Trp Bret,

I'm assuming the 99 is a takedown since you mention switching barrels. Date of production is 1912 and if it is in good shape, should be ok for what you want. I think that $250 would be generous per the discription.--JDL

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I picked up a 99F in 303 savage on a trade. I don't want to say what I traded even for, because you would accuse me of being a thief! It's a feather weight takedown with perfect metal, about 98% blue and 90% wood. The only thing that I could mark against it is the bore. I would consider it a little too rough for cast. Do any of you know a source for Savage 99 takedown barrels? I'm in the same shape as Deputy Al. I wish I could post a picture of this gun, if you saw it in person you would drool all over it.Ed

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I am always happy to post pics for you if you can send them to me  45nut@mynra.com  I was quite challenged myself for some time and know where you are coming from. And a Savage 99 is certainly welcome  45nut

A timely post about the .303 Savage.  I used to have one, a takedown with Marbles tang sight with the little fold up peep reducer.  Today while I was out moving stuff out of the old reloading shed, prepatory to tearing it down, I found my ammo can full of 303 brass and loaded ammo.  In the loaded stuff, there is one full box of real old Remington 180 grain mushroom hollowpoint, one box with 3 loaded and seventeen empty.  In the unloaded brass, one box of same, 20 empty cases, and 5 plain boxes of SA Corp fired.  Two of the boxes have notes on the top that say Second Lot, 4 boxes for $10.00.  Wonder what happened to the other two boxes, and the dozen or so red boxes of Savage factory ammo.  Reloading information for cast is written on some of the boxes.  Brought back some pleasant memories.  I sure hope you guys enjoy those Model 99's.

Ernie

Bill, I really don't have much interest in selling this stuff just yet.  Might be willing to trade some of it though.  The notion of posting some of the reloading dies and equipment, as well as brass and ammo on the trader board occured to me, but there is so much of it, I'm afraid I might clog up the system and irritate some one.  D'ya think anyone would be interested in dies like .256 Newton, 270 ICL Magnum, and stuff like that?  Also lots of standard stuff.

Tomorrow I have to see a fellow about trading my Williams FP that will fit the Model 54 Winchester I just got rid of, for a Marbles tang sight for old style Model 99.  Nyuck, Nyuck.

Love those '99's.

Ernie

I had the same plan as that mentioned by Bret for a TD 1899 in 25-35 WCF.......a fleet of barrels for one receiver, a lever action repeating T/C Contender.  I parted with the rifle for some foolish reason, and regretted the sale 10 minutes later.  It took 5 years to find another decent example in that caliber. 

ELB--I was going to have the barrels made by a local gunsmith, and I don't recall what his source of barrel blanks was to be.  His thoughts were that the assemblies would be a simple thing--the interrupted threads on the barrel shank, weld a lug for the fore-end, and good to go.  In 1990, he was going to do 4 barrels with Lyman front irons for $1000--25-35 AI, 30-30 AI, 35-30 standard, and 38-55.  The man has since passed away, unfortunately. 

The consultant is in.  Your financial concerns addressed and remedied to my satisfactio quickly.  The Marble tang sight is different than the other one I have, is missing the screw in peep, and the screws are not original.  Still, it will mount handsomely on the giant 30-30 I have.  Got this '99 for Christmas, '92, from my boss.  The stock has been lengthened twice, LOP about 15", there used to be a handprint around the receiver and forend visible that was about one and a half times as broad as mine.  It has a 26" half octagon/half round barrel, and some mechanical problems that do not affect safety or firing, just ejection.   Most likely will not get it fixed.

Can we discuss '99's here without offending the collector mafia?  I've left a couple of discussion groups because I think rifles are for shooting, looking at is secondary.  Some of the folks there (the other groups) were pretty hard on anyone whose rifles were not in factory new condition, and the thought of actually shooting them caused torrential outpourings of rage.

I like you guys too much to want to leave, so if that's the case here, I would rather avoid it altogether.

