Savage 99 in 25 caliber

[atr]

I found the latch on the forearm, pushed it back but could not budge the barrel,,,,it is very tightly on the action. I think I found the direction arrow, but it was very, very faint. I am going to give it a few more tires today.
I have yet to find a speck of rust on the metal.
I did find on the receiver the 1899 stamped marking...very faint.
What impresses me is how light and well balanced this rifle is.

thanks for your help guys !

[Texas by God]

If it is tight- leave it alone. No need to take it down and start getting it loose. I had an ugly old takedown 1899 .250-3000 that someone cinched up too tight to take apart by hand. I could put 3 75gr hp into an inch and a half at 100 yards with its Weaver J2.5 in Stith mounts- so I left it alone. Just my .02

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[atr]

good advice Texas....thanks
atr

[roadie]

The barrel may well never have been off the gun since it was put on, and if it's that tight, you shouldn't force it. At least not without having the proper equipment, and that means a barrel vice and action wrench. It could be rusted on too, though you mention seeing no rust, so probably not. It wouldn't hurt things to get some Kroil, or similar around the joint and let it sit a while.

Not having the right equipment usually ends up causing damage, scratches, gouges. They were designed to be removed with hand pressure, so something is not right. Best to take a very good look before more serious measures.

I would add, the only real benefit to removing the barrel is easy cleaning and transport.

[pietro]

OK,,,now my ignorance is showing....what does take-down mean ?

There is a latch on the forearm, remove the forearm and the barrel can be turned off. It has an interrupted thread so it's only a part turn to remove it. You may find it's quite tight, which is good.

The "button" I think you might be referring to is actually the cartridge counter on the magazine spool.

The bolt has to be opened to remove the barrel.

BTW - The iron inside the removed forend has a recess that allows the forend to be used as a wrench for unscrewing the barrel when it's attached at a 90-degree angle to the barrel.

.

[Drm50]

A lot of take down model rifles and shotguns have never been apart. On other hand some have been on and off to point they can’t be tightened. You are better off leaving it be unless you have a reason to take barrel off.

[Ring3]

If you want more history and info this is the place to ask:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...age-collectors

These guys are real historians of Savage rifles and pistols. They will be able to provide lots of info if you want more. May also be helpful with parts. Friendly bunch, the author of the book I reference hangs out there too.

[atr]

I will try to get some pictures of the rear sight. It has a knurled knob at the top with implies that could be loosened to adjust for elevation, but it does not want to budge and I don't want to force it. You can see it on the first photo I have posted.

It has two peep-sight diameters. The smaller diameter tucks back into the larger diameter and flips down and out of the way when the larger diameter is used.

Attachment 260442

[Three44s]

I had a takedown 250-3000 (around a 1922 vintage) and its barrel was loose. I had a gunsmith tip the threads to tighten it up but it ate full length sized brass for breakfast anyway.

I got rid of it.

I was a newbie handloader back then and was into bolt guns. Today I would have kept it and partial sized cases and barring that working I would have had custom dies made to fit the oversized chamber.

But if I had a barrel that did not move, I would count my lucky stars and leave it alone.

I would not count on a standard chamber however because someone might have done something to cause that barrel to be hard to move. So with that, I would partial size a bit of brass to see if they would chamber. If not then you might have a tight chamber.

If you need to partial size your brass in the long run then you need to tighten your lock ring on your FL sizer once you get a good handle on a headspace dimension nailed down.

Three44s

[Bent Ramrod]

A drop of Kroil inside that knurled sight sleeve, some wait time, and a judicious application of torque with a strip of leather around the knurling to protect it should get the sight elevator turning again.

If you can’t see any lines on the staff, it’s down all the way, and turning clockwise to bring the staff up is the only option. If there is some of the staff elevated already, you can turn it back and forth until it loosens. After that, it should turn with the fingers.

It’s a Lyman sight, so it doesn’t have the lock nut on the elevator like the Marble’s version does. (That often has both nut and sleeve stuck.) Yours looks to be in very good shape. The fold-away target aperture in the ghost ring is often missing on those sights.

My 99 is a shot-out wreck, originally in .30-30, that I had Biencke and Biencke reline and rechamber to .25-35. I put an old 3/4” Weaver scope on it using Stith mounts that require no permanent modifications to the gun. The outside still looks pretty bad, but it shoots good.

