The old rifle has a rotten bore, and the 303 cartridge has only limited brass available.

Clark---

You're stuck with the 303 unless you can locate the magazine spindle for another caliber.

Pre-war M-99s are limited in pressure to about 45,000. The three calibers your's is suitable for is 22 Hi Power (.226 bullets are scarce), 300 Sav. and 303 Sav. The three of them have different spindles.

Can this be re-bored, say to .358 and wildcatted?
I don't know the cost of custom dies.

Or what about rebore to .35 and short-chamber (to reduce head diameter) to .35 Rem. The chamber should clean up to a "rimmed .35 Rem Short" and the shorter neck on the original .35 Rem specs keeps OAL in bounds. Factory dies with base ground off accordingly might be used to reload ammo.

It would have to be short enough that action would reject factory .35 Rem ammo entirety when singly loaded.

Or perhaps a full rebore/rechamber to .35 Rem.? 30/30 or .32 Win brass (if strong enough) could be fireformed but .30/30 head would have to give up about .022". That may be unsafe, I don't know. Others here would.

(The .32 Win special may be another option. But finding a button to clean up rifling in anything but the factory 1-16" twist could be a challenge.)

I haven't a clue if these are feasible because of feeding issues. Fun and educational to discuss though.

Hope Jack weighs in again on these ideas.

[ 02-12-2003, 19:59: Message edited by: steve y ]

It seems to me that one could make a spindle with a milling machine and the proper material.

What materials were used in the Savage 99 spindles? You've alluded to the fact that the spindles match (my word) the cartridge for which they are chambered. What is the critical concern here? Could you explain that in more detail? Do you have an illustrative picture?

I've read in these forums and seen advertised 99s converted to .35-.284, .260 Rem, etc. and I know that they were factory chambered for the .303 Savage, .300 Savage, .250-3000 Savage, .243 Winchester, .308 Winchester, .30-30, .25-35, .38-55, .358 Winchester, .22 Savage Hi-Power... Are there more chamberings? (.284 Winchester, .35 Remington?)

I don't think the old 99's are strong enough or long enough to take a .308 case.

Go to 24hourcampfire.com and to the Savage section and ask what to do there.

My feeling is to determine if it's safe to shoot as is and then working on a load that will perform and if it does not work out to sell it as is.

Someone said that moly works well will eroded bores? Try that and see what happens. Don't everybody jump on me for this. When a bore is rusted like this it's a difficult choice.

I would bore out to 38-55, it's an original caliber, & i don't believe you have to change anything. ++ with that long 26" barrel she'll really shoot hard. I know 220grn bullet @ 1900fps really does a # on deer & moose.

Get a 300 savage bbl from Numrich and a can of Rlr 15..

In order to switch too 300 you would also need at least the bolt from a 300, maybe carrier too?

The spindles are quite a project...I have a 308 M-99F (circa 1960) and have been looking for a spindle for several years to no avail...

The 99F must have a spindle made for a 99F, not an EG, E or any other model, just for the 99F's made in the 50' and 60's.....

I have called all parts outlets, bought all kinds of spindles to no avail..Guess what I need is a junk 99F to repair my junky 99F, but it shoots under 1" groups or I'd just throw it away.....

It would be a bitch to make a 99 spindle and cost a bloody fortune in time, I assure you of that...

If anyone has a junk 99F in a 50's , 60's model in 308 caliber I sure would be interrested or just that particular part....

I think I'd buy a hundred cases, rent a reamer and rebarrel it to 303 Sav.

In the long run it would be the best AND the cheapest solution.

All the speculation in the world is no substitute for one experiment.

I'd see if the common .30-30 would operate through the magazine. I'd also try the .38-55, as has already been mentioned, but with a lot less hope of success.

I inherited a 1899 m-99. It was originally chambered for the 303 but was rebarreled to 30-30. Though it is not very pretty, it sure does shoot. It doesn't look like the rotary mag was altered, but I am not sure.

I see that hi quality 22 Hi power cases are available. Maybe I could try expanding to 30 cal.

I suppose I could buy a few of the 303 Sav $1 each cases that are available and see how bad the quality is.

I suppose I could pull the barrel and do a few feeding experiments. The 30-30 is only 6% less usable case volume. The 30-30 Ackley Improved is .6% MORE than the 303 Sav.

Clark---

According to Dr. Howell you can fire form 220 Swift brass with inert filler and then back of 303 Sav. dies off so that it headspaces off the shoulder instead of the rim.

That's a lot easier than Nonte's suggestion of turning the rim and swaging the head of 30-40 Krags.