Just a heads-up for you guys.

99RS

I was a little frustrated with some of the comments in the classifieds thread. Some of you guys have been posting in the Savage forum for quite a while. When potential buyers see your "skeptical" comments, it creates doubt. Much like the drive-by media, false statements are made and the masses are left to try to figure out what to do with them. Specifically:

"OK, call me a skeptic. To me it looks like a very nice R with sling eyes and a 70LT added. I could be wrong. A letter might tell. If it was a proper RS it would have had sling hooks. Just saying. Still a nice rifle."

"sling hooks"? The studs and sling swivels are 100% correct for an RS. Can I see some pics of a UTICA stamped RS with "sling hooks"? How many forged RS's have you seen? Especially with the correct flat-bottomed studs?

The serial number of the rifle is 403xxx. Right in the range of known RS's, but beyond the range of serial numbers that detailed records are available for (from what I understand). So, any remaining skepticism on it's originality rests fully on the easiest RS characteristic to replace . . . the Redfield sight. Wow. So, someone wants to forge an RS and they get down to the easiest thing to find (the Redfield sight), and they make the mistake of falsely simulating that characteristic . . . seems far fetched.

I pulled the gun out of the safe to look at it again, and after handling it, I decided I was crazy to sell it. While I was at it, I took some more pics.

Smart move Phil.

It is one beautiful rifle. My RS looks just like yours except it has the 70LH and no sling. Condition is no where near yours, but boy does it shoot straight.

Sorry this all went south for you and it is no longer for sale. These pre war 99 R/RS's are one of my favorite Savage 99's. This one is about as nice as you can find and in my opinion was reasonably priced. No doubt in my mind that it is an RS. Bet you won't be sorry for hanging on to it in the future either. Tom.

Worst thing you could have ever done.

NEVER, EVER, touch a 99 before you sell it cause you'll do exactly what you just did every time, then your safes begin to look like mine.......all 4 of them.

I would still be interested to know what is stamped on the front of the frame and whether anyone knows for certain whether RSs were stamped RS or just R. (Trying to learn something here not doubt the integrity of the OP.)

Just pulled the forearm. The frame is stamped with an 8.

Thanks for taking the time to do that. I do not own an RS, and I own only one R, #386,7XX. I just pulled the forearm, fully expecting to find an R on the front of the frame. Guess what was there instead - an 8.

I was under the impression that 99s from that era had the model designation stamped on the frame. I guess all didn't. Hard to figure out what is consistent with Savage and what isn't.

R's and RS's were stamped with 8's. Other models had the model. Why? Dunno.

And somebody "might have" swapped the 70LH for a 70LT on it, but considering the right sling studs and right swivels I have to think it's correct. Or more likely somebody ordered it with that sight.

I hope you didn't include me in the people who criticized the rifle by mentioning the RT sight. As far as I'm concerned it was probably a factory upgrade. If I didn't have an RS nearly identical to it I would have tried to buy it. The sling bases and sling swivels are correct for a pre-war RS.

I'm on the other side of the fence, I think the sights been changed or the knobs have been.

The catalogs clearly show that the 1940's RS came with an LH, they even show a picture of it in the catalog and I see nowhere on the price list where it can be ordered with an LT.

Special order? Maybe but doubtful.

Sweet looking rifle, I would be plenty proud to own it!

Not sure what you all mean by LT and RT. If its the knobs on the Redfield 70, then those are easily changed. I've always called those Hunter and Target knobs. Savage may have did it themselves to set the rifle up for its original owner. As I understand it, the later RS had the Redfield 70. Thank goodness it isn't a post war Clubber R. That is a nice rifle.

I've got an RS that's very close to that serial number. Identical except for the knobs. Switched sight or switched knobs, I'm confident it's an RS.

This is perfect example of why I don't sell anything on the campfire anymore. People who have zero intention of buying it should keep their comments to themselves unless it is a positive remark about the item or the seller. Actually, most of the time it is from people who have little knowledge about what they are talking about. Go over the Winchester forum to see this on grand display everyday of the week. I use it for comedy.

Nobody knows how that 99RS rifle left the factory.

Note: Target knobs are better than the hunter knobs anyways. I have changed them. I would be the guy back then to call Savage and say send it with Target knobs, or not at all.

Phil, the next time you feel weak, put me on the interest list. On a daily basis I'm broke. But, I have a secret stash of liquid assets, a little silver and gold, for when I get weak, and that one made my knees wobble, Joe.

