Hi guys -

I took a gamble on a buy-it-now on GB with few photos, and got this 1933 vintage 99A in 300 Savage the other day, S/N 342765 . The first pic is the GB sale photo. Other than being in dire need of a cleaning and the usual tang crack repairs, it is in very good condition for a $450 rifle. The bluing is in generally excellent condition, a few freckles and scratches. The thing that surprised me is that it is a solid frame rifle with a take down barrel installed on it. There is plenty of grime and consistent bluing that I am sure that the barrel has been on the rifle for a very long time, if not factory installed. It has a regular forearm screw lug, no cut in the frame for the takedown forearm keyway. What do you all think, was this T/D barrel factory installed during the depression years? I have posted some pre-cleaning pictures to show the grime and rust line. thanks for your thoughts, HH

[img]https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/12981189[/img]
[img]https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/12981189[/img]
[img]https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/12981189[/img]

BTW I tried to add the photos as suggested in a previous thread - didn't quite work but I think you can get there from here.

You are using the wrong image address. It needs to be of each picture - not the gallery link.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/gallery/80/medium/75693.jpg

Par for the course. Savage used TD barrels on a lot of solid frame guns from the mid-20's 'til whenever. It would seem they had a glut of those barrels and just used them up rather than scrap them.

All the solid frame .22 HP's have takedown barrels and we have seen a few solid frames with TD barrels in other calibers

I've got a 1932 99R with a takedown barrel on it. So as the others have said, it's not "common", but if they were the same profile and length Savage didn't have a problem with doing it.

The 99-A was discontinued in 1937 and the take-down version(99-B) was discontinued in 1934. I assume that with the old style crescent butt plate these models lost favor and sales dropped. It is common to find take-down barrels used on solid frame rifles. I would say that there is little doubt that the barrel on your rifle is original to the rifle.

Very cool, thank you all for your replies. I can't wait to get the tang cracks glued up and give her a try. After scrubbing out all the crud, the bore is nearly mint so she should be a good shooter. We drew Area 75 antelope tags and Area 7 elk tags, so this might do some pot filling this fall.