New to me Savage 99

[MtGun44]

I found a nice looking Savage 99 at the gunshow this morning.
I know next to nothing about them, looking for any tips and
tricks or favorite loads. It is a .300 Savage and I'll need to
get brass and dies for it. I will be trying the 312-150- GC
Group buy bullet and 311041 as the first ones. Also scrubbing
the barrel well.

Any things that might trip up a newby? :)

I've always thought they looked sleek and modern, way ahead of
their time, but just never got one until I noticed the prices going
through the roof at gun shows. I was amazed to see fairly worn
looking rifles offered at $1100 or more at Tulsa! I got one before
they got too expensive to try.

Bill

[Blkpwdrbuff]

MtGun, that's a neat rifle. I have one in .300 Savage also. I have some Lyman 311291 loaded up to try out. Haven't shot it with cast bullets......yet.
It was my Dad's deer rifle.
A couple of things to watch out for. The older rifles like to stretch if loaded hot, so check your brass religously. Second, most of the 99's have a loooong, heavy trigger pull. If you can get someone familiar with a 99 to do a trigger job, go for it. It'll make a world of difference.
These are gorgeous rifles and I wished they were still made.
Enjoy!!!
Blkpwdrbuff:castmine:

[MtGun44]

Thanks. I have no intention of hotrodding it, will keep well in the
normal range for the caliber. I'm a 7x57 kind of guy, moderate
velocities do the trick in my experience, about as well as high vel.

I'll watch for over working the brass and be careful. I'm likely to
shoot more cast in it than jacketed, so the loads will be mild.

I have the GB 311291 coming, but it might be too big. We'll
see.

I've had pretty good luck doing my own trigger work. If anyone has
any pointers in that area, please educate me!

Bill

[Three44s]

Guess I did alright when I bought mine in .243 Win. for 225 with an old Weaver K4 about 5 years ago?

Three 44s

[S.R.Custom]

If you find someone who claims to be able to do a trigger job on the 99, ask to see one or more he's done first. The geometry on the 99 is tricky, and so is the work necessary to render one crisp. Personally, I just polished mine, and treat the creep like one would a revolver shot double action--- squeeze... squeeze... it'll go one of these days... squeeze... hold steady... :lol:


A quick lesson on the 99 since most guys I run into don't know this:

Q: How do you drop the hammer (decock) on a 99 with a round in the chamber?

A: Drop the lever until the bolt just drops. Now, with the lever half lowered like that, reach up, pull and hold the trigger as you re-close the lever. You will feel the trigger fight back as you close the lever; that's OK, just keep tension on it. When the lever is closed, the action is de-cocked.

To re-cock, drop the lever until the bolt (and the chambered round) comes back about 1/3 of its travel. You should hear a pronounced click at this point. Pull the lever closed again. You're hot and ready to go...

I shouldn't have to say this, but practice it on an empty chamber until you're sure you've got it.

[Maineboy]

I have a late 50's era 99F in 300 Savage. Mine's a pretty good cast boolit shooter with most everything from the soup can to the RBCS-30-180-FN. It does walk the toward 11:00 as the barrel heats up, if I shoot fast though. Taking my time results in 2"-3" groups at 100 yards. The short neck gave me trouble at first, it wouldn't hold bullets very well. I bought a Lee factory crimp die and that solved the problem. If you ever decide to try jacketed boolits for hunting in it, give the Nosler partition 170 grain bullet meant for the 30-30 a try. It's extremely accurate in my rifle and it it puts the deer down fast.

[Bret4207]

The 99 trigger is indeed a tricky one to get to where you want it. As Supermag said, getting rid of the take up is not something you can really accomplish without having access to some spare parts. I agree that polishing the sear surfaces is your best bet. In fact I have an action now that I plan on trying to smooth up. Good square surfaces and a mirror like polish are your best bet. The surfaces slide against each for a good long distance in cocking, maybe 1/2" or more depending on the rifle. Altering the length of the sear contact is risky IMO.

