On a number of occasions lately, I have had someone tell me they own a model "M" 99. The latest was today, and he stated that it was a post s/n 1,000,000 with monte carlo stock, and rotary magazine, stamped "model Savage 99M". I can find no such model listed in Murray's Book "The Ninety-Nine" History of the Savage 99 Rifle, 3ed Edition. Can I get a varification???? Is this an oversite on Murray's part? Thanks for the help. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I have seen a model M .Just as you described, aluminum rotor, straight taper barrel, and in 284 cal. Yes, I'm still kicking myself, but in my defense, I had just got a Savage "FIX" (a 308 model F) just a couple weeks before running into the M, so I passed.

The "model M" is not a model at all, this is printed in several books. It appears on DL's, some F's, some CD's and god only nows how many receiver d'jours that were pumped out during that time frame.
Originally it was a way for the factory to mark frames that were destined to be fit with a "M"onte Carlo stock.

So all those times you see a Model M offered for sale, you can be sure the seller doesn't know his 99's <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

A little bit of additional information on the "M" designation on late M99's: I have two of them with the "Model 99M" marking on the receiver. The earliest is a .308Win with decent wood and cut checkering with what appears to be an oil finish. The barrel has the rear sight boss, the trigger is gold colored, safety is the tang type and the serial number is 1,052,xxx. I estimate that the year of production is 1963.

The second rifle is a .284Win with impressed checkered buttstock and forend with what appears to be a urethane finish. Wood quality is not too bad. The barrel is of a straight taper configuration without a boss for the rear sight. Trigger is gold and of course it has the tang safety. Serial number is A652,xxx. Estimated year of production is 1971.

Both rifles have monte-carlo type buttstocks with aluminum buttplates and factory equipped with fixed sling swivals. Magazine rotors are aluminum. Both rifles are equipped with 22" barrels.

Forends are similar in shape to those of M99F rifles.

Murray's book covers the topic of the "M" designation in the section dealing with the M99DL rifles; and as RAM points out, is not a specific model designation but rather an indicator of a rifle equipped with a monte-carlo buttstock. The impression is that only M99DL rifles were marked with the "M" designation.

I consider that both of these rifles are M99DL's. I have never encountered a M99F with the "M" designation which is not to say that such does not exist.

I have retro-fitted the .284Win with later wood of the M99CD type which has cut checkering, monte-carlo buttstock and beavertail type forend. The fit is perfect and the rifle takes on a whole new look which is more pleasing to me than the ugly impressed checkering with which the rifle was issued. The original wood has been retained to preserve whatever collectiblity the rifle may have.

I trust that this information may add something to the discussion regarding the "M" designation.

RAM, I don't get it. If it says" Model 99M " , and I have seen it myself, why is it not consided a model M? I know it fits the factory DL product description, BUT .....If you had RAM tatooed on your fore head, I would hesitate to call you Steve. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

And because I have "Mom" tatoo'd on my arm you'ld presume I was a mother?

1.)Because there is no cataloged model "M"

2.)Because AT LEAST three (3) catalogged models have the "M' stamping on them, so if one of them IS an "M", what are the other two ?

3.) Because that's the factory's written explaination.


Is it deceiving? yes. Could the factory marked them another way? yes Did they?no.

Just another one of the mystery's