Savage Model 99 Identification

[fizzboom]

I haven't been able to identify the model and year of my Savage Model 99.

There are only four locations of any markings found on the rifle. On top of the Receiver Barrel Band "Savage Model 99", Left Side of Barrel near receiver ".300 Savage", Right Side of Barrel near receiver "Hi-Pressure Steel-Proof Tested", and Top Mid-Barrel "Savage Arms Corporation Chicopee Falls, Mass. USA".

There is no serial number. Removal of the fore-end reveals no other information. The receiver, lever, and trigger area are devoid of markings (not even slight nicks or marks).

There is a lever lock safety behind the trigger. The butt-Plate is steel , slight curve, with horizonal cuts. The front sight is dovetailed into a long ramp and has a brass insert with the bead pointing to the rear. The barrel is over 23 inches to barrel band. The rear sight is missing. A dovetailed flat insert is located 3 1/2 inches in front of the receiver barrel band. It has a brass magazine counter, the trigger has vertical cuts in the front face. It has a pistol grip stock with a black heal cap. The stock is checked at grip area and on the fore-end. It has a small-face schnable fore-end. One screw holds the fore-end in place. There is a hole about 2 1/2 inches from the butt that looks like it was for a sling hook. At the screw mount for the fore-end, there is a slight impression fore and aft of the screw hole that indicates there was hardware at one time. The barrel crown looks like a Cherrio. The overall length of the rifle is 43 3/8 inches. The weight is 7 lbs 8 ozs.

 

[taylorce1]

Got any pictures you can post? That will help a lot, I'm not a 99 expert, but there are several here on this forum that can help. What is it chambered in as well?

 

[Mike Irwin]

From your description I would say that it is a Savage 99 EG.

I'm away from my books right now, but EG stocks were checkered sometime after 1936 when my EG was made.

The slide safety dates the gun to prior to about 1954.

I suspect that your gun was made sometime after the end of World War II, when Savage returned to civilian production, and 1954.

The serial number should be on the underside of the action ahead of the lever.

It's possible that in the rush to get guns to the civilian market after the war that yours missed getting a number.

That would be HIGHLY unusual, though.

 

[fizzboom]

Pictures for ID of Savage 99

Here are a few pictures to help in the identification.

 

[fizzboom]

A few more pictures of rifle.

I can provide a few more pics if needed.

 

[fizzboom]

Two more pictures that may help

The buttplate and front sight details are shown here.

 

[Mike Irwin]

OK, I'm pretty sure that you have a Savage 99EG, as I suspected.

Checkering was added in 1940, and the model marking was moved from the location shown on your gun to another in 1957.

So, I'm going to say your gun was made sometime between 1940 and 1956, with no 99s manufactured between 1942 and 1945 due to war production.

I forgot to look up the barrel address markings...

In 1946 Savage moved production from Utica, New York, to Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. So, your gun was made sometime between 1946 and 1956.

 

[taylorce1]

your gun was made sometime between 1946 and 1956.

Mike so what year did they start drilling and tapping for the 99 for scope mounts. That is a cool rifle but if someone D&T it for the scope and it didn't come with from the factroy it will devalue the rifle some. Still it is a nice shooter!

 

[fizzboom]

The scope mounts were drilled and mounted as an aftermarket. I am sure of this because the holes on the forward mount overlap the Savage Model 99 marking.

I notice a short pin where the rear sight should be mounted and some surrounding holes. The pin looks like it was filed down. Is this a mount configuration for a peep sight that was original to the rifle?

Also, at the fore-end mount screw, there is an impression in the wood on either side. What was mounted here? There is a hole in the butt-stock that must have been for a sling mount but no such hole in the fore-end. Was the fore-end screw used to mount a sling? Was this an original configuration?

By the way, thanks for the help!

 

[bubba15301]

the pin is a cocking indicator

 

[fizzboom]

What does the cocking indicator normally look like?

This thread has given me a lot of infiormation. So I will ask another question.

