Is this Savage 99 worth $300?

[blixen]

This crossed my path today. It's a carbine in 30-30. The serial # would seem to indicate 1909. Most of the bluing is gone and it is pitted. The bore is dark and dirty, but I'm seeing good rifling. It functions smoothly.

its got a cool flip-up leaf sight.

it's D/Ted for a tang sight -- would that have been done at the factory?

hairline crack off the tang.

the lever looks misshaped. Is that how they looked on the old ones?

is it worth $300? (I actually went in to buy a '06 Enfield 1917 bubba special.)

i own a nice '50s 99 in .300 Sav. But I'm a 30wcf fan and I've always wanted a 30-30 99 to go with my Winny and Marlins.

[Dan Cash]

YES! I can't answer your other questions but if you don't want this rifle, I would like to bid on it.

[Rustyleee]

It looks pretty rough to me.

[376Steyr]

You aren't going to find a minty 99 in 30-30 for $300, or $600. Looks like a dandy project gun to me. "Always yield to temptation, you may not get another opportunity."

[condorjohn]

So Aaaaaaa, Where did you say it was?

[pietro]

.

It's well worth it, and makes a nice restoration project.

AFAIK, those early guns were factory D/T'd for a tang peep sight, but the lever loop's been brutalized.

Just about all Savage 1899/99's will eventually crack the stock at the rear of the upper tang - but it's not difficult to make an invisible repair, using epoxy with some of the stock's sawdust ( made by drilling a small hole or three, under the BP) mixed in.

.

[dragon813gt]

Personally I wouldn't pay that and I collect them. That thing has been through hell and back. I don't know how you do that to the lever. For double the price you can find one in 80%. I'd rather spend $500 and have less work to do to it. The only thing it has going for it is that it's a 30-30.

[Bent Ramrod]

The drilling and tapping for the tang sight is factory. That vintage has the safety that blocks the lever and trigger rather than the tang safety, so the owner could fit a tang sight if he wanted. They still show up on auction sites or at gun shows. That barrel sight looks more like a Winchester carbine sight than a Savage offering. The lever does look like it's been hit by something; the levers are all rounded at the rear.

If the receiver isn't drilled full of holes for scope mounts and the action and spool magazine work, that is not a bad price. If the rotor spring is weak, the spool magazines of that vintage are easier to tighten up than the later ones.

[obssd1958]

I had one in 300 Savage that had a lever that looked a lot like that one. The original rifle had been a straight stock and someone had replaced the buttstock with a pistol grip style. Instead of replacing the lever, they bent it to fit the new lines of the replacement buttstock.

[Rimfire]

Lever looks to be bent for the replacement stock,original stock was probably a straight grip.The stock on it is a much later replacement.

[dragon813gt]

I had one in 300 Savage that had a lever that looked a lot like that one. The original rifle had been a straight stock and someone had replaced the buttstock with a pistol grip style. Instead of replacing the lever, they bent it to fit the new lines of the replacement buttstock.

Pretty sure that's what happened w/ this one. The lever protrudes really far past the grip cap.

Here are both styles for comparison.
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/A0FC802B-6804-439A-91FE-BD0BAD360E0A-9910-000005BCCF78C142_zpsf7e42522.jpg (http://s198.photobucket.com/user/dragon813gt/media/Firearms/A0FC802B-6804-439A-91FE-BD0BAD360E0A-9910-000005BCCF78C142_zpsf7e42522.jpg.html)

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/Firearms/92E1ED3D-C097-4A5A-B819-E48BB013627B.jpg (http://s198.photobucket.com/user/dragon813gt/media/Firearms/92E1ED3D-C097-4A5A-B819-E48BB013627B.jpg.html)

BTW, the first one pictured was a $350 rifle that had already been rebored by JES. Granted it's an E model but it was in a lot better shape.

[blixen]

Thanks! I think your calls are right about the buttstocK being replaced and the lever being bent. I wish I had taken more photos. The barrel seemed to only say "Cal. .30" under the U.S.A.Keep in mind that I want a shooter--I'm not a collector.The only restoration I would do is put a tang sight on it and bang away.I think I'll take another look and maybe make a lower offer.Thanks, again.

[ascast]

I doubt you will ever do much better on the price. Depends on what you want to do with life, shoot or shop. Watch for chamber pits. When you shoot out the 30-30, you can go up to 32-40, then 33-40, then 9.3 by ? and then rebore to .38-55. Then you will have nice a gun. lol
I think a gun that old will have matching numbers, stocks, barrel, receiver, butt plate, etc. You might check if interested and have time. enjoy

[Shawlerbrook]

There are not to many complete 99's that are not worth $300. Would make a great project gun.

[reivertom]

Well yeah........If I were in Utah, I'd be looking for the gun shop!!

[OverMax]

Easy handling little shooter those 30-30 are. Lever needs to be heated and re-bent. Bore. Clean it up as best you can and just shoot it. A rifle that has lots of patina leads its onlookers to believe whom ever is its shooter knows the rifle well and probably has capabilities beyond their own. Is it worth 300? My opinion.~~ No. Few to many disappointing things wrong with it that catch my eye.

