All:

This is a good question. Savage collecting means a lot of things to different people.

Some just like 99s, some like only pistols, or rimfires, or etc. Some don’t like pre-mils. Others do. There are a 1000 different variables.

For me it breaks down like this.

Zero interest in any Savage pistol.

Only rimfire I like is the 29A.

I really like 99s. My favorites are those built from 1914-60. I don’t mind honest wear, but I totally hate anything not original to the gun. I won’t buy an otherwise mint gun, if it has add on sling swivels. Well, I might buy it so I can trade for something better. The one single exception I have to non originality is notches in the stock to mark game taken with the gun. That is definitely character marks to me. If I kill something with a gun like that, I add a notch. I like stith mounts and receiver sights. Don’t like tang sights. I like post mils in 284. Not a fan of brush guns, but I like my saddle gun in 250. Engraved guns do nothing for me, but I like and pursue Spiegel guns. I don’t buy guns under 90K serial number, with the exception of my one single 1895.

I got more stuff but I will add it later.

You?

Had always had an interest in 99's, but was sidetracked for a number of years by Winchesters. That eventually became no fun, as prices of anything interesting got ridiculous. Had one or two 99's at a time, that I had sort of fallen into. One of the last years I went to the Missouri State Trapshoot, Bass Pro had a booth on vendor's row. They had several 99's including a Spiegel, which was little understood at the time. They had a .250 with checkered stock cheeks and fancy wood, and I had my Visa card. They rubbed on the card, and I took the rifle home. I lettered it, and discovered some interesting history. I was pretty much hooked, and between this site and my deer hunting/trapshooting buddy getting interested in Savages, I was doomed. Over the years I picked up an 1895, a couple of prewar and postwar F's, a G, a couple of T's and so forth. I did pick up one pistol, an A H Fox, and a 23C to kind of round things out. I also strayed as far as a Stevens 425.

Shortness of funds when I was younger, and now old age have kept me from having a bunch more Savages.

At this stage i mostly look for the harder to find model 99’s. In the beginning i bought whatever i saw but that changed pretty quick. I dont like anything with the tang safety no matter what caliber it is. I have a few bolt guns and pump 22’s but everything i have is Savage.

Joe

RAS, you saw some of my collection at Savage Fest 2018.
I like 1899's pre-1914. (the 90k thing is over blown) Some of the most elegant craftsmanship occurred then.
Otherwise I have most other models to 1950, but nothing after that except anniversary models. Thinking about the 125th lately.
I have all models/variations of production pistols. .25's, 38's & .45 are something else.
I like vintage savage pins, fobs, coins and dodads.
Only 1 1905 .22, no shotguns, combos or bolts.
All Murray' books, Bill West, Daniel Stern, James Carr and more.
Probably some other stuff but I'd have to crack the safes and look around the man cave.
So I still have lots of room to grow....

I have two. A 1913 1899H in .303 and a 1930 99E in .300. Both are hunting rifles. I love all things Savage but my main motivation is that I love hunting with a 99.

Darryl

First off, I don't consider myself a collector, per se. I admire Savage lever guns for their utility in the game fields, first and foremost. As I age, I spend less time hunting and more time just bench shooting so that is a factor- I don't know what my Savage future holds in store for me in that regard. I certainly don't acquire them to be building a "collection". My interest in guns is far too varied to devote my limited resources to concentrating on merely one make- one make that in truth isn't even my favorite make. '03 Springfields would bear that burden.

What I do admire is the souls who inhabit this forum. You guys have kept the Savage fire burning in me far longer than my previous history with one-make rifles would have predicted. For that I thank you. You guys led me to buy far more Savage lever guns than I would have done on my own. Enablers!

I have zero interest in Savage pistols. I find them to be unnecessarily complicated, their grip angles to be awkward, and I have yet to meet one with a decent trigger pull. Again with ergonomics/utility driving my interest in firearms. For an American pocket pistol from that era I vote for the 1903 Colt hands down. For a pre-war design overall you would have to look long and hard for one better than the Walther PP/PPk IMO.

Savage .22's? I like the various pumps for their mechanical ingenuity and novelty and should really acquire more of them. As it is, a couple Remington 12C's scratch the .22 pump itch at the moment. I really dislike the 1919/23/etc. line of .22's. Not for their relatively mundane accuracy (although my 19-33NRA will nip at the heels of a my Winchester 52A of the same period) but rather for their one piece receiver/barrels and general funky styling. Again just personal foible, I've long been spoiled by Winchester 52's and Springfield M2's in that regard. Mea culpa.

I'm being long winded, sorry. My favorite levers: circa 1912 to 1940, takedown if possible, no scopes please, tang/receiver sights all the way. Biggest no-no: recoil pads, second biggest: scope mount holes. Sling swivels wouldn't deter me from an otherwise pristine rifle- but reference my first paragraph, I'm not a collector, I'm a shooter and sometime hunter. Condition not a driving factor, but like everybody else the nicer the better. I find worn honestly used gray rats to hold a certain charm of their own- almost a little more so than a totally mint new-in-the-box gun. Post-war guns have little or no interest, and post-mils are right out there in NeverNeverLand.

One absolutely positively never to be compromised trait of any rifle, not just Savages, is bore condition. The bore is the heart of a rifle. It is the reason all the rest of the gun exists. A truly minty M1899C in .32-40 at an affordable price would get a bye from me- if it's bore was like a sewer pipe. I mean, even a high grade rifle's utility is no more than as a tomato stake if it has a crappy bore and won't function up to the standard at which it left the factory. What's its reason to exist at that point.

I'm a broke collector with 7 of mine at auction right now. Just stomping on the rats. Hope to replace them with more condition. I think I like anything pre WWI best.

My interest is limited, and I don't plan on buying more. I've touched all the bases I wanted to. I've got six now, but unfortunately sold the first one I had bought. From oldest to newest I've got an 1899 F in .303 Savage from 1912, a 99 G takedown in 300 Savage from 1927, a 99 R in 300 Savage from 1950, a 99 EG in 300 Savage from 1952, a 99 F in 308 Winchester from 1956, and a 99 F in 300 Savage from 1957. I sold a 99 E in 300 Savage with a 24" barrel from 1961, but wish I'd kept it.