WOW. You guys sure the T knobs
Year are for the ever elusive RST? Or is it TSR...SRT?

Most of you guys are so cheap, you'd squeeze a nickle till the buffalo sh*its!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He had the gun for sale for about half what it was worth.

Go figure, don't like the sight that's on it, buy one that you thinks right and sell the first one. Kinda a break even deal. If I didn't all ready own RS's 2-250's & 1-300 it would have been gone at the first posting.

My RS's will be the last ones to go. Even if the girls sell them at a garage sale. That is if they follow my instructions. GW

PM sent

And on and on it goes. It was a rifle for sale folks and it's worth what ever someone wants to pay for it. The seller made the correct choice.

It's really too bad this happened. A guy selling a firearm shouldn't go through this type of scrutiny unless he is a proven schmuck. If people want to debate certain characteristics of a specific 99 then they should just post a picture of a rifle in their collection and let the members make their comments. That would be an actual classroom exercise and one I think would be interesting. My collection is humble (and may become even yet humbler) and contains none of the exotic models I've heard other members speak of. So all I'm really saying is that we should keep our comments appropriate to the thread in which they are posted. I'd also like to see some of the more rarer models debated but also within the appropriate context.

To bad what happened?

He had it in his hands and changed his mind about selling it.

Don't really see what all this hype is about?

My opinion exactely!! The classifieds are not the place to nitpick a sell apart. If you don't care for or think the sell is correct, keep on moving. All the other stuff is between the
buyer and seller.


Steve

+1 on the above.

Mike

Missed the all bruhaha but I'm glad it wasn't offered to me in Canada at that price as I have a soft spot for that model. Only seen a 303 R in that price range.

It's a really nice rifle at the end of the day! Glad to see it remain in a good home.

If it had been for sale within 300-ish miles of me, without a doubt I would have bought it cash on the barrel head and face-to-face. Send the money and pick it up at a later date, whenever it was mutually convenient.

The arguing over the minutiae is stupid. Either the rifle is worth the asking price, or it is not. In this case, it was a fantastic rifle at a bargain price from a GREAT GUY. What the hell is not to like about that????

Bickering about little sh1t is stupid, especially when most of the disagreeable parties had no frickin' intention of buying it in the first place.

Anyway, had the rifle and seller been anywhere near here, I would have sent cash-money in a small box and picked that gorgeous rifle up at sometime in the future.

What a balls-up.

Steve

Yup , I was only about $700.00 short of buying it! Is a Nice rifle!

i've heard it a million times. It's the internet GET OVER IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Either open your wallet or close the yap trap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Over at the Smith and Wesson forum, the only response to a for sale ad is "I'll take it. PM Sent".

I never liked it much, but now I see why it is in place.

The downside is someone can post a gun with serious flaws in the description, and no one can "help" with it. Either the seller is a crook or in most cases doesn't know any better. Either way, a newbie can get burnt, and no one is there to help.

Charlie

Couldn't you post a warning thread on a seller if they were a know problem?

Standard practice on the campfire is that saying anything not positive about the gun takes place in forums other than the Classifieds. Some people don't follow that.

Standard practice for "some" isn't always followed by "some". As far as I am concerned, criticism shout be in the form of a PM, unless something specific is asked for by the poster.

At CGN the equipment exchange is set up so that nobody but the poster can post in a thread, it's p.m. only.

That said can this be deleted Rick? It's like a bad hangnail.

I'll talk to Rickbin about putting you in charge then.

There's a dead cat in my driveway which I'm considering posting in the classifieds, strictly for fly tying materials. After following this thread, perhaps I won't. I wouldn't want people commenting about its squashed condition or its collar and tag. More's the pity, as there is a lot of usable fur there. On the other hand, I would hate to see somebody buy it thinking they were getting a good pet for their grand daughter.

The pre mil and R/RS designations for the Savage 99 can be confusing to some. Especially the fact that a pre mil 99R can be made to look exactly like a pre mil 99RS with a few additions/changes. Without a letter from the Savage Historian or some other verification they would look the same. As most know, Savage records are mostly missing for this time period. One of the biggest factors for me is the correct "flat top" sling studs that were factory installed on the RS. Really all we need to think about is that with the RS has some added features externally that adds to it's value. An R in RS clothing is still worth more than an R. Please feel free to correct any of my statements. I am always learning when it comes to Savages. Tom

This is STILL for sale boys, don't all rush, my pm box is getting pretty full!

