Those 99s are iconic. Such fine rifles , nothin like hikin the hills with a fine old steel an walnut rifle. Definitely tired of plastic and stamped steel. Thanks
I got done with a 99 last summer. I made it for my daughter in law. I know l would get skinned by the 99 purest but l shortened the stock a good bit. She is a little gal so l picked out a 250-3000 l probably bought it in the 80's. The part that will get me skinned is the purple stuff l had to add to it. She is a deer slaying machine with her purple 99.
What a pleasure it is to have you for my Big Brother! I know you certainly turned out Two Savage 99's for me that looks like museum pieces! However, I enjoy shooting and hunting with them! I've enjoyed your beautiful work on these Awesome Rifles for over 16 years now! I am So Proud of your Videos!
Well howdy Brother Doug! If you get as much enjoyment out of the two 99’s I did for you as much as I enjoyed doing them for My Little Brother, then you enjoy them a lot. Need I say I love you Brother. And thank you for getting me on the 99 road.
I love the .300 Savage caliber. Most every one that I have had was very accurate. Yet most of the .308’s took a lot of tinkering with loads to find a fairly accurate load. The .300 is by far more inherently accurate. I will take the .300 any day over the .308. The only reason the .308 shoots a little bit faster is because it is loaded to higher pressures. Load the .300 to the same pressure and there is no difference. But the deer can’t tell the difference anyway. Thanks for watching and commenting.
I found your post Dennis! I would love to get my hands on his 300 Savage, but since it was his dad’s, I know he won’t part with it. It needs some tlc, kind of like what you did to the stock and forearm of the one in your video. I like lever actions, I have an older Marlin 336 in 30-30 and the. I have a Marlin 336 in 35 Remington. Then I have a Rossi lever action in 357 mag and a Henry 22lr lever action. The Henry’s action is so smooth!
@@Beijingbiden good morning Montana. You are up early!!! Thank you for watching and for taking the time to comment. Your idea of a video sounds fitting. I will do that some day for sure. Dennis
Hey Dennis! I inherited a 1949 model 99 from my grandfather and knew nothing about it. I looked up the rifle and found your videos on them and I am now a subscriber of yours! I would love to see more and learn more about the refinement process you've perfected over the years, so I can attempt to bring my grandfather's rifle back to life. Maybe a video showing how to properly disassemble one? Or perhaps a video on how to properly clean, protect and preserve the metal and wood parts? Any of your tips, tricks and wisdom would be so greatly appreciated by many, including myself. Thank you so much for giving me a glimpse into this wonderful world of classic firearms. God bless.
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882 I loved your video and your story. TY. I discovered the 99s after passing by so many at pawn shops in Anchorage while in military. Then after getting my 300 savage 50’ era, I got the 243 made with stamped checkering and steel rotary counter, then a 308 which some replace w a custom stock, but not the ole savage walnut☹️. This one needs magazine timed, won’t eject last round and that last casing is a devil to get ejected. IMHO the 99 is a marvel of a firearm. Always dreamed of a 250-300 without any crack in stock… dreaming’ but nice on is so scarce. At least in gun shops here in Green Mountain State of VT.
@@michaeldickerson873 well good morning Vermont Mike! The timing or spring tension on the rotary magazine is critical. I had a fit with one of them once. I finally found good instructions on Google but I can’t remember what it was called. If I find them again I will holler back at you. I have a Radocy Savage 99 Takedowm Guide , and if you don’t have one you might want to pick one up. It has instructions for takin the magazine spring apart. It states that the proper adjustment is obtained by trial and error!! So good luck!!!! Thank you Sir for watching and for commenting. Dennis
I could watch this video over and over... Very calming and real, in a world full of so much garbage. Pulled out my family heirloom 99 (Manufactured in 51) and will give her some TLC with some of your ideas. Well done Dennis, and thank you for sharing !
I use paint and varnish remover along with steel wool to remove all of the old finish. I don’t use any stains. And I use the oil itself to fill the word pores. No fillers. It takes 60 to 90 coats of oil to achieve the results you see. Time and patience .
Thank You for a great video. Beautiful restoration. Could You please let us know if the oil used is pure Tung Oil, or the polymerized Tung Oil finish? Thank You. Kind regards, Denis
@@valterXIII I am using Old Masters100% pure Tung oil these days. I also used Formbys Tung Oil Finish for a higher gloss finish but it is no longer made. I have NOT used Min Wax Tung Oil Finish. Many seem to like it. The pure stuff is not as glossy as it soaks into the wood, but it gives a beautiful natural look to a gun.,
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882 Thank You so much for Your prompt reply. I appreciate it. I have been using pure tung oil for a while, never attaining results like You. It appears that I have been between 60-80 coats short! I will look forward to Your videos in the future. Kind regards, Denis
I grew up with Winchester lever guns and always had a passion for them, especially the earlier 1894s. 30wcf, 38-55, 32-40, ect... The first Savage 99 I ever saw I thought they were very strange if not down right ugly, but the more I thought about it and looked at them, understanding how they were made and how innovative they were I grew to admire them and even think they were a very elegant rifle, I purchased my first one in a trade about six or seven years ago and absolutely love it, 300 Savage made in 1950 according to the boss code, it's been very well taken care of and appears to have not been used much, that changed as soon as I got it (still taken care of) but shot and used for white tail hunting, I'm a dedicated reloader and the accuracy is amazing, I use a reproduction marbles tang peep (no scope/ not drilled and tapped for it) and I proudly show it along side of my 1917, 1894 Winchester 30wcf 26" barrel Cresent butt plate and tang peep original marbles. I enjoyed your thoughts on the 99 Savage and agree that rifles were meant to use and enjoy. Thanks for the video.
I was like you for a long time. I liked Winchesters and thought the 99 was down right ugly., It took Brother to open my eyes to just how great the 99 really is. Thank You Sir for watching and commenting . Dennis
Those are some beauty's sir I've had a 99f in 308 for many years. You sound like someone with the knowledge I need to get to look at a Kentucky rifle I have and get it working again
Wow, absolutely stunning result. You call it refining, I would add it is an artisan’s skilled touch, resulting in a transformative redemption of final piece of work! Beautiful work. You are one of a very few that possess the skill and artistic ability to do this type of thing,
I very much appreciate your flattering comments!!! I have always strived for perfection, but have never achieved it. There is always room for improvement. But if perfection is not your goal you will always wind up with mediocrity. I just don’t like mediocrity!!!
Great video and great looking 99’s!!! Big Al has his dad’s Savage 99 and it is one of the older ones that has the brass round indicator. It is chambered in 300 Savage. Thanks for sharing your love of these fine old rifles!! Juddie - J & J TOA
Just recently picked up a model 99 takedown made in 1924 chambered in 300 Savage. Been a long time coming. Whatever you have in ammo and reloading supplies- take good care of it as the ammo is not available anywhere I've searched. I'll have to reform some 308 brass down to the 300 to be able to shoot mine. You sure have some dandy-looking rifles and it's a nice change of pace to watch your videos!
@barrybaker9516 I have the same old ‘99 in 300. Found 5 different boxes of ammo at local gun shows here in Michigan. 2 of them are antique, and the other 3 are modern product (Hornady and Federal). Don’t give up, keep looking!
Outstanding work. My grandfather had a 300 Savage that my cousin and I deer hunted with some growing up. I don’t remember any of the specifics about it but it killed many deer in NW Louisiana. As always, great video.
Sounds like another would be family treasure fell by the wayside. How nice it would be for you to still have it. If only we could see the future. Thanks for commenting.
Great video! Thank you for showing the pictures of how you work on the gun. The end result is very impressive. As a collector, I'd probably go for a less glossy finish and a case colored lever to be more "original", but you're doing it how you like it so that's just personal preference. You kept the wood to metal perfect, and checkering looks like it just came out of the box! How you fixed up the 99G is still amazing to me. Well done!