Something to consider is glass bedding the forestock. Don't ask me why this works, but after reading about it in Brownells Gunsmith Kinks book years ago I tried it and it seems to work. Also make sure the through bolt is really tight, a dollop of glass on the action/buttstock interface might help. Of course you need to check the muzzle as I would bet 99.999% of these got cleaned through the muzzle without a guard. A bore snake is the answer to routine cleaning.

The 300 Savage is really about all the cartridge we need if you think about it. The neck could be a bit longer, but us sophisticated types can work around that issue. Check for runout on your loaded rounds if things don't seem quite right. Also be prepared to find a generous throat.

IMO the '99 is the finest lever action ever made and the best deer rifle in existence. Congratulations on your acquisition!

[twotrees]

Please see question on extractor on a 99 in 308, in Gunsmithing.

Congrats on your find, great guns Just wish this one I found was more than a 1 shooter.

Thanks for looking,


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=22109


TwoTrees

[JDL]

Congratulations on your aquisition! I can't think of any snares that await you. As you already know, don't push the shoulder back when resizing, creating artifical excessive headspace. I adjust my dies so I just bearly feel the case chambering.

I've found a case full of either H-4831 or MR3100 (44 grains) with the 31141 produces 2083 fps and kills deer as well as anything I've ever used. This load leaves some unburned powder in the barrel so, if that's objectional to you, I also use 23 grains of Rx-7 with a 165 boolit that's good for 1973 fps and this is clean burning. The very first cast rifle boolit load I ever used was the 311466 pushed out with 18.2 grains of H-4227 held down with a few fibers of dacron poly.

[Three44s]

.........................

A quick lesson on the 99 since most guys I run into don't know this:

Q: How do you drop the hammer (decock) on a 99 with a round in the chamber?

A: Drop the lever until the bolt just drops. Now, with the lever half lowered like that, reach up, pull and hold the trigger as you re-close the lever. You will feel the trigger fight back as you close the lever; that's OK, just keep tension on it. When the lever is closed, the action is de-cocked.

...............................................

I shouldn't have to say this, but practice it on an empty chamber until you're sure you've got it.


You must have went to the same school as my Dad!

I do this to rest the firing pin on my 99 on an EMPTY CHAMBER but never on a live round!

Dad always did this with his .22 rim rifle ...........

..... ONE fine day he was demonstrating this unwise move to an employee ..... here they sat in a 68 Ford Pup (a cardboard headliner no carpeting) and the barrel resting muzzle towards the windshield .......... ALL the windows rolled up!

"Here, this gun is so safe now!"..................... wiggle the trigger a couple of times >>>>>>


KABOOM!!!!!!!!!!

A new vent hole ....... right through the windshield!

To this day ....... nearly fourty years later ........ he still DEFENDS this proceedure ..... although I have not seen him pull it since!

Regards

Three 44s

[S.R.Custom]

Well, it also goes without saying that you need to check it by pointing in a safe direction and pulling the trigger before assuming it's "safe." Preferably outside the vehicle. Personally, I never carry a chambered rifle (or shotgun) in a vehicle. The space is too confined, requiring many an otherwise unsafe maneuver to get the weapon into play. Better to have to get out and rack one in. But once outside, it's a valid way to carry the weapon while tromping through the woods.

That said, I prefer an exposed hammer on my lever guns. If Savage had cut a slot in the receiver and had a hammer nub poke up through the action like a Smith & Wesson Bodyguard...

http://san1.atlanta.gbhinc.com/GB/085259000/85259123/pix1377497750.jpg

...they'd have had the perfect levergun. But as it is, it's OK. I mean, how else are you going to get a levergun in .284 Winchester without a stoopid magazine? :mrgreen:

[floodgate]

One thing to look out for - probably not with the .300, but applies to some of the older calibers - is that Savage 1899's with serials UNDER 90,000 have a square-backed bolt profile that provides a stress-riser at the left rear corner, and often show upsetting or a starting crack in the receiver there. I've never heard of one coming apart (I tried to blow a junker years ago, without success; the receiver ring - with a couple of extra scope mount - holes let go first), but Savage would rebuild any of these sent in for repair with the later, round-backed bolt and more "meat" behind it in the receiver.