How loose is the lever supposed to be at the bushing where it meets the receiver. It is looser than I think it should be. Can it be tightened?

I just noticed another marking on the rifle. There is a small asterix in front of the trigger guard where it curves into the receiver body.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Factory drilling and tapping started in 1957. That's why they moved the model designation from its previous location, otherwise the mounts would cover it.

As Fizz notes, the model marking is partially covered by the scope base, which means aftermarket, which means the gun was produced in 1956 or prior.


Fizz, I think you're correct about the impression in the wood around the forearm screw. It was pretty common for the sling mount to use the forearm screw because the wood on a 99EG is pretty scanty.

"How loose is the lever supposed to be at the bushing where it meets the receiver. It is looser than I think it should be. Can it be tightened?"

Not sure what you mean by loose. How so?

 

[fizzboom]

By loose, I mean that that the lever will rock side to side at the bushing point, such that when the lever is open the end of the lever loop moves about 1/4 inch side to side.

Do you think this rifle originally had a peep sight?

 

[Mike Irwin]

Ouch. That lateral movement is a problem. Something has been bent or worn badly.

I'm not sure how it would be remedied. You'll need to consult a gunsmith.

"Do you think this rifle originally had a peep sight?"

No. It originally came with a buckhorn rear sight with a ramp adjuster that was dovetailed into the barrel. There's a filler wedge in the barrel dovetail right now that was most likely added when the rifle was drilled and tapped for the scope mounts.

As far as I know, no Savage 99 ever came from the factory with peep sights standard. They were a special order option.

I can't remember for certain, but Savage rifles may have come D&T for peep sights at some point. I'll have to look that up.

My circa 1936 EG also had a buckhorn rear sight. I mounted a Williams peep sight on it not long after I got it, and to be perfectly honest, I can't for the life of me remember if it was already D&T for the sight or if I had to take it to my gunsmith to have it drilled.

 

[taylorce1]

As far as I know, no Savage 99 ever came from the factory with peep sights standard. They were a special order option.

There were some aftermarket tang sights available right? I know I've seen a few 99's with a tang mounted sight. Lyman or Redfield probably made them.

 

[hivel37]

Marble makes a very good tang sight. It has windage adjustment while some don't.

I just came into possession of an EG myself. It's been DT'ed which suits my eyes OK. Plan to shoot it this week. Good luck with yours.

 

[Mike Irwin]

At one time you could order tang/peep sights from Savage, made by Lyman.

Doug Murray's book shows a page out of a circa 1905 catalog with two types.

Another page, from about 1900, shows a rather elaborate screw elevator wind gauge sight. I've never seen one, but I understand that they bring ferocious prices from collectors.

They also offered a sliding leaf sight graduated to 1000 yards, a well as folding leaf sights.

Over the years a number of different sight types were offered. At one time I'm pretty sure that you could special order a Redfield peep sight.

 

[langenc]

If you order Doug Murrays book be sure to include $3.50 for postage.


Anyone know of a good 99 triggersmith? Is it possible to lighten the trigger from 6 to 3 pounds?

 

[makress]

I purchased my Savage 300 (model 99) from a previous boss for $75. His dad to use it to hunt moose. It is in OK shape at best. There are rust pits on the end of the barrel that I cleaned up and minor rust on the receiver. Anyway, I have been trying to determine how old this gun is. That is how I found this forum.

The only serial # is on the underside of the buttplate. The serial number is 446xxx. The savage website states the gun was made in 1947. However, on the barrel it states the gun was made in Utica, NY. Any idea how this could happen since Savage moved to Mass. in 1946?

Any help is appreciated?

 

[Fleet]

Anyone know of a good 99 triggersmith? Is it possible to lighten the trigger from 6 to 3 pounds?

Doubtful. IIRC, the 99's trigger pull is almost completely governed by the striker spring. I think you're limited to a bit of polishing on the trigger and sear and not much more.