Savage Model 99

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The History of Savage Arms

Savage Arms was founded in 1894 by Arthur Savage in Utica, New York. Arthur Savage held two important patents at the time: a patent for a repeating rifle with a single-column magazine lever-action rifle, which he acquired in 1891, and a patent for a hammerless lever-action design. That paved the way for Savage’s quick rise to success.

The company’s first breakthrough came in 1895 when it introduced Model 1895 – the first hammerless lever-action rifle on the market. It was modeled after Model 1892, an earlier design that never saw production due to losing a bid for a US Army contract. Model 1895, however, won the contract for New York National Guard, but it was soon canceled due to getting caught in a contemporary political climate.

Savage continued investing efforts into the production of military-grade weapons. It was named one of the two finalists in the US Army trials for a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and it lost only to the now-famous Colt M1911. Savage used the gained experience to produce high-quality pocket pistols, though, which resulted in the introduction of Model 1907, 1915, and 1917.

During World War I, Savage was merged with the Driggs-Seabury Ordnance company. The joint company focused all its efforts on the production of Lewis machine guns and heavy equipment for war purposes.

Between the two wars, Savage decided to expand its business inside the USA. In 1920 it bought Stevens Arms of Chicopee, followed by A.H. Fox Gun Co. of Philadelphia and Davis-Warner Arms and CrescentArms Co. of Norwich in 1930. Success followed and in 1939 Savage introduced the Model 24 combination gun which sold over a million copies.

When World War II commenced, though, Savage was once again ready to answer the call of duty. It focused all its resources on war efforts, producing a staggering number of weapons. It already signed a contract with Auto Ordinance Co. in 1938 to manufacture the famous .45 caliber Thompson submachine gun, and most of these submachine guns that were used in WWII were produced by none other than Savage. The company was also contracted by the US government in 1940 to produce .30 and .50 caliber Browning machine guns. On top of that, Savage manufactured one of the most mass-produced bolt-action rifles of WWII, the British No. 4 Lee–Enfield. A record of 1.2 million Lee-Enfield rifles was produced by Savage during the time of war.

Production dialed down after the war, though. In 1946, Savage closed its facilities in Utica and moved all its operations to the Stevens manufacturing premises. Even though the Model 110 was introduced in 1958, which remains one of the company’s most successful rifles to this date, Savage started to experience some issues. In 1960 all production was moved to the current location of Westfield, Massachusetts, and what followed was a series of different ownerships over the company. Savage gradually ran into serious financial problems and in 1988 the company declared bankruptcy.

The company had to cut back on its manufacturing costs to the point where it even stopped producing short-action configurations of its most successful model, the aforementioned Model 110. It wasn’t until 1995 when Savage returned to private ownership led by Ronald Coburn who sort of rejuvenated the whole company.

In 2002 Savage introduced and patented AccuTrigger – a safe and user-adjustable trigger that soon became a success. The following year, in 2003, the company was named Manufacturer of the Year by the Shooting Industry Academy of Excellence, further reaffirming Savage’s distinction. Four years later, on May 15, 2007, Savage 93R17 BTVS has been named the best rifle in the Best of the Best presentation by Shooting Times, Sporting Gun, and Shooting Gazette magazines.

In 2013 Savage once again changed ownership. It was acquired by Orbital ATK for 315 million dollars, and it was later handed over to Vista Outdoor which later sold it for $170 million in 2019 to a group of private investors led by Savage’s management.

The company also had its logo changed in the middle of the 2010s when it decided to retire its old logo that presumably featured Chief Lame Deer, a native-American tribesman leader. The latter supposedly approached Arthur Savage in 1919 to purchase rifles for his tribe. In exchange for a discount, Lame Deer agreed to a deal. According to the deal, Savage was allowed to use Lame Deer’s face for promotional purposes. Many doubt the authenticity of this story, however, and Savage itself removed it from its official website as well.

Savage Model 99 Rifle Review

Savage Model 99 in .308 Win.

Figure 1: Savage Model 99 in .308 Win. (Source: https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/nra-gun-of-the-week-savage-model-99-rifle/)

The Savage Model 99 is a classic lever-action rifle that has been a popular choice for hunters and shooters for over 100 years. It was first introduced in 1899 as the Model 1899 but was later renamed in 1921.

It was produced at the Savage factory in Utica, New York until 1945, with a total production of approximately 425,500 units. Production of the Model 99 continued in Westfield, Massachusetts, with the last units shipped in 2003.

One of the unique features of the Model 99 is its rotary magazine. It is available in a variety of calibers, including .300 Savage, .303 Savage, and .250-3000 Savage.

The Model 99 has a two-piece stock, with a fore-end and buttstock separated by a large block of steel that is gently rounded on the bottom for its receiver. The latter is made from high-quality materials and is designed to withstand the recoil of high-performance cartridges.