Other configurations might be interesting such as a pre-war .30-30, but I barely have time to shoot what I have. I've no interest in owning rifles I don't have time to shoot. I'm not afraid to make them shootable. The 1952 EG I added a Redfield 70A receiver sight to, but had to chop a lot of wood out of the stock to make it fit. I don't feel bad about that, because the otherwise excellent rifle had refinished pitting on the left side of the receiver.

I like them and enjoy shooting them, but I've exhausted my interest in getting more.

Im a "GUN COLLECTOR"!!!! mostly lever guns,and most of my lever guns are savages. And like Joe said most collectors are gun poor. Don

Pre 1945 holds the most interest for me. But am guilty of owning of owning several post 1945 & even three or four tang safety guns. Think I have quit buying, that is until something like the 32 40 B that came along last week. My first 32 40. Guess their is a few still out their with my name on them. GW

I like hunting with them just as much collecting them, 99’ are my favorite,
have a few bolt action savage’s, a 170, and just picked up my first pistol a model 101. I like the guns that haven’t been altered, but wouldn’t pass up a gun in nice hunter condition, ones from the 30’s -50’s probably my favorite. Paul

I am an accumulator. There is no rhyme, reason, or theme to my meager accumulation. If I find it interesting, and the price is good, it comes home with me.

I am an accumulator. Long story as to how I became infatuated with the Savage lever action but suffice to say it happened a long time ago...…..almost 60 years ago as a matter of fact. I buy the ones no one else wants. Give them the love and attention they deserve and just appreciate the firearm that manufacturers can no longer afford to manufacture. Plus, more than one white tail buck has laid down in front of them including this past deer season. I just love them. Grabbed two 1895's last fall at an auction that no one was aware of what they were and the seller of them was mortified as to what I purchased them for. Win some, lose some. This time I won big time.

Guess I’m a bit like my wife; we both enjoy the hunt. She enjoys garage sales, Savers, etc; I like stopping at the gun shops, gun shows, Cabelas, and the internet. I like pre-60s, with an affinity towards 1899s and pre-war 99s. Have a couple 1907s, just to have a couple.

I don’t really need to buy more, but if something nice pops up at a decent price I’ll take a shot at it. At some point I will enjoy passing some of the few nicer ones I have on to folks that will really enjoy them; Let one go to RAS last fall that made him happy and made me happy to see him happy.

I have really enjoyed taking an old 1899 303 and a 300 EG with a Stith-mounted first series Weaver K4 to the deer stand that last few years.

I guess it really does not matter what I find or stow in the safe. To me it is a hobby and activity that I enjoy .. the people, the learning, the sharing, the hunt, the shooting ... it’s all good.

That is a good question...

Pistols - Yes. Probably will never own a .25, .45 or engraved unless the price was right.

.22's - made in the 40's and earlier are all good (better add the 29-B). 29-A's, 23AA with condition are hard to pass up.

Lever rifles - I try not to buy post 60's rifles. Mostly interested in pre-WWII rifles. Rifles from the 30's, 40's and 50's have to be nice condition to get my interest. Pre-WWI can have less condition as they, in general, saw more use.

Ammo -I like the older boxes.

Savage sights - I have more than I need. They are a collection of there own.

Other Savage stuff (non-firearm) - yes

The only firearms that I have tried to collect all versions of has been the .32ACP, 99-H's and the Late 99's.

I think I've enjoyed collecting data, learning whats correct and what's not, as much as I have collecting firearms. It's a lot cheaper and can prevents you buying things that you will regret!

The guns made between the wars are the most desirable to me. There are exceptions though. The pre WW l H's and SRC's, the post war F's in 250 and 300 are a few.

They all have merit and I wouldn't argue too long or to hard against anything not listed above. Heck, the post mil pre 65 guns that are cut checkered are even starting to grow on me. I never would have said that 10 years ago.

I've owned about all of the standard grade models at one time or another other than the 95 and an SRC F.

The list of what I would buy today is short. A pre war checkered F in any caliber, A pre war 250 EG with a 22" barrel, a cut checkered 284 F or DL.

That's about it. Anybody see anything on that list that they want to part with let me know...

I was happy to find a 1977 99 in 300 sav I could afford 2 weeks later got a 1948 300sav with the stihl mount with the weaver scope .I think I am good

Oh, I forgot to add my top priority gun to find next.

1899F SRC with over 90K serial #. I will go with any cal, but prefer 30-30. I will find one someday.

Honorable mention is an R in 358.

I have had one 30-30, one E in .300, two EG 250/3000, two EG .300, one R in .300, two G in .300. I bought each one to hunt with. I only have one now, the last G. I doubt I will buy another 99 unless it is just too good of a deal. Really unlikely because I am not actively looking.

The desire to have a good shooter was planted by my Dad, Grandfather, and at least four uncles who hunted with 99s.

I built a nice Mauser in 30-06 for an all around gun and have used that for the last 25 years, but kind of got bored with shooting deer at 250 yards.

My real passion is bowhunting with traditional gear - at very close range- but I wanted a nice traditional deer rifle like my fathers for close range hunting so I could be involved in hunting with my grandkids. So, I bought a G from one of you guys. It’s not perfect but I am very happy with it.

I had a very nice RS .250-3000, let it go to finance building my shop. Hope to one day own a nice TD .250-3000.

Besides too many fly rods, knives, watches, cameras, and books I have also accumulated a few guns over the years. The Savage safe holds the gambit from my only lonely 1895, to a Winchester chambered 1899, an early 250-3000, a Stith mounted 300 G, to a pair of modern M14 American Classic chambered in 250 and 300. My favourites remain a couple of M1920s 250-3000s that make me smile when I bring the pair out into the light of day.

The 250s and 300s I like to shoot. The 303 and 32-40 I keep because I like the sleek streamlined look of an early hammerless Savage lever action. The little bolts actions though, are the bee's knees in my eyes.