Also, if you find an early Savage with a serial under 10,000 and a hole in the top front of the bolt through which you can see whether the striker is cocked or not, it is an 1895 model; about 5000 of these were made for Savage by Marlin (they will show the "JM" proofmark at top rear of the barrel). I saw one of these - in poor shape, with a later barrel - at last weekend's show in Ukiah. The owner didn't know about these early production versions.

floodgate

[versifier]

They are great with any kind of cast we have tried (I load for three of them) from soupcans to 311041's, but all three are owned by hunters, not shooters. I do get to play with one of them whenever I want to, though. The heavier 150, 170, & 180 boolits are the most accurate (RE7 seems to be the clear choice of powder), but the soupcans will do "minute of woodchuck" out to 150 yards or so, if you can see them without a scope that far out (I can't anymore). If you load jacketed, there is no need to use flat nosed bullets. I load Sierra 150GK's at moderate velocities with RE7 & 3031. They're much more accurate and will hold their velocity better out to beyond 200yds. For all intents and purposes, it is basically a .308 with a short neck, though I never push the old girls past 25-2600fps. I really like the Lee factory crimp die, too.
Beware as many .300Sav m99's will not feed reliably with neck sized brass, and some will not feed with FL sized either. SB dies for it are prohibitively expensive, so those rifles are unfortunately a factory ammo only proposition. This doesn't bother one of my hunter friends, as he shoots only about five rounds a year through it (three to check the sights and one or two to get his deer), or my brother the collector, but for me that rifle and ones like it would be safe queens. No problems like that with m99's in other chamberings so far, but you do need to watch the .300Savs. I like the .250's best for hunting, but for playing, I'll go for a 30cal any time.

[0802]

There's a very, very nice looking 250-3000 in my local shop. Bluing is good, case colors intact on lever. No extra holes, no crack in the stock in the usual spot. S/N puts it in the 1935 era. I've been looking for such an animal, but I just can't believe he wants $1500 for it. I've seen a lot of lesser specimens go for $900-1200, but many of those were take downs. I know they're going up, but . . .

[MtGun44]

Thanks for the info, guys! I'm hip deep in a new bamboo floor for the
great room and continuing into the kitchen, so the 99 will have to wait
for a while, plus I need to get dies and brass. I'll keep in mind the trigger
info, and will give some of your pet loads first priority on testing. :-D

I'm scrubbing the bore (with a .223 case cut off for a muzzle guard) and
still getting blue on the patch, so I may be lucky in that it might not have
been cleaned a lot so that much less muzzle wear. Looks like that may
be one of the bigger design issues, but it 's like most leverguns that way.

Bill

[MtGun44]

Any 99 experts on figuring the age of my rifle?

I spent a some time surfing and can't figure it out. It says 'Savage 99, Series A' on frt left
rec ring, no manufacturing location on bbl, only .300 Savage on one side and 'High
Pressure Steel - Proof Tested' on the other side. Gold plated trigger, walnut
stock, no schnabel, pistol grip, impressed checkering, thumb safety, front sight
dovetailed into a barrel ramp, rear sight folding Marbles type with adj insert,
rotary mag (not brass), faint "Q" on left side of frt rec ring next to "Series A",
but not lined up with it, SP in oval on top of rear end of bbl, no marks at all
on lever pivot block, SN "A642XXX". Has a factory-looking thin red rubber
buttpad with black and white plastic spacers, quick release sling studs, probably
factory drilled for scope, has swing over blocks and scope mounted. Nice walnut,
not fancy but not straight grain either. Barrel is 21 1/8" from front of receiver,
light contour. Bolt has engine turned finish.

I assume it is fairly late (60s or newer) by the impressed checkering, but have
no real clue what the mfg date and actual model letter is (other than the obvious
"99A") but it appears that there are 99As that are designated as some other
letter, too. Confusing. :confused:

Thanks.

[JDL]

The A series was in the '70s. -JDL

[MtGun44]

Thanks - that's helpful. I figured it couldn't be real old with the
impressed checkering. Is it called an 99A?

Anyone know of a source of actual manufacturing dates for the later models?

BIll

[quack1]

Ask here:
http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/ubb/postlist/Board/40/page/1

[S.R.Custom]

Doping Savage 99s can be confusing... your gun was made somewhere between 1971 and 1982, depending on specific model (Saddle Gun? CD clip model?). These are the contemporary 'A' model guns (straight stocked) with 20 or 22" barrels.

