.219 Zipper to .218 Bee

[terryt]

Hi:

Can a Savage model 99 in .219 Zipper be converted to a .218 Bee? If not are there any other calibers it can be converted to using the same Barrel?

I would like to do this as .218 Bee ammo and brass are more readily available and less expensive.

The Savage is not in a collector grade condition.


Thanks,

Terryt

[pietro]

.

Have you actually held a .218 Bee cartridge next to a .219 ?

The .218 is much shorter, being a pistol-length cartridge, than the .219, which is a necked-down .30-30. That means the .219 chamber is longer than the .218 cartridge, mandating a radical barrel setback, rethreading & rechambering.

But that's not all.

You .219 Savage 99 should have an internal rotary magazine - which was designed to hold/feed only the .30-30 shape (and the .219 I presume). the issue rotor will not feed the .218, and they're not easily modified - so even if the barrel's were setback, etc, you'll have a single-shot rifle. You'd be spending many hundreds of $$ to save a few on ammo.

There are AFAIK only two cartridges that your Savage might be able to be converted to:

1) The barrel can definitely be rebored/rerifled to .308" for the .30-30, or to .257" for the .25-35 - both (based on the .30-30) should feed OK. (about $250 minimum)

2) The barrel might be able to be rebored/etc to .375" for the .38-55 ONLY if it's thick enough (a minimum bbl wall thickness of .125" @ the muzzle after rebore) - and IDK if the rotary magazine in your rifle will accept the .30-30 based shell with a larger boolit. However, since IIRC, Savage 99's were once issued in .38-55, mayhaps a.38-55 rotor can be found if yours doesn't feed/etc.

It sounds like you'd be miles better off selling the rifle & buying what you really want.


.

[elk hunter]

If the barrel is good, making Zipper brass from 30-30 is quite easy. I have forming dies for the Zipper and would be willing to help you with making brass if you decide to go that route.

[oneokie]

Donaldson Wasp is another cartridge that will work. An inproved Zipper.

[gnoahhh]

There's your solution- forming them from .30/30's. Easy peazy, with a good intermediate forming die. Then load it down to .218 levels if that's the level of performance you seek. I can't imagine .218 (or .25/20) brass being easier to find than .30/30's. That stuff is everywhere.

[bob208]

219 as said is bassed off the .30-30. 218 is bassed off the .25-20. not only the mag. but the bolt face and extracter are not even close.

another conversion cal. would be .25-35.

with rifles in zipper being hard to find. unless bubba and his hacksaw and drill press have already gotten hold of it. i would rethink the collector thing.

[W.R.Buchanan]

Yes,,, It may not be collector grade as it sits, but it may be refinished to be pretty again.

Replacement Wood is available for this gun from several sources and "Good Steel" can do the rebluing for you.

Then you'd have a unique gun that would be way more valuable than what you've got now . Good for small deer too.

Nothing wrong with the Zipper and as stated above cases can be made from .30-30's. Best to restore it and leave it in the original caliber.

Randy

[country gent]

I have heard of 7-30 waters being used for 219 zipper also. A little less necking down with it. I always wanted a 219 zipper. Was looking into rebuilding an High Wall at one point.

[bob208]

i see this all the time it is not collector grade. would some one tell me just what collector grade is.

[richhodg66]

I like Savage 99s a lot and I don't recall ever seeing one in .219 Zipper. Gotta be pretty rare and with what 99s seem to be going for lately, is worth something.

I have one in .22 High Power I'm working with. Seems like the .219 would have been a better chambering back in the day.

[gnoahhh]

99's were never chambered in .219 Zipper. Obviously someone re-barreled this one along the way.

Another alternative to forming brass out of .30/30's is to go straight to .25/35 brass. That stuff is still readily available and doesn't require an intermediate form die, and was the parent brass for the the Zipper and the .22 High Power (which were nearly identical save for bullet diameter).

[Bullshop]

Are you sure its a Zipper and not a High Power? The case will be very similar but the bore/groove diameters will be different.

[terryt]

Hi:
I want to tank all of you for your input. The reason I was asking about the .218 is I have 200 rounds of new factory ammo for it. The barrel is stamped .219 Zipper. Most all of the bluing is gone and there are 3 cracks in the stock. I thought it might be an interesting project and I do appreacite the replys form all of you.

I think I will leave it as is for now and look for a rifle in .218 Bee.

This guns was used a lot.

Terry

[alleyoop]

Two weeks ago I would have ask what you wanted for it as I had been looking for a 99, found one local at estate sale.

[country gent]

I have a Martini Cadet rebuilt to 218 bee with a new shilen barrel. Its a "dream gun" mind report when it speaks very mild recoil and almost 3000 fps with 40 grn bullets and little gun. Rifle with scope is only around 6-7 lbs. Just one of those sweet little walking rifles.

[richhodg66]

I just checked my copy The Ninety-Nine by D.P. Murray and according to his chart, Savage never made the '99 in .219 Zipper. Seems odd as they made it in .30-30, .22 High Power and .25-35.

Did Savage ever have a custom shop that might have built such a rifle?

[KCSO]

The 219 zipper in a Savage was one of the hardest calibers I ever reloaded. It took me forever to find a good load and IIRR the cause was an oversize bore that really needed a bigger bullet than I could buy at that time. If you wanted a Bee from the rifle not only would you have to rebarrel but you would need a new magazine and modified feed system.

[oneokie]

The 219 zipper in a Savage was one of the hardest calibers I ever reloaded. It took me forever to find a good load and IIRR the cause was an oversize bore that really needed a bigger bullet than I could buy at that time. If you wanted a Bee from the rifle not only would you have to rebarrel but you would need a new magazine and modified feed system.

Was it because it was a 22 Hi-Power barrel that had been marked 219 Zipper?