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Savage 99
The Savage Model 99 is Savage's famous hammerless lever action rifle. The Savage 99 was the culmination of Arthur William Savage's lever action technology, using technology from their previous two rifles, the Savage 1892 and the Savage 1895, which was the first hammerless lever action rifle.
The Savage 99 was chambered, at various times, for roughly fifteen different calibers. These included .300 Savage, .308 Winchester, .243 Winchester, .284 Winchester, .358 Winchester, .22 High Power, and .303 Savage (there were other calibers but these were the most common) during the 100 odd years that it was manufactured.
Design
The Savage 99, like its precursors, uses a hammerless design, as well as an internal rotary magazine (later models were also available with a detachable box magazine), thus allowing the use of spitzer bullets, something other lever guns were incapable of doing due to the use of tubular magazines. Apart from its innovative internal rotary magazine, the Model 99 also featured a round counter and striker indicator, features that paved the way for technical advancements on firearms today. The unique and reliable design of the Savage 99 allowed for many different models, finish options and caliber choices, making it a very popular hunting rifle while it was in production. Some of the finish options for the Savage 99 included different stock checkering, scope options, bolt jeweling and case hardening. The Savage 99 was produced for 100 years, from 1899 to 1999. Over one million Savage 99s were produced and it is still a popular choice with firearms enthusiasts today.
During its long production history, the Savage 99 was chambered at one time or another for .303 Savage, .30-30 Winchester, .300 Savage, .250 Savage (also called the .250-3000 Savage, as the first American commercial round to produce a velocity of over 3,000 feet per second (900 meter per second)) .358 Winchester, 7mm-08 Remington, .284 Winchester, .38-55 Winchester, .32-40 Ballard, .375 Winchester and, by special order with a replacement barrel, .410 bore shotshell as a single-shot.
Notable Variants
- 99C: "C" presumably means "clip", because the 99C was the only variant to have a detachable box magazine rather than the iconic internal rotary magazine. The Model 99C was primarily based on the 99F and was produced from 1965 to 1997.
- 99CD: The Model 99CD had a Monte Carlo cheekpiece stock. The Model 99CD was produced from 1975 to 1981.
- 99CE: "CE" meaning "Centennial Edition". The 99CE is a 99C with engraved nickel finish.
- 99D: Musket variant produced only in 1915 as a special order for the Montreal Home Guard and chambered only in .303 Savage. The 99D featured a bayonet lug with Savage-made bayonet, finger grooves, adjustable rear sight and a front sight hood. The 99D-Musket was also the only Savage 99 to have a front handguard.
- 99DE: "DE" meaning "Deluxe Edition". It was Savage's cheaper "citation grade" model, almost identical to the 99PE, only had less engraving and the stock was the same as on the 99DL. The 99DE also has a blued receiver as an option instead of a nickel finish of the 99PE. Like the 99PE, the 99DE was offered in a 22-inch barrel only and was produced from 1965 to 1970.
- 99DL: "DL" presumably meaning "De-Luxe". The 99DL was a deluxe version of the 99EG and featured a Monte Carlo stock, jeweled bolt, factory installed sling swivel studs and a gold trigger. Chambered in .250-3000 Savage, .300 Savage, .243 Winchester, .308 Winchester and .358 Winchester.
- 99E: "E" meaning "Economy". The 99E was the more affordable model that eliminated features like the round counter on the side and the stock was made from cheaper birch wood rather than walnut like on other models. Sold anywhere from 15 to 30 dollars cheaper than other Model 99s. 99Es can usually be identified by the light color of the stock. Produced from around 1960 to 1984. Chambered in .300 Savage, .308 Winchester, .243 Winchester and .250-3000 Savage.
- 99F: "F" meaning "Featherweight". The 99F was about a full pound lighter than most other Savage 99 models. Chambered in .250-3000 Savage, .300 Savage, .308 Winchester, .358 Winchester and .248 Winchester.
- 99H: Same as the 99F only it was a takedown design. Made in .250-3000 Savage, .300 Savage, .303 Savage and .30-30 Winchester from 1923 to 1940. The 99H has a curved, carbine-style buttplate and later models had a barrel band and a ramp front sight.
- 99K: Features an engraved receiver, tang sight and a premium non-Monte Carlo walnut stock. President Franklin D. Roosevelt presented one of these to the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, because he was a hunter.
- 99M: "M" meaning "Monte Carlo" stock. The M was never its own model, rather some 99DLs, 99DEs or 99PEs were designated "99M".
- 99PE: "PE" standing for "Presentation Edition". The 99PE was the same as the 99DL only it had a richly engraved receiver, tang and lever. The engraving was done entirely by hand. The 99PE also has a tarnish-resistant nickel finish. Chambered in .243 Winchester, .284 Winchester and .308 Winchester. The 99E was the only post-1960 Savage 99 to be sold with the earlier lever safety rather than the later tang safety. Like the 99DE, the 99PE was offered in a 22-inch barrel only and was produced from 1965 to 1970.
- 99R: "R" presumably meaning "Receiver", because the 99R was drilled and tapped for a scope from the factory.
- 99RS: "RS" meaning "Rear Sight". This was a Savage 99R with a peep sight by the tang.
- 99T: "T" meaning "Tang" sight. Very rare variant. Produced from 1935 to 1940. Chambered in .250-3000, .30-30, .303 Savage, .22 High Power and .300 Savage. Came with 20 and 22 inch barrel lengths.
Specifications
(1899 - 1999)
- Type: Rifle
- Calibers: Many
- Weight: between 6.5 and 7 lbs (2.9 - 3.1 kg) depending on configuration
- Length: 39.75 in (100.9 cm), 41.75 in (106.0 cm)
- Barrel length: 20 in (50.8 cm), 22 in (55.8 cm), 24 in (60.9 cm)
- Capacity: Varies with caliber; usually 5+1
- Fire Modes: Lever-Action
The Savage 99 and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:
Film
| Title | Actor | Character | Note | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Kidd | Robert Duvall | Frank Harlan | 1972 | |
| Badlands | Martin Sheen | Kit | 1973 | |
| Dawn of the Dead | Ken Foree | Peter | 1978 | |
| The Howling | Christopher Stone | Bill Neill | 1981 | |
| Death Hunt | Charles Bronson | Albert Johnson | 1981 | |
| Hoffa | John C. Reilly | Pete Connolly | 1992 | |
| Scotland, PA. | James LeGros | Joe 'Mac' McBeth | 2001 | |
| The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada | Dwight Yoakam | Sheriff Belmont | 2005 | |
| Red State | Michael Parks | Abin Cooper | 2011 |
Television
| Show Title | Actor | Character | Note / Episode | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haven | 2010 | |||
| Longmire | Marshall Allman | Kellen Dawes | "Election Day" (S02E10) | 2013 |
| Lou Diamond Phillips | Henry Standing Bear | "Natural Order" (S02E11) | ||
| Fear the Walking Dead - Season 4 | Danay Garcia | Luciana Galvez | w/Barska scope; "Another Day in the Diamond" (S4E02) | 2018 |
| Rhoda Griffis | Vivian | w/Barska scope; "Another Day in the Diamond" (S4E02), "Just In Case" (S4E06); "The Wrong Side of Where You Are Now" (S4E07) |
Video Games
| Game Title | Appears as | Mods | Notation | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hot Dogs, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades | "S99" | .308 Winchester | 2016 |
See Also
- Savage Arms - A list of firearms manufactured by Savage Arms.