Ernie

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The consultant is in. Your financial concerns addressed and remedied to my satisfactio quickly. The Marble tang sight is different than the other one I have, is missing the screw in peep, and the screws are not original. Still, it will mount handsomely on the giant 30-30 I have. Got this '99 for Christmas, '92, from my boss. The stock has been lengthened twice, LOP about 15", there used to be a handprint around the receiver and forend visible that was about one and a half times as broad as mine. It has a 26" half octagon/half round barrel, and some mechanical problems that do not affect safety or firing, just ejection. Most likely will not get it fixed.Can we discuss '99's here without offending the collector mafia? I've left a couple of discussion groups because I think rifles are for shooting, looking at i

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elberinnv

Well like I've told most my friends, if someone gave me Billy The Kids sixshooter I'd shoot the shit out of them.  This damn collector crap has gone too far.  Sure we should have a model or two of all the firearms made in a museum, but not the hold damn lot of them.  They were made for shooting and because most of them are in collectors hands is the reason we all haven't gotten to shoot them.  Shoot your gun and enjoy...after all you can't take it with you.  So why save it in pristine condition and let some other SOB have it when you pass on.

Joe

Ernie; sounds like you might have been "singed"on the Savage Bd.@ 24 hour Campfire...Believe me, I know that feeling !!! Too good to shoot, got to be for investment only, then one should always heed--"a time to buy ,and a time to sell".. ..Bill ( Onceabull)

Yessir, Bill, that were one of the places.  Very unpleasant, and much worse treatment to some other interlopers there.  There's only about six or so '99's in the safes now, but I used to keep a dozen or so on hand most of the time.  Would really like to start cast load development with the .308 F when I find the time.

Joe, that's pretty close to how I feel.  Some folks get downright nasty when ideas like that come their way.

Ernie

Ernie - I would suspect on this board you are among the largest herd of unreformed and unrepentant gun butchers on the internet. I've got a couple Swedes that are in real nice original condition, and won't monkey with, but the preservation nazis go a bit far at times. I've only handled a couple guns in my life i wouldn't shoot, the last was a $270,000 Mandarino, but I don't even get to handle this class of weapon often, let alone shoot it! But then again, I wouldn't think twice about digging a Turk Mauser out of the closet and start in on it.

You just go right on ahead with whatever you want to do with your 99. 

Thanks, Ric.  I do not plan to butcher any '99, though there are a couple of Turks and a VZ24 that are currently being improved.  What I do plan to do is shoot, and shoot, and then maybe shoot a little more, and if changes or improvements are needed, then that will happen.  Think I'll head back out to the garage and put another copper remover patch through the newtome Mannlicher.

Ernie

Unrepentant old rifle shooter.

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Thanks, Ric. I do not plan to butcher any '99, though there are a couple of Turks and a VZ24 that are currently being improved. What I do plan to do is shoot, and shoot, and then maybe shoot a little more, and if changes or improvements are needed, then that will happen. Think I'll head back out to the garage and put another copper remover patch through the newtome Mannlicher.ErnieUnrepentant old rifle shooter.

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Good golly,Allen, why not let loose and tell us how you really feel about collectors (accumulators ?) I think they serve a useful purpose,similar to the opportunites  the collectors, of Enron, Tyco, Yahoo, ad nausem, stock provided us old cynics... Onceabull    

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Are you guys trying to tell me, that the Happy Meal toys I've been collecting really aren't worth anything?

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Nazi's?  I thought I refered to mafia, as my dad left some parts of his person in Europe fighting those crooked cross fellows, and we take that term pretty seriously in my family.  I meant to say mafia, even if I didn't.  So there.

Bill, I think 358 is the single best caliber for the '99.  Wish I had one, maybe someday I will do as you are doing, and get one by the backdoor.

Al, I have one of those pre-Columbian GM products, an '86 Suburban, but even though it looks like it should be on blocks, I drive it to work.  Gets me all the way there sometimes.

Ernie

Huh, I struck a nerve.

