Who can give me chapter and verse on Savage 1899?

[robroy]

I got asked if I would like to buy a Savage 1899 in 250-3000 today. We haven't even talked price yet. All of these rifles that I'm seeing on the web are listed as takedown models and are asking big bucks. Is it necessarily a takedown if chambered in 250-3000.? Savage 99.com shows it as such. The fellow using the gun was wanting to get into the woods so I didn't get a chance to give it much of a look. I seem to remember his dad telling me it was a takedown but my forgetter works too good these days so I'm not sure.

[starmac]

They were not all take downs, but a lot of them were. It is my understanding, that if they were sent back to savage past a certain year that that they came back a solid rifle. I have no first hand knowledge of this though.
They are my favorite carrying gun, my favorite lever design by far, and I only wish I had picked up every caliber years ago, before the prices started going up.

They are also the only lever I like a scope on.

[Rimfire]

250-3000 was offered in takedown and solid frames. The 22 High Power was mostly chambered in the T.D.'s very few with a solid frame.

[Bullshop Junior]

They were offered Both way, although I believe the solid frame to be a better gun. The 250 Savage is a very good round for general hunting too.

[robroy]

Thanks for the info. Also were any drilled and tapped for scopes from the factory?

[starmac]

The later M 99's were drilled and tapped, but I'm not sure what year and if the 250/3000 was still in production when they started drilling them.

My 300 was built in 32 and was drilled and tapped at some point, many years before I wound up with it. it kind of hurts if it was a collector gun, but for hunting I like it. I suppose if I picked up one that wasn't drilled and tapped, I would use some kind of receiver site instead of drilling one at this stage of the game, but I would rather pick one up that is already drilled.

[AlaskanGuy]

Ummmmm.... John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

My personal favorite is... Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

Those are my chapters and verses...

AlaskanGuy 12:2

[OverMax]

I highly doubt the 1899 TDs models were drilled and tapped from the factory. I have one in 30-30 and it isn't drilled nor was its spare barrel a 410-2-1/2". If you have a chance at buying one. You should as there very collectable and command in some circles a much higher price than an old Winchester TD in the same condition. In its day the 250-3000th caliber was a rifle ahead of its time be it a solid frame or the TD model. I would prefer owning a 250 one over the 300 Savage 99 E I now have.

[starmac]

None of the take downs were drilled and tapped, that feature went by the wayside years before any were drilled from the factory.

As far as I'm concerned the M99 itself was way ahead of it's time, no matter which caliber. I would love to have a 250, but actually have more use for the 300 myself.

[Bret4207]

They stopped making the 99 in 250 sometime in the 50's or 60's and brought out the 243. But, IIRC the 250 was made in the later years of the 99's run, maybe in the 80's, as a "retro" piece. So you have to see just what the rifle is and when it was made. Some of the later 99's were factory drilled and tapped. The earlier ones into the 50's at least weren't. If it was anything like affordable I'd grab it if it's in decent shape. Hard to beat a 99 of any kind for hunting. For cast the 250 is good up to coyotes sized stuff anyway and deer with the proper boolit and placement in SKILLED HANDS. Myself, for my Ruger UL 250, I use Partitions. I just feel a little better with jacketed on deer under 7mm or so.

[dverna]

If I could find one I could afford, I would love a 99 in .358 Win. It would be an awesome cast gun.

[John Boy]

Who can give me chapter and verse on Savage 1899?

Google ...Did you look here? ... https://www.google.com/search?q=Savage+1899+rifle&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&channel=fflb

[ammohead]

A model 1899 will have a flat surface on the rear of the breechbolt. Model 99 Savages are round at the rear of the bolt. Not sure if the 250-3000 was chambered in a 1899 as it came after the 303 and 22 high power.

Drilling a tapping a takedown is somewhat futile as the point of impact may change each time the bbl is removed and replaced. Same with receiver sights. Best bet is to use the bbl sights. Or so I have been told.

[starmac]

Are you talking the dif between the 95 and 99? I always thouht the 1899 and 99 were the same until they changed the receiver when they came out with the 308 family calibers.

