My best friend offered to sell me a Savage 99 in .308; and I was hopeful you'all could provide some advise or suggestions.

Price has not really been talked too much about. I want to ensure I pay him fair price though and have a "square deal".

The rifle is in exceptional condition. My "gut feeling'' is that it is 1920s ( +/- a decade).

My thought was it would make an excellent hunting gun with open irons, a "flat shooter", and fun practice at the hunting club target range. The .308 appeals to me as well because it is proven and the ammo is readily available.

Any advice? What should I look for? What is a fair market value to offer my friend?

Pictures?

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Rather be outdoors

The 308 Win. was introduced in 1952.

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Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

^^^Wow. Thought it was around longer. Goes to show you can never assume.

Given the above, I would estimate it was an early model sometime in the 1950s.

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Rather be outdoors

I really don't know much about pricing on the 99s any more. They started going up about 10 years ago or so. I know that if I saw one in the store for 400 bucks it would go home with me, 500 I'd think about it, and 600 it would have to belong to someone else.....I'm sure more intelligent folks than I will chime in shortly.

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Even older, even crankier....

Good condition, in 308: I would consider it about the same value as a good, basic bolt action in the same condition. factors to consider: cartridge counter, quality of wood, unique or scarce stock, bases/rings/tang sight.

Here in the west, they are getting to be worth a premium. Just about any 99 in any caliber would start around $500. One in my local shop is priced at $2500 ( long barrel, 303 Savage, octagon barrel, cartridge counter, nice checkered wood). Beaters start around $300-$350. Lots of guys still use them for elk out here. I have an old 300 Savage (my wife's first gun) that I'm gonna put something like an old Weaver on and maybe use for elk.

Any .308 Winchester Model 99 with the internal rotary magazine and walnut stock start at $400 for a well worn model and go up from there in my area. The 99 is super strong and usually extremely accurate. They made a couple of models with detachable magazines which seem to be less valuable.

I've been looking to buy one myself and only seem to find old collectable .303 Savage models, beat to heck .300 Savage models or "Bubba Gunsmithed" .308's. My LGS just sold a 90% late 1950's 99 in .308 with an original Weaver K-8 scope for $799 and it was only on the rack one day or I'd have laid it away.

Best bet for checking prices is to look at several online gun sale sites.
Some 99s listed will be sky high so discount them. Some will be real beaters and cheaper, so compare condition with the one you are considering. The middle ground might be about the right price.

Saw my first 99 long ago. It was in .38-55 with octagonal barrel, and
cartridge counter. Almost no finish left but still had a certain something about it. I would like to find one in .250 Savage when I have some
loose cash. Unfortunately they all seem to be priced out of my
reach even when I do have some.

BearBio / Steamloco thanks for the input and advice!

"cartridge counter, quality of wood...". Yep. It has those.

I have been very interested in these Savage rifles for awhile and my best friend offered this one to me. He has others he uses for hunting and collecting.

Honestly it would mean a lot to me personally to buy his rifle. I want to be respectful in offering a fair market value and consider myself fortunate for the opportunity.

Stories? Pictures?

Kind regards--

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Rather be outdoors

Get the serial number and plug it in:

Savage 1895/1899/99 Dates of Manufacture

History of Model 99 Savage

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Still Running Against the Wind

I would venture a guess at 95% + condition. Original stock, blue, etc.

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Rather be outdoors

id give 500 for a nice 99 in .308 all day. a little more if it was .300 savage.

If the safety is on the lever, as opposed to the tang, it is worth more. If it has sling swivels added, the value goes down. If it is drilled and tapped for a scope, oither than from the factory, the value goes down. I suggest you go to 24hourcampfire.com and locate the Savage Collectors lounge for better advice. They can answer all of your questions.

Good rifle & good caliber.

Buy it. I have only one, early 1920s edition, takedown, in .303 Savage. Not too often seen anymore. Savage quit making them as production cost was too high to make a profitable product. I know in the 60s, maybe later, Savage made a 99 with a detachable box magazine instead of the rotary type. It is a very strong action, unlike its main competitor, the Model 94 Winchester, and it can use spitzer bullets. It's superior in every way to the Model 94.

Just at gunshow today, I always look at Savage 99's , Winchester 88's, and the 99's were around 5-600. I don't remember seeing any in 308, but they'd sell here in Texas because the Savage is a good rifle and .308 is good/ plentiful.

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Halfway and one more step

I don't know what current values should be. But the 99 is the finest rifle made! not that i'm prejudiced!!.... I have a 99C in .308 (box mag)..
I'd post a pic, but photobucket decided to "improve", and now I can't access their site at all.....
Shoot him an offer and have him counter.. meet in the middle.. you won't be sorry....
My 99 is "my rifle".......

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illigitimi non carborundum

Do check the serial number. Those numbered less than a million are considered more desirable much like the pre 64 model 70's and for a lot of the same reasons. If it falls in the mid to late 50's time frame, there are a couple of models where the winchester calibers are highly desirable. Beyond that it's all about condition, condition, condition. Around 5 years ago, I saw a model "F" in 243 sell at a live auction for $500 and thought was quite a bargain at the time. Again, the serial number was less than a million and it was in pristine condition with hang tags. If I saw that deal today, I'd jump on it.

