Savage Model 99A .243 info needed

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superpelly

New member
Savage Model 99A .243 Lever.... reliable rifle ?

My son is getting a Savage model 99A .243 (from Grampa) (lever) The serial number us B899XXX anybody know the manufacture date and what is it worth? Don't know much about savage 99's lever. good rifle ?
Thanks
 
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King Ghidora

Moderator
There's a guy at the Savage Shooters board that has lots of info on Savage rifles. I believe he answers emails about Savages. His email address is posted in a thread in the centerfire rifles section. I believe his specialty is lever guns too. He should be able to give you some info. You have to look for a link to his email address under his user name which is Mad Dog. There's a letter icon under his avatar. You can contact him using that.
 
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Hemicuda

New member
I know a thing or 2 about Savage Mod. 99's...

the 243 IS kinda rare as calibers go... BUtu, can't give you ANY clue as to value, without pics, condition, and other info... but I CAN tell you...

Savage Mod. 99's are a superior gun, wiith an extremely tight "lock up" that affords them bolt-action type accuracy, and quick follow-up shots...

they ARE a bit heavy, but they are tough as nails, and usually shoot like a dream... MOST have pretty nice triggers...

An it's a collectors piece, if in good condition, and all original...

is it scoped? how original is it?
 
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guntotin_fool

New member
Its a piece of crap, send it over here to Minnesota for proper storage away from any cheese heads



Actually, a few serious questions.

Where is the safety? on top of the tang, or down underneath, clipping on to the lever?


internal magazine or detachable clip/magazine. (for those about to excoriate me on the use of Clip, its what Savage called it, I have two new in the wrapper to prove it, so Plbbtss to you:D)

is the wood dark and and probably walnut, or is it light amber color like birch under varnish....

answer those and we can help.
 
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Mike Irwin

Staff
Only the 99 C was clip fed, IIRC.

.243 was introduced in or about 1956. They are not particularly rare. Middle ground, really. It was a fairly popular chambering in the 99.

Are you sure there's a B in front of the serial number?

I'm not 100% sure, but I didn't think that Savage ever started its 99 serial numbers with letters.

I'll take a peek in my 99 book this evening. It will tell us the year range for the 99A.
 
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guntotin_fool

New member
with the tang safety its a post 1965 gun, and being an A model, I think its more likely that its one of the "re run" A models made from about 1980 or so to 1995 or so. I don't think your gun has the internal rotor magazine, but instead a simple top load box, but I could be mistaken....some did, some did not, and I seem to remember .243 and 308's all being box mags, but I could be mistaken...Dark wood also places it as a walnut stock model and not one of the very late Economy guns, which were marked as normal models, but had the E model features. I just passed on one of those this week as it was beat to heck ...
 
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Hemicuda

New member
Quote" .243 was introduced in or about 1956. They are not particularly rare. Middle ground, really. It was a fairly popular chambering in the 99."


yep... acording to the stats, you are 150% right...

Now, try to find one locally, that is in good enough shape to want to own it?

I've been looking for years... and there are just too many variables in buying one from online sources... I gotta see and handle the gun...

I can't find one ANYWHERE, and I've been looking for years... in acuality, they seem to be rare as hen's teeth...
 
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Mike Irwin

Staff
You need to come to Pennsylvania and Virginia.

I've passed up 4 or 5 in very good shape, and several others in less good shape, in the past year or two.

As for the serial number, it looks like Savage started putting letters in front of the serial number starting in the 1970s.

Judging by what I'm looking at in the Murray book, the 99-A was introduced in 1971 and was in the "A" serial number range. A further note indicates that in 1985 the "D" serial number range started.

So, I'd hazard a guess that the rifle in question was built sometime in the 1970s.
 
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superpelly

New member
Yep, found info also that it was made between 1971 and 1981. The value is around 400.00 according to the source. Oh well, nice gun for my kid when he gets to hunt for whitetail here in Wisconsin.

Thanks for the replies.
 
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taylorce1

New member
Ok, since I've recently become interested in the Savage 99 since I just picked up one on trade this year. So what is a 99A in .358 Win worth 95% condition roatry mag and tang safety?????
 
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Mike Irwin

Staff
"Ok, since I've recently become interested in the Savage 99 since I just picked up one on trade this year. So what is a 99A in .358 Win worth 95% condition roatry mag and tang safety?????"

You got one in trade.

YOU $(&*^)(*&%()*&$&*()$^)*(&^)_*(%)_$%^!

OK, now that that is out of my system...

The .358s are VERY sought after and very tough to find, as well.

When you see them here on the east coast, which is not at all often, they are usually north of $1,500.
 
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Mike Irwin

Staff
"had to trade off a .30-06 M700 ADL and VXIII 2.5-8 scope to get this little beauty back in March."

You made out like a fat rat. You got a rifle that's probably worth about double what you gave for it.
 
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taylorce1

New member
Mike,

Now I'm not a total a-hole, there was some extra cash involved as well. It took about a month to hash out the whole deal and ship the rifles between OR and CO. We both came to a mutually agreeable price and trade values on our firearms. My .30-06 was almost new, I bought it new for a bear hunt in AK and it had a total round count of 55 rounds through it. We both walked away from the deal very happy, but I was still south of $1500 when all was said and done!:D
 
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elkman06

New member
Last md 99 in .243 I saw was in St George Ut and the asking price was $650.00. I shoulda bought it methinks.
elkman06
 
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