Hello Folks

I like takedown rifles but Savage 99's in takedown are very rare (and quite expensive when they do come up) here in NZ, and its not practical to bring rifles in from the US.

I was wondering if it is practical to convert a late model rotary mag model 99 to a "Takedown".

Secondly, I have a brand new 243 barrel, but previous threads suggest that it would not function on a 308 action (one of which is for sale here right now) as the magazine rotors differ - any opinions ??

Cheers - Foster

The 243 uses the same rotor as the 308, so no trouble there. Your 'smith will probably need a 243 reamer to cut a tiny bit of a new chamber once the barrel is lined up and he'll need to work the forearm a little to get the hanger on the barrel to line up with the screw hole in the forearm, but not overwhelming work.

I have converted common rotory magazine 99Fs from 243 and 308 to 260, 7MM-08, and 358 without any trouble. I consider my 99F in 260 to be as close to perfect a 99 for whitetail deer as there ever was. I have also converted 99s in 300 Savage to 22-250 and 220 Swift.

You could have your 'smith cut reference marks into the barrel and receiver, so that when you take it apart and put it back together it is close to being headspaced. He could make a barrel wrench to remove the barrel or he could mill a couple of flats in the barrel to fit a ??mm wrench.

Jeff

It would probably cost you more money than it is worth, and would destroy the value of yours. The money saved you could sell the one you have and get an original take-down. Check on auction arms or gunbroker, they occassional have good deals on them. A lot of old take-downs were returned to the factory years ago by owners and were converted to solid frames.