My scoped takedown has never had a problem loosing zero, but I am no BR shooter either.

[oscarflytyer]

I have two 99s. One I got after hard use as a Tx truck gun. Hard worn, and almost ugly, but man, it is a 284 Winchester and great shooter. Got this one in a trade with a friend who really wanted a 30-06 I had. Value on the 284 Win 99s in decent shape (not my ugly truck gun) seems to start at about $700-$800 from what I have seen

My other is a 99 in 300 Savage. Early/Mid-50s gun, safety is on the lever, and been factory tapped. The stock on this one has NOT been drilled for a sling either (this kills me - and may very well drill it for a sling...) This one is in incredible shape for a 60 yr old gun! One of the best shape 99s I have seen, online or in person. I have about $800 in it. That is on the high end for an average 99 in 300 Savage, but a very good valuation for one in this shape, imo.

Things to look for/expect in a 99. First and foremost is cracks in the buttstock up around and behind the tang. This is very common in a 99. I would not expect a vintage 250 Savage to be factory D&T, but it might be. If it is D&T, I would look close at the screws to make sure they are either factory or well lined up. Most 99s that have been carried/hunted have blue loss on the belly of the receiver. Load it and grab it by the belly, and you will see why!!! ;) Man it just feels RIGHT! Other thing to check is amount of case hardening remaining on the lever. My ulgy gun is mostly worn, the pristine model has pron 95% color case hardening remaining.

For a 250, in average shape, most I have seen start at about $500. In the same shape as my 300 Savage - nearly pristine - I wouldn't be surprised to see it go over $1K.

[EDG]

Rude and corny


Ummmmm.... John 3:16. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

My personal favorite is... Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

Those are my chapters and verses...

AlaskanGuy 12:2

[Bret4207]

A model 1899 will have a flat surface on the rear of the breechbolt. Model 99 Savages are round at the rear of the bolt. Not sure if the 250-3000 was chambered in a 1899 as it came after the 303 and 22 high power.

Drilling a tapping a takedown is somewhat futile as the point of impact may change each time the bbl is removed and replaced. Same with receiver sights. Best bet is to use the bbl sights. Or so I have been told.

As I understood it the rounded bolt end didn't come until alter int he 99's run. I am told at one time you could send your rifle back to Savage and they'd give you the revamped, rounded set up. I know my 1912 25-35, produced well after the 1899 ended, has the square bolt.

The answer to wandering zero on a TD is Loc-Tite!

[gnoahhh]

Well, some good advice, and some erroneous advice.

The .250 was introduced as the Model 1899 .250-3000, separate from the other Savage lever guns, in 1915. It had a perch belly-shaped pistol grip stock and was a takedown- and only offered in .250. Another way to spot an original M1899 .25-3000 model was by the trigger- they had a checkered pattern on their face (other and later models have straight lines cut vertically on the face of their triggers). It remained in the line up until 1920 when the whole Model 1899 nomenclature was changed to simply Model 99. Up until then, all Savages were Model 1899s (except, obviously the M1895s that preceded them). The square bolts (that also included a cocking indicator on top) were changed before 1910 to the rounded bolt that remained for the life of the gun. The cocking indicator became a little nubbin that sticks up out of the top tang. The change in bolts was because the square mortises in the receiver tended to crack. In short, M1899s can have square or rounded bolts (the back end of the bolt), M99s all have rounded bolts. The change came midway through the production life of the 1899s.

After 1920 the Model 1899 .250-3000 morphed into the M99G- a takedown- and more calibers added (and was the debut for the .300). An original M1899 .250-3000 is a highly desirable collector's item, and would be a crime to drill and tap it for a scope. Later 99's in .250, both solid and takedown frames, are much more affordable. The .250 appeared in all of the different M99s from 1920 up until nearly the end of their time. Mid-50's -onward to the end- all models, all calibers, were all d/t'ed for scope mounting. (To tell whether a 99 was d/t'ed at the factory, look at the logo on the receiver ring. Factory d/t'ed rifles had the logo repositioned onto the left side, away from the d/t'ed holes. If the holes pierce the logo, it was done aftermarket.)