For Savage firearms my basic criteria is: original rifles, mostly pre WWII, period sights, clean screws, and other than sling swivels no other holes.

The holy grail for me is still an 1895 carbine, but I'm not sure I really want to pay for one.

I got the Savage Fever quick, Iv owned just about every type of 1899/99 that were made! My health went bad in 2012, came close to loseing my left leg several times that summer, doing good now. I sold 52 guns in 2012-13 still love my 99s tho and hunt mostly with them. I still have a 303, 22HP,300,250 let a few others go after the Divorce last year had 7 savage pistols at one time down to one now! I was going to start adding 99s again and then thought im 60 with No kids to leave them too, so Why, still like to get a "T" and or a nice "G" again!

This is the best thread to come down the pike in a while, I think. It shows that we all have woven Savages into the fabric of our lives to one degree or another. I wonder if old Arthur had an inkling that what he created would still be mesmerizing rifle guys well into the 21st century. Talk about a legacy!

I'm at the point that puting together custom rifles interests me most. Not really a collector any longer but have a good eye and am not afraid to take a chance. On the list in the future 260 rem , long barrel 32-40 , heavy octagon 38-55 , 35 remington that I am hoping to add a barrel to a G I have kicking arround , a 410 single shot on a pre 90k action , the list will vary bit I have most of the pioeces parts acumulated for these. Hope to have my basement shop set up this summer.

Like Saddlering, I'm getting old (73 this year) and have had my share of health issues. I won't be around forever, and my wife and daughter won't care about my guns. So, whatever I have is for me, Marty, to enjoy. I have four 99s, none of which are especially rare. I have repaired a few butt stocks with epoxy and had a few reblued. I don't care about originality, I care about utility. I shoot them all and hunt with them. Oh - I much prefer 99s with the old style trigger. I have a 99E made in the 1960s (post 1,000,000) with the old style trigger and safety. The others were made in the 1930s or 1950s and have the old style trigger too.

At this point in my life I am trying to pare down my belongings. I have way too much "stuff'!

Consider myself an opportunistic accumulator. Don't know if I ever specifically targeted a firearm other than my LP-08's (artillery luger) As far as Savages go my first and most used is a Mod 110 in .222 Rem carried this gun through so many hay fields and orchards I was able to blame this gun for my right arm being larger than the left!. Also have a 1917 in .32 ACP, a Mod 35 single shot 22 (yet I know its a Stevens) and a 1921 Model G in .300 savage. Still remember the first 99 I saw in deer camp when I was 16.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...93252/re-collector-assement#Post10193252

Old post with much same assessments Add to the thread with minimal typing..

I started looking for Savage levers, eventually thinking 1 in each caliber would be a good goal. Along the way I couldn't pass up nice 22s and a few shotguns I found. Have more 22s then levers now but did get 1 in each caliber. Then the idea of "special" editions which I've done pretty well. As I sold off non-Savages to fund more of Arthur's guns I needed nice Savage 12 O/U to shoot trap and things like that. I did not understand all the differences in early 1899s until Stever got me on this forum and now there are other "targets" to obtain but also I need no more... I do have number of modern Savages (bolts, 22s) too. And Savage memoriable stuff too. Along with other interests I may now be in the "make the collection better" phase thanks to the knowledge gained here and less of the fixed income going for Savages??? Is that possible? And I also have a small antique tractor collection and like to travel, too. Bottom line is I've always collected something since a little kid and the last 15 years it has been Savages mostly. And its even more fun!

I've been hooked on the 99 since about 1969, or when I was a kid in 3rd grade and first caught sight of the EG my buddy's father had in his small collection. Years later I acquired my first 99s. One an EG like that first one and the other a pre-war R. Roy now has the R and unfortunately the EG was stolen. I replaced that EG with three others, one being a factory drilled gun that now sports a B&L 2.5-5 in a Leupold Adjusto mount, one a pre drilled post-war EG that soon will get a 2.5 Lyman in a Stith mount and the third a pre-war EG I bought from Roy that, as far as I am concerned, is the cream of a pretty damn good looking crop. The pre-war got a Redfield 70 and frankly it doesn't get any better than that. All of the EGs are in 300 and I don't think there's a symbol better fitting of classic Americana than the 99EG in that cartridge. Others find them suitable for staking tomatoes.

Right now I'm a fan of the 50s era 99 and can see getting an R and F, though for stated reasons I'll be sticking to the 300 and leave my foray into the 250 to my 45 Super Sporter which I think represents an under appreciated facet of Savage production. That Super Sporter goes well with my other in 30-06. Someday I hope to land another in 30-30 as I think it would make a fun cast bullet shooter. Short of the 03 Springfield and the full stock Mannlicher Schoenauer carbine in 6.5x54 I'll never own I find my 1920/26 in 300 just about as cool as bolt guns can get. Speaking of Savage bolt guns someday I may too find a good early 110 on my docket but another in my collection (admittedly a project in its current state) that languishes on this forum is the No. 4 Mk. 1 "Enfield", representing one of Savages great contributions to crushing tyranny during WWII.

I have an affinity for the 23 series and would have been tickled to have found one under the Christmas tree had I been a kid "back in the day." I have a 19NRA and a 1933, a 23A, a 23AA (with a Weaver in a Stith Mount) and a 23C. I would like to find a 23D or 1933 in 22 Hornet someday too. The pistols sometimes seem interesting but in California we are pretty much stuck to buying out of production handguns only from in-state sellers and you don't see too many Savages out here.

I have two Savage 420s; one a 16-gauge and the other a 20. We'll have to see about a 12 as I suspect they are large guns. There's a 1920s vintage 12-gauge Savage Model 28 pump languishing in a gun shop up in Redding that's been calling out to me. They outwardly resemble Winchester's Model 12. Sometimes I find the Stevens 520 and 620 series interesting. After all, they are a Browning design. Someday I'd like getting more into the Savage made Fox doubles. I'll probably leave the 311s behind unless I find a 20 on a gun show table calling out to me.