One note of caution, the steel butt plate 99's in 308 are known for being rather brisk in recoil and many of them had rubber recoil pads installed. This wasn't factory until later models. Also, D&T should be factory (you can tell by looking at the stamp on the front lug) but sling studs weren't installed by the factory on the early models.

Sometimes I do some basic gun disassembly and cleaning for friends. My lawyer brought me his granddads that had gotten wet in a flood. Had mud and stuff all over it. Took it apart and it cleaned up pretty good. Took it out to shoot it and decided right then that I was going to have one. It was hard to give back.

What model is it? A 308 pre million serial number could be an EG, R, F, or a T. Makes quite a difference in price. A post mil 99 in 308 could be an E, F, A, CD, etc. The Winchester calibers are a bit more desireable than the Savage calibers, given all other things equal. Added sling swivel studs, stock compasses, and other add ons will decrease value. The stocks on 99s seem to want to crack right behind the tang. Short of that, there are no other inherent problems with 99s, except that the very first 308 and 243 chambered guns didn't feed well. About serial # 900,000, Savage addressed this problem with a lengthened reciever.



I like 99s!

Here is mine with period Redfield Scope. Gave 250 for it 3 years ago as she is with extra mag. She is a heckuva a shooter. I believe mine dates to the early 60's. You can tell she was well used and loved.

I bought a 99F, 308, for my son about 10 years back and if I recall around $350 to $400. . Brass rotary mag, under a million s/n and very good condition. . Put on a 3x9 scope and my boy shoots it with ease. . He prefers it to my M70's.

I would speculate around $550 to $750 for a nice one today. .

Rod

I had a shorter length carbine version of the 99E in 308.

It was everything I wanted: accurate, reliable, nice package.

It (that model) was also a few things I didn't count on: extra loud (short barrel) and seemed to weigh a ton packing in the deer hills.

I gave all of $185 for it about 20 years ago, and more than got my money back 10 years later.

I came to admire & respect the 99 from that experience.

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Dum vivimus Vivamas

This is my last Buck, before I moved to AK. i took a nice doe later in the day..... The buck at about 75-80 yards, went straight down.. The doe at about 65-70 yards.. ran 20 yards or so towards the deer hanging shed.....

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illigitimi non carborundum

I have a 99F in .308. I love it. Light and handles like a fine shotgun.

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Wayne
Torn & Frayed

This thread needed another dead deer. My kid and his first one, gun is a .250/3000.

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“What you got, ain’t new.”

There is one classic looking later model with the tang safety. It's the only one I find interesting. It's the straight gripped 99A with no checkering. It has the look of the old pre war featherweights but was available in .308. But there are many good post war Savages your freind might be selling there. The great 99EG came in .308. The heavy 99RS also. And my favorite is the 99F Featherwight. Mine is .243 and was made in 1955. This model made the transition to the tang safeties.
Model 99's were as cheap as $200 out here in Ca. then skyrocketed. Good luck on it. It sounds like a fun treasure hunt you're on finding out which version it is. Here's my .243. My dad carved the stock in the early 60's.




And the 1848 .300 my dad gave me for my 40th birthday. He paid $100 for it. A freind gave me the Stith mounts. I got the Alaskan scope off another guy. This is the very sleek and pointable Model 99EG. The most common 99 you'll find around.

A local gun shop has a new, in the box, 75th anniversary, unfired, uncycled one in .308 for sale. He is asking $595.

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U.S. Navy - U.S. Army, ret

I don't go for the "engraving" on those, but to have a .308 with an octagon barrel and crescent butt stock would be very cool. That's a nice rifle, if I'm thinking of the one you meant.

The 99 is an interesting rifle. Very sleek and advanced for its 19th century birth. I mostly see them around $550-$600 but some are tagged higher. The take-down model will bring a premium as will some calibers like the 22 HP and the 250-3000.

I looked for one for a while and finally bagged this one. The 303 Savage caliber is underpowered and obsolete but suits me. I paid too much at $387 considering the unpopular caliber and a refinish that left all the stampings blurry from over polishing. But I do like the rather unusual configuration of straight stock, shotgun style butt and 26" barrel.

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No life story has happy end.

That is the one. It is engraved with the long octagon barrel and crescent butt stock. I have drooled on it when I go in. I had shoulder surgery recently or it would be in my safe now.

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U.S. Navy - U.S. Army, ret

Not sure when savage branched out into .308.

Would be a bit hefty on the recoil side.

Make sure the magazine loads and feeds properly.

If you care about these things, make sure you do not have a newer .308 barrel on an older gun.

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Buy American
Vote Responsibly

Serial Number is 945XXX

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Rather be outdoors

Were the toes optional?

It would not be one with the poor feeding problem of the earlier 308s.
If it has a fat foreend, it is an "R".
If it has a schnabel for end, it will be an "EG".
If it has a barrel boss where the rear sight mounts, it will be an "F".
Any of these in good condition are a fairly sought after rifle.

In good original condition, the F would bring around $800. The R or EG, more than $1000.
I'd love to see pics of it.