Some models came with the receiver drilled and tapped for scopes, while others remained undrilled. At the same time, it is not uncommon to see a Savage Model 99 with a barrel-mounted rear sight.

In terms of safety, the Model 99 has two options. The original and most common safety is a sliding lever in the trigger guard that locks both the lever and the trigger. Later models introduced a shotgun-style tang safety, which was introduced in the 1960s. Some models, however, continued to be offered with the original trigger guard safety into the 1990s.

The trigger of the Model 99 is smooth and responsive, with a consistent pull weight and a crisp break, making it easy to shoot accurately.

Overall, the Savage Model 99 is a classic and reliable rifle that has been a popular choice for hunters and shooters for over 100 years. Its rotary magazine, various caliber options, and above all sleek appearance make it a standout choice among collectors and enthusiasts.

Savage Model 99 Calibers

Savage Model 99 can be chambered for:

.303 Savage,
.32-40 Winchester,
.300 Savage,
.30-30 Winchester,
.25-35 Winchester,
.250 Savage,
.22 Savage Hi-Power,
.22-250 Remington,
.243 Winchester,
.308 Winchester,
.358 Winchester,
7mm-08 Remington,
.284 Winchester,
.38-55 Winchester,
.375 Winchester,
.410 shotgun

Savage Model 99 Variants

Tracking down every Savage Model 99 variant in its more than 120 years-long history is like finding a needle in a haystack. The further back in time you go, the harder it is to find useful information regarding this model.

We still tried our best to find Model 99 variants to include on this list. We also included Savage Model 1892 and Model 1895 on it since they served as the base for the more famous 99.

Savage Model 99 variants are:

Savage Model 1892
Savage Model 1895
Savage Model 1899
Savage Model 99 CD
Savage Model 99 C
Savage Model 99 A
Savage Model 99-375
Savage Model 99 E
Savage Model 99 G
Savage Model 99 Takedown*
Savage Model 99 EG
Savage Model 99 F
Savage Model 99 T
Savage Model 99 H
Savage Model 99 K
Savage Model 99 R
Savage Model 99 RS
Savage Model 99 DL

* There were several different Model 99 Takedown variants, such as Model 99 F Takedown, Model 99 G Takedown, etc.

Some variants had the receiver drilled and tapped while others came undrilled. Those that were drilled had four holes for scope mounting purposes, as seen in the image below.

The receiver of Savage Model 99 with a visible mounting surface

Figure 2: The receiver of Savage Model 99 with a visible mounting surface (Source: https://www.gunsandammo.com/editorial/review-savage-model-99/357148)

A: 12.7
B: 95.5
C: 12.57
BHU: /
Fi: /
R1: /
R2: /

Do you have the information that woul help us improve our data regarding Savage Model 99 receiver dimensions? Great! Contact us at info@optics-trade.eu and help us out. We will gladly accept your help.

Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Savage Model 99

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Savage Model 99

The necessary condition for rifles to have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable is that the mounting surfaces of these rifles match in every dimension.

As you can probably imagine, finding a rifle that would have one-piece scope mounts interchangeable with a 120 years-old rifle can be quite a challenge. We, unfortunately, don’t have any information regarding rifles that would fall into this category.

If you happen to own Savage Model 99 and/or know which rifle has the same mounting surface, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@optics-trade.eu. We will gladly update our database.

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Savage Model 99

Same as with the one-piece scope mounts, we weren’t able to find any rifles that would have two-piece scope mounts interchangeable with Savage Model 99.

We, again, kindly ask you to contact us at info@optics-trade.com if you happen to know which rifle(s) would suit this category.

Best Scope Mounts for Savage Model 99

Picatinny Rails for Savage Model 99

We recommend installing a Picatinny rail on your Savage Model 99 to greatly expand the rifle’s scope mounting possibilities.

This EGW Picatinny rail for Savage Model 99 will fit like a glove. If your Model 99 is undrilled, then we recommend you choose this undrilled Picatinny rail instead and pay a visit to the nearest gunsmith which will help you install it.

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: info@optics-trade.eu

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Savage Model 99

Sub Categories

The History of Savage Arms

Savage Model 99 Rifle Review

Savage Model 99 Calibers

Savage Model 99 Variants

Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Savage Model 99

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Savage Model 99

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Savage Model 99

Best Scope Mounts for Savage Model 99

Picatinny Rails for Savage Model 99

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

Leupold STD One-Piece base, Savage 99 Matte

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Savage Model 99

Sub Categories

The History of Savage Arms

Savage Model 99 Rifle Review

Savage Model 99 Calibers

Savage Model 99 Variants

Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Savage Model 99

Rifles That Have One-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Savage Model 99

Rifles That Have Two-Piece Scope Mounts Interchangeable with Savage Model 99

Best Scope Mounts for Savage Model 99

Picatinny Rails for Savage Model 99

Help Us Build Our Riflescope Mounts Database

Leupold STD One-Piece base, Savage 99 Matte

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