Like Gary I too appreciate you guys here on the forum. You all seem to stick to the point while retaining a high degree of respectability and civility; and as far as I'm concerned taking the high road is always the best road if not the only road. Like Gary I too am a fan of the Krag and 1903 Springfield, which have been tugging at my attention for nearly 30-years. I could look no further than the Savage 99, Krag and 1903 Springfield and still make the statement "too many guns and too little time." And I haven't even got to my handgun interests in this post (eh, looking for a good Colt Officer's Match, Colt New Service or 1917 Smith in 45 ACP, WW-II production 1911A1 of any make, early production Ruger Single Six, etc...).

PS - Someday I may branch out into pre-war 99s and see guns made during the teens and 20s calling out to me. I can see a long barrel 99A or 99B with a tang sight in there somewhere as the lure of rifle shooting for me is the ability to reach (real far) out there and touch something. But for that I'd probable stick to the 303 to fit the circa-1929 99F in my humble stable of firearms.

I like guns! To look at I have a sav. m99 in 22-250 , .284 win. F, .32-40 SRC, and a 22HP E and a dozen various 99's .To shoot I prefer bolt guns--- 4 mod. 70's (7 mag ,.2 .308's , 30-06) a couple of sav. m40's (30-06 and .300)but my favorite gun to shoot is a sav. edge in .22-250 that had a trigger job. Then there are the rest from shotguns and military to the Eatonia .25's (rimfires) I guess I should be put down as an an accumulater, or maybe just put down. Rodney

This thread really breaks down each one of our individual tastes. It shows that there are a number of sub categories in Savage collecting.

You could see this also at the SavageFest too.

This thread should be made into a sticky. It kind of defines each individual, and their likes/dislikes.

What he said! /\ /\ /\

My interest in the 22 slide actions started after I bought a couple early ones just because being clip magazine fed they were different and when trying to find information on them I realized there wasn't much 'good' information in print anywhere. I also found them much more affordable for the few that seem to be out there. I never had an interest in seriously collecting Winchesters or Colts, I see more of them than I want to at every gun show I go to or in any collection I see, I wanted something you do not see everyday. I also found that most dealers had lists of people they would contact if they got a nice Winchester, Colt, Remington or etc, but not for Savage 22's, so I became the list of one for those in many cases, this included calls about all things Savage.

The lack of information in books started me acquiring Savage catalog & other original paper out of necessity for research.... and the information in the catalogs pointed me in other directions that got my interest - the more obscure, the more I was interested.

I also got into vintage sights and scopes, not exatly sure when or why that started but I remember getting guns with damaged or missing sights and trying to determine what might have been original and running into some sights that were really complex and interesting. The first 1899 I bought was in April 2017 and I bought it because I had a Malcolm scope and 'needed something' to put it on. I had received a rough 1899 about a year earlier as a gift when I needed something as a test bed for some of the sights & scopes I had acquired. I am not interested in acquiring many 1899's, every two years at Savage fests I get to see a wide variety of nice ones, I just wanted a couple examples mainly to use for some sights & scopes.

From 1920 on Savage owned Stevens so those fell into the mix, I had always found the No 70 Visible Loader's interesting so the pre-1920 Stevens were always of interest.

Im not a collector, but have always admired the old 99 303 savage my dad has. I have an appreciation and respect for the accuracy of the bolt action savage rifle. Always thought they were ugly, but always knew they were accurate. Bolt guns is where I'm at, but don't consider myself a collector:

6.5 creedmoor



22-250



223 rem



For the money, you'll be hard pressed to find anything that shoots as good as a Savage bolt action rifle...

My Dad grew up in Lonaconing, M.D. The first high powered rifle I ever fired (about age 8) was my grandad’s 1902 Savage SRC in .303...on New Years Eve we’d all go out on the front porch and shoot up onto Jackson Mountain (as did the rest of the town)...guess the people who lived there came to town before midnight! Anyway, that rifle belonged to my grandad’s brother who was a mining engineer in Colorado. He was killed by a co-worker and the family (Scots) sent another brother out there to avenge him. He came home with the deceased’s rifle which has eventually devolved to me. It shoots well, but now hangs on the wall. I immediately fell in love with the svelt lines and deady look of that rifle which turned me into a lifelong Savage fan. It will remain in the family.

Other than a couple of antique .22’s (Winchester mod. 62A, my first rifle, and Rem 12C) I only have a scoped 1970 Steyr Mannlicher Mod. M Alpine carbine (full stock) in .270 a favorite, and some other Savages...a 1903 B in.303, an old style first series (1915) 250/3k, a 1930 G in .300, a 1947 EG in .300 with a Lyman Alaskan on a Stith mount, and a Savage 99 Series A saddle gun in .250 with a 1970 Nikon scope. I’ve shot them all, hunted some of them, but at age 76 with a handicapped wife, I now hunt only dove and quail. The nearest rifle range is 65 miles away, so I plan to soon list the 250/3000 and the Model B .303 on Gunbroker as well as an orphan 1917 Savage pistol in .32 (shoots well, but a pain to clean) when I figure out how to safely do that. I spent a winter resurrecting the EG, had the wood redone on the model G and the saddle gun by a friend who is a master woodworker and for now, at least,will keep them....likely will will all go to one or more of my 4 grandsons.

I echo the sentiments you have pretty much all expressed about this forum...intelligent informed people with a broad range of interests, a truck load of common sense and a commonality of courtesy. I mostly just lurk here now but I sure do enjoy doing so!
John

Had about 50 come and go,all caliber's from 22HP to 375, except 32-40.Also a few engraved.Just a few choice piece's left that I can take out in the deer wood's.The only post-mil is a 250-3000 A.

Great thread guys! I'm a Savage 99 "accumulator". My favorites are lever safety (1950's +/-) 99Fs, mostly in .300Sav., with a sweet spot for 99Gs too(the latter, especially in 250-3000). I own many other rifles (Browning, Winchester, Marlin, Tikka, Enfield, Springfield, Mauser), but I take TWO (in case I drop one out of the tree stand) 99's Big Game hunting every year. I'm 51 now, and my dad (some of you met us at Jed's 2007Fest....still think back fondly of that weekend) gave me my 1st one circa 1980. I was HOOKED!

