Grip and Forearm”. There is no mention of checkering on side panels like that found on 99 Ks. I have a price list that was effective February 1, 1937. It does not list any optional checkering, but based on what we know about Savage, that doesn’t necessarily mean they wouldn’t do special checking if asked.

The important question for me is, is the checkering on this rifle a factory option or not? The only 99 I have with 3-point checkering is a 1931 99 K. The 3-point checkering on this rifle is slightly different, but it looks like Savage checkering to me. I have never seen a 1930s vintage 99 with such extensive checkering on a schnoble forearm. Of course, the only 99s in this era that came standard with checkered schnoble forearms were takedowns, so the checkering had to “avoid” the takedown latch.

So, some questions:

1. Does anyone have any Savage literature or other information that would show what was available for optional checkering in the mid-1930s?
2. If this is optional factory checkering, any guesses as to whether this is plain or fancy checkering? With the 3-point checkering on the pistol grip and extensive coverage on the forearm, I might guess that this is fancy, and plain would be more like the 2-point checkering found on contemporary
99 Gs and what would become standard EG checkering later. But obviously this is only a semi-educated guess.
3. For those of you who are familiar with what is available in the ledgers, for a rifle from this time period, is optional checkering likely to be listed in a letter from Cody, or am I just likely to learn that this is an EG that was shipped to So & So on a certain date?

Thanks for any input.

Jack, it looks modified after the fact to me.

Jaaack, on the 1935 pricelist there is:

Extras for Savage Model 99 Rifles
Plain Checkering - $5.00
Fancy Checkering - $7.50

I think that checkering is absolutely right. I'd guess it's the "Plain Checkering", since I think the "Fancy Checkering" would be a K style with side panels checkered.

It's early enough to letter.

That is a sweet EG 303!
It looks like a Savage checking pattern to my eye. After market patterns can be nicely done, but, usually contain obvious differences from Savage patterns.

Up to that point in time the pistol grips like the 99G had 2-point checking as standard. Possibly plain.
Your early EG has the same type of pistol grip and 3-point checking. Possibly fancy.
EG's thereafter have 2-point checking. Possibly plain.

A factory letter might just indicate "checked" or abbreviated "CK" since it was an adder at the time.
Without definitive knowledge or a catalog/advertisement, the plain/fancy checking is just a guess on my part.

I think it would be worth lettering.

The one question I have is that I'm thinking the R's with 3 point checkering from that era also had 3 point checkering on the forearm. Is that right?

This rifle has 3 point checkering on the wrist and 2 point on the forearm. I don't know if that is cause for suspicion or not?

The checkering does look Savage to me though, but I am not an expert in that regard.

The 99R's up to 1935 did have 3pt checkering on buttstock and forearm. But more pertinent in my opinion is that the 99K had 3pt checkering on buttstock and forearm very similar to this one. The major difference is the 99K had the side panels checkered. A minor difference is the 2nd point down on Jaaack's forearm goes farther back than the standard 99K checkering for a forearm.

So very similar to the 1930's 99K checkering, minus the side panels.

Similar isn't factory, similar is faked.

So your theory is that somebody faked the wrong checkering onto an EG? Because finding an example of EG checkering is really, really hard?

It may not be factory. But special checkering WAS available. The standard EG checkering hadn't been created yet. So I don't see how anybody can dismiss this as definitively fake.

I just see variations in the checkering where it was altered. Where's deerstalker?

Here's another 99 with awfully similar 3point buttstock checkering. This rifle dates from 1945. It also has the side panels, which would make it fit the "fancy" checkering option, in my mind.

OK, my mistake. I didn't read as much as look at photos. If these was prior to factory checkering then it's either special order or after market, not altered. My mistake, feel like dogschit today.

Yep, almost 3 years before factory EG checkering.

No problem.. we're all learning here. This is definitely a different one.

Sorry gentlemen, I should have read better.

From what I've seen of the ledgers, I'd guess there is fairly good odds that if anything is recorded it would just be a job number. But even that would indicate something was done to the gun, and it looks like the checkering is the only non-standard thing about it.

I was thlnking the earliest we've seen checkering on the stock of a Spiegel was around this SN range. That might provide some thinking that at this timframe optional plain checkering may have been like EG and fancy like this 3-point.

Most Spiegel checkered buttstocks showed up from 377,xxx and above (Jaaack's EG is 361,xxx). Even if you found an earlier Spiegel with checkering (and I have notes on at least one), you can't rule out that it wasn't just a receiver that got finished 6 months or a year late.

So Jaaack's is early 1937
Checkered Speigel's are mid 1938


Checkered forearms on Spiegel's happened about the same time as checkered EG's.

The checking does look a little crispier than I'd expect.
Even if touched up it's still the same pattern.

Dogchit everywhere is terribly offended.

