yournodaisy
New member
I'm looking to buy a savage model 99. I see so many with different letters attached..etc..99C..99R etc. Is there anywhere I can see on line what these letters represent? Thanks.
Savage 99
- Thread starter yournodaisy
- Start date
Amazingly enough... Savage99.com. 
Mike Irwin
Staff
Specifically, you want to look at this page:
http://savage99.com/models.htm
Unfortunately, that page is not nearly complete, nor does it factor in all of the model letter weirdness that Savage introduced over the years.
You've got to remember that Savage worked in two distinct time periods for these rifles -- up to 1920, and post 1920, and the model letters were reused at various times throughout the gun's history with different characteristics.
Guns marked 1899 were made prior to 1920 or so, those marked 99 are post 1920. There are some transitional guns that can be very tough to identify.
Even worse, though, Savage reused model letters from the post 1920 guns for other post 1920 guns with different features.
Oh, and did I mention that Savage didn't visibly mark model letters on guns until very late in production? Some models had model letters stamped on hidden areas, but it's not always a given.
It can be very confusing.
So, if you find yourself a nice Savage 99 (especially an older one) you need to know a couple of things to pin down the model:
1. Serial number.
2. Chambering.
3. Stock characteristics (shape, checkering, no checkering, shape of forearm, etc.)
By far the best resource on the Savage 99 is Doug Murray's book, which you can buy from Amazon (although it looks like its out of print)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000UTHTQY/savage99
Your best bet is a gun show.
http://savage99.com/models.htm
Unfortunately, that page is not nearly complete, nor does it factor in all of the model letter weirdness that Savage introduced over the years.
You've got to remember that Savage worked in two distinct time periods for these rifles -- up to 1920, and post 1920, and the model letters were reused at various times throughout the gun's history with different characteristics.
Guns marked 1899 were made prior to 1920 or so, those marked 99 are post 1920. There are some transitional guns that can be very tough to identify.
Even worse, though, Savage reused model letters from the post 1920 guns for other post 1920 guns with different features.
Oh, and did I mention that Savage didn't visibly mark model letters on guns until very late in production? Some models had model letters stamped on hidden areas, but it's not always a given.
It can be very confusing.
So, if you find yourself a nice Savage 99 (especially an older one) you need to know a couple of things to pin down the model:
1. Serial number.
2. Chambering.
3. Stock characteristics (shape, checkering, no checkering, shape of forearm, etc.)
By far the best resource on the Savage 99 is Doug Murray's book, which you can buy from Amazon (although it looks like its out of print)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000UTHTQY/savage99
Your best bet is a gun show.
yournodaisy
New member
Thanks guys..I think I found a nice one made in 1951. Brass counter and great shape..
Winchester_73
New member
Many from that era are 99EG or 99R. If tapped, be sure that "Savage 99" is rolled off to the side instead of on top of reciever. Savage did not drill and tap through their roll mark, no matter what anyone will tell you. A 99EG is a checkered 24 in gun with a schnabel forend but is not a takedown. The 99R is one with a wideforend, also checkered. It has a forend like a BAR sporting rifle sorf of. There are other variants, but these are most often seen.
Mike Irwin
Staff
In 1951 there were three models being made, the EG (most common), R, and RS.
The R and RS are similar, with a heavy stock and beavertail forearm (as opposed to the splinter with schnoble on the EG), but the RS originally came with a Williams or Lyman receiver sight.
Win73 is absolutely correct, Savage NEVER drilled and tapped through their logo.
When Savage originally began offering scopes as an extra-cost feature in the late 1920s or early 1930s, they used used side mounts, not rings that were D&T into the top of the receiver.
I can't remember for certain, but I don't think that Savage began offering factory D&T for scopes until the mid 1950s.
The most common chamberings in 1951 would have been .300 Savage followed by .250 Savage.
EDIT IN:
Ok, I've looked at some of my previous posts regarding Savage 99s and scopes, and it appears that Savage started D&T for Weaver bases by 1957.
The R and RS are similar, with a heavy stock and beavertail forearm (as opposed to the splinter with schnoble on the EG), but the RS originally came with a Williams or Lyman receiver sight.
Win73 is absolutely correct, Savage NEVER drilled and tapped through their logo.
When Savage originally began offering scopes as an extra-cost feature in the late 1920s or early 1930s, they used used side mounts, not rings that were D&T into the top of the receiver.
I can't remember for certain, but I don't think that Savage began offering factory D&T for scopes until the mid 1950s.
The most common chamberings in 1951 would have been .300 Savage followed by .250 Savage.
EDIT IN:
Ok, I've looked at some of my previous posts regarding Savage 99s and scopes, and it appears that Savage started D&T for Weaver bases by 1957.
Last edited:
Winchester_73
New member
Hi Mike. I am curious given the info you gave above about a Savage 99 that I once had. It was a 99 R with a factory tap ("Savage 99" rolled to the left side) in 300 sav. The funny thing is that the SN was 599817 which I thought to be early 1950s manufacture. I thought that to be right because of this following excerpt from http://www.savage99.com/savage99_dates.htm :
So what do you think given this info? Early 1950s? Do you have any early SNs that were factory tapped, say earlier than mine? Might the one I had be an early D&T gun?
Here it is pictured with a 99G (takedown deluxe) also in 300 sav which was model marked 1899 because they were still using up the old receivers. I ended up trading them both away because I figured I would find another one someday. Fast forward to today, and I am still missing my favorite lever action of all time. Someday I will get another.
The 99G had a SN of 237745 which made for early 1920s IIRC. The 99 R (front) had a unertl hawk, which was a nice period scope for the gun. I don't regret the trades looking back (I got a Winchester model 70 fwt from '56 for the 99G) but I hope to get another 99 someday.
Mike Irwin
Staff
What makes this so tough to figure out definitively is that Savaged rolled out the D&T at different times for each model, and they apparently didn't keep really good factory records.
The fact that your rifle had the model mark rolled off to a side is solid indication that the gun was factory D&T.
The fact that your rifle had the model mark rolled off to a side is solid indication that the gun was factory D&T.
yournodaisy
New member
Thanks guys..what a world of info you provided. Now if I can get this for the right price I'll be good to go. Thanks.