We seldom buy a new firearm especially the remakes unless someone runs a big special on overstock.
But for a Savage 99.... far to many good used ones out there.
"Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
Male Guanaco out in dry lakebed at 10,800 feet south of Arequipa.
Like many of the above it would have my interest.
Being that I'm a 100% Winchester guy, the one Savage 250-3000 I own works like butter. It was my G.dad's then my Dads and both used if well and often even off horseback so spent a lot of time in a scabbard. likely I would not buy a new one because, it just won't be near as good, what with bean counter manufacturer practices, China, and making everything all about Wall Street. Agree with others though about plenty of 99's still around and working well, they are classic American Rifles and we all should have one!
Last edited by NEKVT; 09-19-2022 at 12:23 PM.
I work for a large production machine shop which produces lots of small parts for a number of major gun manufacturers, and I’ve had the opportunity to discuss with their engineering groups the possibility of bringing back some older designs. The replies are always the same; it’s just not worth it unless they can interest the majority of consumers, and that’s always the million dollar question. The average person has no idea of the investment money required to bring something new to market and it’s a crapshoot whether it will sell enough to recover and make a profit.
I tried to talk Mossberg into bringing out an updated version of the 1895 Winchester and they replied that Henry already had their Long Ranger, so it wasn’t worth it. They did bring out a version of the ‘94 (the 464) but I don’t know if it ever paid off.
I have a 99 in 300 savage and 308 winchester. They both shoot well and handle well and based on that I would probably be very tempted to buy another one if the price was reasonable; reasonable meaning affordable. I don't see affordable ever coming around again, not for new firearms.
Death to every foe and traitor and hurrah, my boys, for freedom !
I would certainly be interested, especially in the old Savage cartridges, but I doubt they could be made affordable for the average guy. Look at the new Marlins...starting at $1000 for the ones I've seen.
ONLY if the price was low enough!
Only if I was having a VERY bad day! I think they are about the ugliest
firearm made
Literacy should not be considered optional in computer based communication.
My thoughts are the same as most here. Would a new one be made as well as the originals and would the price be within reason if it was made well enough. I always thought this was something one of the arsenals in Chine (PRC) could make, but it likely would need a gunsmith to fix a lot of mistakes due to their poor QC.
I would like a take down version with the rotatory mag. Calibers 22-250, 300 sav., or 308.
I don't see it happening regardless of price.
How would they build it? With a plastic stock or their hideous laminated "wood"? What about the metal work and finish? Roll markings with ugly raised metal, maybe with huge warnings about safety, or one of those weird phone scanning things? Savage today makes value-conscious (relatively speaking, sort of) products suitable for the big box retail industry. The 99, for all of its foibles, was created in another time.
Just a personal opinion...
That may or may not be a factor. They've been suffering hyperinflation there for decades. I was stationed there in the mid & late 80's, two separate occasions. President of the Republic of Turkey got a pay raise while I was there the first time, April 83-May 85. His paycheck went to the equivalent of $1500/month. As a TSgt in the USAF, I was making $1900 at the time. At the time, a skilled carpenter could make around 350 Turkish Lira (TL) a day, a Dollar was worth about 185TL, and a 1 kilogram loaf of bread was going for a dime. They have devalued the currency there at least three times since I left, that I know of. Once upon a time, a Turkish lira was a silver coin. When I was there, they were aluminum.
Personally, I'd want someone to produce 1903 Springfields. Yeah, I know: Want in one hand, et cetera! I've only had experience of one Savage rifle, don't know what model it was. My step-mom's dad gave it to my dad, and I suspect my next youngest brother got it. Was chambered in 250-3000 Savage, and it was a sweet rifle, but lever actions have never been my favorites, except for the Stevens Favorites. CNC would be THE way to go. Careful control of dimensions and tool life would allow much better precision than manual machining. My other serious wanna is a left-handed 1911 .45 automatic pistol. CNC would make that a piece of cake, too.
Bill
There might be a market that some Italian company could serve with a replica 99. I wouldn’t have believed that anyone would be interested in a 76 Winchester copy, or (in view of the millions made) a 94 copy, either. But they seem to be selling well.
I would think one stimulus for a “new” Savage 99 would be a slightly enlarged design using modern alloys that could handle the plethora of Short Magnums, Super-Short Magnums and other such cartridges that came out in the 90s and 00s. Since they were mostly chambered in bolt actions of standard length, that already worked with standard cartridges, there was no reason for these freaks besides marketing, and most are near extinction.
But a Savage lever action needs such shortened rounds, and might give a boost to them if a replica could be so chambered. Maybe four cartridges in the spool (with cartridge counter window) and one in the chamber. The receiver might need to be a quarter-inch thicker, but it would still be comfortable to carry, certainly more comfortable than a 95 Winchester.
I don’t need a new 99 in Magnum chambering, but I like my .25-35 reline job. It’s the original style: crescent buttplate, straight grip and lever, schnabel forend and long barrel. It looks like a rifle. Somebody who likes the look and would like the latest&greatest cartridge might well get the old gun going again.
Sad to say but I don't think that Savage has the ability to make the fit , finish or quality for anything but what you see right now .
That's not to say it would be nice to see them try , with the 99 and maybe revive their old single shots and put the best workmanship they can into them . All that would be left to do is us quit being cheap and buy them .
Jack
Buy it cheap and stack it deep , you may need it !
Black Rifles Matter
Mossy threw the 464 from the train within the last year or so, and I think the bolt actions will follow suit in the next few years. The 464 was a decent gun for the money, I had two of them at different times. In the end, nobody is ever going to associate Mossy with anything other than shotguns no matter how hard they try to branch out. Meaning, Mossberg rifles will always be an also-ran regardless of their actual merits, and will never have the long term sales and market appeal to change that fact. The only time the Mossy bolt actions were popular here was when big box stores were clearancing them for under $200.00, and people were buying them for a cheap rifle to keep on the truck or side by side.
Currently casting and loading: .32 Auto, .380 Auto, .38 Special, 9X19, .357 Magnum, .257 Roberts, 6.5 Creedmoor, .30 WCF, .308 WCF, .45-70.
I’d be extremely tempted.
I'd be interested, but it always depends on price. The Turks have demonstrated an ability to clone classic designs like the 1911 or the Hi-Power, do it very well, and sell at a super-low price. So, a Turkish Model 99 in .308 (it would be in .308 only, for sure) for $500 new? Sign me up! A Pedersoli Model 99 in one of the obsolete Savage calibers for $1900? No thanks. Too many used ones available to justify that.
Come to think of it, once they've flooded the market with cheap pistols and shotguns, the Turks may very well turn their attention to rifles. They really haven't been focused on that so far.
No interest at all.
The platform does not do anything better than current offerings (Henry/Browning). The old Savage calibers have no advantages I can discern. For the few folks enamored by the 99, the used market fills their needs. There might be 200 guys on this forum interested but they are an insignificant market.
Lots of risk and little reward for Savage. What would the gun rags say??? "Step back in time to what your Grandad hunted with."
Don Verna
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |