Postmils have been ignored a lot, and the 99E and 99C probably the most.

Fug was kind enough to send me pictures of what he has for 99E's, and I think it's a very good start for styles.

So, here we go.

PS: The catalogued 1960 style which is an uncheckered EG with no pistol grip (cap - RLE) is one we know of, even though only a very few are known to exist. We'll call that Style 1.

1961 -- 10303xx (Style 2)



1962 -- 10419xx (Style 2)



1968 -- 11646xx (Style 3, started in 1964?)



1969 -- A2299xx (Style 3)



1969 -- A2551xx (Style 3)



1979 -- D0005xx (Style 4?)

He also has these two, which don't match the standard patterns and so I'm hesitant to assign a style number to them. I'd guess these were specials done for some reason - the bottom one is a 358, top one a 300.


1967 -- 11561xx



1968 -- 11807xx

I had a 1977 99E in 308, which matches the 1979 rifle above. So Style 4?. The "?" is because with an 8 year gap, quite possible there's another style in there.

Is the lack of cartridge counter window also true on style #1? Were there transition E's that retained the counter window?

I think that all Style 1's were made with premil receivers and had a cartridge counter. But that's a good question, and... Rick99?

All the premil receivers that were made into Style 2 99E's also had a cartridge counter.

Here's a Style 1 that Fireball had that had a 1960 LBC.
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/10865701/1

Here's a Style 2 that Keith got that had a 1961 LBC.
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...now-if-i-won-or-lost-a-couple-pics-added

PS: And I knew going into this that the style numbers would expand.. for example, style 2's with premil receivers should be different than Style 2 with postmil receivers. There are also late 99E's with cartridge windows, do they have Style 4 checkering or something else? How many checkering styles are we missing? If a style was made with different buttplates, should those be different styles?

Listen to You Rory! Going all 'Collector" on post-mill E variations!!

Only thanks to Fug, who went through his collection taking pictures for us!

-no pistol-grip caps on any E's? (..except FUG's two specials)

-any E with cut checkering? (..except FUG's two specials)

-change from walnut to birch stocks, when?

-how many different stamped checkering patterns?

...oh, and then the sights change!!

That's what we're here to find out..

Let the folks with their 99E's bring them out and add to our list.

Rory, I suggest that you made the 1960, 1961 E's made on the pre-mil receivers all as Style #1,( a -EG forearm, b - F forearm, c - 1961 LBC, d - misc as we have seen some that are different, David has a pair).

They all are walnut, have pads on the side with counter windows. The new E's Style #2 do not.

Aah.. that's right. Forgot about the pads.

I'll update the listing tonight.

This is a good project to do before all the 99-E's are converted to something else.

I'm not much help on this one. I only have a 1960 version and have very little data. I do see some with counters around 1971 and again at the end of production.

Need to add the 1981 with non-checkered grooved forearm and Monte Carlo stock.

Time to pull out the catalogs and see what they show vs what has been seen.

I think the E is more likely to have had parts changed than other models. I would want to find multiples of a variation before counting it.

The only post mil E I have is serial # 11745XX and I believe DOM is 1968. We have talked about it before. It is in .358 Win.

Thanks, LBK. That helps narrow down the range of when the double diamond checkering on the 99E's got a border around the checkering. sometime between 11646xx and 11745xx.

Even though yours is a 1 of a kind for that style, it fits the style. Does Rick have the barrel address and length?

I am not sure. I will dig it out in a bit and post it.

Barrel length is 22".

As far as the receivers being left overs, I've seen several post mil 99E's with removed pre-mil serial numbers restamped with later numbers. Sold one to diamondjim, don't remember if I have the rest or sold them.

Cataloging stained birch wood stocked, press checkered, stamped metal post mil E's now

We are getting desperate for something to talk about...

1960 99E's serial #'s 9686xx and 9688xx

1966 99 E/S. these came from the factory with the folding rear sight, Savage scope and Savage scope mounts. This rifle has the double diamond checkering. serial #11813xx

A 1969 vintage E in 300 with double diamond checkering. serial #A3706xx

I also have a 1965 vintage E in 308 that isn't checkered. serial #11052xx

The cut or relieved ‘cheek’ just above the lever is present on some, and completely missing on others. My only ignorant observation to add. Besides other diferences. My ‘66 DL has them, but they just don’t ‘pop’ as much on other variants I see that has them. But they are there. In these E’s, tbey’re Either there or they ain’t at all.

Are the buttplates all over the place? Do they stop being metal and having the “Savage” and Injun head insignia on them?

Also, those two twin EG forearm Es the David now has, have metal butt plates; I think all the other 99Es we've seen, including that 250-3000 with the EG forearm that we saw last year (maybe 2 years ago) have plastic butt plates on them.

Harry that's a whole different topic other than 99Es ... but they did vary over time from the very beginning.

Take #2.. David, I'm going to leave the 99E/S out of this, as I think it's different - just like the 1950's 99RS is different than the 1950's 99R. They should have their own list of variations.

Style 1: As catalogued in 1960, uncheckered EG style stock, premil receivers (so far)

Pic stolen from: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/10865701/1



Style 2: A "99F style" uncheckered stock, usually or always with premil receivers, has side panels on buttstock.

Pic stolen from: https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...now-if-i-won-or-lost-a-couple-pics-added



Style 3: a plain uncheckered stock, never with premil receivers, has either no side panels on buttstock or a vague side panel with no distinct edges, no cartridge counter..

