Make: Savage Arms Corporation

Model: 99-G Deluxe

Serial Number: 237973

Year of Manufacture: 1922

Caliber: .300 Savage

Action Type: Lever Action with Rotary Magazine. This is a takedown model.

Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “HI-PRESSURE STEEL / -SAV. .300-”. The top of the barrel is marked "MANUFACTURED BY THE SAVAGE ARMS CORP. UTICA. N.Y. U.S.A. / JULY. 25. 1893. OCT. 3. 1899. SEP. 10. 1907. MAY. 25. 1909. JUNE.1.1909.”. The top of the receiver is marked “SAVAGE / 1899 MODEL”. The tang sight is marked “LYMAN / MIDDLEFIELD / CONN. U.S.A.”. The bottom of the receiver is marked “237973”. The rear sight is marked “D.W. KING / PAT. MAR.5.17”. The bottom of the buttplate is marked with the Savage Logo Trade Mark. The inside of the forend is marked “237973”.

Barrel Length: 24” Round. Only the 99-G in .300 Savage had 24” barrels. The standard barrel length for other calibers was 20 or 22 inches.

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade screwed into a machined base that is integral to the barrel. The rear sight is a D.W. KING No. 7 Semi-Buckhorn Adjustable Folding Leaf. The top tang is drilled, tapped, and mounted with a Lyman No. 2A Combination tang sight with threaded aperture to accept a screw in eyepiece (not included). The adjustment on the peep sight is gummed up. We did not force it.

Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are checkered fancy wood with a capped pistol grip, straight comb, schnabel tip forend with takedown lever, and a shotgun-style metal buttplate. There are scratches and scuffs throughout. There are a few small scrapes that have darkened. The checkering is strong throughout with a few scattered defects. The LOP is approximately 12 7/8” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate.The serrated plate has some little scuffs and minor scratches, mostly at the heel and toe with the metal having taken a light to dark patina at the heel and toe. The stocks rate in about Fine condition.

Type of Finish: Blued & Case Color

Finish Originality: Original

Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is some faint erosion sparsely found. In this writer’s opinion the bore rates 9/10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 65% of its metal finish. The balance of the finish on the barrel is mostly strong and complete save for the muzzle which has finish loss as well as some thinning near the receiver. The case color on the lever is vibrant throughout but is muted along the edges. There is standard operational wear. The receiver holds most of the wear in forms of scratches and scuffs and minor oxidation. The screwheads show light use. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good condition.

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 requirements.

Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This rifle comes with a Savage Arms Corporation letter confirming its originality, its original consignee in San Francisco with a special work order #26-1 which may account for the fancy wood and tang sight. 

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 most of the tubular magazine lever action rifles of the times because the pointed tips could cause an 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. This is a 1920’s example with a few special features including its exclusive .300 Savage 24” barrel configuration, fancy wood stocks, and tang sight.