A takedown 1899 or 99 is as accurate as any other Savage lever gun- if it's taken care of and not allowed to get loose from sloppy handling. I have a few, and I can take barrels on and off and the zero remains constant. They all wear tang sights, too.

.250's command a slight premium over other calibers. Not because they didn't make as many but because they are darned good and a lot of people want them.

[nekshot]

good info gnoahhh, I have a 303 sav early model td that is no longer a takedown. I stopped trying!

[sav300]

On the subject of savages,I just landed a 99 carbine in 32-40.
Rare down under or so I have been told.

[Bret4207]

Well, some good advice, and some erroneous advice.

The .250 was introduced as the Model 1899 .250-3000, separate from the other Savage lever guns, in 1915. It had a perch belly-shaped pistol grip stock and was a takedown- and only offered in .250. Another way to spot an original M1899 .25-3000 model was by the trigger- they had a checkered pattern on their face (other and later models have straight lines cut vertically on the face of their triggers). It remained in the line up until 1920 when the whole Model 1899 nomenclature was changed to simply Model 99. Up until then, all Savages were Model 1899s (except, obviously the M1895s that preceded them). The square bolts (that also included a cocking indicator on top) were changed before 1910 to the rounded bolt that remained for the life of the gun. The cocking indicator became a little nubbin that sticks up out of the top tang. The change in bolts was because the square mortises in the receiver tended to crack. In short, M1899s can have square or rounded bolts (the back end of the bolt), M99s all have rounded bolts. The change came midway through the production life of the 1899s.

After 1920 the Model 1899 .250-3000 morphed into the M99G- a takedown- and more calibers added (and was the debut for the .300). An original M1899 .250-3000 is a highly desirable collector's item, and would be a crime to drill and tap it for a scope. Later 99's in .250, both solid and takedown frames, are much more affordable. The .250 appeared in all of the different M99s from 1920 up until nearly the end of their time. Mid-50's -onward to the end- all models, all calibers, were all d/t'ed for scope mounting. (To tell whether a 99 was d/t'ed at the factory, look at the logo on the receiver ring. Factory d/t'ed rifles had the logo repositioned onto the left side, away from the d/t'ed holes. If the holes pierce the logo, it was done aftermarket.)

A takedown 1899 or 99 is as accurate as any other Savage lever gun- if it's taken care of and not allowed to get loose from sloppy handling. I have a few, and I can take barrels on and off and the zero remains constant. They all wear tang sights, too.

.250's command a slight premium over other calibers. Not because they didn't make as many but because they are darned good and a lot of people want them.

Oh jeeze. I feel the need for session with my book collection coming on. Must be old age creeping up on me if I am forgetting stuff like this. It all sounds familiar, but I can't recall the details!

[Uncle R.]

Well, some good advice, and some erroneous advice.

The .250 was introduced as the Model 1899 .250-3000, separate from the other Savage lever guns, in 1915. It had a perch belly-shaped pistol grip stock and was a takedown- and only offered in .250. Another way to spot an original M1899 .25-3000 model was by the trigger- they had a checkered pattern on their face (other and later models have straight lines cut vertically on the face of their triggers). It remained in the line up until 1920 when the whole Model 1899 nomenclature was changed to simply Model 99. Up until then, all Savages were Model 1899s (except, obviously the M1895s that preceded them). The square bolts (that also included a cocking indicator on top) were changed before 1910 to the rounded bolt that remained for the life of the gun. The cocking indicator became a little nubbin that sticks up out of the top tang. The change in bolts was because the square mortises in the receiver tended to crack. In short, M1899s can have square or rounded bolts (the back end of the bolt), M99s all have rounded bolts. The change came midway through the production life of the 1899s.

