Savage .243 model 99c tang safety problem

M

Murder

Inactive
Hi all,

I'm new to "thefiringline". I am here because i recently purchased and refinished a 1946 model 1899 (99c) Savage in .243 Winchester. It is a lever gun with a clip (don't have clip....anybody?). Anyways, my problem is with the safety. It is a shotgun style tang safety. I can slide the tang all the way back and it will lock the lever so that a round cannot be chambered, but if a round is already chambered, the safety can't slide all the way back, thus not rendering the weapon safe (it can still shoot). Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
Your rifle is a lot later than you think it is.

The .243 Winchester round wasn't introduced commercially until 1955.

Savage didn't start chambering it until 1956.

And Savage didn't put it into a clip-fed Model 99 until 1965 (the 99C's first year of production) or 1966.

That, however, isn't really important.

What's important is that your safety isn't working.

My guess is that when you put the safety mechanism back together (I take it from your message that you had the gun pretty much apart) you somehow swapped some of the parts around, or something in the actual safety mechanism is broken.

I can't find my exploded view of the 99C right now, unfortunately, but my suggestion is that you take it to a gunsmith.
 
My bad

Sorry guys, I typed in the serial number on a savage site and it came up as 1946. I too read that .243 wasn't introduced until 1955. I also will apologize for unintentionally misleading you. I have not taken the whole action apart, just removed stock, sanded and refinished, and steel wooled the rest. Could it just be wear? It does not look like it was abused. I got it for $100, so if I have to put a little into it, that is ok. Just for the record there appears to be no damage to the pieces of the safety, including springs.
 
Do you have a digital camera? post a pic showing the rifle from the side with the stock removed. I think you got the inside piece in backwards or got something in the way when you had the stock off.
 
Will take pictures in 12 hours time

I will definitely take a few pictures and post them in 12 hours or so. Just so you know, the problem existed before I took anything apart.
 
Forgot to add something

Hi guys,

Pics are coming in a few minutes. I forgot to mention that when the safety locks the lever it can only do it uncocked, with the trigger pushed forward.
 
Pictures

Here are some pics...more coming
 

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More pics

more pics
 

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"I forgot to mention that when the safety locks the lever it can only do it uncocked, with the trigger pushed forward."

That sounds to me like the problem is in the trigger, and not the safety.

I'm wondering if the trigger spring is either broken or out of place.
 
Exploded View

Here is the schematic for it.
 

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Has it had a trigger job done

A lot of time, when someone who is inexperienced at trigger jobs tries to handle the job, they leave the gun unsafe when the safety doesn't completely block the sear from dumping the striker. I would advise you to take it to a smith and let him fix this for you. The safety must completely block the sear from allowing the striker to fall and what is going on with yours I believe is the safety is just a tad too short since the sear's geometry is off just a little. I could be wrong on this, but it is a common occurance that a lot of guns end up with and are just not taken care of. Hope you get it fixed soon.

One thing about the savage 99 in .243 is they develop headspace quickly with the round. It is a very common issue with this caliber. The problem is the presssure of the round is a higher than what the rifle was designed for. I would let the smith take a look at it and put a gauge in it and check it before I do much firing of the gun.
 
Thanks for the advice

I agree. I haven't shot this rifle yet, and do not plan to until it is checked out. Any idea of a ballpark figure on what it might cost to have it fixed?
 
Hi I took my 243 model A reinto with the tang safety apart and looked at your pics as well as tried to figure out how i could make it act like yours.

I believe that the safety arm.( the shiny silver colored stamping that reaches from the safety button down to the action itself and has a little prong that egages the lever to prevent operation, has either been altered or damaged to prevent the safety arm from egaging the trigger as designed.

I also believe that your trigger spring may be damaged as the trigger should not have to pressed forward by hand to enable the safety arm to slide at all. From the pictures you sent, The trigger return spring appears to be in the correct place, but on all of mine, when the trigger is released it is firmly pulled to the front by the trigger spring. If I pull and hold the trigger back the safety button is unable to move, but never do i have to push the trigger foward to enable the safety arm from having clearance to engage the trigger/sear.

I would consider taking more pics, saving them to your computer and then removing the lever, the bolt stop (in picture 0024,the little screw that holds that small piece of steel at the farthest rear most part of the action direct infront of the mounting boss for the rear stock screw). Removing that screw and block will allow the bolt to slide far enough to the rear to disengage from the action. Then examine the trigger spring better to see if some obstruction is preventing it from doing its job, or if some crud or debris is preventing the trigger from enjoying its full range of motion. Perhaps in cleaning the rifle or if someone was not careful, you encountered some crud which has now inhibited the safety arms range of motion.
 
More pics...found where it is hanging up...don't know why

Hi guys,

I was away on the weekend. I have not yet tried what guntotinfool recommended. I have however been blessed with a sunny day, so i had a look in the light. I have figured out where the hangup is, as well as determined the trigger spring is functioning. I have posted a picture. The picture is a schematic. The bottom of the safety slide "A" is hanging up on the back of the trigger "B". Hopefully i can do this myself.
 

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If you can see where the trigger and the safety arm interface, Is there any peening or deformation there? The last thing i want to suggest is that you start up the dremel. but look at where the parts are supposed to meet and see if you can find a burr or a bent lip that will prohibit the arm from looking out the trigger. If you need more let us know.
 
I had problems with the safety on my 99c 22-250 shortly after i bought it at a gunshow. It turned out that little spring on the bottom of the part you marked 'A' had come out of place. I figured out how to put it back in place but noticed the quality control and finish on those 99c was not that great. Look at the trigger sear engagement also as some people stoned them down trying to improve the trigger pull and made them unsafe. I have a 243 99c and it is very nice and much better finished than the earlier 22-250. The 243 is a great shooter, good luck. Magazines run $30 to $40 on Ebay if you're patient.
 
trigger/sear engagement

Thanks for all the help guys. I still haven't figured this out. I have been rather busy, and want to check some of the things you all have mentioned. To check the trigger/sear, can I do this with them in place?, where exactly would they be stoned down, if they were?
 
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