We got an early M99 last week to be re-conditioned. The barrel was quite loose and clocked about .050 past the notch. Full barrel threads. Using our forum's "find" feature, I found several past threads on this. I ended up using the hammer and punch method to move the bbl threads towards the muzzle. It only took one complete pass over the threads to give a bank vault fit with moderate torque. You don't need to hit real hard. I used a 4 oz ball pein hammer and a custom ground brass punch. Amazing how that tiny movement can correct such a sloppy fit. We speculated whether Savage designed it that way. It is actually an easy method to keep them tight without adding gadgets. Headspace is "center cut" at .005. Thanks to all who left those instructions! There is a steel bolster inlet into the forend below the latch. I am guessing that is supposed to fit over the bbl lug to help tighten the bbl?

Yep, that bolster is for tighten/loosening the barrel. Did you bump all of the threads, front to back? I had wondered if bumping just the first and last thread might do the job with less chance of over-tightening?

I tapped and tightened as I went to prevent over bumping. Yes, I did all the threads. The threads were so loose, I had a lot of room for error.

quote:

Originally posted by lee440:
Yep, that bolster is for tighten/loosening the barrel. Did you bump all of the threads, front to back? I had wondered if bumping just the first and last thread might do the job with less chance of over-tightening?

I would see if the customer would allow you to make it into a fixed barrel.

To avoid this in the future. Savage would pin them in place after they tighten them.

These rifles get loose because they were originally fitted hand tight and the threads were not particularly well-finished. If the thread were set up overly tight and lapped until the barrel clocked, they would last a lot longer. I set a couple up with a sleeve, threaded fine on the ID; kind of like on a Winchester Model 12 shotgun. It worked well but gave me a headache figuring it out. Regards, Bill

This guy wants to keep it all original. I doubt whether he would ever put two boxes of shells through it.

I'm going to rust blue it, leaving the original polish. Then chase the worn checkering, but not too much. The stock is in decent shape, but I will remove excess oil and recoat in BLO. The objective is to not make the gun look new, but to create a slightly worn, well maintained look.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
I would see if the customer would allow you to make it into a fixed barrel.

To avoid this in the future. Savage would pin them in place after they tighten them.

I have to say that after rust blue, checkering chase and stock refinish, it's hardly all original.

But he wants what he wants...

Restoration does not change originality of configuration.
I just peen the threads forward; problem solved.

"originality of configuration" is not "all original", ask the 99 collectors, picky lot.

He is paying and that is his desire. Right now, someone rubbed off all of the bluing and the checkering is worn flat. It's been D&T'd twice. Looks like crap. It had it's cherry popped long ago. If a collectible is authentically restored it's value increases. Just ask car collectors and furniture collectors. All of that garbage you hear from collectors is to make you think your gun isn't worth anything when they are buying and to make their gun more valuable when selling. When I wrote original, it was in reference to the takedown system.

quote:

Originally posted by Recoil Rob:
I have to say that after rust blue, checkering chase and stock refinish, it's hardly all original.

But he wants what he wants...