Make: Savage Arms Corporation

Model: 1899B

Serial Number: 65152

Year of Manufacture: 1905

Caliber: .32 Special (.32 Winchester Special or W.S.)

Action Type: Lever Action Rifle with Internal Rotary Magazine and Cartridge Counter

Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “SAVAGE HIGH-PRESSURE STEEL / MODEL 1899.”. The top of the barrel is marked “MANUFACTURED BY THE SAVAGE ARMS COMPANY. UTICA.N.Y.U.S.A. / PATENTED FEBRUARY 7.1893.JULY 25.1893.OCTOBER 3.1899.”, “32 SPL.”. The bottom of the receiver is marked “65152”.

Barrel Length: The octagonal barrel is 24” in length. The barrel was likely chopped as standard configuration was 26” in length. 

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a gold beaded Marble’s Sheard sight dovetailed to the barrel. The rear sight is a v-notch buckhorn elevator sight dovetailed to the barrel, the notch is fine elevation adjustable. 

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two piece smooth walnut with semi-pistol grip, straight comb, schnabel forend, and serrated steel buttplate. There are scattered compressions, scratches and scuffs. There is a notable chip on the right edge of the forend and some scrapes on the right side of the buttstock near the receiver. There is a crack on the left side of the buttstock at the receiver. The LOP measures 13” from the front of the trigger to the back of the steel buttplate. There is no wear on the buttplate. The buttplate is in about Excellent overall condition. The stocks rate in about Good condition as refinished.

Type of Finish: Blued. The lever has been blued over as well. 

Finish Originality: Refinished. 

Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is defined. There is light erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 7/10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 97% of its current metal finish. The blue is strong throughout. There are a few handling marks. There is light operation wear present post refinish. The markings are legible though shallow. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. There is scattered oxidation on the bolt. There is a small scrape on the lever boss. The tang screw holes have been plugged. There is faint pinprick pitting under the finish around the edges of the receiver and parts of the barrel. Overall, this rifle rates in about Fine condition as refinished. 

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None

Our Assessment: The Savage 1899/99 model rifles have quite a history. They were preceded by the Model 1895, which was the first hammerless lever-action rifle produced. A hammerless action was useful as it reduces the lock time, allows the rifle to be fired more accurately and is less likely to jam in brush or snag in clothing. The 1895 and 1899/99 models used a rotary magazine to hold the cartridges, using a spring-loaded spool with grooves. The 1899/99 models added a counter to the spool to indicate how many rounds are loaded. This design allowed the use of spitzer bullets, which could not be used in the Winchester rifles of the times because the pointed tips in the tubular magazines could cause accidental discharge. This gave Savage a lead in producing rifles that could handle high velocity smokeless powder cartridges with bullets offering flatter trajectories than other lever-action designs. The model 1899B was the same as the 1899A except that instead of a full length round barrel, it had a full length octagonal barrel. The 1899C has a half round half octagonal barrel.