I'd like to add a 99F in .358Win to the stable (have a .358Win. EG), but I'm in no hurry.

Have a great Spring guys! -TomT

Just got home from moms 85th birthday party, absolutely splendid bluebird weather, to this fine thread. Thanks to Jeff for starting such a fun discussion.

My addiction started not with a Savage gun, but a Winchester Grizzly Bear box of 250 Savage ammo that dad had in his wood gun cabinet lower drawer. I fondled that box of ammo after school sometimes and imagined the mighty 250 Savage and grizzly bears that would fall to such a fine looking cartridge. Dad never had a Savage so I have no idea how he had the ammo. He was a Marlin 30-30 man, with a Krag, a Springfield 06, a Mauser 1891, and a scattering of others, meager by today's standards. That slick actioned 30/40 caught my eye early on and at the ripe age of 12 I hunted that Krag. In our area we had a forked horn or better rule for blacktails. I'll never forget climbing out of the Datsun 510 in the pouring rain carrying that Krag for the first time. 20 minutes later I was 25' from a monster spike blacktail. If he'd so much as a wart on those slick daggers I woulda dumped him in a pile with that Krag. But, he was next years deer and I was forced to let him go.

Years later after having killed a truckload of bucks with archery equipment I took a hankering to a 99 Brushgun in 375. Saddlering now owns it, but not until it filled my freezer quite a few times over 25 years. It was a bear killing machine with factory 200 grain loads let me tell you. After using it for a few years I decided I wanted to keep hunting with Savage lever guns, but wanted more range. That journey took years and after the advent of the internet and my tardy arrival to E-gun buying, the world opened up and the guns started piling up.

Nowadays, for long range I use the 270 Titus or 284 99's. For close range the 38-55, 375, or 358 get the job. Everything else is fluff. I've got 5 284's, including the rare ones, DL and F cut checkered. I also dig customs and have a couple dozen or so. Someday I'll post a photo or two of the 250. Wowser.

One of my absolute favorites to carry and shoot is a 38-55 I put together from parts. I love the 26" barrel guns and the 38-55 balances so well, and shoots with just the right harruumph, that it is probably the last one to go, junker that it is. There is something that calls to me with that gun.

38-55


I've found a few special guns, engraved guns, etc, but I just like the run of the mill cut checkered standard guns from about any era. The uncheckered 99EG in 300 I sold Jeff that he mentions above was a favorite that never would have left but he wanted one and I had another in 30-30, so letting it go was a win for him and therefore me. I've even given a few away and when the mood strikes and I wouldn't trade those for high dollar sales. Seeing a Savage lover as you hand him a beautiful lever gun he's dreamed of but not attained is priceless, and no sale can make a person feel that good.

Nowadays I collect lots of everything, but have more than a few DL's, and 26" barrel rifles are heavy on my radar mostly because of that 38-55. I love them all from featherweights to heavyweights, short to long. Give me a Savage and a box of ammo and I'll put meat on the pole every time. Absolutely love me a Savage. Have got a boatload of stocks and parts too and occasionally (much to the consternation of a few here) will repair or rebuild a neglected gun to whatever style suites the rifle's condition. My favorites are the ones with great metal but needing wood refinish, repair, or sometimes replacement. Any gun I can bring back to a high standard with the knowledge, tools, and parts I have available to me is very satisfying.

That said, most of my guns are originals needing nothing. You guys hear most about the ones I'm working on but that's just a small percentage of what appeals to me.

That 38-55 is a nice looking gun and that particular cartridge could tempt me more into the world of early 99s. Thanks for the picture and the story!

As someone said earlier , this is a cool topic. My very first memory of a savage 99 was when I was about 10 yrs old. my dads oldest brother was a fishing guide and owned a gas station /baitshop just south of west plains mo. my uncle would pull a chair up in front of the gun rack and let me stand in it for a better view. one day he just handed me a 99 off the shelf and let me set there and inspect every inch of that gun. I always dreamed of having that gun. when I turned 13 my dad gave me a marlin 336 30-30. the next year I was able to sell some pigs and get my first 99 , a F model in 308. I still hunt that gun ! I have a real soft spot for the 99s with a history , character and wear. I am a 99 hoarder not a collector ! I am open to all 99s just depends on how it speaks to me ! and I dearly enjoy shooting those 99s ! by the way I still have that marlin too.

My Father bought his 300F in 1956,I was born 1953. All thru my childhood when deer season would roll around Dad would take the Savage out of the case before he left.When he came home I would watch him clean it.When I became of age to hunt I came to see 3 of my Uncle's all had pre 1950 EG's in 300Sav with buckhorn sight's!!Funny,all of them including Dad had Win 94's in 32 Special as backup's ,but I never seen them use 'em.So of coarse I had to buy a 99 for my first deer rifle.Couldn't find that magical 300 locally so I settled for a mint 1957 F in 308 for $165.And wouldn't you know,first time in the wood's with it a nice 4 pt met his demise.So with a safefull of AAA French Kimber's,Remington Titanium's,other 99's etc.,when deer season roll's around what do I grab........Dad's 300F

Thanks for the pic LBK! I hope you and your family are well! -Tom

You betcha my Savage brother. I'm really glad you like that uncheckered EG. I wasn't going to hunt it so it's where it belongs and all is as it should be in the world.

These pictures of oldtimer303’s 32-40 are to accompany his earlier attached post, which I quoted here.

That is lovely.

I guess at this point I don't consider my self a collector. I've owned 7 different 99's over the years, including a nice .250 that I still kick my self for ever getting rid of. I hunt with my guns, so I don't have to have pristine guns. Drilled and tapped is fine. I try to avoid anything with cut stocks or the infamous Savage cracks. My finances just don't allow me to indulge in the finer guns, and I have no problem passing on these to let the real collectors have 'em. Guns have always been tools to me-a means to satisfy and end. So if I run across a weathered but not busted up 99 that's got a few marks from being drug in and out of a hundred tree stands, but looks like it could still kill a deer pretty easily, that's what I'm interested in.

