Once again, this is a draft article - comments/corrections, etc. are always welcome before it goes into the bin for future publication.
John
The Savage Model 99 rifle, the design of which had its beginnings back in 1892, was produced with very few changes for nearly 100 years. It has been described as one of the finest running game rifles ever produced. It was one of only two lever actions designed around the turn of the 20th century that could accommodate spitzer (pointed) bullets. It was hammerless, giving a very fast ignition time, and it was way less prone to catching on clothing or brush. Unlike its only spitzer-usable lever action competitor at the time, the Winchester Model 1895, there was no projecting magazine to complicate fast handling, portability and balance. Its cock-on-closing action made for fast, slick operation. A novel feature was a built-in cartridge counter that showed the number of rounds remaining in its internal rotary magazine. It even had an indicator that showed when the action was cocked. These were all very modern features for a rifle of that era. Over one million were produced, and even years after manufacture finally ceased in 1998, these rifles will still be found in the hunting fields and treasured by their owners. They are also increasingly popular as valued collector items.
The story of the Model 99 has to begin with its inventor, Arthur William Savage. His life story is so incredible that it would make a terrific adventure novel. Born on May 13th, 1857 to Welsh parents in Jamaica, young Arthur studied in England, and later joined his mother in Baltimore, Maryland. There, he had his first glimpse of the opportunities for achievement possible in the United States. His mother then moved to Glasgow, Scotland, where 16-year-old Arthur sadly lost her to complications from minor surgery. He then moved in with an uncle in London to study art. Hearing a Charles Darwin lecture about the wonders of the natural world, he talked his uncle into getting him passage to see Australia. While there, he actually lived with a band of aborigines for a couple of years. After returning to his own more civilized people, Arthur married and fathered eight children. The family then moved to England, and then back to Jamaica, where Arthur managed a banana plantation. In 1886, bored with this life, he and his family moved to New York, where he took employment with a patents publisher. Inspired by this environment, Arthur showed a talent on his own for inventing. He designed a falling block rifle with a tubular magazine and submitted it to the British government for trials, but it lost to the Lee bolt action. He sold the patent to Hartley & Graham, and with the $10,000 proceeds, he moved to Utica, New York to manage a railroad and then a streetcar line in Saratoga Springs. In his free time he designed a new military rifle with an 8-round rotary magazine. Two prototypes were made by Colt and submitted to U.S. Army trials in 1892, where his rifle lost to the Krag-Jorgensen system. It was felt that the rifle submitted was too slow to load and would require too much space to operate the lever for a military arm. Undeterred, Savage formed the Savage Repeating Arms Company in 1894 and contracted with Marlin to produce what was known as the Savage Model 1895. With its enclosed action, rotary 5-shot magazine and obvious advantages over tubular magazine lever actions, it sold well on the sporting market for four years. Savage then decided to open his own manufacturing facility, and upgraded the rifle with minor improvements to the Model 1899, which subsequently was known as the Model 99.
Ever the restless adventurer, Savage sold at least part of his interest in the company in 1905. He moved to California and dabbled in orange growing. Then, in 1911, he patented a radial tire in San Diego and formed the Savage Tire Company, selling it in 1919, about the time his wife died. Still fascinated with guns in this time period, he formed a new gun company in 1917 with his son, Arthur John Savage – the A.J. Savage Company. It is best known for producing a quantity of Model 1911 .45 automatic slides that were eventually used on reworked 1911 pistols. Arthur then involved himself with oil drilling, gold mining, and pipe, brick, and tile manufacture. He also found time to manage the San Gabriel Water Company. His incredibly active and productive life came to a sad end when, after being diagnosed with a painful and terminal form of cancer, he committed suicide on September 22, 1938 with a single pistol shot. He was 81.
The name of the company was changed in 1917 to the Savage Arms Corporation. Arthur Savage’s Model 99 continued to be manufactured way beyond the time he left the company he founded. The cocking indicator was changed from a hinged bar at the front of the breech bolt to a small pin on the tang of the receiver, which could be felt or seen easily. While the initial cartridge for which it was chambered was the .303 Savage (virtually a .30-30 clone), subsequent chamberings included but were not limited to .30-30, 25-35, 32.40, .38-55, .300 Savage, .22 High-power, .250-3000, .308 Winchester, .243, .358, .284, .250 Savage, 7mm-08, and .375. In 1922, .410 shotgun barrels were offered for takedown models. These were discontinued in 1934.
As originally designed, the Model 99 ejects its shells to the right side, which makes it particularly suitable for scope mounting. By the same token, most were not drilled and tapped for scope mounts until the late 1950s. The rifle illustrated here was made in 1951 in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. It has an open folding rear sight on the barrel, and mounting holes for a tang peep sight if desired. With a 24” barrel, it’s chambered for the .300 Savage, a 1920 design that almost rivaled the .30-06 in power. This was an efficient and popular choice that eventually was modified to become the .308 Winchester cartridge. With a rounded receiver bottom to accommodate the rotary magazine, the rifle grasps easily and naturally there, as that is also the balance point. This accounts for so many receivers where the bluing is faded underneath. The lever itself is almost always case hardened, and its mottled colors make for a nice contrast with the other blued parts. The sliding safety is just behind the trigger on the right side, and locks the lever in place as well as blocking the trigger from functioning. The rotary magazine follower with its built-in cartridge counter numbers was originally made of brass, then aluminum due to brass shortage during WWII, and then steel on a random basis. Some can be found case-hardened. The receiver and action was lengthened in the 1950s at approximately serial number 900,000 so as to accept the longer cartridges in the .308 family. The millionth 99 came off the line in 1960.