I posted this someplace else here too- I'm not a big fan of the Savage takedowns. Too much $ for what you get around here. Junk one's start at $300.00 just 'cuz it's a takedown. I prefer the solid frame. Switching barrels is no big deal as the Savage doesn't, IMHO, require a gorilla tightening the barrel. A good firm lock up with a bit of lock tite and it'll be fine. The only problem I foresee is the magazine rotator. I have the 303 and a worn 25/35. I know the 38/55 will not work with the 303, the others we'll have to see. I read a article someplace once about a guy who actually made an original style rotary mag for a 99. This was pre-CNC and it took him days with a mill and an incredible amount of work. This gets me off on a tangent- All those complicated designs requiring hand fitting and large amounts of machine work can now be done, cheaply too,  with modern CNC machinery. Wonder why the arms companies don't realize this and bring back some of the older designs, like the 99, and make some bucks?

Tpr Bret, you are probably right in prefering the solid frame '99 for practical purposes, but the takedown is somehow just cool.  Only one of the takedowns has ever graced my accumulation of rifles, so I will have to say I must share your appreciation of relative values.

Still, a take down in an especially made case to lash to side of the motorcycle would mean an ability to partake of two of my passions on one trip.

By the way, thanks for starting this discussion.  Enjoyed it largely.

Ernie

Sorry for being so harsh about the collector types, they gotta "be" too.  Just a reflexive reaction to their DON'T SHOOT IT mantra about perfectly sound and usable firearms.  I'm better now.

A Savage 99 in 358 would be one fine game rifle, and a cast boolit launcher of the first order.  With CNC machining now the industry standard, there is no reason on earth--other than lack of vision--why some truly fine classic shotguns, rifles, and handguns couldn't be resurrected.  The pre-'64 Winchester M-70 is back with us--why not the Savage 99, or (drool) the Colt New Service?     

Bit of an update on the 303.

I recv'd a Marbles tang sight peep from Brownells yesterday. I was going to use the Redfeild peep off my crapped out 25/35 '99 (crapped out bore and the receiver was crushed-don't ask how) but it turns out the "new" 303 wasn't drilled for that sight so I bit the bullet and got the Marbles when I saw it was available. Got to say I'm well pleased with it. It was around $90.00 with my discount and worth it.  Screws are perfect and it comes with 3 sight disc's. An all around nice peice of work. I would recommend it over the current Lyman produced tang sights I've seen.

I was cruising a Savage board at another site, 24 hour campfire maybe?, and rumour has it Starline may make a run of 303 brass. In the mean time I have 60 rounds of Winchester factory and my evil step father may still have the 5 boxes of CIL ammo from dad's gunshop. This still leaves us without a 190 gr "metal patched" bullet (if only Winchester would bring back the 190 Silver Tip!) but I imagine the RCBS 180FN will suffice at 1900-2100fps.

I'm going to try the 220 Swift brass for the 303. I have a couple rounds to measure up first and will let the brotherhood know if it works.

For those interested the 2003 Gn Digest has an article by Jim Floral tittled "Selling the American 303" which is about the 303 Savage and it's early days. Not much meat, but an interesting story. Same Digest has a 32-20 revolver article and some other good stories.

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Bit of an update on the 303.I recv'd a Marbles tang sight peep from Brownells yesterday. I was going to use the Redfeild peep off my crapped out 25/35 '99 (crapped out bore and the receiver was crushed-don't ask how) but it turns out the "new" 303 wasn't drilled for that sight so I bit the bullet and got the Marbles when I saw it was available. Got to say I'm well pleased with it. It was around $90.00 with my discount and worth it. Screws are perfect and it comes with 3 sight disc's. An all around nice peice of work. I would recommend it over the current Lyman produced tang sights I've seen.I was cruising a Savage board at another site, 24 hour campfire maybe?, and rumour has it Starline may make a run of 303 brass. In the mean time I have 60 rounds of Winchester factory and my evil step father may still have the 5 boxes of CIL ammo from dad's

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