Savage 99 in 25-35

[LAGS]

I have run into someone selling a Savage 1899 in 25- 35 in about 25 to 30 percent condition.
No bluing, some minor rust and the wood is good but normal hunting use dings.
Ball park, what is it worth, and is it worth restoring for a hunting rifle.
I heard that the 25-35 was the favorite round for Mountain Lion hunters here in Arizona back in the day.
It did less damage to the pelts than a 30-30 ad had more power than the 25-20.
That is what this rifle was used for in the 30's and 40's acording to the seller who is from Arizona.
Also, what about ammo.
i see that you can find some ammo, and All I have is ONE live round from when I had a Winchester 92 in this caliber back 40 years ago.
And I have seen threads where you can Form and fire form cases out of 30-30 cases.
Is it worth my endeavor ?
If the rifle has any issues sort of a bad barrel, I can fix those myself, like rebluing or replacing parts if I can find them or make them.

[texasnative46]

LAGS,

YEP, I'd guess that it's worth buying/restoring. = MANY a predator & WT has been taken over the last 120 years with the .25-35.

My usual offer for such restorable firearms is 100.00 & I've bought any number of firearms with a single 100-dollar bill at garage sales/estate sales. etc. = Fwiw, I paid 100 bucks each for my last two Model 760 rifles, with rusted/pitted bores to send out to JES.

yours, tex

[OverMax]

I wouldn't restore it. Patina'ed rifles always look cool.
If you want some really good brass. A fellow on this C/B site swagge's some of the best. By100 rds and you'll have enough to last till your'e old and gray and to tired to shoot.
BTW: I own a 25-35 1894 Win long barrel. It shoots Hornady FP 117 grs. over a charge of AA #2230. It no longer leaves the house. (collector's piece)

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?270258-Please-read

[earlmck]

I'm with OverMax -- if it has a usable bore just take it and shoot it. Hornady is selling brass and cartridges so you don't have to go to extremes to get ammo. You can certainly make them out of 30/30 brass but you will probably need to turn the necks down a bit afterward as well as anneal. I have done that and it makes me awful fond of the Hornady stuff.

I have a few of the old 99's that are certainly not good enough shape to interest a collector but are functional shooters. I never get good deals: only one of mine was acquired for less than $500. Around these parts you can't buy a wall hanger for $100.

[OlDeuce]

I wouldn't restore her Just clean her up and check her for safety.............I have 2 SRC Winchesters in 25-35 $$$$ Great shooters ! Both are really old 1900
well used but still shoots straight!!!!!! If you can get it cheap more power to you!!!!!

Ol Deuce

I

[sharps4590]

I don't believe I would restore it either. They're only original once. Oh...if I read your first post correctly I don't believe you had a '92 in 25-35. If you meant 25-20 then it is me who stands corrected.

[northmn]

Lots of people asking what something is worth.
A. Is it something you really want.
B. Have you seen many or how rare is it
C. What is your budget.

I bought a Marlin 35 Remington some years back and paid over 400 for it. At that time some might have said it was too much BUT it had a 24 inch barrel which I like and I wanted to try the caliber. Never seen one locally before nor since. Did not have to eat oatmeal for a month to pay for it. It has taken 5 deer for me. May not have been a "bargain" but it has given me some enjoyment and was worth every penny.

DP

[fortrenokid]

Concur with several of the Pards about verifying with a gunsmith that the shootin’ iron is safe for normal use and then repair/replace missing or damaged parts ... and then leave it in its honest,used condition.

A number of gun writers have recently commented on Hornady’s recent offering of a Leverevolution load using a pointed (w/flexible plastic tip) 110 grain bullet. They contend that it greatly enhanced the usefulness and flexibility of the 25-35 ... even making it into a 200-yard cartridge.

All in all, I’d say you’ve got yourself a potential winner.

Good luck and good shootin’

Fort Reno Kid

[Jedman]

I agree with those telling you to buy it and not restore it. 25-35 was made in much lower numbers than other calibers and should make it worth more in original condition.
I own several 99's and I did refinish one of them and now wish I had not done it.

Jedman

[Bent Ramrod]

I almost never see a Savage 99, in any condition, going for less than $400 at a Gun Show. Calibers other than .303 Savage or .300 Savage generally increase the asking price.

I lucked into a wrecked one once for $75, and grabbed it. It was a .30-30, smooth bright metal, shot out barrel (genuinely shot out; no pits or abuse, but no rifling), some gouges in the receiver, a chip out of the buttstock behind the tang, and a weak magazine spring.

I had Bienke & Bienke reline it with a 10” twist barrel and rechamber it to .25-35, fixed the chip, got a magazine spring from Numrich, and bought several magazine spools before I found one that would feed. I ignore the gouges; they’re “personality.” Or “dishonest use,” if you prefer. :mrgreen:

It shoots very well, with cast boolits right up to standard loadings with the 117-gr roundnose. I probably have $400 in it now, plus a lot of searching and education, but it was worth it. The original straight-grip, crescent-butt, schnabel forend, long barrel Savage 99 is a genuine classic, and they don’t make them no more. You can still buy .25-35 empty shells, Hornady sells the 117-gr roundnose bullets, and even loaded ammo with (I think) 110-gr. bullets is available again.

[texasnative46]

To All,

Btw, the .23-35WCF was the favorite favorite long-gun of our famous Texas Ranger, CPT Frank Hamer, who ended the crime spree of Bonnie Parker & Clyde Barrow & used his treasured .25-35 for that needful task.

His autobiography, I'M FRANK HAMER: THE LIFE OF A TEXAS PEACE OFFICER, is an excellent read.

yours, tex

[texassako]

The nice thing about that 99 is the same reason I like like my Remington 8 in .25 Remington, you are not stuck with using the roundnose or flex tip FTX. The case also begs to be loaded with cast with that long neck.

[texassako]

To All,

Btw, the .23-35WCF was the favorite favorite long-gun of our famous Texas Ranger, CPT Frank Hamer, who ended the crime spree of Bonnie Parker & Clyde Barrow & used his treasured .25-35 for that needful task.

His autobiography, I'M FRANK HAMER: THE LIFE OF A TEXAS PEACE OFFICER, is an excellent read.

yours, tex

Off topic, but it wasn't a .25-35. It was a Remington Model 8 in .35 Remington with the POE Co. 15 rd magazine modification. http://thegreatmodel8.remingtonsociety.com/?page_id=434

[kaiser]

Beautiful gun. I'd say having it restocked should be worth every penny, regardless of what the "Blue Book" says, especially since it is in a 25/35. Congrats! I have a 1899, made in 1907, in a 30/30. It is a decent "shooter", but has a rather tight chamber. It will take the "pointy" .308 caliber bullets, which help extend its shooting range; however, its more fun to shoot it with "hand cast" bullets.

[ajjohns]

I wouldn't even blink, I'd buy it in that condition. The lower the price the better but, in this shape you can do whatever you want with it and make it your own. Receiver sights go for sale all the time on ebay, brass should be easier to get now, as said with Hornady making it plus it'll take j words of any make, weight, or profile if you want. My opinion but I think it's a good round, one that I don't have so I'd surely like one.

[LAGS]

If the guw finally does sell it , then I will evaluate the total condition , and then decide if I will restore it.
In 30 % condition , then no collector value.
But if has a good bore then a dress up on the outside might be in order.
I do all my own work , so that Labor Cost does not factor into it.
That 92 I had , was not an original.
Someone had taken it out to 25-35 probably from a 25-20.
So that one did not have any collectors value left either.
I forgot to mention, It has an original Receiver or should I say Tang sight on it.
The guy is hovering around $200 right now.
Lets see uf he will sell

[texasnative46]

texassako,

CPT Hamer's rifle in The TX Ranger Museum is a .25-35 LA.

He was evidently fond of the .25 & .35 caliber as he also routinely shot his Model 8 on Ranger duty, too.

yours, tex

[pietro]

That 92 I had , was not an original.

Someone had taken it out to 25-35 probably from a 25-20.




You might be mistaken, as the Winchester Model 1892/92 action is too short (it was designed for pistol-length cartridges) to handle rifle-length cartridges like the .25-35 (which is based on the ,30-30 case) - except maybe as a single shot rifle.

For $200 (even $300), I'd be all over that Model 99 like stink on a skunk !

.

[LAGS]

Pieto.
You may be correct on the model 92, It was 40 years ago, and back then I wanted to start a collection of every model that Winchester ever made.
Well , that idea went down the road when I did some research.
Man they made a lot of variations.
And All i could afford was the reworks and cheaper models.
If the guy decides to sell, I will be fair with him, and may go as high as $300 if the Bore is decent.

[nvbirdman]

I have an 1899 in 25-35. It was made in 1912 and certainly looks its age, but if someone offered me $200 for it they wouldn't be welcome in my house.

[LAGS]

@ nvbirdman.
That is why I let them set the initial price.
If it is too high, I explain why they might be out of line.
I point out the condition and what it will cost me to make it shootable or safe.
I dont buy guns to ReSell, so making a Profit is not factored in.
If they dont come down to something that is reasonable, then i just walk away.
But most people I buy guns from know me to be Honest and straight forward.
Being respected goes a long way in the negotiations.