I hear you, and thank you for your comments. As you well know I never produced any of my rifles with the idea of appealing to the collector market. My idea was to produce a rifle for the hunter. A good handling beautiful rifle. When it comes to the color case on the two rifles in the video , they vary a lot. Although it doesn’t really show it in the video the last rifle still has a full 90% color with no worn through areas except for the marks on the lever where the action was worked. But even there there. is only light scuffing. The older G model when I first got it still had pretty good color over most of the lever. It was light in some areas but still present. But that was many years ago. I have worn most of it off. The color is scattered along countless mountain ridges I reckon. The rifle in the pictures was done many years ago and I don’t know what , if anything, I might have done with the case color. I don’t even know who bought it or where it is. I made those pictures to show an individual basically what I did. As I said in the video I was only showing the absolute minimum that I did to these rifles. Many other things, including color case was done to them. As a collector I am certain that you know more about the 99 than I do. And I am sure that you know that Savage, along with other companies such as Winchester, would produce rifles to the customers specifications. Lord only knows how many one of a kind rifles left the factory. An almost unlimited number of limited edition rifles were made. And , like you, I have spent years researching these fine rifles. I have seen some very impressive collections over time. And years ago I stopped by the Cody Firearms Museum in Cody, Wyoming. At that time they had on display the single most extensive collection of truly spectacular 99’s I have ever seen. I took tons of pictures of these from every possible angle. I was mesmerized by what was in front of me. Many of those on display had a finish that was very close to the typical finish that I put on most of my rifles. Not quite but close. But those were old guns. Neither myself, nor anyone else really knows what they looked like when they left the factory. But they were not like the average 99 that can be picked up at the local pawn shop that’s for sure. The finish that I put on my rifles is a real, hand rubbed oil finish. With just a few coats the grain is still open and it looks just like the typical finish that was on many of the very older rifles that I have seen. Oil finishes not the sprayed on varnishes of later rifles. A vast difference for certain. I generally put on as many coats as it took to completely fill the grain and then enough additional coats as it took to bring the surface up to glassy smooth.Then I used various techniques to bring it up to the gloss that you will see in the photos. But being a true hand rubbed oil finish they will look better and better as they age. As the oil dries more and more over time it’s appearance changes. The surface gloss toned down and as the oil shrinks it draws down into the pores of the wood a little. That is when they really begin to look good. They take on a well aged look. And by bringing the stocks up to my typical glossy finish any imperfections in the wood or workmanship is revealed. Perfection was always my goal. A goal that was never reached. But some buyers didn’t want to wait for time to tone down the gloss. It is a very easy task to bring the gloss down to whatever level the customer might want. I did not mean to get so long winded but it is always a genuine pleasure to talk 99’s to anyone and especially someone who really knows these awesome rifles. Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments. They are much appreciated. Dennis
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882, I agree with you! Lots of variation on guns, and in fact on early 1899's they offered things like "extra finish" and "london oil finish" as special options. And we see special order guns later with more finish. I actually have a high grade rifle from 1912 whose finish looks very like yours, I believe it got the "extra finish" option. I'm about to letter that one. I've bought one or two others that were refinished and now I'm wondering if you might have done them - the workmanship is excellent and definitely was a craftsman that did it! I didn't see the case color on levers in your video, thought you'd blued it - so my apologies on that. Love case colored levers, blued lever always make me sad. I like your Cody comments - I stopped by there also 17 yrs ago or so and their display on Savages was awesome with a lot of rare guns. Sadly when I stopped by 2 yrs ago they'd redesigned the museum, and some of the Savage guns went into storage and the ones they have on display aren't out in the open - they are in a slide out display. Probably more efficient, but not as good imho.
@@savagelevers1094 I hate to hear that about the Cody Museum. What a shame. I will have to try and find my pictures !!!! Long live the 99. Great talking with you Sir.
I have always wanted a Model 99 when I was younger and when I was a lot older I came across a 99E in .300 Savage for 250 dollars and it was in real bad shape as it was -placed in a soft case wet and stored that way for almost a year. The wood was moldy and the gun itself had rust from one end to the other. Had my gunsmith lovingly restore it as it was also a favorite of hers also. While she was restoring the 99E I got my hands on a 99C in .308 Win. I also had that one restored also and then gave it to my Brother on Christmas 6 years ago and last year on January 4th when damn cancer took him from us. I will hold this gun until his Grandson reaches the proper age but the government wants to take all firearms here in Canada.
Unfortunately all Governments want to disarm it’s citizens. Power to the few. Our Constitution guarantees us the right to be armed , but eventually the Government will find a way around that little obstacle.Most likely that will come through this One World Order crap wherein all National Constitutional rule will be suspended. Thousands of years ago the Bible predicted that the entire world would be under one rule and now everywhere you look you see the demand that we unite as one world in order to save ourselves from climate change. Never before in history have people around the entire earth clamored for world unity. You cannot have world unity and still have National identity. That same Bible also said that the environment would be the religion of the day. Sound familiar? But in the meantime try to get that 99 that you want. Thanks for commenting.
I am very sorry about your brother, good thing you will due passing on that rifle to the grandson. Can you please share the gunsmith info who works on 99's. Cant find any one who can due any work that is worth a darn. Thanks
Dennis, on the one hand, I am so glad to have found your channel. On the other, I am so bummed to realize that you no longer work on other folk’s rifles. In my opinion, what you have accomplished with the enhancements to the Savage Model 99 is nothing short of artistry. And now that I have seen what is possible after watching a number of your video segments, I am determined to see if I can’t improve my own 99-G take-down in 300 Savage that like one of yours was also made in 1923. I’ve hit retirement age this year, so will finally have some time to work on it. Before I jump into the deep end of the pool and start taking my rifle apart, could I impose on you for a little coaching through the project? Of course, I am 100% open to whatever format would work best for you. If I could end up with a finished rifle half as nice as yours, then I’d feel the time was well spent. Thanks for taking the time to put out your videos.
Well David I too am glad you found my little channel. And although I don’t work on others guns anymore I still guide a few folks through the process of refining their own firearms. Those that live with in driving distance it is hands on help. For others I use text messaging. That way we can communicate as much as necessary and use photos or short videos to help see things more clearly. If that would work for you let me know and I will give you my phone number. That 99 G of yours probably won’t need too much work to bring it up to whatever degree of refinement you want. Thanks for watching and commenting. Dennis
Great video! A neighbor has a Savage 99 saddle gun in 243 Win. It has a little wear on it, wears a Leupold 4X33 and it’s a sweet little shooter with 100 grain Sierra Gamekings. But the 77” pronghorn buck he killed this past August has good reason to disagree!
I owned a Savage Model 99E in .308 Win. and wished I hadn't sold it! Little 4X Weaver on it made it a fine 300 meter rifle that'd shoot into 3" if I did MY job, so it was a great hunting rifle. Shot silhouette with it in lever class against a gal that went about 300 lbs and had a 99A 24" octagon barrel full Mannlicher stock she handled like a .22! She'd usually take me on a ram-think she had a Redfield 42mm scope. Always kinda wanted a .358 Win. Didn't NEED it. Also wanted the old man's up the street from me High Wall Winchester .33 WCF. Used to reload for him for deer season. When he passed, his family probably sold it for $50.
I guess you could say that I don’t really need any of my 99’s!! But what the heck, as they say, you only go around once, right? If you ever decide to get another one give the .300 Savage a try. Very accurate. More accurate than the .308 as a rule. The .308 is only slightly more powerful than the .300 and then only because it is loaded to higher pressures than the .300. If you are a hand loader you can get the same performance as the .308. But any game animal hit with either one will never know the difference, Thank you for watching and for comments.
I can see how one would consider it sacrilege to alter the stock and forend but it is an improvement for sure. Beautiful work. I want to bring all my guns to you to polish. Or at least show me how to do it and what not to mess with.
Just because a factory ,that has fallen on hard times ,starts turning out an inferior product, doesn’t make that product sacred. But Savage did the best they could to keep the doors open, but in the end had to cease production of the 99. Just too labor intensive. I hated to see the 99 go but I also hated to see the quality get progressively worse. I loved giving new life to a few of these old, graceful rifles.
It is highly unlikely that I will ever restore another rifle if any sort. And when I was making a living doing that I did not make any videos of the process. The sequence if photos in this video is about ball I can offer. Sorry. Thank you for watching and for commenting. Dennis
There just isn't a better lever gun than the Savage 99. Boy the memories l made with my .300 Savage. I have a lot of all kinds of rifles but for some reason when I take the Savage l come back with meat. It's kind of a family joke now. If my wife see me getting that gun out she says she will get the knives sharp.
missed out on the first couple I ever saw for sale (in 300sav and 308) before I knew much of em and when 5bens was a more usual ask before they nigh dbld the last cpl yrs... always liked a takedown so glad I got one for not so much even w/ stock problems and in 30-30
very inspiring... just got a 99 in 30-30 (from 1929 w/ takedown and counter) for hundred$$ less bcs of rough shape stock that was decorated to a degree that make it a kind of bubba'd but I believe it can end up a good share of the way toward what you achieve
A very fine rifle. Seldom seen very much on used shelves anymore. Not everyone wants to be the Tacticool Mall Ninja. I wear that "Fudd" label with pride.🙇🏽♂️
Amazing craftsmanship. I’d love to have my grandfathers old 99 refined. The many many years of him and my father carrying it through the woods took a toll. He’s no longer with us. But I’d love to do right by his old rifle. Oddly enough. We’re from Oregon near the coast as well. Do you have any recommendations?
