Savage 99E year and Value

[Savage99man]

I have my great uncles "Savage 99E" in which I acquired in May 2006.

The barrel is stamped:

Savage Arms Corporation
Chicopee Falls, Mass.

The serial # on the gun is: 1,025,812

What gets me is the "E" was made in the late 30's in Utica, NY and then again from '61 on in Westfield, Mass. I would like to know what year it was manufactured and how much it is worth.

According to the old school magazine ad's I've seen on eBay, the "E" was re-issued from '61 and later. My "E" is made in Chicopee Falls.

It's about got about 83% of the bluing on it with some pitting around the reciever.

Thanks for the time and effort,

Savage99man

[LDBennett]

I see Savage 99's in the $500 class at the gun shows but I have not paid much attention to the exact models. I've not seen any priced under that level.

I have a 99 in 300 Savage made in the early 1950's. I got it off a co-worker. It had sat for many, many years in the closet and the internals were covered with a powdering of rust. I originally agreed to tear the gun down and remove the rust for the friend. I was so impressed by the design that I offered the guy about $150 for it (15 years ago when Savages were not sought after like today). The rust came off very easily with 0000 steel wool with no sign it was ever there. The biggest surprise was how accurate it shot! While developing loads for it (clocking speeds with no interest in accuracy at that point), it was making pretty small groups for an open sight lever gun. I have several Winchesters so I know what to expect.

What I find interesting is the guys father bought the gun new upon graduation from college, hunted with it a few times, and then stored it away for years. After his death the son got it and never used it. The gun showed signs (a few stock nicks and dents) of having been carried some during hunts but the barrel and the outside were pristine. One of my better buys!

LDBennett

[Xracer]

Hi Savage99man.....welcome to TFF.

The only published serial # lists for the Savage 99 that I know of, only go up to #566,000 and 1950.....but you can probably get a date of manufacture by writing directly to Savage: http://www.savagearms.com/contact.htm

As for value....is it a rifle or carbine, what caliber, and does it have a Schnabel forearm?

[22WRF]

Here is another savage seer# finder

http://www.savage99.com/savage99_dates.htm

But it don't go high enough for yours.


I had a 99E I bought new in 1975 with a number over 1,000,000

[Savage99man]

the rifle is calibered in .300, the best one Savage ever made.
The forearm is plain with no checkering. I believe it's got either a 20" or 22" inch barrel on it.

The gun is the most accurate I have ever shot. I picked off a coyte at 200 yards even, with no scope, and with out adjusting for my shot.

[Xracer]

OK....I'm assuming that yours is a 99E Carbine, made sometime between 1960-1982.

Blue Book value:

95% - $300
90% - $270
80% - $250
70% - $200

[Savage99man]

Yes it is a 99E carbine. As far as it being made in 1960 - 1982, SAVAGE ARMS had already relocated to Westfield. My barrel says:

SAVAGE ARMS CORPORATION
CHICOPEE FALLS, MASS.

SAC moved to Westfield in '61. A very low # of 110's were made to round off the year of 1960. All the ad's for the 99E are from '61 and on. That is why I'm confused about the year my gun was made. The ad's say the "E" came back into circulation in '61 (WESTFIELD) and my barrel says (CHICOPEE FALLS). Like I said earlier, nothing but a low # of 110's were made in '60.

[njretcop]

What does the lever boss code say?

[Savage99man]

What is the lever boss code?

[njretcop]

Turn your rifle over, on the front of the lever where it joins to the receiver you will find a circle with one or two numbers followed by a letter.

The numbers are inspectors marks, the letter is the year of manufacture. This "lever boss code" started in 1949 with the letter "A", 1950 "B", and so on................

[Savage99man]

Thanks, the boss code was "10 H" so I believe that it was made in 1956.

Jimmy

[njretcop]

BINGO!

Remember, the letters "O" and "Q" were not used due to possible confusion.

[Bob V]

I just aquired a 300 Savage that was made in 1941 (checked serial #414428) it's not an "E" model and seems to be in very good condition, but don't know much about it. It holds 6 rounds and has a lever action. It also has an original scope mounted on it and no iron sites. No markings on the scope. Don't know the power.The scope has a mount that seems to be factory made for this gun. only 1 rear ring. The frot mounts to the barrel. anyone know aprox. value ???

[LDBennett]

Bob V:

I bought a Savage Model 99 in 300 Savage some 15 years ago off a co-worker that had light surface rust over the entire inside of the receiver but the barrel and external bluing were fine. It was a 1950's rifle bought by the guys father new when he graduated from college, carried some on hunts, but rarely shot. The internals cleaned up fine with 0000 steel wool and Hoppe's No. 9. While developing loads with a chronograph searching for the highest velocity loads and not partivcularly paying attention to the accuracy I was amazed at how accurate the gun was compared to all my other lever action guns. These are good guns!! The design is completely unique and includes a tipping bolt, a rotary magazine, a shots remaining indicator, a cocked indicator, and they are accurate. They also look unique.

I'll not sell mine but I am sure I could get more than $500 for my 90% version but would refuse offers of up to $1000. Not bad for a rilfe that I paid $125 for. Its that nice of a vintage gun design and mine is particularly nice in that it shows some stock wear and very little bluing wear.

Keep and use that Savage. You probably won't be sorry you kept it.


LDBennett

[peteelliott]

I have a .300 Savage stamped serial number 295177 which was apparently made in 1927.

Fair condition, lever action, rotary mag, definitely been used over the years.

I'm not sure if I would ever sell it, but does anyone have a low/high estimate of the value?

Pete

yangalala@gmail.com

[LDBennett]

peteelliot;

To a shooter it's a $100 gun (too old and in a funny caliber for which ammo is almost non-existent!) but to a collect it all depends on condition. Some like-new in the box versions fetch twice what other excellent, nice, clean example get. I have one from the 1950's that is aobut 90% that I shoot my reloads from. The amazing thing to me is how much more accurate it is than my Winchester lever guns. I would not give mine up for anything but if I HAD to I would think a collector might pay $500 or more. But it all depends on condition to a collector. A refinished gun to collectors is worth much much less. Original excellent condition guns is what they want. Shooters want good guns but will not pay that kind of money.

LDBennet

[TNTCrazyLady]

Howdy, I'm a newbie and just inherited a Savage 300 99E lever - I think the serial # is A952263. It appears in good condition and has a scope but I can't tell what kind. Can anyone tell me what kind of value this is? I've cleaned it and would like to use it for a hunting rifle but if it is super valuable then I won't.

Thanks in advance ;-}

[BETH]

remember to put up pictures everyone

[LDBennett]

The Model 99E was made from 1960 to 1984. The highest S/N was supposedly 1,000,000. To determine exactly what you have, you'd have to cross reference features from a book like the D.P.Murray book "The 99: A History of the Savage Model 99 Rifle".

I don't think there is much collector interest in these guns, but I don't really know. I think there is a shooter interest. Every time I take mine to the range someone will ask if I want to sell it.

My 99EG is very accurate with open sights. While developing loads with a chronograph and only interested in getting factory velocities and not even watching the target while shooting, I was amazed at the accuracy after walking down to the target to retrieve it. This gun can shoot. I think it probably is more accurate than similar Winchester lever guns of the same period.

The magazine is probably the most unique part of the gun (rotating mag like a Ruger 10/22 mag). In fact Ruger, the man, was infatuated with the Savage 99 in his youth and lifted the mag design for his 10/22 in the 1950's. He actually turned a Model 99 into a semi-auto and tried to hawk it to gun companies. It got him a job which he eventually parlayed into the biggest gun manufacturing company in the USA in a few decades.

These guns are well worth keeping and shooing. I don't hunt but a lot of former owners did and I bet this would make an excellent woods gun. With a scope I think it would match almost any 308 for hunting. These are unique looking, unique operationally, and pretty accurate and handy guns. They are well worth keeping. Others might have more knowledge about value but the bottom has to be at least $500. You'd have to give me more than that for mine even though I have quite a bit less than that in the gun (bought off co-worker 15 years ago).

See:

http://www.savage99.com/

LDBennett

[steve99f]

TNTCL,

Your 99E was made after 1960, pretty much taking any collector interest out the window. As a hunting rifle, sight unseen, could be worth 200 to 500, depends on condition and a willing buyer. It's not super valuable so go kill something with it. It's a great tool for that.

[pauls]

I have a model 99 caliber 300 savage with the serial number 685432. The boss code is unreadable. Metal butt plate,no shnabel. Anyone with any info? thanks for the help.

[steve99f]

If it doesn't have the schnable tipped fore end then its an R or RS rather then the EG. Made in the early 50's. Nice rifles and usually accurate. Should have a Chicopee Falls, MA barrel roll mark.

[jksherbondy]

Hello Everybody,

I came across your site while trying to research my rifle. I wanted to say thank you for sharing all of your knowledge and helping me figure out what a boss code is and what it means.

When my father passed he left me his Savage 99E .243 lever action. The serial is 1037761. I did my best at reading the Boss Code and I am fairly certain that it reads 12N which would make it a 1962, but I read in some of the posts that the serial numbers stop at 1,000,000. I am slightly confused how my serial number could be 1,037,761 and have a boss code "N".

If any of you could help fill in the gaps in my knowledge that would be amazing. Thank you again.

[langenc]

Whatever you or anyone else does do NOT take the rotary mag apart. They are spring loaded and a brea to get back together so it will ever function again.

[steve99f]

jksherbondy,

The serial numbers didn't end at 1,000,000, only collector interest ended at 1,000,000, mostly. There are certain calibers that will attract collector interest in post 1960 rifles such as 22-250, .284, .358 and .375.