Savage Model 99

[Mojaveman]

Have always wanted one and just picked up this .308 from an old guy that lives near me. Never realized that the design was from 1899. Its rotary magazine was a pretty revolutionary idea for that era. Savage originally tried to sell it to the military but that didn't work so they sold it on the civilian market instead. The 99 has been produced in 16 different calibers and Savage quit making them around 2000.

Anybody else like them? Any comments?

[MeatyMac]

I was the caretaker of Mrs. Mac's Grandfather's Savage 99 built in the early 1950's, it's chambered in .300 Savage and in near new condition. I offered it to my BIL but he didn't want it so I waited for his son to get of-age and gave it to him three years ago, he's a union welder in Reno and has hunted deer with it for the past couple seasons. Our nephew was stoked to get it and it's the prize of his budding firearms collection, nothing like having Grandpa's gun unless it's Great Grandpa's gun then it's a little sweeter.

[eaglemike]

That's a very cool rifle.
I picked one up from a forum member recently. I always wanted one in .300 Savage, but this one is 30-30, still cool.
I worked in a shop long ago that had a couple of old guys with a lot of experience, told me about how the .308 was developed from the .300 Savage. His words were something like "old man Savage was a pretty bright man, .300 Savage is a darn good cartridge."
99's are now going for a bit of a premium compared to 30-40 years ago.

[sghart]

I own 2, one is a takedown model in 300 Savage and one is a 30-30. They are both very accurate. I have 2.5X scopes on both. Both were made in the 30's I believe.

Arthur Savage was a man ahead of his time. I am a Marlin fanatic but my Savage 30-30 shoots rings around my 336.

I've always thought that it was a pity that they were never offered in pistol calibers.

I have a potential buyer lined up for my 300 Savage but every time it he contacts me I get cold feet. I don't really need to sell it but I don't hunt any more and I could use the space. But dang it's hard to let it go. He always laughs undertandingly.

[sealocan]

A few people mentioned how it was ahead of its time but I think it's loaded round counter that told you how many rounds were left in the rifle, a small window in the frame that lets you know how many rounds were left with a quick glance. I believe they only had that on some of the models but that was seriously way ahead of its time. In fact to this day they're still doing digital attempts of the same thing and we only see it in Sci-Fi movies working to count the bullets used.

The other thing was the rotary magazine that allowed the use of pointy bullets and of course that gives improved long range ballistics over the tube fed Winchester and Marlins of that time that had to use flat nose bullets.
I do wonder if the fact that it was a hammerless style rifle (yet another break from tradition) at a time when people were used to having hammers on their firearms affected sales at all.

[golfish]

I fell in love with them when I was about 10. Sadly, I haven't found one yet..

[Wyatt Burp]

You got a real classic there. And it has the early lever safety as opposed to the later tang type. I have a 1947 .300 Model EG with a Lyman Alaskan, and a 1955 Featherweight .243 that has a carved stock done by my dad in the early 60s. He gave me the .300 for my 40th b'day and I inherited the .243.
Does your .308 have "featherweight" or Model F on it? It resembles my .243 in forend shape.

[sghart]

A few people mentioned how it was ahead of its time but I think it's loaded round counter that told you how many rounds were left in the rifle, a small window in the frame that lets you know how many rounds were left with a quick glance. I believe they only had that on some of the models but that was seriously way ahead of its time. In fact to this day they're still doing digital attempts of the same thing and we only see it in Sci-Fi movies working to count the bullets used.

The other thing was the rotary magazine that allowed the use of pointy bullets and of course that gives improved long range ballistics over the tube fed Winchester and Marlins of that time that had to use flat nose bullets.
I do wonder if the fact that it was a hammerless style rifle (yet another break from tradition) at a time when people were used to having hammers on their firearms affected sales at all.

I think you are right. I love the loaded round counters on my rifles. And the rotary mag is great. I shoot a lot of spitzer bullets in my 30-30.

The cock on close nature of the action leads a lot of people to believe that the action "drags" or is sticky. It is merely the rifle cocking the internal hammer on closing.

The "cocked" indicator is an advanced feature also.

I love mine.

[Wyatt Burp]

Texas Ranger Frank Hamer, who got Bonnie and Clyde, carried an 1899 at some point and I bet it was a .30-30 since the cartridges in his belt appear to have rims. I?d love to have one in .30-30. Preferably a pre war featherweight.

Here?s Hamer with his?

https://truewestmagazine.com/the-myth-of-frank-hamer/

[Mojaveman]

Hamer's 99 could have been a .303 Savage too. That cartridge was very similar in appearance and ballistics to the Winchester .30-30.

[Wyatt Burp]

Hamer's 99 could have been a .303 Savage too. That cartridge was very similar in appearance and ballistics to the Winchester .30-30.

Right. I figured that caliber, .25-35, or .30-30. But I thought the last one just because his first Ranger long gun was a .30-30 Winchester carbine that he is seen with in early photos. The caliber noted in write ups of his first killing as a ranger (see link below).
I find the Savage 303 pretty interesting. Especially in early octagon barreled Model 99s with crescent butts. Like the old west meets the modern era.

https://www.historynet.com/frank-hamers-del-rio-debut/

[Sailormilan2]

My father had a 99F, with rotary magazine, in 308Win. I had a 99C(Clip) in 308Win and one in 358Win. I really regret selling the 358. Very nice, and accurate rifles.

[Fjold]

I have a cheap, economy model E stocked in birch and chambered in 243.

[bergmen]

I bought a brand new 99DL (checkered Monte Carlo stock) when I was in High School in the mid 60s in .308. My Dad had a Winchester Model 88 in .308 so I wanted the same caliber. My younger brother took over my Dad's first deer rifle which was a Marlin Model 1936 in 30-30 (which I still have in the safe).

Later (early 70s I think) I went through a short "guns are bad" phase and sold the 99 to a friend who needed a deer rifle. I got over that stupid spell and have built up my collection but no 99s are in it. It would have been nice if I kept it, lots of features I really liked, the rotary magazine being one of them. I think changing the design to a removable box magazine degraded the smooth action of the rotary (and losing the round counter as a result).

Dan

[Preston-CLB]

I would love to find one in .308 with a nice walnut stock. I love the look of that rifle.
-P