Beautifully restored ‘99s Sir! Recently purchased my first, circa 1952, 300 Savage, plain Jane but in perfect condition. Last week, found a Marbles tang peep and installed it. Don’t know the first thing about adjusting the windage on this! Can you send a helpful comment or two? Thank you.
The knurled knob at the base of the sight is used to adjust the windage. As you turn it you can see which direction it is moving. Move the sight in the direction you want your shot group to go.
I have 3 one in 243,250-3000 carbine, 250-3000 take down. I don't buy guns to look at . My dad bought his 250 new for $50, killing many deer and some moose . Your rifles are great.
Gorgeous. I just refinished a '61 99 F with well above average wood. I share your taste in lines, they should be rounded and flowing, not too angular. I dont know why they made the F model so square just in front of the wrist, the area north of the trigger, the raised "pads" too, square and then drop right off to the point instead of nice and sweeping/rounded. Otherwise a very nice model of 99 prior to say 1964. I am not your level of skill, but i took a bit of the square out so it was more sloped and flowing like they ought to be and the results were really nice along with sanding, a bit of staining and a satin oil finish. One thing i like to do with my 99s is polish and cold-blue the bolt nice and dark and then shine it up, it''s a really nice look with these guns to my eye. Thanks for this, will bookmark! You are a true artisan.
Sounds like you have a good eye for what a gun should look like. I have a model F that is rather unusual and will probable do video on it one day . I do not hesitate to change the way the factory does any fire arm if I can make more to my liking. I thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. If you are not already a subscriber please think about hitting that Subscribe button. It helps to keep me motivated. Dennis
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882 id like to see the one on the F! Collectors never want to alter a gun, they say it reduces value, and i don't doubt on average it does. But if you actually make the gun more beautiful - much more in some cases - odds are someone who is not a collector will be willing to pay a very good price for it, it seems to me. So i'm with you, i don't hesitate to get to work on an original vintage gun. Many of the non-special issue models came with the most rudimentary finishes, even in the good days pre-1964. This F i just got, the finish on it in no way did the really nice walnut on it justice. The pores for one thing were wide-open, the wood basically smoothed just enough by the factory and that was it. Just the proper re-sanding, light staining and oil-finishing improved the appearance of the gun vastly.
Stuck away in a safe somewhere is waist as far as I am concerned. I have as much right to do with my guns as they do with theirs. Generally speaking a well restored, beautiful rifle will bring more than an original, much to the dismay of many collectors. Back when I restored these rifles for a living I was always being fussed at by collectors for selling my rifles for many times over what they could sell their prized collector models for. Never understand that logic. Other than the fact that there are more hunters than collectors. And what they want is a nice rifle and we’re willing to pay for it. Thank you for watching and commenting. Dennis
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882 Amen Dennis. The standard issue factory rifles were and are limited by the economic realities of the company. A rifle like you create of one of these simply takes over where they left off and brings the gun to its real potential. That's the way i see a lot of these original collector Savages. A canvas part-finished for a master such as yourself to really bring to life. I'd certainly pay more for the result than for an average EG that is no more than it was out of the box in 1954. Not that it wasn't a very nice rifle. I just wouldn't be willing to pay a lot more than what the value was then (adjusted for inflation) if that's what it was - a base model factory gun. Thank-you for your work and sharing your thoughts, yours are the first vids i have seen reflecting my own values with these extraordinarily unique and handsome rifles - and guns in general.
I have a Savage 99 in 300 Savage as well. Built in 1930 according to the serial number. Was my great-grandfather's and grandfather's deer rifle in Michigan. Hasn't been fired in at least 30 years. Not necessarily looking to sell it, but would really love to figure out what it's worth!
Many of the earlier models were absolutely wonderful, and graceful works of art. But most of the later ones were a bit on the clunky side. They were still great rifles as far as the metal was concerned. The woodwork left a bit to be desired. I took these clunkers and made handsome rifles out of them.
I just bought my first 99 for my 80th birthday present to me,it's a 1919 made ser #208XXX 22 hi power, stocks in poor shape and much of the bluing is gone. It looks like the mag spring is way to tight as I can only get 4 rounds in the mag. I took the fore-end off and sprayed electrical contact cleaner in the action and firing pin hole and the amount of crud that came out was incredible. I'm going to slacken off the magazine torsion spring and start the mag synchronisation from scratch. It's the take down model and I really scrubbed that bore and chamber with the same solvent, If I could get my head in the chamber I'd probably be able to see my face on it. Looking forward to shooting it this weekend. The furniture on my gun has no checkering, nor do I want any so when I come to strip the old finish off I'm either going to have to scrape it off or take it for a caustic bath, what would you do?
My first choice would be to scrape off the old finish if the over all condition of the wood is pretty good. But if there are several dents, and-or a lot of oil soaked into the wood, Inwould start with a paint and varnish remover and steel wool. It there is a lit of oil in the wood I would soak it in acetone. Enjoy your rifle.
Hey Dennis thanks for your response. Re the blurring I live in Australia and that's not available, I think I'm going to have to do a complete re-blue, this rifle needs a cosmetic re-do. The lever on mine sis a little bit when not cocked, is there a fix for this? Hope this gives you my email.
Hi Dennis, I think the finish on this gun is fantastic. I have two family heirlooms in 250-3000 takedown and 300 Savage. Unfortunately the takedown switch on the 250-3000 is missing the button. Is there any chance you have a button or a drawing of what the button would be to have one made. I would truely appreciate any help you could give. I can't find one anywhere and these guns mean a lot to me. Thank You Art
I suppose you are talking about the rotary magazine, right? I t is best to leave it alone unless it develops a problem. It has to be reinstalled perfectly or it will not work. I can’t for the life of me remember how you do that little chore. I will try and find my instructions and if I do I will post them. Probably you can find instructions on CZcams.
I thought they were ugly also used Marlin 30 starting out, then M100 win BLR .Till a good friend said I have rifle for you. A 99F in 358 the love affair started. I have four I hunt with 😊
I have a very rough ‘99 that has a very rough, ruined bore. Would like to find a ‘99 30-30 Win. Barrel with an excellent bore to replace it. Any ideas?
Dennis I just bought a 99 and was working on some brass for it. I sized and trimmed a case and seated a 150 grain bullet on it just so I could see it cycle and feed. It fed on and closed just fine but wont eject correct. I put an empty brass in and ejected it fine. Do you have any idea whats going on? Thanks Kenny
You did not say but I assume it is in .300 Savage caliber. If so your case over all length should not exceed 2.60 inches. And in should not be much shorter than that either. Another thing that causes many people trouble is they operate the lever entirely too slow. You should rack that lever hard and fast. Check your OAL and try racking that lever with some authority. If that doesn’t solve your problem you might want to see a smith. But most smiths these days have very little experience on anything but AR’s. Let me know if this helped. Dennis
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882 I took your advice, you cant be timid when cycling the rifle, it works fine now. Thank you very much for your help. BTW do you make 300 cases out of 308 brass? Kenny
Do you have an email or website where you remarket these restored 99s. If so, I'd be interested. Just stumbled upon your channel and have enjoyed every second of the content. Thanks!
If you are just looking for a hunting rifle, at least in my opinion, the 303 is not the way to go. Power is about like the 30-30 and ammo can be hard to find and expensive. My suggestion would be to go with the .300 Savage.
Dennis I have a 1941 pre war 99eg have a question on the Boss code. I know the later models especially in the 50’s had Boss codes with a number and a letter telling you what year they were manufactured. The 41 has only what appears to be a Q as the boss code. Can you give me any information on this.
Hi Dennis, I am a 35 year old guy who watches your videos. They have been almost therapeutic for me. Anyways can you tell me the best way to fix small cracks in the stock of a savage 99? I wish I could give my basket case over to you for the full treatment! Thanks
I use a slow setting epoxy. I work it into the crack with a needle. Keep working the glue into the crack by spreading and closing it. The glue will migrate fully into the crack by this action. Once the crack has the glue completely through it, bind it closed with something like rubber inner tube or vet wrap until the glue sets. It takes patience working the glue into the crack so use a slow setting epoxy. Hope this helps. I have fixed many many cracks this way.
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882 Good idea Dennis! I have heard about the ol needle in the crack trick. I tried some epoxy but I never tied it together with tubing after, I just filled the small crack some and let it harden. Now wondering if Ill need to re do it. I notice your cracks arent visible, mine seem to be. Much love from the norther state of Vermont.
Hey Dennis, when you refine a savage and remove the finish…do you stay off the checkering. Also once you take fine sand paper or triple 000 steel wool, do you find it necessary to stain or do you stay just above that layer. Best stains for these beautiful guns? What do you like for reloading dies… I have a 250-3000 coming and ammo is as scarce as a hens tooth.