I like firearms .. I guess the 99 appeals to me most because I know more about them the any other. I think they are an icon of American quality . the way things used to be
I like them all but the 1899's are what interest me most.

plab

The one thing that makes me a little different than a lot here is my liking of some post mil 99s. I have known of at least (3) 284s that have shot exceptional well. I have used mine for deer the last 3 years with good success. All deer taken have been bang flops. I really like the 284 whether it be in a C, DL or F.

Could the 300 Savage do the same? Probably. But the 284 is my thing right now.

Something that I haven’t done yet, but would like to is chase elk in the timber with my 99EG in 358. With my 284 being a backup.

Ah, c'mon Jeff. Use the .22 HP. No guts, no glory!

The .284 is pure poison on anything you point it at.

.303 SAVAGE , That pretty well sums it up. At about 4 years old in 1956 living in a rented home on East Broadway in Vancouver B.C. I can remember in my dad's bedroom closet an 1899 A and a BB gun rifle.At that time ,I was more interersted in blowing up my solid rubber bike tires at the corner gas station than anything else.p
That rifle I now still have ,trying to unlock it's secrets, an A with a carbine butt stock whose butt plate , cut off by my dad who told me he was always sorry for doing so and discarding the stock and butt plate serial No. as well.
In the end , he told me to forget about it and just leave the 99 Sav. as it is , but since arriving here I've aquired much knowlege , interest and yes other 1899's while still wondering if the serial # on that long lost carbine buttplate was original to the A.

I was never a fan of Savage guns. Where I grew up all my friends, and their dads, uncles, etc, hated them and most would refer to anything Savage as 'junk'. The only Savage that I had really ever handled, was my dad's first gun, a .22/410 O/U. I never shot it and he never fired it since I've been alive. I do like lever guns though and have picked up a bunch of them over the years. Then about 1 year ago a friend of mine inherited a gun collection that he was trying to liquidate at friend prices. I picked up a lot of them off him, but there were a couple of 1899s in the bunch. As soon as I touched the 1915 250-3000 I was hooked and bought both of them he had. That was also the first time I had ever seen a 99/1899 and honestly didn't even know they existed. Then I shot them, and the hook was set deeper. I now have 6 of them and am looking for two more. Not sure where I fit in in the spectrum, but as long as a gun is unmodified I'm usually interested in owning it. I'm actually drawn towards the ones that have honest wear, even if it's a lot of honest wear Since buying my first 99, I am now on the lookout for a model 1905 target rifle and a model 1920. Sometimes I buy guns that would be considered in "collectible" shape and sometimes I buy just shooters, as long as they are unmodified. I also like to restore guns, but will only mess with ones that have already had the collector value stripped by someone else. If I couldn't walk without money falling out of pockets, I would own a lot of engraved ones though.

I learned at the First Savage Fest that I am NOT a collector. Like some others here, I am an accumulator of things gray!

My Dad thought highly of Model 99's, but could never justify spending the money. "The Rifle" I grew up knowing was a sporterized Westinghouse Mosin Nagant. It is still a killing machine. It belongs to my son now and has been turned into a pseudo scout.

I got divorced in 2000 and suddenly found myself with disposable income!!! My accumulation includes many brands, but if I counted numbers, I may have more Savages than anything, with possible exception of Colts. I don't care for pistol grips or "skull crusher" rifle butt plates. I like short barrels, straight grips, carbine butts and tang sights. The first Savages I bought were an 1899H and an early 99F which are virtually identical except the 99F has interrupted threads. Somehow I got hooked on 1895's, so when I finally found an 1895 SRC for sale, that was the Holy Grail for me. Sadly, here in Ohio I cannot legally hunt deer with a .303. I can however, hunt 'yotes, squirrels, whistle pigs, and feral cats!

I own other Savages as well. A few pistols, a 16 gauge 720, an as new 110 in 30-06 and nearly a dozen 1911 rifles, which are slowly being gifted to my eight grand children as they display proper behavior.

While nothing I own is "Collector Grade", they all make me happy! Oh yeah, like Gnoahhh, they all MUST have shootable bores. I am amazed at how many guns I find with virtually no finish, and bright, shiny bores!

And then I went home.

Doug

Key word legally.

Some laws were written to be disobeyed, it would seem.

Ohio is kind of strange in that respect. It would be legal to hunt with a .600 Nitro Express but not a .30-30 (straight wall cartridge only) . I'm one to talk- the part of MD where I live it's legal to use a 12 gauge 3" slug out of a rifled barrel wearing a scope but not a .30-30 or .44-40 lever action carbine (shotgun only). Bastids.

I wonder just how much regional laws/customs effect us in regards to what turned us on as young people and thence effected our collecting sensibilities as adults? For me it was growing up in PA and western MD where the word "rifle" automatically conjured up a lever action carbine, milsurp sporter, or heavy single shot varmint rifle.

Let me start by saying i like 99's. obviously or I wouldn't be here. I'm also LEFTY so i take to leverguns readily. I've owned Winchesters and Marlins,but after buying my first 99 I was hooked. It was a well used 1913 303 sav TD and it shot like I was a master. Next was a 300 Sav from 1950 in '13, It was another great shooter. Then came the 30-30 TD from 1922 in '16 then the 22HP last year. All of them are shooter class, some have extra holes but they still make me look like a real marksman, with the exception of the 22HP. gnoahhh has been helpful in getting me setup with that one but it continues to baffle me. the 300 is my favorite shooter and I reload for all of them.
So I guess I'm not really a collector, more of an accumulator but these guns are the ones that go to the range the most. I don't hunt as much as I used to,but I've killed lots of paper with them,
Right now I'm looking for a fairly priced 250, so as to complete the Savage cartridge set. I have 4 sons and I'd like to leave each one with a unique 99.

