Questions about Savage 99's?

[Canuck Bob]

I am deciding to get another lever and decided on a Savage 99. I want avoid the highly collectable and look for models that will be cheaper and common. The gun will be plinker/fun shooter for varmint bullets and lead slugs.

I think I want the rotary magazine. From pictures it seems to be included in the bottom of the receiver? It looks like it would carry very nice with a peep sight.

I understand the economy model was the E, any comments? Was it "hardwood" stock? Pistol or straight grip? Calibers?

Is there a clear point when standards changed, ie. pre-64 Winchester?

I would like a takedown if possible. Are they all the same?

What about the tang versus lever safety?

[big bear]

1. forget about take down model, you will not find one cheap.
2. get a pre-million serial number model with safety on the lever, not tang I like the lines of the EG
3. 300 savage cheapest calibre, good round.
4. Check for split in stock at tang. I have a 308 with fine hair thin split there,never the less mine is a very accurate rifle, but you can use that common defect as a price lowering bargain chip.

[iceman]

I like the F model in 300 savage and really enjoy it. Being left handed I prefer the tang safety but the lever safety seems easy enough for a righty. 308 winchester maybe easier ammo to find.

[Canuck Bob]

Interesting, I' a lefty.

[iceman]

I have heard of lefties using the lever safety with little to no problems. I personally like the tang. I guess you will have to try one on for size. There are a lot of different models to choose from, keep looking around and I'm sure you will find one. Lots of different calibers 22 high power, 250 savage, 303 savage, 30-30, 38-55 300 savage, 243 win, 308 win, 284 win, 358 win. and probably a bunch more. 243,300, 308 the most abundant/cheapest. Good luck in your search.

[Pisgah]

I love my 99A. This is of the late-'70s-early-'80s vintage, rotary magazine, cartridge counter, tang safety, straight grip, .308. Since this picture I have taken off the scope bases and installed a Williams receiver sight. A good-handling, powerful, accurate carbine.

[Ben_Rumson]

E model Carbine 20" barrel 300 Savage the 308 was available in E too ...Most all of the other models have 22" barrels or longer.. My S/N is post 1 million made in 1960 IIRC...The tang safety is in the post 1 million S/N range... Dunno if you prefer the straight grip... I can cycle the action on this one merely by opening and closing my hand.. never having to remove it from my shoulder...They all cock on closing so be ready for that.. The ones with a detachable magazine are the C model.. Think C for clip...

[Canuck Bob]

With all the pre-million talk I was begining to think the later ones were junk. These rifles above are fine looking guns. I'd be proud of either one of them.

I prefer a pistol grip because of an arthritic wrist. Also my 444 Marlin is a pistol Grip and I have been shooting that rifle for decades.

It appears that the 300 or 308 are by far the most common cartridge available in Canada. I like them both and a 250 or 243 would also suit my needs.

I'm quessing the tang safety would negate a tang sight obviously.

[Sarge]

I like the 99 including the E models. There are options besides tang sights that work well on them.

http://sargesrollcall.blogspot.com/2008 ... avage.html

However- I've had two of these in .308 and both would occasionally leave a case in the chamber when firing 180 or heavier loads. The extractor on these guns is not particularly robust.

This may not even be a factor with the 'Savage' calibers, but I have seen it often enough with 308 that I wouldn't carry one anyplace that a FTE might cost me my hide.

YMMV

[Canuck Bob]

In research I've found another forum post says the E model never had the tang safety. Is this correct?

Does anyone know the manufacturing year range of the E model?

[Ben_Rumson]

Yes it's true the E model doesn't have the tang safety...Think E for Economy Model.. No frills, hardwood stocks no Schnabel forend... The E model didn’t have the cartridge counter either...because milling a window for the counter and putting numbers on the rotor spool as well as cutting a slot in the tang for the safety were extra machining operations.. Also there was the cost of the safety button and linkage... My 1967 Shooter’s Bible shows the E running @$107.50 and the nearest priced model, the F @137.50 with tang safety/walnut stocks and available in five calibers rather than the two available for the E...However my E is factory tapped for scope mounts as were the other models...Best as I can tell the earlier pre M E models were something different and were not economy models...Mine as I said was mfg'd 1960...I think their issue year was 1958 or 59... It’s said the post M 99s have better steel and heat treating...
Having no opening for a cartridge counter for crud to get into is viewed by not a few hunters as a plus... The cartridge counter and cocking indicator are great features...But Savage didn’t leave off the cocking indicator on the E... kinda showing me the more useful feature.
One other thing the lever safety models can be decocked using the lever and trigger in combination.. a nice feature because you don’t have to dry fire it so as not to leave it cocked .. I guess a snap cap would be used for that purpose in the tang safety models..

[Buffboy]

There were 2 generations of the E, one that ran from 1920-1936(shorter action, 300savage family of cartridges), and an E carbine that ran from 1960-1982 (this has the longer postwar action that allowed chambering in the 308 family of cartridges) both with the lever safety. I've seen the later ones with both birch and walnut stocks. There are various subsets of the 99 that have different features and way too many to type.

[fordwannabe]

I have an E from 1967 and it has the blond wood and lever safety, as a lefty it isn't a problem for me. It is in 300 savage and will one hole with my cast handloads, one other plus it is as reliable as a rock never a hiccup or bobble. If you look they are still around half reasonably priced too. I bought this one 2 years ago for 135.00 at a auction. Tom

[jcw]

I've got one in .308. out side of the wood, I got no complaints.