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882 thank you so much for being kind enough to share your knowledge and techniques. My newly acquired 250-3000 is very nice but my eyes are aged and the buckhorn sights are not so much for me….Have you heard of the one piece scope mount for 99s made by a fellow that is on the 24 hour campfire channel. If he is still making the scope mount, I am interested as I just can’t let myself have a drill touch this nice 99. Fellow makes the scope mount he engineered that the front of mount secures to the 99’s back sight dovetail blank and then buttons down into the two factory tapped screw holes intended for the flip up rear sights as the rear point of attachment to rifle. The fellow has engineered a sturdy scope mount that keeps scope very low to the bore.
@@michaeldickerson873 I have not heard of such a Mount. It sounds like the old Stith mount that was available for years. I fully understand your situation, seeing as how I am 80 years old!! As a viable alternative I suggest you try tang sights. Great for aging eyes. And they are extremely accurate even though you might not think so. I prefer tang sights myself. Any 99 that will allow the use of tang sights are fitted with them. Only if I can’t use them will I resort to a scope. If the safety is where the tang sight should go then you can’t use them. Other wise I have a tang sight.
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882 Thank you Dennis. The 250 has the safety on the lever. And has a spot with two acres tapped with flush threaded plugs threaded where a tang sight would go. I just need to find a tang sight. Limited here in Vermont. Maybe brownell’s or Midway USA. Thanks so much for encouraging me in my interest with the Savage 99. You vids make it almost like being their in the quidley. 😊 Haveca Blessed week.
@@michaeldickerson873 a good tang sight is made by Marbles and is available from Brownells for sure. Another thing that can be very helpful to those of us with aging vision is to replace the front sight with a 3/32 inch white sight. It is a little bigger and the white makes it easier to see. I have even put fiber optic front beads on some rifles. Of course you want to hold on to the original sights. Another thing that I often do is to replace the factory rear sight with a fold down one. You will have to remove the rear sight in order to use a tang sight. You can leave the empty slot as is, replace it with a filler blank, or put a fold down sight in its place. I really like the fold down option. Factory 99’s were once available with Lyman tang sights and fold down rear sights. A great set up. I have that factory set up on my 1923 G model and I love it.
I have a model 1899 built in 1910. It has a excessive headspace issue. I would sure like to talk to someone about my options with this thing. Where are you located?
I live near Bristol, Va-Tenn. About half way between Roanoke, Va. and Knoxville, Tenn. I posted a couple of videos on reloading recently and they deal with how to take care of headspace problems. If you are a Reloader it is generally very easy to deal with. Dennis
@@Maus_122, not sure I've seen a rifle with an oak stock - heard that it's more susceptible to cracking/etc? Don't know. Some of the fancy walnut stocks are gorgeous, and I know of two really early Savage 1899's with factory birdseye maple stocks.
That would be great. I appreciate your consideration. I am OK mechanically but a novice at woodworking. So where do I start? @@dennispritchardoutdoors7882
Dennis - how would a 99 Savage appreciator/collector of fine quality firearms contact you? I have a set of unique 99 Savages in my safe for many years (1953 250 EG &1947 300 ). The 250 EG came from the Savage factory with drilled and tapped weaver mount and scope in early 1954 with boss code 20E. This beautiful rifle need some TLC. I am afraid of locals working on the rifle. Your guidance is appreciated.
Thank you for asking, but I no longer work on any guns. Unfortunately I do not know of anyone who takes the time to give these old firearms the care they need. Most so called gunsmiths seem to be afraid of fine rifles. If it’s not ugly and made of plastic they are lost. What a world we find ourselves in these days, Thanks for watching and commenting. Dennis
Dennis really like your CZcams chats. I'm restoring a Savage 22 Hi Power can you help me with this question. Do you think Savages were hot blued or rust blued, what have you don e with yours the blueing looks very good. Thanks in advance. An y chance of getting your email?
Hot blued to the best of my knowledge. I have found that by using Oxpho Blue Cream, from Brownells, I get good results. I apply as many coats as necessary. And I apply it with steel wool, rubbing vigorously. I give my email to any that request it. You give me your email by posting it as a comment. As soon as I answer it you can remove the comment. I have many CZcams friends that both text and email. Thank you for watching.
Boy, your work makes my blonde 99E look even worse than it does. Right side below the bolt has a dent, bluing is long ruined. I've taken 2 elk with it. I may have to get it out and at least 'be inspired' to work on that stock. Iirc, Boyds sells a replacement for not too bad a money. Sadly, daughters home burned and ruined her model A (tang safety) and grand daughters 300 (lever safety, iirc, 50s manufactured). I think she recovered them, no idea how bad they are.
A friend had a 99E that was the ugliest 99 on the planet!! No way to describe just how ugly it was. To call the stocks “blond” would be a compliment!! High yellow is a better description.
Sorry , I hit the wrong button!! I tried every way to stain it. It would not take stain at all. I finally took a torch to it. Judicious burning, sanding , and then staining worked wonders on it. It is actually rather nice looking now. If you will give me a number to text to I will see if I can find some pictures of it. Might give you some ideas.
Almost like they were trying to be stylish for the day (early 60s) to attract new shooters. Should've kept the 'stylists' out. It is ugly. Gel stain might work. Course it will be just a dark brown ugly. No worse than most of the rifles I see at Walmart ("hardwood"). Maybe just dye it. Likely some sort of maple, which really will not take stain well. High yellow is probably a better name for the color. Maybe it's one that gets to be painted?!
Those 99s are iconic. Such fine rifles , nothin like hikin the hills with a fine old steel an walnut rifle. Definitely tired of plastic and stamped steel. Thanks
You are spot on. And thank you for both watching and commenting.
Dennis
I got done with a 99 last summer. I made it for my daughter in law. I know l would get skinned by the 99 purest but l shortened the stock a good bit. She is a little gal so l picked out a 250-3000 l probably bought it in the 80's. The part that will get me skinned is the purple stuff l had to add to it. She is a deer slaying machine with her purple 99.
Well that sounds wonderful. Would love to see that rifle.
Beautifully done Master work!
Thank you Sir.
What a pleasure it is to have you for my Big Brother!
I know you certainly turned out Two Savage 99's for me that looks like museum pieces!
However, I enjoy shooting and hunting with them!
I've enjoyed your beautiful work on these Awesome Rifles for over 16 years now!
I am So Proud of your Videos!
Well howdy Brother Doug! If you get as much enjoyment out of the two 99’s I did for you as much as I enjoyed doing them for My Little Brother, then you enjoy them a lot. Need I say I love you Brother. And thank you for getting me on the 99 road.
I love the .300 Savage caliber. Most every one that I have had was very accurate. Yet most of the .308’s took a lot of tinkering with loads to find a fairly accurate load. The .300 is by far more inherently accurate. I will take the .300 any day over the .308.
The only reason the .308 shoots a little bit faster is because it is loaded to higher pressures. Load the .300 to the same pressure and there is no difference. But the deer can’t tell the difference anyway.
Thanks for watching and commenting.
This was my response to JJ trueoutdoors
I found your post Dennis! I would love to get my hands on his 300 Savage, but since it was his dad’s, I know he won’t part with it. It needs some tlc, kind of like what you did to the stock and forearm of the one in your video. I like lever actions, I have an older Marlin 336 in 30-30 and the. I have a Marlin 336 in 35 Remington. Then I have a Rossi lever action in 357 mag and a Henry 22lr lever action. The Henry’s action is so smooth!
I live in montana and love the Savage 99
Light fast accurate timeless
You should do a video on its inventor and the logo chief lamedeer
@@Beijingbiden good morning Montana. You are up early!!!
Thank you for watching and for taking the time to comment. Your idea of a video sounds fitting. I will do that some day for sure.
Dennis
Hey Dennis! I inherited a 1949 model 99 from my grandfather and knew nothing about it. I looked up the rifle and found your videos on them and I am now a subscriber of yours! I would love to see more and learn more about the refinement process you've perfected over the years, so I can attempt to bring my grandfather's rifle back to life. Maybe a video showing how to properly disassemble one? Or perhaps a video on how to properly clean, protect and preserve the metal and wood parts? Any of your tips, tricks and wisdom would be so greatly appreciated by many, including myself. Thank you so much for giving me a glimpse into this wonderful world of classic firearms. God bless.
gotta be super rewarding to take something rough and turning it into a beautiful piece like that.
YseSir it is. That is mainly why I do it.
Thank you for watching.
Thank the Lord for acetone to soak the oil out of the Savage beautiful walnut.. a Veterans pride and joy.
Good ole acetone is a big part of it for sure.!
Thanks for watching.