Not a collector. I buy 'em, fix 'em if they need it, shoot 'em until I know what I want to know, and trade or sell 'em off so I can go through the whole cycle with another. This keeps me busy, lets me learn a bit, fits my budget (I take my "gun money" only out of funds or trade goods raised by my other hobbies, never from "family" accounts), and keeps the clutter down to a level that my command structure will (barely) tolerate.

What I have always liked about Savages in general is that everybody can afford them and use them, and they are made to be used. The ones I've kept over the years are a few that are well-used, but I really mean "used well." And I have used them myself, in the same spirit.

A late 23B--sure it's clunky, but it really handles and shoots well and was an affordable all-around gun for some Vermont Green Mountain woodchuck who took really good care of it. Wonder how many whitetails it killed, legally and not? (No need for a suppressor....I've sneezed louder. When I was a kid, owning a .25-20 was "probable cause" for suspecting poaching....).

A Utica 1930s .219 25-20 with a .410 barrel I added. Nifty package for somebody who doesn't need "too much gun," but needs a versatile gun. Trim, slim, and economical in all ways.

An early 1970s (I think) clip-fed 99 .243. Has ALL the stuff real 99'ers love to hate but REALLY shoots and doesn't disturb my right shoulder rebuild.

An early 110 that was a .30-06 wreck until I restocked it with an early 110 factory walnut stock and put a "prefit" Brownell's Shilen barrel on it in .257 Roberts. Since I don't hunt deer or pigs much any more the 99 .243 will go to my son and I'll keep this one since I put some serious time and love into it (and the Roberts is a verified Old Fart ctg. anyway, my younger friends tell me....). The gun that "brought Savage back"! To stay, I hope.

I also like Savage's "taste in imports" and have several "Savage" Finnish Valmet O/U shotguns and combination guns, and have had more. Great design, great price (I got 'em all used, like all my guns). And deadly. I also had a "Savage" Anschutz Model 54 Sporter but my buddy got that one. (A "one-holer," and I don't mean that scatologically).


So LOTS of Savages have passed thru my hands since the first one in 1950, but only a few have stuck. All of them have left good memories, and I hope, some knowledge.

On the subject of engraved guns, I DO admire restrained, expertly-executed gun engraving, which most FACTORY-engraved Savages display. But when I run into an over-embellished arm, meaning one whose real purpose is "look at me," not "BANG, flop," I remember my hunting buddy in upstate NYS who had never had any shotgun but a bolt-action Mossburg 20 guage, and who was a perfectly deadly wing shot, the very best I've ever hunted with. (Likewise the whole custom fly rod, size 20 barbless dry fly, catch-and-release-only cult thing makes me long for a farm pond, a telescoping True Temper steel rod, night crawlers, Eagle Claw snelled hooks, and a mess of bullheads, sweet butter, and fine corn meal....I guess there really is such a thing as "reverse snobbery"!)

But I, of all people, have no right or need to crap on other guys' fancies. Isn't it great that we are still a little free to be our own weird selves?

Ah, somebody had to bring it up- fly rods. They fit right in with collecting classic guns. My tastes run toward split cane, light lines, and tiny dry flies- used to fish to rising trout only. Not snobbery, a highly technical approach that appeals to my sensibilities. I promise myself to get back out on the water this year.

I’m late to 99’s. I like the mid fifties F models. I have a 308, 358, and a 243. I have Sakos, Kleinguenther’s and 700’s mostly.

gnoahhh, I hear ya but I don't feel ya. On the other hand and the left foot, "some of my best friends"....are fly fishermen (and even some golfers, for God's--or the Other Guy's--sake!!!!). My university academic "rabbi" told me that entomology was the final madness of fly fishermen. He was "Exhibit A" for that phenomenon, may he rest in peace.
"

I wish I had never known that about you.

1959 110L's as they were the first production lefty's. All I need is a 308 example and I'll have a full set. My little brother dropped an 8 point last season with my 30-06 110L while I was hunting with the 270.

Over the years I've acquired several nice guns from the late 1920's to early 1930's






The 1928 99G fits right in

Bet you don't have one in a 260. I'm not a lefty so I'd sell it if you need one.




Back to our regularly scheduled programming.

I thought that bad boy went to Illinois!

You got brass dies?

I got a lefty taxidermist.........

And I gotta pick up a ram.....

Stever said send it to me and then he done R-U-N-N-O-F-T. No brass or dies.

Get it sold Angus.

I learned a new word today! Scatologically. I HAD to look it up.

Thanks Mr. Armstrong!

Looking at Roy's 110 got me thinking we should open up more threads on these rifles. I bet there are some early examples worthy of having. It's been a pretty solid performer for Savage with a long running reputation for accuracy.

Okie doakie fireball!

Gotta go pick up my taxidermy job I had on that kliengunther sheep fiasco.

Brass, dies , billets?

Price?

Pm me if you wish?

BTW the 303 rocks da house!

Many thanks Pie Zan. O

I need help from some of the oldtimers here. What is the guys name right under the "G" in Savage? Thanks.

My feeble memory says Wes Hurd ,good guy been gone a long time.Don

Thank you. I just couldn't remember.

I bought a 99-H from Wes, many years ago. He shipped it to my FFL. When I picked it up the dealer wanted to know just what kind of rifle I had bought as there was a BIG bunch of garlic in the box.

Yes that was Wes, a Great Guy! that Pic from the 1st Fest I belive!

Leave it to you Gary to expand on fly rods. Been many moons, but the last fly rod I built was a G Lumis blank 4-5 weight 11 footer. Found every tree within 10 yards of my drifts. But it was a thing of beauty. Could steer the steelhead with 4Lb test line. Oh....those were the days...

That's genuinely funny!

If he'd of put a box of Win Silvertips in it, would have been completely vampire proof...

Hahahaha!

If he'd of put a box of Win Silvertips in it, would have been completely vampire proof...


+1

Took a long time to think about this and I'm still confused.

I guess I'm just a Savage collector. Period.