Many standard pre-war and post-war models were offered, each with slightly different configurations of barrels, stocks, checkering, buttplates, and finish. Almost all had letter designations; for example, the rifle illustrated was built on the “EG” pattern, which was the longest running. Quite a number were factory engraved. In 1960, the model F marked the introduction of a tang-mounted safety. The legendary rotary magazine gave way to a removable staggered-stack 3- or 4-round magazine in 1965. This was the Model 99C.
It’s very hard to pin down a manufacturing date on any particular 99. Rifles were seldom shipped in serial number order. After the receivers were serialed, they would go into a bin and be randomly selected for eventual completion. This dating problem was partially alleviated starting in 1949 and continuing through 1970, where a letter was stamped on the front of the boss where the lever is attached. It’s a code for the year of manufacture. The following letters were utilized: A=1949, B=1950, C=1951, D=1952, E=1953, F=1954, G=1955, H=1956, I=1957, J=1958, K=1959, L=1960, M=1961, N=1962, O was skipped, P=1963, Q was skipped, R=1964, S=1965, T=1966, U=1967, V=1968, W=1969, and X=1970. Any number also stamped with this code on the lever boss would be an inspector’s stamp, and is of no particular importance.
Collectors tend to favor the pre-war models made in Utica, NY in uncommon calibers, and then those made in Chicopee Falls, MA (beginning circa 1946), followed by those made in Westfield, MA (beginning in 1960). Most of the extensively engraved models with fancy wood were made during the 1960s, and these have significant collector interest. It’s generally agreed that quality control went downhill after the 1950s, hence the greater interest in the earlier guns.
As a footnote, the modern-day Savage Sports Corporation is being sold with its parent Caliber Company to the ATK Corporation, which is otherwise involved in commercial and security ammunition, shooting sports and security-related accessories.
The Savage 99 was an enduring design, but sadly, it may never be re-introduced. It became too expensive to manufacture and sell at anywhere near an acceptable retail price. It remains as one of the classic lever action sporting rifles, with innovative features that are still special today.
(c) 2014 JLM
John
The Savage Model 99 rifle, the design of which had its beginnings back in 1892, was produced with very few changes for nearly 100 years. It has been described as one of the finest running game rifles ever produced. It was one of only two lever actions designed around the turn of the 20th century that could accommodate spitzer (pointed) bullets. It was hammerless, giving a very fast ignition time, and it was way less prone to catching on clothing or brush. Unlike its only spitzer-usable lever action competitor at the time, the Winchester Model 1895, there was no projecting magazine to complicate fast handling, portability and balance. Its cock-on-closing action made for fast, slick operation. A novel feature was a built-in cartridge counter that showed the number of rounds remaining in its internal rotary magazine. It even had an indicator that showed when the action was cocked. These were all very modern features for a rifle of that era. Over one million were produced, and even years after manufacture finally ceased in 1998, these rifles will still be found in the hunting fields and treasured by their owners. They are also increasingly popular as valued collector items.
The story of the Model 99 has to begin with its inventor, Arthur William Savage. His life story is so incredible that it would make a terrific adventure novel. Born on May 13th, 1857 to Welsh parents in Jamaica, young Arthur studied in England, and later joined his mother in Baltimore, Maryland. There, he had his first glimpse of the opportunities for achievement possible in the United States. His mother then moved to Glasgow, Scotland, where 16-year-old Arthur sadly lost her to complications from minor surgery. He then moved in with an uncle in London to study art. Hearing a Charles Darwin lecture about the wonders of the natural world, he talked his uncle into getting him passage to see Australia. While there, he actually lived with a band of aborigines for a couple of years. After returning to his own more civilized people, Arthur married and fathered eight children. The family then moved to England, and then back to Jamaica, where Arthur managed a banana plantation. In 1886, bored with this life, he and his family moved to New York, where he took employment with a patents publisher. Inspired by this environment, Arthur showed a talent on his own for inventing. He designed a falling block rifle with a tubular magazine and submitted it to the British government for trials, but it lost to the Lee bolt action. He sold the patent to Hartley & Graham, and with the $10,000 proceeds, he moved to Utica, New York to manage a railroad and then a streetcar line in Saratoga Springs. In his free time he designed a new military rifle with an 8-round rotary magazine. Two prototypes were made by Colt and submitted to U.S. Army trials in 1892, where his rifle lost to the Krag-Jorgensen system. It was felt that the rifle submitted was too slow to load and would require too much space to operate the lever for a military arm. Undeterred, Savage formed the Savage Repeating Arms Company in 1894 and contracted with Marlin to produce what was known as the Savage Model 1895. With its enclosed action, rotary 5-shot magazine and obvious advantages over tubular magazine lever actions, it sold well on the sporting market for four years. Savage then decided to open his own manufacturing facility, and upgraded the rifle with minor improvements to the Model 1899, which subsequently was known as the Model 99.
