History of the Savage Model 99

[Vulcan Bob]

Nice article to be sure. I've always admired the 99 for its looks alone. Finally picked up a well used but well taken care of 1949 EG in .300 Savage. Unfortunately it was drilled and tapped for a scope but I got a killer deal on it. Scrounged up a nice vintage Texas made Weaver K-4 with dot reticule to put on it to cover up the screw holes. It shoots rather well with factory ammo. I took it down for clean up and found it interesting that the stock and forearm are numbered to the gun.

 

[gregintenn]

Great article as always. You've done a good job covering one of my favorite rifles, as well as a very interesting character in Arthur Savage.

Not to knitpick, but you did ask for suggestions and corrections; I would add aluminum to the list of materials used to make the magazine rotors. I have examples with brass, color case hardened steel, as well as aluminum rotors.

 

[A10]

Thanks for the opportunity to preview your article, John. It was great, as always!

I never realized that Savage was such an interesting character, a sort of Renaissance Man of the late 19th century.

 

[PALADIN85020]

Great article as always. You've done a good job covering one of my favorite rifles, as well as a very interesting character in Arthur Savage.

Not to knitpick, but you did ask for suggestions and corrections; I would add aluminum to the list of materials used to make the magazine rotors. I have examples with brass, color case hardened steel, as well as aluminum rotors.

You are quite correct. I just modified the OP to reflect this. Interestingly, my model EG (1951) has a steel rotary follower. My understanding is that aluminum was introduced during WWII due to brass shortage. Evidently Savage used whatever stocks were on hand after the war, and experimented with both steel and case-hardened versions. Because of this intermixing and overlapping, there is no clear-cut "change date" for any of this. It's a lot like S&W during the post-WWII transitions; existing parts were not to be wasted, and whatever stock was on hand was often used. Winchester did the same thing, and often substituted parts like buttplates from other guns simply because they were on hand and would fit. No rhyme or reason that could be called a pattern.

Good point. Thanks.

John

 

[Art Doc]

Not sure I would agree that the 300 Savage equals the 30-'06. I think the 300S is much closer to the 308W in power.

Where might this piece be published?

I like the lines of the 99. Very futuristic when it was designed.

I like my really old one.

 

[cmort666]

It's interesting that unlike the Winchester 1895, it was never chambered for .30-06 or the bigger cartridges like the .405 Winchester.

I was surprised to see that it had been chambered in .38-55, a cartridge which I find interesting, but for which I've never owned a firearm. A Savage 99 chambered for .38-55, loaded with jacketed spitzer bullets would be VERY interesting as a big game rifle.

 

[PALADIN85020]

Not sure I would agree that the 300 Savage equals the 30-'06. I think the 300S is much closer to the 308W in power.

Where might this piece be published?

I like the lines of the 99. Very futuristic when it was designed.

I like my really old one.

Check the OP - I said the .300 Savage "almost rivaled" the .30-06. The same could be said for the .308, which was derived originally from the .300 Savage. Velocity with the same weight bullets typically run around 200-300 fps less than a .30-06. A deer will never notice the difference within 300 yards.

The article will probably be published in a future Blue Press, the catalog/magazine put out monthly by Dillon Precision. Interestingly, the Blue Press has the second highest circulation for a gun publication, second only the American Rifleman. Subscriptions are free and can be initiated online or by telephone, 1-800-223-4570.

It also will have a chance to be included in a possible book on classic firearms - that's still in the formulative stage.

John

 

[PALADIN85020]

It's interesting that unlike the Winchester 1895, it was never chambered for .30-06 or the bigger cartridges like the .405 Winchester.

I was surprised to see that it had been chambered in .38-55, a cartridge which I find interesting, but for which I've never owned a firearm. A Savage 99 chambered for .38-55, loaded with jacketed spitzer bullets would be VERY interesting as a big game rifle.

Before the demise of the Model 99, it's believed Savage made a few experimental models with a longer receiver and action so as to accommodate .30-06-length cartridges. This never came to pass as a production gun.

John

 

[wbraswell]

Great article, John. I really like the EG you pictured. I love my post-war 99F in .308. I sure wish I would have bought ones in .358 and .375 Win. while they were still reasonable.

 

[cmort666]

Before the demise of the Model 99, it's believed Savage made a few experimental models with a longer receiver and action so as to accommodate .30-06-length cartridges. This never came to pass as a production gun.

John

Do you know if the Savage 99 had the sort of extraction issues that the Winchester 95 is supposed to have? That's allegedly one of the things which doomed it as anything but an emergency substitute military rifle (eg. the Russian 7.62x54mmR guns).

 

[PALADIN85020]

Do you know if the Savage 99 had the sort of extraction issues that the Winchester 95 is supposed to have? That's allegedly one of the things which doomed it as anything but an emergency substitute military rifle (eg. the Russian 7.62x54mmR guns).

No extraction issues as far as I know. As I mentioned, Arthur Savage designed the 99 to cock on closing to keep extraction resistance to a minimum. The Model 99 can be operated very rapidly for this reason.

John

 

[shouldazagged]

I've wanted one for many years. A .243 or .30-30 would be nice, but I wish they had made them in .257 Roberts or 7X57.

 

[Texas Star]

>t was one of only two lever actions that could accommodate spitzer (pointed) bullets<

When you say, "WAS", are you referring to "back in 1899", only?

'Cause the Winchester 95, the Savage 99, the Winchester 88 and the Browning BLR are all lever guns that will take spitzers, and that adds up to more than two.

You forgot the short lived Sako Finnwolf. I think it was inspired by the Win. 88.

 

[gregintenn]

Here's one in particular that I'm quite proud of. My father had bought it a while back and restocked it. Much to my surprise, he gave it to me for a birthday present last year.

Although it's nearing a hundred year old, I learned that it still works as well as ever.
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According to this gentleman, the 22 high power makes a great tiger rifle.

I am not aware of another rifle that could easily be mistaken for a 99 Savage. That, and the fact they were available in so many different configurations and calibers makes them interesting to me.

 

[4506517]

I have a Model 99 in .300 Savage. My father bought it brand new in the early 50s. One of my most treasured guns.

 

[Harrison]

Very good article. I have a beautiful (to me anyway) Mdl 99 made in 1949, 24" barrel, in 250 Savage. It is very accurate for the first 3-4 rounds and starts stringing after the barrel warms up. I have taken a good number of deer with it. The rifle balances and handles like a dream. In my opinion, the 99 is far superior to your Mdl 94s and Mdl 336s.

 

[jimmyj]

In the era of 1955 my best friend's Father gave Him the Fathers hunting weapons. 1. Stevens 12ga DBL with exposed hammers, a Winchester M12 20ga, and a Savage M99 30/30 with the steel curved butt plate. The Savage was one, if not the most wicked recoiling rifle I have ever shot. In 1962 I traded into a Savage M99 .308 rifle. Great shooting rifle.

 

[jinx]

What a great history lesson. Always enjoy your posts.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

My dad's favorite rifle was his pre 64 Winchester Model 88 in .284 Winchester. Kind of like a short action .270 (.280, actually). I own it now but I still like the Savages much better.

 

[Art Doc]

Maybe picking nits but I would not compare it to the 06 if it's much closer to the 308.