[brno602]

I have a week spot for all 99'S just get one anyone! They all good!lol
.300savage brass is very easy to find and the cal really does not give up anything to the 08 and I happen to really like the 08. Now 303 Savage my be a bit of a bugger to find brass for but I still see it up here at gun shows.
As a side note my Fav is the .300 and .250 because they are the only ones I own and in Savage Cals too.

[Old Ironsights]

Hard to find, but a good (the best?) resource for the 99 is:

"The Nintey-Nine, a history of the Savage Model 99 Rifle - Third Edition" by Douglas P Murray 1985 (no ISBN)

The model EG was made from 1935 ($46.50) to 1960 ($113.65)

The model E (Economy) was made from 1960 ($99.95) to 1984 ($251.35)

Calibers:
1961 - .243, .308 with 20" bbl, .300 S with 24"
1962 All calibers with 20" only
1971 Scoped/Tapped available in .243/.308 only
1983 .250-3000 added

[El Chivo]

a friend is selling her father's guns and I put up some pics in our classifieds, I believe one of them is a Savage 99. Sorry I don't know the caliber yet but will try to find out.

Check it out:

http://www.levergunscommunity.com/viewt ... =2&t=27391

[Old Ironsights]

Without more information... just guessing at the age by the grade of wood I'd say a 99A

made 1971-1982.

Most of the newer guns had pistol grips &/or no schnable forends.

Now, if the gun is older than 1971, then it could be one of a lot of models...

If you can get me caliber/sn/and a shot of the stock (shotgun? crescent?) it would help a bunch...

[jlchucker]

Why all of the "pre-million" comments? I'd never heard of that before. Is it just because the safety was relocated, or was there a major "tacky-cheap" effort on Savage's part to downgrade the whole gun--like Winchester did with most of their products in 1964? Is there a collector issue here that I don't know about? I've owned one 99 Featherweight--rotary magazine, safety on the tang, 308 caliber. Checkering appeared to be cut, not pressed-in. A previous owner had removed all iron sights and put a scope on it. It wasn't a bad little rifle and I shot a couple of deer with it, but I have owned several other guns that shot tighter groups.

[pdentrem]

I have an older 99 in 250-3000 that outshoots any of my Winchesters. And no you can not have it!

[Hobie]

With all the pre-million talk I was begining to think the later ones were junk. These rifles above are fine looking guns. I'd be proud of either one of them.

I prefer a pistol grip because of an arthritic wrist. Also my 444 Marlin is a pistol Grip and I have been shooting that rifle for decades.

It appears that the 300 or 308 are by far the most common cartridge available in Canada. I like them both and a 250 or 243 would also suit my needs.

I'm quessing the tang safety would negate a tang sight obviously.

The receiver sight is mounted on the tang just in the scope mount holes. On the older guns the tang sight holes are where the tang safety is on the newer guns. My 1972 99A .308 has the Williams FP99.

[Wes]

Growing up reading gun magazines, I'd heard nothing good about the 300 Savage. Some said it was 'not inherently accurate', 'accuracy never set me on my ear', stuff like that. Also read that it was in every way inferior to the 308. So it wasn't until later in life that I tried a model 99 in 300 and found that all that was balogna. The 300 Savage is a very nice caliber that just about anyone can shoot. It has surprised me many times how well my 99's in 300 Savage shoot on paper. It's a good cartrige on game as well.

[jlchucker]

Growing up reading gun magazines, I'd heard nothing good about the 300 Savage. Some said it was 'not inherently accurate', 'accuracy never set me on my ear', stuff like that. Also read that it was in every way inferior to the 308. So it wasn't until later in life that I tried a model 99 in 300 and found that all that was balogna. The 300 Savage is a very nice caliber that just about anyone can shoot. It has surprised me many times how well my 99's in 300 Savage shoot on paper. It's a good cartrige on game as well.

Your experience describes why I pretty much have given up on reading gun magazines. I may look at one in a barber shop, or someplace like that, but in my own opinion you can learn quite a bit more from objectively reading opinions of those who post on websites like this one--political garbage excepted.

[Steve Collins]

I've found one at a local gun shop for $450. It's .308, but has a rough chamber, i.e., difficult to extract the empty case. Would it be ok to have it converted to .358, or just replace the barrel and keep it as a .308?

[Hecter]

I have several Savage 99's and have lots of fun shooting them with cast bullets. My suggestion would be an early solid frame model in .303 sav. Sometimes you can pick one up cheap because ammo is hard to find for this gun. You can make your own cases from 30-30 win. cases. This brass is ok for low pressure loads for cast bullets but should not be used for full throttle loads. There are many good cast bullet shapes that will shoot well from this type of outfit.

[pdentrem]

You can not go wrong with a Savage 99 that is mechanically in good shape.

My dad had a pre WW2 Savage 99 in 300 Savage. He could out shoot many bolts on a good day. The Savage 99 that I currently own in 250-3000 shot easy 1 1/2" groups at 100 meters. That is with factory loads. Plain old Winchester 100gr SPs. I never bothered to work up any loads for this barrel, why should I?

There was a very good write up in Shooting Times over 15 yrs ago that stated that the Savage 99 was the most accurate of the magazine fed lever actions and based upon my experience with my Dad's and mine I believe it.