After 1920 the Model 1899 .250-3000 morphed into the M99G- a takedown- and more calibers added (and was the debut for the .300). An original M1899 .250-3000 is a highly desirable collector's item, and would be a crime to drill and tap it for a scope. Later 99's in .250, both solid and takedown frames, are much more affordable. The .250 appeared in all of the different M99s from 1920 up until nearly the end of their time. Mid-50's -onward to the end- all models, all calibers, were all d/t'ed for scope mounting. (To tell whether a 99 was d/t'ed at the factory, look at the logo on the receiver ring. Factory d/t'ed rifles had the logo repositioned onto the left side, away from the d/t'ed holes. If the holes pierce the logo, it was done aftermarket.)

A takedown 1899 or 99 is as accurate as any other Savage lever gun- if it's taken care of and not allowed to get loose from sloppy handling. I have a few, and I can take barrels on and off and the zero remains constant. They all wear tang sights, too.

.250's command a slight premium over other calibers. Not because they didn't make as many but because they are darned good and a lot of people want them.

There it is - chapter and verse.
A concise and well-organized summary of 99 features and history.
Very nice - thank you!
Uncle R.

[gnoahhh]

On the subject of savages,I just landed a 99 carbine in 32-40.
Rare down under or so I have been told.

Rare down under, and rare up above too! That elusive beasty has avoided my grasp 'lo all these years!

[oscarflytyer]

On the subject of 99's, has anyone here removed the butt stock, inletted it slightly, and 'glass bedded it to give it a uniform bearing surface for the rear of the receiver to meet the butt stock, thus - supposedly - reducing/eliminating the chances of a cracked/broken butt stock?

[robroy]

Thanks everyone and especially gnoahhh. The rifle in question is definately an 1899 and has already been drilled and tapped. Even so I may just have to sell something in order to buy this one.

[richhodg66]

I've had a .250, straight grip and tang safety, for quite a while and haven't really worked with it much. Of my 99s, I've shot my .308 99E and my .300 Savage 99EG most and both are good shooters with cast. I have a .22 Highpower now and just closed a deal on a .303. I kinda want a 99R sometime and that'll probably round out what I want in a Savage collection though that one in .32-40 would be seriously cool to have.

[starmac]

I only have the 300, but am wanting a 358 pretty bad, sure wouldn't pass up a good deal on a 375 either.

[ammohead]

gnoahhh,

Thanks for the accurate info. I just went and pulled my 250-3000 from the safe and it is a Model 1899. It has been d&t'd by yours truly back when I felt that a guns value only mattered if I got what I wanted out of it. I bought it from a fellow in his 60's who said it was his grandfathers bought new. He was asking $250 for it and my hand was shaking as I wrote the check. It is serial number 1680XX. It has been shot alot and has a .260" groove diameter and doesn't group real well, especially with heavier bullets.

[starmac]

Ammohead, I passed on a 250 last year, because it had a new barrel on it. I like shooters, not collectors, but I passed anyway because it just didn't look right with that new barrel. A couple months ago, I just happened to run into the guy that bought it, and he loved it. He claimed the new barrel had a different twist and shot 120 grain boolits sweet, Yea I have been kicking myself. lol

[gnoahhh]

On the subject of 99's, has anyone here removed the butt stock, inletted it slightly, and 'glass bedded it to give it a uniform bearing surface for the rear of the receiver to meet the butt stock, thus - supposedly - reducing/eliminating the chances of a cracked/broken butt stock?

Absolutely a good idea, with one caveat. Do it only to rifles that already have issues that detract from their 'collectibility' . In other words, shooter grade rifles. I'm a believer in a man doing what he wishes with his own property, but it just makes zero economic sense in this day and age to purposely deprive one's self of money by purposely devaluing a gun.

Tang cracks happen for two reasons, IMO. First, look at the design- the upper and lower tangs are in effect two wedges being forced back into the stock mortise. We all know what happens when you drive a wedge into a chunk of firewood. Driving force comes from the recoil generated by the cartridge, and from over tightening the stock's draw bolt. Having the mortise re-inforced with epoxy both strengthens the wood and takes up any air space between the metal and the wood. That air space lets the metal get a 'running start' before battering to a halt against the wood.

[robroy]

Well even though it's missing front and rear sites and wearing a cheap scope it followed me home along with a set of RCBS dies about 50 pieces of loose brass and a half a dozen boxes of brass and loaded ammo.