Oh Man, if it only came in silver and on a tomato. Tom

I can make that happen!

Trade you a slightly used cat for it.

I'm sorry, I want a current picture of that collectible just in case it's incurred some "safe dings".

Wish I would have kept them plastic savage emblems that fell off my lightweight hunter and my 220 slug gun. Planning on shooting the skunk in the hay barn..........

Seems to me the issue has developed into what should and shouldn't be said in the context of a sale. I look as it as the "right" thing to do. If you have issues with the item being sold then PM the seller. If the seller is a known problem, meaning that you have nothing short of direct evidence of it, then do the "stand-up" thing and post your own thread as a warning. But then that requires some fortitude and god knows it's tough expecting some folks to rise from the passive to the active. I'M NOT SAYING THAT HAPPENED HERE but with each passing year my tolerance for BS seems to get increasingly thinner. That's all...

Meeeeeee too! Problem is, everyone's so full of BS they disagree on what constitutes BS, which is pure BS. Everyone knows what BS is, and if they don't they're full of BS and I'm tired of their BS anyhow.

Case in point, a lot of people think LBK is full of BS. I think that's BS. If I had to guess I'd say he's only about half full of BS. I got him beat easy.

I like that!

Yeah, but how do we know you're not full of BS?!!!

BS is ok, but have you ever tried moose sh*t? Far tastier, with a woodsy tang to it. My personal favorite is squirrel sh*t, but geez it's hard to collect. I have a friend who's gone batshit but that's getting too far off topic.

FB2 - I'll just flat out tell you that I'm not full of BS. That's the best I can do and that's the best it gets. The rest is up to you. Having said that I will admit to being full of crap but every day after my morning constitutional I remind myself that I now am a little less full. And some days, unfortunately, that is the best it gets. Its a lifetime battle against an enemy that always seems to hold the high ground.

We're all just having fun talking Savages.

Well, it seems I kind of kicked the hornet's nest.

Let me be the first to say that I am all in favor of calling a spade a spade. I had absolutely no problem with Dave pointing out the fact that the sight was not consistent with what was supposed to come on a 99RS. That was a value-added post, in my opinion. Frankly, I had forgotten that the sight was the 70LT instead of the 70LH. I did not mean to mislead any potential buyers.

I felt like the post started to go south when the authenticity of the rifle actually being an 99RS started to come in. It should go without saying, but if you aren't completely sure of something, by all means send a pm or post a question in another forum. Inaccurate posts, especially when they have to be corrected by the seller, can place a seed of doubt in potential buyers and kill the momentum of a classified ad.

There are a lot of knowledgeable guys on this forum. I'd encourage you to use that knowledge to defend posts and state your opinions firmly. There are several posts in this thread that are perfect examples of this and would certainly be enough to support the sale of this nice rifle, if I'm ever dumb enough to think about crossing that bridge again!

Lastly, I have no hard feelings toward anyone. I've received a number of very nice pm's from you guys apologizing for the direction of this thread and the classifieds thread. I certainly didn't feel those apologies were necessary. Heck, I'm the one that started this mess. This isn't life and death, and life is too short to hold grudges.

I never saw a problem with authenticity, it's a legit RS, the knobs are minimal.

As for George seeing sling eyes instead of studs well you gotta realise the old farts eyes ain't what they used to be!

Bwahahahaha!!

Don't make me no never mind Joe. Call me an a$$hole or call me your friend, it's all the same on the internet. Sorry, just spit my false teeth out reading some of the above posts. And to the OP, sorry, I was just speaking my mind. If you don't like it repeal the 1st Amendment.

Go to bed, what are you doing online at 3:51 am.

What am I doing up at 3:51 am?

Joe, I'm with you..Phil, if you reconsider and decide to sell, I would like to be in the bidding..Yes, I said bidding..

Joe, I used to work the night shift and lunch was from 3-4 AM. I checked out the site every day, and there were 13-14 members on line most every night. Always wondered what on earth they were doing up at that time, Joe.

And your answer is?

Hey, I'm on the left coast and you're 3 hours east of me so it was only 12:51 am my time.

Ya, had a brain fart.

Norm sometimes calls me at 11:30 at night thinking it's 8:30 here as well, haha, all good!

Nuthin good happens after mid nite....less u be fishing.

Or in Vegas.