What are the distinguishing features of the 99-C? Is the tang safety retained? What magazine style does it have? Thanks for your knowledge. PAK

PAK, unless my mind has slipped a cog today, the Model 99 Savage is a bit of a strange sort of lever action, top ejecting and the way it locks up in battery makes it about as strong as a lot of bolt actions. Usually they are extremely accurate for lever rifles. They have a 5 round ROTARY magazine and are really very good rifles.

I think they come in .308, 300 Sav, and you can probably find one in the wonderful little 250/3000. Maybe the .243, I don't recall for sure as it's been awhile since I mess with one.

They actually make a pretty damn nice deer rifle,
and take a high mounted scope nicely.

They have three drawbacks that I can think of. The most obvious is they are HEAVY for their size and don't have quite the natural feel of a good bolt.
Next, the receiver is specially hardened steel and NOT easy to drill and tap if you should need to do such a thing.
Finally, the action has almost no "caming action" to force a tight cartridge into a chamber and very little leverage to extract one after it gets stuck. As a result I've seen hunters with these rifles literally SHUT DOWN by this. Obviously one can avoid this bit of frustration and embarrassment by making CERTAIN every round will chamber before you go on a hunt and be careful about seating depths and such that could cause a round to NOT want to chamber.
(I am assuming you are a reloader.)

And now I've pretty much told you everything I know about them...except I killed my first deer with a 99 Savage.

Hope some of this was what you wanted to know.

All 99C's have the ambidextrous tang safety and are drilled and tapped for mounts. Old timers and collectors prefer the rotary mag, especially with the brass spool. Folks who will need different loads for different game prefer the interchangeable mags.

The 99's have side ejecting, take as low a scope as any rifle I have ever seen, carry better than any bolt rifle that I have ever held (my opinion but they are flat and so easy to carry in many positions).

Also they are not heavy. My 99F's weigh 8 lbs compete with a 4X scope. The older models weigh the same or less than the bolt rifle of their day.

The camming power is just fine and just as good as many rifles.

[ 07-04-2002, 07:43: Message edited by: Don Martin29 ]

The 99C does have the tang safety, but unlike other model 99s it does not have the rotary magazine, it has a detachable box mag.

Mr. Allen is correct.I have a 99C savage and it is configured as he says it is.Perhaps the "C" stands for "clip".Regards

Any other experience with the 99? Did they carry well for you? Balance ok? Factory sights good? Easy to disassemble for major cleaning? Parts that are the first to wear out? Any books you know of on the subject? Are there any Savage Collectors Associations? Any Savage websites other than the Savage Arms site? PAK

You should check this site out.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=Savage

I love the Mod 99 Savage in the EG and F MOdels with rust blue, walnut, rotary magazine, underlever safty and checkering...Mine are a 250-3000 and a .308..I have packed them under my leg horseback for a thousand miles I bet..they are flat and don't worry your leg like a bolt gun will. I have shot elk, deer, bear, sheep and varmints of most kind with them. I have custom stocked a few and they are beatifull but someone always buys them when I do that....I can make almost any Savage shoot 1" groups with a little glass here and there....they feed 100%...

Contrary to common belief they cam the round in very well, they don't extract well at all when you shoot a too warm load and the bolt will come back without the case, then you need a cleaning rod...However, they are very forgiving and when a load is just slightly too warm you will feel the lever drop just a hair when you fire it, that's your clue that your pushing your luck, so back off a grain or two....

The 99C is the least expensive of the 99's.....It has a clip and the tang safty that I personally don't like...

Go to www.savageparts.com. They have several parts diagrams and you can find out exactly makes up a M99C.
I got my Grandpa's 99EG made in the 50's with the rotating magazine. This is the best balanced rifle I have ever used. I cleaned and polished some of the sear engagment surfaces and lightened up the trigger a bit. Took it out today and shot about 1.5" at 90 yds with open sights. This is one really great rifle.

ZM