1961 -- 10303xx (Style 3)



1962 -- 10419xx (Style 3)



Style 4: Birch stock, double diamond checkering, no side panels on buttstock
1968 -- 11646xx (Style 4(a), started in 1964?), no border on checkering

1969 -- A2299xx (Style 4b, border on checkering)



1969 -- A2551xx (Style 4b, border on checkering)



1979 -- D0005xx (Style 5?)
[/quote]

Style 6? Borrowed from gunbroker. No cartridge counter, supposed a 1976 rifle but can't read serial. Considering I just found a style 5 99E dating to summer of 1978, doubting this is 1976.


1981 - Style 6? on gunsinternational. 1980-1981+ makes much more sense and is in line with the 99C timeline.
https://www.gunsamerica.com/943952718/SAVAGE-99E-LEVER-ACTION-243-WIN.htm

We're missing the "blond" or "yellow" 99E's. Anybody know off hand the serial number ranges for those?

Found one:

Here's a yellow stock. Can't see a serial number off this, but seems like a variation of style 3.
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/814136513

My 1965 uncheckered E has the blond stock. I'll try to take a photo of it and post it later. Serial 11052xx. I never thought these rifles would get this much attention other than the 1960/61 pre-mil serial numbers.

I show 11052xx as 1966. Interesting, would have expected double diamond checkering that year. But we have so little info on 99E's we don't know when any features started/stopped.

99E's won't ever get a lot of attention.. but hopefully folks can take a few minutes to help add to this thread.

11052xx has an S LBC which is 1965

overall photo

closeup of stock. I have seen several of these blond stock guns but thought maybe this one had had the stain removed and had been revarnished.

closeup of cheap rear sight.

for comparison purposed here is a closeup of the 99E/S sight

My three later E's made from 1965 to 1969 have the cheap plastic buttplate that doesn't have the Savage name on them. I remember seeing what appeared to be an E with lazer checked walnut stock, steel buttplate and a round counter. The serial number placed it about 1984. The only models produced then were the E and C. I thought it was made up with leftover parts from the brush gun or 99A. I can't remember what type forend it had.

E's are what they are. At least they are still the same action as other lever safety versions. Economy didn't just hurt the 99, all manufacturers were forced to cut costs.. I am as guilty as the next guy avoiding post mil guns, but you can't have a collection without including all if you want things to be complete. I just have a problem warming up to them.

LBK, having a complete collection is why I bought the 1965 E and 1966 E/S. They are ugly but shoot every bit as good as the other 99's including pre-mils.

Did the "yellow stocked E's" ship that way or did they have a crappy walnut coating that has been removed because it was not durable? You will see some of the 99-H's with yellow (non-walnut) stocks for the same reason.

They were shipped that way. Birch wood is rather difficult to stain.

There are only TWO things that are required to be a collector. MONEY and the willingless to SPEND it. No looking back.

Me neither too. One of these days you guys will discover the DL's, then I won't be able to find any a them neither too. .

We are keeping the prices low for you Roy

The DLs aren’t nearly the unexplored mystery that the 99E is.

I don't know the range, but can provide a data point, 10593xx is blond.

Late ‘62? And David’s is late 1965.

Wonder if these might be isolated rifles where the stocks just didn’t the stain/finish properly, rather than a tight range? I’m sure we don’t have 3 yrs of production on them.

Unexplored mysteries..

Here's 10176xx - not sure, stained birch or walnut?

Was given a couple more pics, so do we now have a Style 7?

This dates to 1983: the checkering is different from Style 6 from the preceding few years. It also has a cartridge counter.

My bad, the checkering is the same. Just much better picture.

Cartridge counter worthy of it being a different style? Hmm. Weren't there earlier E's with a cartridge counter?

Sure looks like birch to me. Catalog in 1964 listed the 99E stock as a "walnut finish", but if the serial number is right this is early 1961 probably.

"Cartridge counter worthy of it being a different style? Hmm. Weren't there earlier E's with a cartridge counter?"

At this time I would say no. If you do add it should be as a subset within a style.


Yes, some early ones had counters and I think some of the late ones did not.

That was my thinking also, Rick. So Style 6b has cartridge counter, 6a doesn't. Probably some 5's out there with counters as well.

Here is another 10252xx, plain no panels or checkering. Maybe stained birch? .308 Chicopee barrel

The E in the 1981 Catalog is like this style 6; the E in the 1980 catalog looks like your style 5.

Yep, 10252xx definitely looks like stained birch. And thanks for the 1980/1981 catalog info.. now we just have to verify the catalogs were right.

The 1982 catalog lists the 99A, 99C and 99E; only the 99A specs says has a round counter. The 1984 catalog shows the 99C and 99E; the spec table says the 99E has round counter.

Here's a couple more data points from surfing closed GB auctions:
SN style GB # comments
1132769 3 813467393
B336xxx 3 815325369 blond
C784355 4 816521156

I, for one, would really enjoy reading an examination of the DL’s. Probably because it’s the only one I own. But anyway, Anytime you want to fire up a dissertation, sir Fireball...

Here are my two that I can contribute to the discussion. But both are pre-mil,1960 and 1961 with the round count window.

What was the twist rate of the earliest 99E in 250-3000? I am sure it has been talked about before, if so, I apologize.
Thanks.