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882 I loved your video and your story. TY. I discovered the 99s after passing by so many at pawn shops in Anchorage while in military. Then after getting my 300 savage 50’ era, I got the 243 made with stamped checkering and steel rotary counter, then a 308 which some replace w a custom stock, but not the ole savage walnut☹️. This one needs magazine timed, won’t eject last round and that last casing is a devil to get ejected. IMHO the 99 is a marvel of a firearm. Always dreamed of a 250-300 without any crack in stock… dreaming’ but nice on is so scarce. At least in gun shops here in Green Mountain State of VT.
@@michaeldickerson873 well good morning Vermont Mike! The timing or spring tension on the rotary magazine is critical. I had a fit with one of them once. I finally found good instructions on Google but I can’t remember what it was called. If I find them again I will holler back at you. I have a Radocy Savage 99 Takedowm Guide , and if you don’t have one you might want to pick one up. It has instructions for takin the magazine spring apart. It states that the proper adjustment is obtained by trial and error!! So good luck!!!!
Thank you Sir for watching and for commenting.
Dennis
A Beautifully Crafted Video of a Wonderfully "Refined" model 1899! Thank You Sir,Just loved your Video
Well thank you for your thoughtful comments. And thanks for watching.
I could watch this video over and over... Very calming and real, in a world full of so much garbage. Pulled out my family heirloom 99 (Manufactured in 51) and will give her some TLC with some of your ideas. Well done Dennis, and thank you for sharing !
Well thank you for watching and commenting. Enjoy your 99.
Arthur Savage's Masterpiece! I have two,one made in 1953,the other in 1934. So much fun to shoot and load for. I use same metaphor for the balance.
I have to agree with you totally!!
You sure do have the love and appreciation for them 99s awesome work
Thank you Nevin.
Great workmanship. Thank you for sharing,
Thank you for watching, commenting and subscribing.
Dennis from what I've seen of your work, you can pride in all that you do. Beautiful work and congratulations for having the patience to do it right.
Thank you very much!
What a relaxing and enjoyable video to watch. One day i will have one of these fine rifles. Great work !
Thank you for watching and for your comments.
Dennis
You definitely made beautiful rifles out of them
Thanks
Beautiful work!
Thank you very much Sir.
Beautiful rifles! I have a similar Savage 99, .300 Savage, but with straight grip and the same peep sight. It is hands down my favorite hunting rifle.
The 99 and the .300’Savage in any configuration is a great rifle. Thank you for watching and commenting.
Dennis
I use paint and varnish remover along with steel wool to remove all of the old finish. I don’t use any stains. And I use the oil itself to fill the word pores. No fillers.
It takes 60 to 90 coats of oil to achieve the results you see. Time and patience .
What kind of oil do you use? Do you apply any kind of finish afterwards to further protect the wood?
@@AldenHoman I used Tung Oil. Nothing else is needed. Usually 60-90 coats, and sanded between coats.
Thank You for a great video. Beautiful restoration. Could You please let us know if the oil used is pure Tung Oil, or the polymerized Tung Oil finish? Thank You.
Kind regards,
Denis
@@valterXIII I am using Old Masters100% pure Tung oil these days. I also used Formbys Tung Oil Finish for a higher gloss finish but it is no longer made. I have NOT used Min Wax Tung Oil Finish. Many seem to like it. The pure stuff is not as glossy as it soaks into the wood, but it gives a beautiful natural look to a gun.,
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882 Thank You so much for Your prompt reply. I appreciate it. I have been using pure tung oil for a while, never attaining results like You. It appears that I have been between 60-80 coats short!
I will look forward to Your videos in the future.
Kind regards,
Denis
Like what you do. Beautiful rifle. Own one in 250savage built in 1922.
Thank you Sir and you own a good one.
I grew up with Winchester lever guns and always had a passion for them, especially the earlier 1894s.
30wcf, 38-55, 32-40, ect...
The first Savage 99 I ever saw I thought they were very strange if not down right ugly, but the more I thought about it and looked at them, understanding how they were made and how innovative they were I grew to admire them and even think they were a very elegant rifle, I purchased my first one in a trade about six or seven years ago and absolutely love it, 300 Savage made in 1950 according to the boss code, it's been very well taken care of and appears to have not been used much, that changed as soon as I got it (still taken care of) but shot and used for white tail hunting, I'm a dedicated reloader and the accuracy is amazing, I use a reproduction marbles tang peep (no scope/ not drilled and tapped for it) and I proudly show it along side of my 1917, 1894 Winchester 30wcf 26" barrel Cresent butt plate and tang peep original marbles.
I enjoyed your thoughts on the 99 Savage and agree that rifles were meant to use and enjoy.
Thanks for the video.
I was like you for a long time. I liked Winchesters and thought the 99 was down right ugly., It took Brother to open my eyes to just how great the 99 really is.
Thank
You Sir for watching and commenting .
Dennis
Those are some beauty's sir I've had a 99f in 308 for many years. You sound like someone with the knowledge I need to get to look at a Kentucky rifle I have and get it working again
Hang on to that 99.
Wow, absolutely stunning result. You call it refining, I would add it is an artisan’s skilled touch, resulting in a transformative redemption of final piece of work! Beautiful work. You are one of a very few that possess the skill and artistic ability to do this type of thing,
I very much appreciate your flattering comments!!!
I have always strived for perfection, but have never achieved it. There is always room for improvement. But if perfection is not your goal you will always wind up with mediocrity. I just don’t like mediocrity!!!
Great video and great looking 99’s!!! Big Al has his dad’s Savage 99 and it is one of the older ones that has the brass round indicator. It is chambered in 300 Savage. Thanks for sharing your love of these fine old rifles!! Juddie - J & J TOA
I responded to you but the response was posted somewhere else.
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882 found your reply. Posted a reply to it.
Just recently picked up a model 99 takedown made in 1924 chambered in 300 Savage. Been a long time coming. Whatever you have in ammo and reloading supplies- take good care of it as the ammo is not available anywhere I've searched. I'll have to reform some 308 brass down to the 300 to be able to shoot mine.
You sure have some dandy-looking rifles and it's a nice change of pace to watch your videos!
I've been working on resizing 308 brass today for my 99 in 300 savage., labor intensive for sure
@barrybaker9516
I have the same old ‘99 in 300. Found 5 different boxes of ammo at local gun shows here in Michigan. 2 of them are antique, and the other 3 are modern product (Hornady and Federal). Don’t give up, keep looking!
REFINED AND MIGHTY FINE. THANK ESPECIALLY FOR THE PROCESS GOD BLESS KEN IN MT
Thank you Montana Ken.
Beautiful work sir
I no sure do thank you for watching and commenting.
amazing work
Thank you for watching and commenting.
That's craftsmanship.
Thank you Sir
Outstanding work. My grandfather had a 300 Savage that my cousin and I deer hunted with some growing up. I don’t remember any of the specifics about it but it killed many deer in NW Louisiana. As always, great video.
Sounds like another would be family treasure fell by the wayside. How nice it would be for you to still have it. If only we could see the future.
Thanks for commenting.
Great video! Thank you for showing the pictures of how you work on the gun. The end result is very impressive. As a collector, I'd probably go for a less glossy finish and a case colored lever to be more "original", but you're doing it how you like it so that's just personal preference. You kept the wood to metal perfect, and checkering looks like it just came out of the box! How you fixed up the 99G is still amazing to me. Well done!
I hear you, and thank you for your comments. As you well know I never produced any of my rifles with the idea of appealing to the collector market. My idea was to produce a rifle for the hunter. A good handling beautiful rifle.
When it comes to the color case on the two rifles in the video , they vary a lot. Although it doesn’t really show it in the video the last rifle still has a full 90% color with no worn through areas except for the marks on the lever where the action was worked. But even there there. is only light scuffing.
The older G model when I first got it still had pretty good color over most of the lever. It was light in some areas but still present. But that was many years ago. I have worn most of it off. The color is scattered along countless mountain ridges I reckon.
The rifle in the pictures was done many years ago and I don’t know what , if anything, I might have done with the case color. I don’t even know who bought it or where it is. I made those pictures to show an individual basically what I did. As I said in the video I was only showing the absolute minimum that I did to these rifles. Many other things, including color case was done to them.
As a collector I am certain that you know more about the 99 than I do. And I am sure that you know that Savage, along with other companies such as Winchester, would produce rifles to the customers specifications. Lord only knows how many one of a kind rifles left the factory. An almost unlimited number of limited edition rifles were made.
And , like you, I have spent years researching these fine rifles. I have seen some very impressive collections over time. And years ago I stopped by the Cody Firearms Museum in Cody, Wyoming. At that time they had on display the single most extensive collection of truly spectacular 99’s I have ever seen. I took tons of pictures of these from every possible angle. I was mesmerized by what was in front of me. Many of those on display had a finish that was very close to the typical finish that I put on most of my rifles. Not quite but close. But those were old guns. Neither myself, nor anyone else really knows what they looked like when they left the factory. But they were not like the average 99 that can be picked up at the local pawn shop that’s for sure.