I say "contemporary" because the original 'A' model was designated as the model 1899, and it was made between 1899 and 1927. It came in two configrations, 26" round barrel and 22" round barrel. It was during this time that the cocking indicator was moved from the bolt to the tang. But, just to confuse things, there was also a "Featherweight" 'A' model made between 1926 and 1937, and it was made concurrently with 'B' models, 'D models, etc...

Personally, I think the straight stocked 'A' models --both new and old-- are by far the most attractive of the lot. Never cared for the pistol grip versions...

As for born-on dates, there's just too much information out there to summarize here. If you're serious about checking out the 99, start with the pages of stuff in the "Standard Catalog of Firearms." If you want to get hardcore, find a copy of Doug Murray's The Ninety-Nine: A History of the Savage Model 99 Rifle.

[MtGun44]

Thanks. I went over to 24 hr campfire and found a similar rifle being discussed
and they said it was a '72. I have to agree, on a quick look these are really
confusing. They called his a 99F, so I may take that as a tentative model and
approximate mfg year.

Thanks for the help. Got Hornady dies today, now to order some brass.

Bill

[fatnhappy]

I found a nice looking Savage 99 at the gunshow this morning.
I know next to nothing about them, looking for any tips and
tricks or favorite loads. It is a .300 Savage and I'll need to
get brass and dies for it. I will be trying the 312-150- GC
Group buy bullet and 311041 as the first ones. Also scrubbing
the barrel well.

Any things that might trip up a newby? :)

I've always thought they looked sleek and modern, way ahead of
their time, but just never got one until I noticed the prices going
through the roof at gun shows. I was amazed to see fairly worn
looking rifles offered at $1100 or more at Tulsa! I got one before
they got too expensive to try.

Bill

I now find myself in the same boat, having recently aquired a 99F in .308 wcf. My uncle owned one rifle, a 20's manufacture 99 in .25-3000 and he killed everything he ever pointed it at. I always wanted one and low and behold this one fell in my lap.

http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h152/lhsjfk3t/101_0743.jpg

[Johnw...ski]

.300 Savage cases can be made from .308 cases.
I simply formed the .308 cases in the .300 Savage dies and then trimmed them to length.
I have owned many 99's over the years and still have 4 of them, in 30-30,
.300 Sav., 303 and .308. Love them all, they are sweet shooters.

John

[stocker]

You have probably figured out by now that decocking the rifle as described earlier works on the earlier guns with the trigger guard safety but I have never been able to make it work with the top tang model safety rifles I have examined. Leaving a firing pin resting on live primer is any thing but safe to begin with but if you want to decock an empty rifle for storage that is good. Perhaps the rifle that went off in the truck was the later model.

[mainiac]

Ill tell my one and only 99 story, I bought a 99g I think (sold it 10 years ago oe so,and dont remember) It had the schnaberal forearm,and was a takedown,in 250-3000.It had the most beautiful ivory bead front sight,and perfect rear sight! Very light to carry. Only problem was,that it was real loose in the barrell-action fit, and between pressure up and pressure down, you could shoot 10 vertical groups @ 100 yards! Always wanted to find a .410 barrell for it, but i traded it for a johnson 6hp outboard motor! This still haunts me! Really wish i had it back, could of probaly made a bushing for the loosness.

[S.R.Custom]

You have probably figured out by now that decocking the rifle as described earlier works on the earlier guns with the trigger guard safety but I have never been able to make it work with the top tang model safety rifles I have examined...

I did not know that; believe it or not, all the 99s I've owned or handled over the years have been lever safeties. Good info to know....

[MtGun44]

Congratulations on the "new" 99 !

Mine has shot a few groups, some pretty good. Christmas and far flung
family visits has kept me from the range, but will get back a find a good
load for the .300. Also - had to replace the scope it was just too poor
optically to even look thru, an old Bushnell that had seen much better
days and was a cheap scope when it was new 30+ yrs ago.

Mine shot better with 165 gr than with 150, so far with only about 4 groups
to compare.

Bill