[Drm50]

I’ve always wondered about old hunting rifles that were “shot out”. Are they really shot out or were they abused and bores were ruined.

[Bent Ramrod]

The one I have is the only wreck (and there have been plenty of them) that from the looks was genuinely "shot out." Very little finish on the outside, but little surface rust and no pits, bore and chamber free of both. But the rifling was only faint lines. Some owner (maybe "the" owner) had made a rear peep sight out of a bent piece of steel with a small hole in it, and holes for the tang screws. It had obviously seen a lot of use, but no gross neglect.

Took some searching at gun shows to find a magazine spool that worked with .25-35. I had high hopes for the .30-30 spool in the rifle, but it didn't feed .25-35 right. It's the old kind that you tighten against the spring and lock with a cross pin, rather than the new ones with three times the number of parts.

[atr]

Bent Ramrod....
thanks for your tip on the sight.
I have it soaking now. I do not see any lines on the staff. So I am going to begin by trying the clockwise turn.
atr

4-21-2020
I did get the sight loosened up without damage and it works fine. So elevation is adjustable. Windage I will have to adjust using the front sight.

[beltfed]

Here was my last year's find: a 1932 mfg Savage 99, PG,Takedown lightweight, 250-3000 caliber.
Perfect bore, and Tight takedown system/barrel.
came with the Leo 2-7 scope in a Classic Paul Yeager Quick detach mount, plus 3 boxes of ammo and 3or4 boxes of brass.$400.
It is a D&Ted Non Collectors item, but one H of a nice rifle.
I am amazed that it shoots Close to minute of angle with handload using Hornady 117 gr RN. Love it.
beltfed/arnie

[atr]

beltfed....nice looking rifle !
I am anxious to shoot the one I have, but I will be using the peep sight. If I can hit a 1 gallon can at 100 yds I will be happy.
atr

[beltfed]

ATR,
I am looking at trying a lyman pointed cast gas check bullet in mine . It is about the same length
as that Hornady 117 RN. I have the mold that came with a 25-20 Schuetzen rifle I bought.
Only thing is I don't have any .25 gas checks. Would have to stick with PB loads.
Oh, I do have one of the Redfield receiver sights I have that is made to mount on the existing tang sight screws on my rifle.
It would take some weight off it since that Paul Yeager mount is a surprising amount of steel.
I had that peep sight on a 1926 lightweight take down 30-30 I had years ago. It weighed only 5 3/4 pounds that way.
Only thing is I am nowadays at age 78 getting to really like ( need?) a scoped rifle. Besides, since I had my hip replaced
my hunting buddies Very Kindly won't let me do anything but sit on stand and not go way in to those deep woods areas like
I used to do.
beltfed/arnie

[atr]

Hey Arnie,
I am 73 and I know the issue with eyes and scope etc. Most of my rifles are scoped but I have kept a few with iron sights and peep sight just to remind myself what the basics are all about. If I buy this rifle I am going to keep the existing peep sight.
best to you
arthur

[beltfed]

Arthur,
I know what you mean. I am still shooting CBA Vin Military matches with GI iron sights on my 1903A3 Springfield.
Also Iron sights on my BPCR rifles.
Do OK, but its a struggle.
beltfed/arnie

[rintinglen]

Why do folks always harp on the 1 in 14" twist ?
All three of the 99's I've had experience with have shot both Sierra & Hornady 100gr Pointed bullets with decent accuracy. Three rounds into 1 1/2". All 3 grouped just as well with the Hornady 117gr RN.

Only Problem with the .250-3000 is hard to find ammo & brass.

The reason is that most of us cannot get the results you describe.
My 1951 24 inch barrel with a 1-14 twist will shoot 5 shots into an 1 1/2' with 87 grain flat base bullets--anything longer shoots progressively worse until you get up to the 117 grain boat tail bullets which pattern, they do not group. The only 100 grain bullet that grouped acceptably is the old Remington flat-based round nose, (which I wish I could find some more of.)

[beltfed]

rintinglen

did you try the Hornady 117 RN?
I looked back at my notes and found that last time out, my old 1932 lightwt TD 250-3000 rifle shot into a 3 shot 1/2" group at 100yds
with the Horn 117 RN over a moderate load of Varget.
this bullet is quite short.
I should think that your heavier, longer barrel rifle should get up enough velocity to shoot decently with this bullet.
beltfed/arnie