The finish that I put on my rifles is a real, hand rubbed oil finish. With just a few coats the grain is still open and it looks just like the typical finish that was on many of the very older rifles that I have seen. Oil finishes not the sprayed on varnishes of later rifles. A vast difference for certain.
I generally put on as many coats as it took to completely fill the grain and then enough additional coats as it took to bring the surface up to glassy smooth.Then I used various techniques to bring it up to the gloss that you will see in the photos. But being a true hand rubbed oil finish they will look better and better as they age. As the oil dries more and more over time it’s appearance changes. The surface gloss toned down and as the oil shrinks it draws down into the pores of the wood a little. That is when they really begin to look good. They take on a well aged look.
And by bringing the stocks up to my typical glossy finish any imperfections in the wood or workmanship is revealed. Perfection was always my goal. A goal that was never reached.
But some buyers didn’t want to wait for time to tone down the gloss. It is a very easy task to bring the gloss down to whatever level the customer might want.
I did not mean to get so long winded but it is always a genuine pleasure to talk 99’s to anyone and especially someone who really knows these awesome rifles. Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments. They are much appreciated.
Dennis
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882, I agree with you! Lots of variation on guns, and in fact on early 1899's they offered things like "extra finish" and "london oil finish" as special options. And we see special order guns later with more finish. I actually have a high grade rifle from 1912 whose finish looks very like yours, I believe it got the "extra finish" option. I'm about to letter that one. I've bought one or two others that were refinished and now I'm wondering if you might have done them - the workmanship is excellent and definitely was a craftsman that did it!
I didn't see the case color on levers in your video, thought you'd blued it - so my apologies on that. Love case colored levers, blued lever always make me sad.
I like your Cody comments - I stopped by there also 17 yrs ago or so and their display on Savages was awesome with a lot of rare guns. Sadly when I stopped by 2 yrs ago they'd redesigned the museum, and some of the Savage guns went into storage and the ones they have on display aren't out in the open - they are in a slide out display. Probably more efficient, but not as good imho.
@@savagelevers1094 I hate to hear that about the Cody Museum. What a shame. I will have to try and find my pictures !!!!
Long live the 99.
Great talking with you Sir.
Thanks for the video
Thank you for watching
I have always wanted a Model 99 when I was younger and when I was a lot older I came across a 99E in .300 Savage for 250 dollars and it was in real bad shape as it was -placed in a soft case wet and stored that way for almost a year. The wood was moldy and the gun itself had rust from one end to the other. Had my gunsmith lovingly restore it as it was also a favorite of hers also. While she was restoring the 99E I got my hands on a 99C in .308 Win. I also had that one restored also and then gave it to my Brother on Christmas 6 years ago and last year on January 4th when damn cancer took him from us. I will hold this gun until his Grandson reaches the proper age but the government wants to take all firearms here in Canada.
Unfortunately all Governments want to disarm it’s citizens. Power to the few. Our Constitution guarantees us the right to be armed , but eventually the Government will find a way around that little obstacle.Most likely that will come through this One World Order crap wherein all National Constitutional rule will be suspended. Thousands of years ago the Bible predicted that the entire world would be under one rule and now everywhere you look you see the demand that we unite as one world in order to save ourselves from climate change. Never before in history have people around the entire earth clamored for world unity. You cannot have world unity and still have National identity. That same Bible also said that the environment would be the religion of the day. Sound familiar?
But in the meantime try to get that 99 that you want. Thanks for commenting.
I am very sorry about your brother, good thing you will due passing on that rifle to the grandson.
Can you please share the gunsmith info who works on 99's. Cant find any one who can due any work that is worth a darn. Thanks
That stock is perfect and trim.
Thank you Sir.
Dennis, on the one hand, I am
so glad to have found your channel. On the other, I am so bummed to realize that you no longer work on other folk’s rifles. In my opinion, what you have accomplished with the enhancements to the Savage Model 99 is nothing short of artistry. And now that I have seen what is possible after watching a number of your video segments, I am determined to see if I can’t improve my own 99-G take-down in 300 Savage that like one of yours was also made in 1923. I’ve hit retirement age this year, so will finally have some time to work on it. Before I jump into the deep end of the pool and start taking my rifle apart, could I impose on you for a little coaching through the project? Of course, I am
100% open to whatever format would work best for you. If I could end up with a finished rifle half as nice as yours, then I’d feel the time was well spent. Thanks for taking the time to put out your videos.
Well David I too am glad you found my little channel. And although I don’t work on others guns anymore I still guide a few folks through the process of refining their own firearms.
Those that live with in driving distance it is hands on help. For others I use text messaging. That way we can communicate as much as necessary and use photos or short videos to help see things more clearly. If that would work for you let me know and I will give you my phone number.
That 99 G of yours probably won’t need too much work to bring it up to whatever degree of refinement you want.
Thanks for watching and commenting.
Dennis
Very cool I might have to pick one of those up. I got a 8mm Mauser some dude chopped the stock on. I have been wanting to to get a new stock for it.
Try to pick one up as soon as possible. Good ones are getting harder band harder to find. And more expensive as the days pass.
Have a great year.
Great video! A neighbor has a Savage 99 saddle gun in 243 Win. It has a little wear on it, wears a Leupold 4X33 and it’s a sweet little shooter with 100 grain Sierra Gamekings. But the 77” pronghorn buck he killed this past August has good reason to disagree!
I owned a Savage Model 99E in .308 Win. and wished I hadn't sold it! Little 4X Weaver on it made it a fine 300 meter rifle that'd shoot into 3" if I did MY job, so it was a great hunting rifle. Shot silhouette with it in lever class against a gal that went about 300 lbs and had a 99A 24" octagon barrel full Mannlicher stock she handled like a .22! She'd usually take me on a ram-think she had a Redfield 42mm scope. Always kinda wanted a .358 Win. Didn't NEED it. Also wanted the old man's up the street from me High Wall Winchester .33 WCF. Used to reload for him for deer season. When he passed, his family probably sold it for $50.
I guess you could say that I don’t really need any of my 99’s!! But what the heck, as they say, you only go around once, right?
If you ever decide to get another one give the .300 Savage a try. Very accurate. More accurate than the .308 as a rule. The .308 is only slightly more powerful than the .300 and then only because it is loaded to higher pressures than the .300. If you are a hand loader you can get the same performance as the .308. But any game animal hit with either one will never know the difference,
Thank you for watching and for comments.
I can see how one would consider it sacrilege to alter the stock and forend but it is an improvement for sure. Beautiful work. I want to bring all my guns to you to polish. Or at least show me how to do it and what not to mess with.
Just because a factory ,that has fallen on hard times ,starts turning out an inferior product, doesn’t make that product sacred. But Savage did the best they could to keep the doors open, but in the end had to cease production of the 99. Just too labor intensive. I hated to see the 99 go but I also hated to see the quality get progressively worse. I loved giving new life to a few of these old, graceful rifles.
well done
Great work and video Dennis. Very informative. Thank you. What oil do you use on the stocks?
Recently picked up a 1961 Savage 99 in 300. It’s in good shape but would love to see a video of you doing some restoration.
It is highly unlikely that I will ever restore another rifle if any sort. And when I was making a living doing that I did not make any videos of the process. The sequence if photos in this video is about ball I can offer.
Sorry.
Thank you for watching and for commenting.
Dennis
There just isn't a better lever gun than the Savage 99. Boy the memories l made with my .300 Savage. I have a lot of all kinds of rifles but for some reason when I take the Savage l come back with meat. It's kind of a family joke now. If my wife see me getting that gun out she says she will get the knives sharp.
Thank you for your thoughtful comments.
missed out on the first couple
I ever saw for sale (in 300sav and 308)
before I knew much of em and when 5bens
was a more usual ask before they nigh dbld
the last cpl yrs... always liked a takedown
so glad I got one for not so much
even w/ stock problems
and in 30-30
Sounds like you got a good one though. Enjoy it.
very inspiring... just got a 99 in 30-30
(from 1929 w/ takedown and counter)
for hundred$$ less bcs of rough shape
stock that was decorated to a degree
that make it a kind of bubba'd but
I believe it can end up a good
share of the way toward
what you achieve
How is your rifle coming along?
A very fine rifle. Seldom seen very much on used shelves anymore. Not everyone wants to be the Tacticool Mall Ninja. I wear that "Fudd" label with pride.🙇🏽♂️
Amen brother. Very well said. Very well indeed.
