Another Savage 1899, about as close to a Winchester 1894 from the era as one can get…|Page 4|What's New!|Forum|Winchester Collector

Tony, 

They are both long since dead. 

The late John Wright was the London-trained Englishman who was the first person to head the Winchester Repeating Arms Custom Shop. 

His successor in that position was the late Robert W. Owen, who went on to establish his own custom stockmaking trade. 

These gentlemen brought their refined taste for the English magazine stalking rifle, as seen in the prewar Holland and Rigby Mausers, to Winchester. 

The Model 54 and 70 Super Grade (and in miniature, the 52 Sporting) stocks owe their long, tapering forearms, ebony-like forearm tips in lieu of schnabble beaks, and the graceful lines of their pistol grips and cheek rests, to Wright and Owen. 

Owen was one of the leading lights in the  early years of the “American classic” design movement and Alvin Linden, Alvin Biesen, Monty Kennedy, Lenard Brownell, Earl Milliron, et al. were his followers and essentially his students. 

It is unfortunate that their successors – David Miller and D’Arcy Echols, to name two of the very best still practicing the trade — have to charge so much for their work to make even a modest living that their rifles have become investments incapable of being hunted except by the wealthy, who very sensibly won’t take them out in the rain. 

Anyone who has seen any of the late Jack O’Connor’s sheep rifles built by various top-shelf makers, principally but not exclusively Al Biesen, knows they wear a lot of scars and have been refinished more than once because of weather. 

You pays your money and you takes your choice. My bad weather hunting is behind me so I’m not put to any choice except what my pocketbook dictates.

As always, I wish you and whatever weapon you choose to take afield the very best success– plus hoping you don’t hurt yourself in dangerous  terrain. 

However, if you ever send me a photograph of yourself holding that Flash Gordon ray gun next to a B&C Elk,  I would be tempted to fire up Photoshop and substitute my Shiloh Sharps saddle rifle into your hands. And publish it, but only to preserve and defend my friend’s reputation as a man of taste and fondness for the good things of this life. 

Zebulon said
I am going to revive this semi-compliant thread for just one more post, as a public announcement for the benefit those who, like me, were ignorant of some important (for Savage 99 collectors) facts:
1. Cody Firearms Museum has possession of the Savage manufacturing log archives and offers letter services for Savage 1895 and 1899 and 99 rifles. This service was formerly offered by amateur historians in cooperation with Savage. Wisely, the company has since either gifted or loaned these historical documents to Cody so its staff can continue the good work. As most know, there are record gaps but Cody can advise what serial ranges are not available. 
2. For Model 99 rifles produced during the years 1949 to 1970,  the lever boss was stamped with one or two numbers identifying an inspector, followed by a letter, all inside a circle. The letter is a code for the year of manufacture. 
I have the LEVER BOSS CODE index and will furnish it to any member who PMs me his or her email address. I don’t think I can attach a PDF to a forum message. I  got the index from Gemini and Googling “Savage Lever Boss Codes” would probably retrieve it, too. This code is as accurate a d.o.m. determinant as any I can think of, for the 1948 – 1970 date range.
  

Bill, I meant to post this prior and I’ll also make it my last post on this semi compliant thread😊. The S guns make up part of my first model collection.

Savage 1895-DOM(1896)

Savage 1899-DOM(1899)

Savage 250-3000(1915)

Winchester 1895(1896)

Winchester 1873(1875)

Rick – Nice group of rifles!

Nice to see a Savage M1895 – especially one with condition.

I notice the M1873 is a first model (I’ve been paying more attention to these in recent times).  Of course, as you suggest, all five are first models – in a way.

Rick,

That’s a very nice rack of rifles that you have assembled there. It is nice to compare a few vintage rifles of the time and take into account the historical value of such treasures.

I am privy to the flat side 95 and the first model 73!

Thanks for sharing! 

Tony

Concur with Steve. I had my eye on that one from the get-go. 

Very nice Rick.

Yes, at several diameters larger and the better placed lighting, you can appreciate the condition of the entire collection. 

The .250’s Walnut is just gorgeous and it must have a lacquer finish that hasn’t darkened like oil over the Decades.  I have a postwar (1947) EG .250 that is a pale shadow of that one. I just installed a new Marble’s Improved tang peep on it so I can shoot it. But the prewar quality of yours really stands out by comparison, 

Seeing your great group  gets my Saturday off to a cheerful start. 

Ian,  Now THAT is a beauty in everyone’s eyes!  Mechanically, it’s the same gun as my 1947 EG but the Pre WWI 99s stand out like a rose among the weeds. 

I have yet to load any .250-3000 rounds for this Savage and I’m struggling a bit to find a short enough 87 grain spitzer the stability calculators say its 1:14 barrel will comfortably stabilize. Everything these days is so long for caliber.  

All my experience with the the cartridge has been in a 1:10 Ruger short barreled 77RSI carbine. I was probably getting about 2650 fs at the muzzle with 100 grain Silvertip but, for whatever reason, it was a death ray on Whitetails — much more instantaneous DRT kills than I ever saw with faster .243 WCF factory stuff in 22″ barrels. I’ve often wondered if the moderate velocity didn’t improve bullet performance. All instances were at under 100 yards. 

mrcvs said

Rick C said

Zebulon said
I am going to revive this semi-compliant thread for just one more post, as a public announcement for the benefit those who, like me, were ignorant of some important (for Savage 99 collectors) facts:
1. Cody Firearms Museum has possession of the Savage manufacturing log archives and offers letter services for Savage 1895 and 1899 and 99 rifles. This service was formerly offered by amateur historians in cooperation with Savage. Wisely, the company has since either gifted or loaned these historical documents to Cody so its staff can continue the good work. As most know, there are record gaps but Cody can advise what serial ranges are not available. 
2. For Model 99 rifles produced during the years 1949 to 1970,  the lever boss was stamped with one or two numbers identifying an inspector, followed by a letter, all inside a circle. The letter is a code for the year of manufacture. 
I have the LEVER BOSS CODE index and will furnish it to any member who PMs me his or her email address. I don’t think I can attach a PDF to a forum message. I  got the index from Gemini and Googling “Savage Lever Boss Codes” would probably retrieve it, too. This code is as accurate a d.o.m. determinant as any I can think of, for the 1948 – 1970 date range.
  

Bill, I meant to post this prior and I’ll also make it my last post on this semi compliant thread😊. The S guns make up part of my first model collection.
Savage 1895-DOM(1896)
Savage 1899-DOM(1899)
Savage 250-3000(1915)
Winchester 1895(1896)
Winchester 1873(1875)
  

I also have a .250-3000 manufactured in 1915.  It came to me way too late in life simply because I realized much later than I should have that the parent case is .30-06 and not .303 Savage, as seems logical.  (And, the .303 Savage round is a fine round as well).
  

Got to love that perch belly stock!  Many gun manufacturers copied various features from fellow competitors but I’m not recalling the Savage perch belly stock being copied?