I'm helping a friend with a few estate items and this gun turned up. It is serial number 32xxx, full round 25" barrel, crescent butt. I think it is a 99A made in 1903 according to my Savage book. It is in 30-30 winchester, no extra holes, no missing pieces. The receiver has no bluing, the barrel is better, a couple of nicks in the crown. The bore got a good scrubbing today and shows promise. There is a big chip at the tang and a hairline wrist crack. Can't think of any other essentials, please look at pictures and advise me as to value and if this gun is best left alone or should it be restocked/repaired. Hunter vs collector etc. Thanks RP

Tang pic

Pic of other side

I would just repair the crack in the wrist and go out and shoot it.
I got an 1895 in 1966 in about the same shape. I went by a construction job my Father was working on. One of the carpenters sort of twisted the crack open, put some good wood glue in it and let it go back together. It's holding up fine 67 years later. I've shot the gun a number of times
over the years and even killed a whitetail with it in 1967.

Repair and shoot. I doubt a new stock would increase the value enough to cover the cost. My 1902 engraved rifle has the same issue. The receiver is all but grey, yet the barrel has pretty nice blue. They did that.

Any guesses on value?

remember when repairing cracks with glue, don't over tighten, I use rubber bands (large size)

Interesting, I make sure it's held together very tight with medical rubber ( or whatever it's made of ) tubing. But I don't use wood glue. I haven't had any issues with repaired stocks this way but I like to learn new things. Why don't you want it as tight as you can get it with latex or rubber or whatever?

I should have said 57 years later. There have been all kinds of improvements in glue since. I don't remember now if we clamped it or just let the wood tighten on itself.
I'll post pics when I get the chance to take them.

this is the top view of the 1895 crack. The second pic shows how far it went. I don't know how many times I've shot the rifle but probably at least 50 to 100. I need gnoahhh to make a Lightfoot mount for it so I can scope it and kill something with it.


figured I might as well include my ugliest 1899, serial # 10.7xx. It's kind of well used.

That zig zag thing on the wrist looks like a crack also.