Amazing craftsmanship. I’d love to have my grandfathers old 99 refined. The many many years of him and my father carrying it through the woods took a toll. He’s no longer with us. But I’d love to do right by his old rifle. Oddly enough. We’re from Oregon near the coast as well. Do you have any recommendations?
i have 2 250 3000 and 300 savage it is a good gun get's job done good dear and pig guns. the guns i came across were the older models.
Hang on to those fine old guns and never stop using them.
Beautifully restored ‘99s Sir! Recently purchased my first, circa 1952, 300 Savage, plain Jane but in perfect condition. Last week, found a Marbles tang peep and installed it. Don’t know the first thing about adjusting the windage on this! Can you send a helpful comment or two? Thank you.
The knurled knob at the base of the sight is used to adjust the windage. As you turn it you can see which direction it is moving. Move the sight in the direction you want your shot group to go.
I have 3 one in 243,250-3000 carbine, 250-3000 take down. I don't buy guns to look at . My dad bought his 250 new for $50, killing many deer and some moose . Your rifles are great.
Sounds like you have 3 very desirable rifles, very desirable indeed.
Gorgeous. I just refinished a '61 99 F with well above average wood. I share your taste in lines, they should be rounded and flowing, not too angular. I dont know why they made the F model so square just in front of the wrist, the area north of the trigger, the raised "pads" too, square and then drop right off to the point instead of nice and sweeping/rounded. Otherwise a very nice model of 99 prior to say 1964. I am not your level of skill, but i took a bit of the square out so it was more sloped and flowing like they ought to be and the results were really nice along with sanding, a bit of staining and a satin oil finish. One thing i like to do with my 99s is polish and cold-blue the bolt nice and dark and then shine it up, it''s a really nice look with these guns to my eye. Thanks for this, will bookmark! You are a true artisan.
Sounds like you have a good eye for what a gun should look like. I have a model F that is rather unusual and will probable do video on it one day . I do not hesitate to change the way the factory does any fire arm if I can make more to my liking.
I thank you for watching and taking the time to comment. If you are not already a subscriber please think about hitting that Subscribe button. It helps to keep me motivated.
Dennis
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882 id like to see the one on the F! Collectors never want to alter a gun, they say it reduces value, and i don't doubt on average it does. But if you actually make the gun more beautiful - much more in some cases - odds are someone who is not a collector will be willing to pay a very good price for it, it seems to me. So i'm with you, i don't hesitate to get to work on an original vintage gun. Many of the non-special issue models came with the most rudimentary finishes, even in the good days pre-1964. This F i just got, the finish on it in no way did the really nice walnut on it justice. The pores for one thing were wide-open, the wood basically smoothed just enough by the factory and that was it. Just the proper re-sanding, light staining and oil-finishing improved the appearance of the gun vastly.
@@squirrel-eatingjon2514 I am way passed what a collector thinks of my actions. As I see it guns were made to be used. Stuck away in a safe son
Stuck away in a safe somewhere is waist as far as I am concerned. I have as much right to do with my guns as they do with theirs. Generally speaking a well restored, beautiful rifle will bring more than an original, much to
the dismay of many collectors. Back when I restored these rifles for a living I was always being fussed at by collectors for selling my rifles for many times over what they could sell their prized collector models for. Never understand that logic. Other than the fact that there are more hunters than collectors. And what they want is a nice rifle and we’re willing to pay for it.
Thank you for watching and commenting.
Dennis
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882 Amen Dennis. The standard issue factory rifles were and are limited by the economic realities of the company. A rifle like you create of one of these simply takes over where they left off and brings the gun to its real potential. That's the way i see a lot of these original collector Savages. A canvas part-finished for a master such as yourself to really bring to life. I'd certainly pay more for the result than for an average EG that is no more than it was out of the box in 1954. Not that it wasn't a very nice rifle. I just wouldn't be willing to pay a lot more than what the value was then (adjusted for inflation) if that's what it was - a base model factory gun. Thank-you for your work and sharing your thoughts, yours are the first vids i have seen reflecting my own values with these extraordinarily unique and handsome rifles - and guns in general.
Beautiful , wish you had ahold of my old 99 300savage
There was a time!!
Thank you for watching.
I have a Savage 99 in 300 Savage as well. Built in 1930 according to the serial number. Was my great-grandfather's and grandfather's deer rifle in Michigan. Hasn't been fired in at least 30 years. Not necessarily looking to sell it, but would really love to figure out what it's worth!
Take it out and shoot it. I think you will find it is priceless. A family heirloom.
Dennis
Recommend
I always thought they looked clunky as you described and it kept me from owning one. But I’d own one of yours
Many of the earlier models were absolutely wonderful, and graceful works of art. But most of the later ones were a bit on the clunky side. They were still great rifles as far as the metal was concerned. The woodwork left a bit to be desired. I took these clunkers and made handsome rifles out of them.
I just bought my first 99 for my 80th birthday present to me,it's a 1919 made ser #208XXX 22 hi power, stocks in poor shape and much of the bluing is gone. It looks like the mag spring is way to tight as I can only get 4 rounds in the mag. I took the fore-end off and sprayed electrical contact cleaner in the action and firing pin hole and the amount of crud that came out was incredible. I'm going to slacken off the magazine torsion spring and start the mag synchronisation from scratch.
It's the take down model and I really scrubbed that bore and chamber with the same solvent, If I could get my head in the chamber I'd probably be able to see my face on it.
Looking forward to shooting it this weekend.
The furniture on my gun has no checkering, nor do I want any so when I come to strip the old finish off I'm either going to have to scrape it off or take it for a caustic bath, what would you do?
My first choice would be to scrape off the old finish if the over all condition of the wood is pretty good. But if there are several dents, and-or a lot of oil soaked into the wood, Inwould start with a paint and varnish remover and steel wool. It there is a lit of oil in the wood I would soak it in acetone.
Enjoy your rifle.
Hey Dennis thanks for your response. Re the blurring I live in Australia and that's not available, I think I'm going to have to do a complete re-blue, this rifle needs a cosmetic re-do. The lever on mine sis a little bit when not cocked, is there a fix for this? Hope this gives you my email.
Hi Dennis, I think the finish on this gun is fantastic. I have two family heirlooms in 250-3000 takedown and 300 Savage. Unfortunately the takedown switch on the 250-3000 is missing the button. Is there any chance you have a button or a drawing of what the button would be to have one made. I would truely appreciate any help you could give. I can't find one anywhere and these guns mean a lot to me. Thank You Art
How much or how many turns should I turn the magazine before I put the pin in
I suppose you are talking about the rotary magazine, right?
I t is best to leave it alone unless it develops a problem. It has to be reinstalled perfectly or it will not work. I can’t for the life of me remember how you do that little chore. I will try and find my instructions and if I do I will post them. Probably you can find instructions on CZcams.
I thought they were ugly also used Marlin 30 starting out, then M100 win BLR .Till a good friend said I have rifle for you. A 99F in 358 the love affair started. I have four I hunt with 😊
I just now saw your comments. Sorry. But thanks for watching and commenting.
Dennis
I have a very rough ‘99 that has a very rough, ruined bore. Would like to find a ‘99 30-30 Win. Barrel with an excellent bore to replace it. Any ideas?
Not really. The only thing that I can think of is a good gunsmith. And not many of them know much about the 99.
Are you still working with the 99s ....love to own one as Beatiful as the one you've shown
No Sir. Haven’t done that in years. But thank you for asking.
Dennis I just bought a 99 and was working on some brass for it. I sized and trimmed a case and seated a 150 grain bullet on it just so I could see it cycle and feed. It fed on and closed just fine but wont eject correct. I put an empty brass in and ejected it fine. Do you have any idea whats going on?
Thanks
Kenny
You did not say but I assume it is in .300 Savage caliber. If so your case over all length should not exceed 2.60 inches. And in should not be much shorter than that either. Another thing that causes many people trouble is they operate the lever entirely too slow. You should rack that lever hard and fast.
Check your OAL and try racking that lever with some authority. If that doesn’t solve your problem you might want to see a smith. But most smiths these days have very little experience on anything but AR’s.
Let me know if this helped.
Dennis
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882 I took your advice, you cant be timid when cycling the rifle, it works fine now. Thank you very much for your help. BTW do you make 300 cases out of 308 brass?
Kenny
@@cutbaitkenny no I don’t. I have a good supply of .300 Sav brass. But it can be formed from other 7x57 based brass.
Do you have an email or website where you remarket these restored 99s. If so, I'd be interested. Just stumbled upon your channel and have enjoyed every second of the content. Thanks!
Just saw your comment. Sorry butI no longer restore these fine rifles.
Are the 303 99s worth the money are trouble to find ammo? These guns are starting to show up in my area.
If you are just looking for a hunting rifle, at least in my opinion, the 303 is not the way to go. Power is about like the 30-30 and ammo can be hard to find and expensive. My suggestion would be to go with the .300 Savage.