Ever the restless adventurer, Savage sold at least part of his interest in the company in 1905. He moved to California and dabbled in orange growing. Then, in 1911, he patented a radial tire in San Diego and formed the Savage Tire Company, selling it in 1919, about the time his wife died. Still fascinated with guns in this time period, he formed a new gun company in 1917 with his son, Arthur John Savage – the A.J. Savage Company. It is best known for producing a quantity of Model 1911 .45 automatic slides that were eventually used on reworked 1911 pistols. Arthur then involved himself with oil drilling, gold mining, and pipe, brick, and tile manufacture. He also found time to manage the San Gabriel Water Company. His incredibly active and productive life came to a sad end when, after being diagnosed with a painful and terminal form of cancer, he committed suicide on September 22, 1938 with a single pistol shot. He was 81.
The name of the company was changed in 1917 to the Savage Arms Corporation. Arthur Savage’s Model 99 continued to be manufactured way beyond the time he left the company he founded. The cocking indicator was changed from a hinged bar at the front of the breech bolt to a small pin on the tang of the receiver, which could be felt or seen easily. While the initial cartridge for which it was chambered was the .303 Savage (virtually a .30-30 clone), subsequent chamberings included but were not limited to .30-30, 25-35, 32.40, .38-55, .300 Savage, .22 High-power, .250-3000, .308 Winchester, .243, .358, .284, .250 Savage, 7mm-08, and .375. In 1922, .410 shotgun barrels were offered for takedown models. These were discontinued in 1934.
As originally designed, the Model 99 ejects its shells to the right side, which makes it particularly suitable for scope mounting. By the same token, most were not drilled and tapped for scope mounts until the late 1950s. The rifle illustrated here was made in 1951 in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. It has an open folding rear sight on the barrel, and mounting holes for a tang peep sight if desired. With a 24” barrel, it’s chambered for the .300 Savage, a 1920 design that almost rivaled the .30-06 in power. This was an efficient and popular choice that eventually was modified to become the .308 Winchester cartridge. With a rounded receiver bottom to accommodate the rotary magazine, the rifle grasps easily and naturally there, as that is also the balance point. This accounts for so many receivers where the bluing is faded underneath. The lever itself is almost always case hardened, and its mottled colors make for a nice contrast with the other blued parts. The sliding safety is just behind the trigger on the right side, and locks the lever in place as well as blocking the trigger from functioning. The rotary magazine follower with its built-in cartridge counter numbers was originally made of brass, then aluminum due to brass shortage during WWII, and then steel on a random basis. Some can be found case-hardened. The receiver and action was lengthened in the 1950s at approximately serial number 900,000 so as to accept the longer cartridges in the .308 family. The millionth 99 came off the line in 1960.
Many standard pre-war and post-war models were offered, each with slightly different configurations of barrels, stocks, checkering, buttplates, and finish. Almost all had letter designations; for example, the rifle illustrated was built on the “EG” pattern, which was the longest running. Quite a number were factory engraved. In 1960, the model F marked the introduction of a tang-mounted safety. The legendary rotary magazine gave way to a removable staggered-stack 3- or 4-round magazine in 1965. This was the Model 99C.
It’s very hard to pin down a manufacturing date on any particular 99. Rifles were seldom shipped in serial number order. After the receivers were serialed, they would go into a bin and be randomly selected for eventual completion. This dating problem was partially alleviated starting in 1949 and continuing through 1970, where a letter was stamped on the front of the boss where the lever is attached. It’s a code for the year of manufacture. The following letters were utilized: A=1949, B=1950, C=1951, D=1952, E=1953, F=1954, G=1955, H=1956, I=1957, J=1958, K=1959, L=1960, M=1961, N=1962, O was skipped, P=1963, Q was skipped, R=1964, S=1965, T=1966, U=1967, V=1968, W=1969, and X=1970. Any number also stamped with this code on the lever boss would be an inspector’s stamp, and is of no particular importance.
Collectors tend to favor the pre-war models made in Utica, NY in uncommon calibers, and then those made in Chicopee Falls, MA (beginning circa 1946), followed by those made in Westfield, MA (beginning in 1960). Most of the extensively engraved models with fancy wood were made during the 1960s, and these have significant collector interest. It’s generally agreed that quality control went downhill after the 1950s, hence the greater interest in the earlier guns.
As a footnote, the modern-day Savage Sports Corporation is being sold with its parent Caliber Company to the ATK Corporation, which is otherwise involved in commercial and security ammunition, shooting sports and security-related accessories.
The Savage 99 was an enduring design, but sadly, it may never be re-introduced. It became too expensive to manufacture and sell at anywhere near an acceptable retail price. It remains as one of the classic lever action sporting rifles, with innovative features that are still special today.
(c) 2014 JLM
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