Funny thing is most all of these rifles fall into non letter able SN? At least the ones with panels

Very nice early EG. Looks completely legitimate to my eyes. I see the same consistent depth and flow as any R from this era. I own 3 rifles with the three finger pistol grip which look totally similar. If it is or isn’t authentic, it would have the same value in my collection. The checkering is top quality

Jaaack's rifle would be in the ledgers. Any standard checkered Spiegel or EG is too late to letter. Cutoff is 371,185 in Nov. 1937 I think.. any records after that consist of only shipping records, not ledgers. Most shipping records just give a date, though some do list model/caliber.

When I first looked at the checkering on Jaaack's EG I thought it was for sure Savage. Just looking at rifles from the mid 30's, I'm now questioning that opinion. The only solid forearms rifles to compare it to is the R/RS and T, neither of which has the Schnobel fore-end. The R/RS had switched to 2 pt checkering by 357xxx. The pads are not checkered and the quality of checkering does not compare to the K so I don't think it would be the $7 option. The part I find most out of character is the excessive amount of checkering on the forearm and how close to the grip cap it is. Also, all of the checkered butt stocks I looked at the checkering outline is curved above the pistol grip at the front vs sharp cornered.

I'm no expert on this subject . I'm only going by what I see on Savage rifles from around the time of Jaaack's rifle. It looks right to most people here so I'd say get it lettered and see if the checkering is logged.

Sure can't complain about the condition or caliber of the rifle!

Rick, I hear what you're saying and the bottom of the buttstock checkering had me leaning to thinking it was non-standard. But when I started searching, I found several like it. On page 71 of David's book, his 99K has checkering just like it. I've found a couple other 99K's with similar bottoms to the checkering.

I don't know what it means. The bottom being squared off and right above the pistol grip is definitely not normal. But special order checkering isn't either. Love to see if anything is recorded in the ledger for this one.

I compared the checking on my 30-30 EG 392742 and do not believe the 2 point checkering could be modified to look like the 303 EG being discussed. According to Murray the 303 361536 EG would be too early to have even standard checking. My gut tells me it was special order checkering and not altered after it left the factory ... simply because the checkering looks factory to my aging eyes.

#343,xxx RS

That's a nice early RS. What is the scope? My first 99 was an early 300 RS with a Weiss mounted in custom fixed Stith mounts... and down the rabbit hole I went.

Thanks everyone for the replies so far, and thanks Roy for the photos of the 3-point on the R.

As I mentioned before the 3-point checkering on this rifle differs somewhat from the 3-point checkering on my 1931 99 K with the biggest difference being the center point on the K is significantly longer than on the EG. But the 3-point on the EG looks exactly like the R that Roy posted with the exception of the location on the pistol grip. The center points appear to be the same length. It is difficult to see in the photos in the listing but with the EG in hand there is a distinct difference in the checkering on the pistol grip and that on the forearm. I don't know how to describe it, but the forearm checkering is more subdued. It doesn't jump out at you like the pistol grip checkering does. Both are 18 lines/inch as best I can measure. I seem to remember that when we were discussing the optional checkering on my 99 D a few years ago, someone mentioned that there was an option that used the words "machine checkering" or something to that effect. On my EG there are some imperfections in the forearm checkering that lead me to believe that the forearm was checkered by hand. Is it possible that the pistol grip was "machine" checkered using the 3-point jig that was used for 99 Rs, but the forearm was done by hand because Savage didn't have the appropriate jig or something special for the forearm was requested? Or, maybe only the pistol grip was done by Savage and the forearm checkering was added later?

I think I'll break down and send for a letter. It may not tell us anything, but who knows?

Or, maybe not! I just went on the Cody website and looked at the Savage Available Serial Number Ranges page. It says for serial numbers "357579-436558 (general date and order number only)". That doesn't sound very promising.

Rick, the scope is a Lyman 438 Field. The checkering has more lines per inch than the EG we're discussing. The shape of the checkering is different.

Yes, the 3pt checkering on the 99R/99RS's that had been discontinued over a year before Jaaack's 99EG had more lines per inch.

The 2pt checkering on the 99R/99RS's (or 99T's, or 99G's) made at the same time as Jaaack's 99EG had a very similar number of lines per inch. I would expect the fancy checkering to give more lines per inch like the 99K continued to have, otherwise they'd probably have gone with standard checkering for the time.

Jaaack, I'm about to send in for a letter. Let me confirm with them that the ledgers stop that early, Callahan had told us the last ledger went higher.

Interesting topic Jack and a beautiful 303!

I'm not sure we've actually ever talked about the early 99R's/99RS's having more lines per inch in their checkering. I "knew" it because I have both, but don't remember talking about it here. Don't think I mentioned it in my book either. So good point..

That’s a lovely rifle no matter who checkered it. The buttstock checkering looks hand done to me. Just one man’s opinion.

Well documented that Winchester went from 20 lpi checkering to 18 lpi checkering on the M70 in 1940.

I have to say that the last picture of Jaaacks checkering on the pistol grip has me saying a no to being factory done. The lines near the grip cap are real irregular in width and not well done. I have never seen checkering as squared off along the grip cap either just not up to factory work. Don

Jaaack, just as an fyi - the Cody folks are out of the office for the holidays and will be back next week. Might take them a bit to clear the backlog and respond to me. But hopefully they will.

OK. Thanks.