Did you make that bench rest?
Yes I did. I hav had several remarks about it. I will post a video in the future about how I made it.
Dennis I have a 1941 pre war 99eg have a question on the Boss code. I know the later models especially in the 50’s had Boss codes with a number and a letter telling you what year they were manufactured. The 41 has only what appears to be a Q as the boss code. Can you give me any information on this.
If you join the Facebook Savage 99 group I am sure someone can help you. Some knowledgeable folks on there.
Hi Dennis, I am a 35 year old guy who watches your videos. They have been almost therapeutic for me. Anyways can you tell me the best way to fix small cracks in the stock of a savage 99? I wish I could give my basket case over to you for the full treatment! Thanks
I use a slow setting epoxy. I work it into the crack with a needle. Keep working the glue into the crack by spreading and closing it. The glue will migrate fully into the crack by this action. Once the crack has the glue completely through it, bind it closed with something like rubber inner tube or vet wrap until the glue sets. It takes patience working the glue into the crack so use a slow setting epoxy.
Hope this helps. I have fixed many many cracks this way.
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882 Good idea Dennis! I have heard about the ol needle in the crack trick. I tried some epoxy but I never tied it together with tubing after, I just filled the small crack some and let it harden. Now wondering if Ill need to re do it. I notice your cracks arent visible, mine seem to be. Much love from the norther state of Vermont.
Hey Dennis, when you refine a savage and remove the finish…do you stay off the checkering. Also once you take fine sand paper or triple 000 steel wool, do you find it necessary to stain or do you stay just above that layer. Best stains for these beautiful guns? What do you like for reloading dies… I have a 250-3000 coming and ammo is as scarce as a hens tooth.
I replied to this comment but CZcams posted it under comments and not as a reply. You will know it when you see it.
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882 thank you so much for being kind enough to share your knowledge and techniques. My newly acquired 250-3000 is very nice but my eyes are aged and the buckhorn sights are not so much for me….Have you heard of the one piece scope mount for 99s made by a fellow that is on the 24 hour campfire channel. If he is still making the scope mount, I am interested as I just can’t let myself have a drill touch this nice 99. Fellow makes the scope mount he engineered that the front of mount secures to the 99’s back sight dovetail blank and then buttons down into the two factory tapped screw holes intended for the flip up rear sights as the rear point of attachment to rifle. The fellow has engineered a sturdy scope mount that keeps scope very low to the bore.
@@michaeldickerson873 I have not heard of such a Mount. It sounds like the old Stith mount that was available for years. I fully understand your situation, seeing as how I am 80 years old!!
As a viable alternative I suggest you try tang sights. Great for aging eyes. And they are extremely accurate even though you might not think so. I prefer tang sights myself. Any 99 that will allow the use of tang sights are fitted with them. Only if I can’t use them will I resort to a scope. If the safety is where the tang sight should go then you can’t use them. Other wise I have a tang sight.
@@dennispritchardoutdoors7882 Thank you Dennis. The 250 has the safety on the lever. And has a spot with two acres tapped with flush threaded plugs threaded where a tang sight would go. I just need to find a tang sight. Limited here in Vermont. Maybe brownell’s or Midway USA. Thanks so much for encouraging me in my interest with the Savage 99. You vids make it almost like being their in the quidley. 😊 Haveca Blessed week.
@@michaeldickerson873 a good tang sight is made by Marbles and is available from Brownells for sure. Another thing that can be very helpful to those of us with aging vision is to replace the front sight with a 3/32 inch white sight. It is a little bigger and the white makes it easier to see. I have even put fiber optic front beads on some rifles. Of course you want to hold on to the original sights. Another thing that I often do is to replace the factory rear sight with a fold down one. You will have to remove the rear sight in order to use a tang sight. You can leave the empty slot as is, replace it with a filler blank, or put a fold down sight in its place. I really like the fold down option. Factory 99’s were once available with Lyman tang sights and fold down rear sights. A great set up. I have that factory set up on my 1923 G model and I love it.
I have a model 1899 built in 1910. It has a excessive headspace issue. I would sure like to talk to someone about my options with this thing. Where are you located?
I live near Bristol, Va-Tenn. About half way between Roanoke, Va. and Knoxville, Tenn.
I posted a couple of videos on reloading recently and they deal with how to take care of headspace problems. If you are a Reloader it is generally very easy to deal with.
Dennis
Thanks Dennis!!
Do still restore them I just picked one that needs some tlc????
What wood was the stock made of
Walnut?
Yep, almost all Savage 99's except for some variations of the 99H carbine and the late 99E had walnut stocks.
@@savagelevers1094 it WOOD Have been lovely if they had used something like dark oak
@@Maus_122, not sure I've seen a rifle with an oak stock - heard that it's more susceptible to cracking/etc? Don't know. Some of the fancy walnut stocks are gorgeous, and I know of two really early Savage 1899's with factory birdseye maple stocks.
@@savagelevers1094 aww that's beautiful. Birds eye maple with the right finish can be a beauty
Do you take in new projects if so I have a 1899 iam looking to get done
Thank you for asking, but no, I no longer take on projects myself. But I do walk people through the process via text and emails.
some shape
Not sure how to interpret your comment.
I have my Grand Dad's .300 Savage 99. Serial # indicates it was manufactured in 1942. How would you like to work on it?
I am sorry but I no longer do any of that due to a variety of reasons. But I would be glad to help you with the process.
That would be great. I appreciate your consideration.
I am OK mechanically but a novice at woodworking. So where do I start? @@dennispritchardoutdoors7882
Dennis - how would a 99 Savage appreciator/collector of fine quality firearms contact you? I have a set of unique 99 Savages in my safe for many years (1953 250 EG &1947 300 ). The 250 EG came from the Savage factory with drilled and tapped weaver mount and scope in early 1954 with boss code 20E. This beautiful rifle need some TLC. I am afraid of locals working on the rifle. Your guidance is appreciated.
This is my email address
Lazyd@bvu.net
Send me an email and I will remove this post
Do you still work on guns or do you reccomend someone as passionate and good as you ?
Thank you for asking, but I no longer work on any guns. Unfortunately I do not know of anyone who takes the time to give these old firearms the care they need. Most so called gunsmiths seem to be afraid of fine rifles. If it’s not ugly and made of plastic they are lost.
What a world we find ourselves in these days,
Thanks for watching and commenting.
Dennis
Dennis really like your CZcams chats. I'm restoring a Savage 22 Hi Power can you help me with this question. Do you think Savages were hot blued or rust blued, what have you don e with yours the blueing looks very good. Thanks in advance. An y chance of getting your email?
Hot blued to the best of my knowledge. I have found that by using Oxpho Blue Cream, from Brownells, I get good results. I apply as many coats as necessary. And I apply it with steel wool, rubbing vigorously.
I give my email to any that request it.
You give me your email by posting it as a comment. As soon as I answer it you can remove the comment. I have many CZcams friends that both text and email.
Thank you for watching.
By the way my 1899 is chambered in 38-55. Given to me by my grandfather.
That is a true family treasure. I love the 38-55. Mine is a Marlin. And it is super accurate.
Thanks for watching and commenting.
Dennis
Boy, your work makes my blonde 99E look even worse than it does. Right side below the bolt has a dent, bluing is long ruined. I've taken 2 elk with it.
I may have to get it out and at least 'be inspired' to work on that stock. Iirc, Boyds sells a replacement for not too bad a money.
Sadly, daughters home burned and ruined her model A (tang safety) and grand daughters 300 (lever safety, iirc, 50s manufactured). I think she recovered them, no idea how bad they are.
A friend had a 99E that was the ugliest 99 on the planet!! No way to describe just how ugly it was. To call the stocks “blond” would be a compliment!! High yellow is a better description.
Sorry , I hit the wrong button!! I tried every way to stain it. It would not take stain at all. I finally took a torch to it. Judicious burning, sanding , and then staining worked wonders on it. It is actually rather nice looking now. If you will give me a number to text to I will see if I can find some pictures of it. Might give you some ideas.
I think we are talking about the same amount of ugly. Good thing it still shows the good lines. @@dennispritchardoutdoors7882
Almost like they were trying to be stylish for the day (early 60s) to attract new shooters. Should've kept the 'stylists' out. It is ugly. Gel stain might work. Course it will be just a dark brown ugly. No worse than most of the rifles I see at Walmart ("hardwood"). Maybe just dye it. Likely some sort of maple, which really will not take stain well. High yellow is probably a better name for the color. Maybe it's one that gets to be painted?!
My 99 is chambered in 25-35
You got a good one!
Pity about the sniffing, snort after making your video
Warts and all. Show it like it is.
Chronic sinusitis from military service. Sorry about your sensitive nature.