[nvbirdman]

LAGS I wasn't trying to insult you and I'm sorry if you took it that way. I was just trying to show how much I value my 99, and I mentioned the $200 price because you said he was hovering around that amount.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Pieto.
You may be correct on the model 92, It was 40 years ago, and back then I wanted to start a collection of every model that Winchester ever made.
Well , that idea went down the road when I did some research.
Man they made a lot of variations.
And All i could afford was the reworks and cheaper models.
If the guy decides to sell, I will be fair with him, and may go as high as $300 if the Bore is decent.

Most likely you had an 1894, and it was the same cartridge. At least I don't believe there was such a thing as a Savage 99 in .25-20.

I wouldn't expect this one really cheaply, but it could be an excellent buy. I believe the best policy would be to choose either to stick with basic tidying up or do a complete restoration, rather than anything between those two.

It is an adequate deer rifle, not an outstanding one. Clyde Williamson's "The Winchester Lever Legacy" is the best available work on shooting the Browning-designed lever Winchesters, and second-best is nowhere. He tells of an enforced stay in a tree, during which he shot in the head, with a .25-20, the wild boar that was keeping him there. The .25-35 bullet simply bounced off, and didn't improve the beast's temper any.

A rechambering to .25-35 Improved has a lot going for it. But check if it will feed rounds with a similar shoulder diameter, if you don't want to do some tricky work on the magazine spool. I believe, though, Ackley considered it about the only Improved round you couldn't simply fireform from the factory version in one easy step. I don't remember what you have to do. Possibly expand the neck oversize, size it down to leave a narrow false shoulder, and then fireform.

[richhodg66]

I bought new .25-35 brass to make .22 Savage High Power brass out of not long ago, so easy enough to get her up and running. I love Savage 99s and have several. You don't see .25-35 ones very often.

Buy the rifle if you can afford it. You'll be glad you did. A guy can't have too many Savage 99s.

I had always heard, and general lore says it's so, that Hamer used a custom Model 8 he special ordered, but have since read that that probably is not true. Apparently some records show that he ordered that one after Bonnie and Clyde were killed. A site I read had pictures taken in the immediate aftermath and showed a lot of guns, including a couple of Model 8s, but they were all standard sporting models. Fun stuff to talk about. Those old Model 8s are the epitome of old school cool and I will own one someday.

[ascast]

no offense- but $200 in a no brainer for me. If you have some extra dough ( a lot) I could let you have the original Savage reloading tool to go with it ! Does it have a Perch belly stock? The early ones had all matching numbers, likes barrel, action, both stocks, butt plate. If that is not as it should be, the collector price goes down again. Barrels can be found at the auctions houses. A .303 Savage is better than a 30-30.
You could sell that to me as I have a 32-40 barrel that needs parts to shoot and make a few bucks. just sayin...

[LAGS]

@ nvbirdman.
I was not insulted.
I was just explaining the process I take when someone comes to me to find out a worth on something they have and are considering selling.
A lot of these people end up Horse Trading me what they have for something I have and they want more.
If I find something I like, Money on hand is never a stumbling block.
And If it is something I really want, and since I do my own work, I can afford the Extras like you said, the reloading tool if I can find one, or a Full on restoration including making a New stock with some fancy wood.
I have seen and held this rifle, and it is stamped on the Barrel 25-35 and it looks to be all original except for the Lever Pivot bushing and screw.
( it has a Bolt stuck thru the frame and lever with a Double nut on it to keep it from falling out)
The only thing I did not get to do was look down the bore,because we were at my job site and I didn't have a bore light.
There have been several guns that I bought off friends, then reworked them, only for them to come back and Horse Trade with me to get it back. that is how I ended up with the S&W 25-2 that I am asking about in the Pistol Thread.
As long as I am breaking even, and have a supply coming to me that I can work on, then I am happy.
I very rarely buy a gun in Perfect condition.
I buy what others dont find usable any more, then I can fix them up.
I am not a Gunsmith, I am a firearms recycler.
In most cases, I could turn a profit.
But that is not what I am about.
I have Money, but the pleasure that bringing something back from the bone yard is all the satisfaction I really need.

[LAGS]

It looks like this rifle may be staying into the current owners hands.
It seems some Ya hoo told him it is worth $1500.00 in the condition it is in.
Maybe a Winchester in better shape.
But not a Savage in 30% at best condition

[pietro]

It looks like this rifle may be staying into the current owners hands
.
It seems some Ya hoo told him it is worth $1500.00 in the condition it is in.





You can't argue with stupid............ :2 drunk buddies:


:bigsmyl2:


.

[LAGS]

And no , the guy who said it is worth that, Did not buy it.

[ascast]

old story, change names, items.... heard it many times