[KeithNyst]

Lever looks to be bent for the replacement stock,original stock was probably a straight grip.The stock on it is a much later replacement.

Agree ... the first pistol grip Savage 1899s did not come out until 1914, although they could be special ordered. In addition to the buggered lever to attempt to fit the stock, you can also see a fairly large gap at the rear of the tang where the wood does not fit very well.

[blixen]

Did some research and haggling. Attached a couple fotos for your amusement.

First, got a closer look at the serial #, and it's a 1902 or 1903 rifle, according to sav.com

As surmised above, the butt stock and lever are a mess. The p.o. also replaced the buttplate with a 50s recoil pad, which was a half-a**ed job consistent with the lever mod.

Pulled a a patch through-- the bore is dark but deep, sharp rifling--would it be Ballard?

I haggled and the seller came down a bit. Not enough for me but they hinted that if it doesn't sell, I could expect more flexibility.
164661164662

FYI to compare to real world prices in your neck of the woods: I was making the rounds looking for powder and some die parts and I saw some tempting rifles. Unfortunately, the prices are going up again even on the abused orphans that I favor. Pre-64 Winny 94 with horribly pitted exterior and battered wood but good bore:$350; a worn Marlin Waffle-top in .32 Special (drool) $450. I might see if I can raise the $ for the Marlin .32. (Seller won't haggle.)

thanks for the insights.

[gnoahhh]

What a piece o' crud! Run, don't walk away from that mess. After spending the money to make it right, or even kind of right, you'll have as much in it as if you just waited for a decent solid shooter to come along. If the bore was nice I would consider it for maybe $150 for parts or the basis for another project (I have the stuff to make it right setting on the shelf), but a cruddy bore is a cruddy bore and no amount of wishing or rationalizing will change that. When looking at a Bubba special in terms of a "shooter" the one paramount concern should be bore condition, followed by state of headspace and the condition of the trigger/sear/rotary magazine and cutoff.

Another condition to closely look for for on these very early M1899's is cracks in top of the receiver radiating out from the square corners of the bolt mortise. That was such a common occurrence that Savage started making the back ends of the bolts with a radius and a radiused mortise in the receiver, sometime around 1909. Thereafter, whenever one of the square bolt guns came in for repairs they would automatically swap that setup out for one of the newer designed ones- it was that bad. If an early gun isn't cracked, I say shoot it, but with really mild loads, and keep an eye peeled for those cracks.

[richhodg66]

Well, I love 99s, but not sure I'd take that one on, though I bet it would be as good a shooter or better than any '94 Winchester or Marlin 336.

That .32 Special Marlin you mention interested me. I bought a well worn one a couple of years ago, had to replace the stock and tear it down for a through cleaning, but otherwise solid and turned out to be a good shooter (late 1940's vintage). I sure didn't pay $450 for it, not even close. Amazing what some people ask for guns.

[blixen]

That .32 Special Marlin you mention interested me. I bought a well worn one a couple of years ago, had to replace the stock and tear it down for a through cleaning, but otherwise solid and turned out to be a good shooter (late 1940's vintage). I sure didn't pay $450 for it, not even close. Amazing what some people ask for guns.

That's what Guns sell for these days. Sellers look at the online auctions and see gold mines. This .32 WS also had a chip out of the stock by the butt plate. And the p.o. put a heavy coat of gloss poly on the wood. But fortunately never tapped it for a scope. Marlin 30-30s go for $350 around here, to give you some perspective. This particular gun shop has gone full into ARs and sniper ware and the young Turks don't have the patience to haggle over old lever actions that are traded in. They also had a worn .401 Winchester auto that looked like it would be a hoot to shoot--but the price made my eyes water.

Thanks for for the input on the Sav. 99, I'll check on it to see if it sells. Maybe I'll offer $200 if it cycles properly.

[pietro]

.

FYI: Winchester has recently announced that they will not be making .32 Special brass anymore.


.

[Geezer in NH]

I would have bought it the sight can draw $150 on the bay. $300 is cheap here in New England.

[blixen]

That .32 Special Marlin you mention interested me. I bought a well worn one a couple of years ago, had to replace the stock and tear it down for a through cleaning, but otherwise solid and turned out to be a good shooter (late 1940's vintage). I sure didn't pay $450 for it, not even close. Amazing what some people ask for guns.

Sent you a PM.

[TXGunNut]

.

FYI: Winchester has recently announced that they will not be making .32 Special brass anymore.


.

Just heard that. Bummer. Acceptable (but short) brass can be made from 30-30 but I prefer proper headstamps. Wonder if Hornady will step up. I think I have enough to get me by but another 100 would be nice.

[Dimner]

I would have swept that 99 up in a minute. I have a soft spot for the 99. I have always wanted one in 30-30 but never can find one that is anywhere near reasonable price.