Savage 99 scope mount

[littlebill]

I have a 1953 99 in 300 savage I want to scope. It has the 2 holes drilled in front of the bolt but not behind the bolt so a one pc leupold base won't work. I have another 99 with a Williams top mounted base that reaches back to the hole at the tang. Im looking for another. Does anyone know how I could get one?

 

[Drm50]

I’ve got a 1950, 99EG 250/3000. I have been buying scope bases for it and have accumulated all kinds of Rube Goldberg affairs. Nothing to my liking yet.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

I like the old “Stith”(?) mounts that utilize the tang sight screws holes and the rear sight notch. There’s just something cool about that old set up that avoided tapping for mounts. But they are probably expensive now and of course can’t be used with later 99s with tang safeties. My ‘48 EG .300 has such a mount with an old Lyman Alaskan. The rifle looks like it’s been dragged around by a pickup it’s got so much use before I got it. I think it’s beautiful.

 

[bigolddave]

There is a gentleman who goes by "Lightfoot" on the Savage Collectors forum on 24 Hour Campfire who makes a no drill scope mount that is similar conceptually to the old Stith, but is much improved. It is ideal for mounting a scope on a 99.

 

[littlebill]

Thanks for the info, I'll look in to those options.

 

[LittleCooner]

I have one of those older Stith mounts on the only lever Savage I own. I paid more for the mount and the scope that I paid for the gun. But I love the look. I am a huge 250 Savage fan and bought the gun from a Pawn Shop, not knowing what it was other that old, beat up and it said 250/3000 on the barrel. Got it home, it was first year of issue, 1915. I cleaned up the oil on the stock and it has figure and looked for a scope mount for several years and finally found one with a 1 inch 3x Weaver. It has yet to take any game, but it does go to the whitetail woods ever so often on nice sunny days. shoots about 2-3 inches at 100 yards with my reloads and makes me think of a swiss watch maker every time I work the action. great old guns.

 

[Wyatt Burp]

I have one of those older Stith mounts on the only lever Savage I own. I paid more for the mount and the scope that I paid for the gun. But I love the look. I am a huge 250 Savage fan and bought the gun from a Pawn Shop, not knowing what it was other that old, beat up and it said 250/3000 on the barrel. Got it home, it was first year of issue, 1915. I cleaned up the oil on the stock and it has figure and looked for a scope mount for several years and finally found one with a 1 inch 3x Weaver. It has yet to take any game, but it does go to the whitetail woods ever so often on nice sunny days. shoots about 2-3 inches at 100 yards with my reloads and makes me think of a swiss watch maker every time I work the action. great old guns.

I recall reading about in the mid 50s how publicity for the new .243 Winchester and praise by gun writers made this caliber overshadow the .250 which by every account I've seen everyone who uses them loves them. Here's my 1955 .243 I post every time the subject comes up. It's about 6 1/2 lbs and marked "Featherweight". It was traded back and forth between my dad and his buddies until he carved the stock and kept it. It's one of my prized heirlooms. I shot it when I was around 13 in 1970 expecting it to knock me down and it was nothing to shoot.

 

[Gene L]

I've got 2 Savage 99s, a 1941 and a 1946. Both had been D&T, one for the Stith mount, the other for another type; I put a scope on it, a Weaver, IIRC. It shot fine about an inch or so, (.300 Savages, both) but I was introduced to 99s a long time before, and they had tang peeps. So I put them on both rifles. Since I don't hunt, they suite me just fine. Both rifles are pretty fine looking, too. Don't think they saw much field usage.

 

[DWalt]

Stith mounts have somewhat of a cult following and are often priced accordingly for those who want to add them as a period touch to a classic rifle such as a Savage 99, Winchester Model 70, or Remington Model 81. Stith was located here in San Antonio, and their "factory" was in the basement of an office building just north of downtown. Not sure when they ceased production, but for sure they operated from the 1930s through the 1950s.

 

[Drm50]

Stith mounts have somewhat of a cult following and are often priced accordingly for those who want to add them as a period touch to a classic rifle such as a Savage 99, Winchester Model 70, or Remington Model 81. Stith was located here in San Antonio, and their "factory" was in the basement of an office building just north of downtown. Not sure when they ceased production, but for sure they operated from the 1930s through the 1950s.

I have shot Rem 14s and 141s scoped. I’ve never had the opportunity to shoot 8 or 81 scoped. Other than in books I’ve never seen one scoped. Is that mount utilize screws already in gun?

 

[LittleCooner]

Look at the photo Wyatt Burp posted of the 99. For the Savage, yes, no drilling needed. You remove the front sight and the sleeve you see slides in the dovetail and you put the round tube of the scope in the front "ring". For the back ring, you remove the marble sight and use the two existing holes. they stopped production some time around the 1950's or early 1960s. It was a unique way to put a scope on a rifle. most of the scopes were 3/4 inch Lyman scopes in 2 1/2. the one I purchased was a rare model for the one inch scopes. I have an old 3x Weaver on my Model 99

 

[DWalt]

I have shot Rem 14s and 141s scoped. I’ve never had the opportunity to shoot 8 or 81 scoped. Other than in books I’ve never seen one scoped. Is that mount utilize screws already in gun?

Not too long ago, within the past couple of years, I ran into a Model 81 with a scope in a Stith mount. Owner was asking a pretty penny for it, otherwise I would have been interested for the mount alone. I don't remember how the Stith was mounted on that 81. Would almost certainly have required drilling and tapping holes in the receiver. I have seen side-mounted scopes on Model 81s, also requires drilling and tapping holes.

Stith offered mounts for about every rifle of its time, including the Remington Models 141 and 81. I have a list of them.

 

[Drm50]

Not wanting one bad enough to turn rifle into a piccolo for mount screws.
I would bet money that 81 or 8 in same caliber as 742 would come out winner.

 

[DWalt]

The limitation on calibers for the M81 is the length of the action. I suppose one could be made in .308, but that's about as long as a cartridge could be to fit. But there would be no point in having a .308 M81, as the .300 Savage (a common chambering for the M81) is nearly identical to the .308, dimensionally and ballistically. Maybe a .243 would be OK but there isn't much point in doing that either. I always believed that the 6.8 SPC would be a good round for the M81.