Any information compiled on calibers from rarest to to least rarest.? GW

Seems like 300's are the only ones you ever see for sale. I wouldn't know how to quantify all the others since they're all but unobtainium. I do have one in 303 but man all the others are hard to get.

I have an unfired 99 Brush Gun in 358 Win. Looked for one at shows and LGS for 25 years. Got lucky

I dont think any of them are real common, i still want to find one for hunting, or an RT would also be great. l do have one in 30-30, but cant bring myself to take it out in woods. The ‘T’ is my favorite!

Most common to least:
300 Sav
250-3000
303 Savage
30-30
22HP

Calhoun

Was that from compiled survey done here on the Campfire? GW

The 303 and 30-30 might be reversed in Rick's data... but I've seen more 303 99T's up for sale than 30-30's myself. So I stick with my list.

I can't imagine anybody arguing with anything except whether the 303 or 30-30 is rarer than the other.

So Rick compiled his data here on the campfire some time.? GW

Years ago, and I mean years before I understood the different variants of the 99, I came across a T in 30-30 at a local gun show. A buddy of mine who was with me said “you don’t want that one”, “ you want one in 300.”! Now isn’t that what buddies are for? They always got your back! Sheesh…

I'll keep my buddy, he bought my 1912 30-30 SRC and let me take a year to pay him back. Then this spring before my lawn contracts started coming in, he bought my 1902 engraved rifle, which only took a couple weeks to pay back. Then I gave him a minty 1968 DL in 308 for his B-Day.

In my experience the commonality of the 303 vs the 30-30 is a coin flip.

I'd say the 30-30 is more desirable though because the ammunition is so much more common.

I used to think pre war R's and early pre 27/28 G's were my favorite. Now I'm in the T camp.

The post about not buying the T in 30-30 reminds me of buying my first 1895. I came home on leave for Thanksgiving in 1966. Wanted to go deer hunting and was hoping to find a 300 for sale. There weren't any 300's available so I settled for an 1895 in 303. I paid about $50-55 for it. An EG in 300 would have been $10 to $15 more. I still have the 1895. I think it has appreciated a lot since then even more than an EG would have appreciated.

Talked with Fug, he says he find the 30-30 is easier to find than the 303 in his neck of the wood. In fact he had a really hard time finding a very good 99T in 300 at gun shows.

Well I found one and was "coerced" into buying it. The coercers know who they are. Mt T in 30-30 Win.



And this is my only other T. It is in .300 Rather poor picture

Since we are on the topic of T's, anyone care to take a stab at what percentage of the T's out there have the catalogued T sights on them still? I know my two do not.

One of mine does. One does not.

Very nice, LBK! I'm still missing a 30-30 (and 22HP, but let's get real).

4 out of the 6 of mine have the correct rear sight and 1 has the correct red bead and 2 have a ( correct?) white bead.

I think about 10% of the 99T's that I see for sale have the correct rear sight. Almost none have a red bead front sight, and when they do I'd guess most aren't original.

Plenty of enablers here.........

Nice rifles young man.

Thanks Jim.

My T is high condition (not perfect), has non T sights that were available when it was produced and have the same patina as the rest of the rifle. I think they were put on at the factory.

I have two rears waiting on rifles. Sold a rear out of CMHJohns stuff at Savage Fest.

I have seen a few Ts in 300 and owned one. I have seen one 250 and one 22HP. Never a 303 or a 30-30. I did see a 99RS in 303 several years ago, but I didnt realize what it was

Based off of campfire members' input, it's probably more likely to be this. Most common to least:
300 Sav
250-3000
30-30
303 Savage
22HP


I personally run into less 30-30's, but apparently other people see less 303's.

Roy, that T front sight matches the photo in Figure 6-14 of David's book, but I am going to be cantankerous and say that I believe both of those are modern replacements.

If you look closely at the photos in Murray's write up of the T, which are the same photos as in my 1937 catalog, you will note two things. First, your sight and the one in David's book both have serrations on the front of the sight. The catalog sight does not. Second, the proportions of the two sights are different. The catalog sight is more rectangular in shape with the long side parallel to the barrel while the other two sights are more square.

The catalog sight looks like a Lyman 31 to me. Savage used the Lyman 31 on the R, RS, and K. The 31 was available with a red bead, so it would be easy for Savage to order some red beads along with the other 31s they were buying.

Shooter 303 has different sights









Correct T rear sight but with a notch filed in it.

Here is the rear sight of a T that I had:


and the front sight which had been broken off and pushed into the tube on the sight:

One of my “T’s” has original , the other could be just factory options or period replaced, in the beginning. They are worn and patina’d together.

More pics

I have the Following With T Sights
300 Sav- 2 with
30-30 1 With
250-3000 2 With
303 Sav 2 With

Also
300 Sav- 2 With Out
30-30 1 With Out
250-3000 2 With Out
303 1 With Out

Alot of them where changed out over the years. as you see when they Pop up

Stever, that's a nice pile of T's you have there. I think you might have been ratholing them early before the prices went up and supply went down. Looks like you need one more "303 without" just to keep things even.


Question for the group. How do you value the difference in the "with" and the "without" T's? I've seen the rear sights sell in the $200 to $400 range. Can't say I'm totally sure what a correct red front sight looks like or what its value would be.

Might be the time to collect good T sight photos with serial range and caliber. Mybe we could answer some long-standing questions.

I am always in favor of data collecting. I'll get some pics of my T and send them to you. I'll include data on the one I sold that had a T7 mount. There is a pic of the one with the T7 on page 82 of the collector's guide.

Here are pics of my 250T’s front sights. The red bead we are certain is correct and the white bead looks the same but Lyman is on the opposite side.
https://postimg.cc/gallery/Gsh3Dqr

got it out and took the pics. The rear sight is off on account of I put some weird no drill scope mount on it.
Front sight, marked Marble and Shread.

rear sight

different view of rear sight. It doesn't have any markings but I think it is a Marble.

The catalogs I have for this era don't have many sights pictured.

if someone wants a super legit original T in 303, drop me a PM. I emaiedl Rory some pics as I'm not sure how to upload any longer but need less to say, this gun is a VERY original and barely touched version of a T in the rare 303. Please do not message me if you think you could buy it for less than lets just say $2500. The case color even on the bottom of the lever is quite good and the checkering feels like you could cut yourself on it. Arguably the nicest 303 T in existence. I only wish I had the box and/or hand tags for it.

PM sent.