Have the three variations of pistols in .380, my 99 collection is way to widespread to put in order but the majority of it is 1895's and 99R's, I think I have one of every rimfire they made before 1940 excluding a 1914 and a 23AA but I'll find them. Also have a full set of 219/220 but still need a 32-20 barrel and a handful of pre-40 shotguns like my 430 in 20 ga.

See, nice and simple.

If it were easy, everybody would do it!

I like to think of my 303 Silvertips as the bullets that were made for the Lone Ranger. Who probably should have hunted vampires as he was aptly armed for doing so.

Yeah, well, had a guy like The LR who dressed, acted, and carried flashy guns and gear shown up in Deadwood Gulch circa 1880, he wouldn't have made it out of town alive. That TV show was a wonderful morality play the likes of which is sorely lacking on the tube today. As a kid I would've cheerfully rode with him, but give me a S&W Schofield loaded with soft and splattery lead bullets for saloon gunfighting, and a Sharps rifle for putting meat on the campfire. As an adult I would've probably left him to his Lone Rangering whilst I consorted with a couple bar room floozies.

I daresay we all, with a couple exceptions, have waxed and waned over single make collecting in our lives.

I collect tomato stakes, here is a pic of the first one.

Oh man, I have no shame in my personal expressions of all things Savage - unless you happen to toss in an 03 Springfield or Krag or two. Then I have no shame in that as well. And that's a great picture of David with an all American classic - the 99EG!

So I have to ask. Do you still have that EG?

I don't think I am a collector . you fellers got them in my mind found a 1977 mod in 300 and was happy just what needed to hunt with and not worry about messing it up .3wk later found a 1948 mod in 300 with the correct mount & scope cheaper now got two thanks guys

No, it went down the road while I was in college.

Oh well, we can’t keep them all but with you on the EG.

I am a hunter of firearms that are great looking shooters. I like guns that scratch my itches, and I get the itch for additional Savage 99s more than any other. I own a measly eight Savage 99’s. All pre-mil, none with tang cracks or drilled through the letters. No gray rats or anything that Bubba’s had his grubby hands on. I bought a handful of my 99’s from members of the Fire. Steve Brown has sold me some particularly nice specimens. But I need more... And so I continue hunting. I’m always ready to buy my first 22HP or 38-55 if I see one with the right condition/price tag. I’ve been trying to track another nice pre-war R. A stith scope would be a big bonus, but not required. I have a terrific pre-war R in 250 and it does something for me. I don’t know if I can duplicate that sensation, but I’m willing to try. If you have a nice pre-war R that wants to see a different part of the country, please shoot me a message.

My grandfather had a couple 99’s: mater stake EG 300 and another in 303 that was probably a G. I was allowed to look around his collection and could even handle the goods- as long as I wore gloves! He had a ton of guns, but the Savage 99’s always stood out to me as being super neat. Even as a teen, I found the Savage 99 to be utilitarian and sexy at the same time. It was my grandfather who got me into guns and it was surely a Savage of his that gave me the itch which led to my addiction.

Now in my mid 30’s, I am envious of what was surely the good ol’ days of nice Savages all over the place. I’m in southwest Ohio and they just don’t show up around here. Probably because you aren’t allowed to hunt with them (unless it’s a 38-55). So I resort to hunting for guns on the web. I enjoy hunting for guns that check all of my boxes. I don’t know if I was on the trail of a gun or looking up the answer to a question, but I’ve been checking out the Savage forum on the Fire for about 5 years. Finally, the need to see a picture required a membership a couple years ago. I like being a silent partner. I check out the forum at least once a day. I don’t know everything about Savages, but just about everything I know came from the forum. I own and relish Mr. Royal’s book, and I think it’s pretty cool that he is an active member on the Fire.

44mc, you won’t stop with just two. When you made the decision to buy the second one, the hook was set. You may say “but I can stop anytime I want”..HA! Been there, done that.

Originally posted in August of 2015....


Been a few threads lately that make me assess levels of "Collector".

#1- Brutally serious collectors whom only want absolutely as close to perfect specimens in the safe, no tolerance for anything less.

#2- One rung down from #1 collector, who will tolerate some cosmetic blemishes, but in original condition, no noticeable field use.

#3- Those who want original condition, but will live with cosmetic blemishes from being used for their design intent, rarity factored in, and will still hunt them with care as that is their intended purpose.

#4- Those who like original grey rats with field use and character, and can tolerate a few minor alterations and will regularly shoot them and hunt em.

I understand the mentality of the #1 collector, am am glad there are a few of them around to insure the future of totally unmolested Savages remain so future generations can see them in all their glory.

The #2 collector is barely distinguishable from #1, but still won't take them out hunting even if the weather and terrain conditions aren't conducive to a flawless outing.

#3 is what I consider myself. EVERYTHING in my safe WILL go out and fill my freezer. I shoot all mine in rotation on a regular basis. I have heard, and said " If only this gun could talk". I understand the need for #1 and #2, but can't help but feel for the #1 people whom have NEVER shot their dream specimens. What the hell good is a pristine Savage 1895, 1899 or 99 that won't shoot for sheit. How do you know if you never put lead down range? Last year I took flak from co-workers for filling my freezer with my 1899-B. They said how can you take a 115 year old sweet gun out to the woods? It filled the freezer, and you know what? I looked as good when it came in as it did when it went out. I guess a #3 could be considered an "acquirrer.

#4 are folks who don't have thick wallets and still appreciate Savage levers for what they are. Dammmm good looking and dammmm fine shootin irons. Won't hesitate to refinish a sadly in need of stock, or reblue etc... to make it look like its former self.

I might be way off base, but I'll bet a pound of bologna a majority of folks on this sight relate to #3 and #4. As previously stated, #1 and #2 have their place, but economic reality's and personal convictions prevent a healthy amount of us from being #1 or #2.

Just my 2 cents. I might ruffle a few feathers, but it won't change my attitude or thoughts as to what I have put in text, but welcome difference of opinion.
Jerry




I posted this a few years back and it covers a lot of the same territory. I hesitated to do this, cause I didn't want to step on this thread, but a lot of the old timers weighted in. Glad to see RAS revisit it, and the difference 4 years made in responses.