99 Savage New Barrel Help

[Wilbe Lead]

Howdy Everyone,
Have  been without the internet for a couple of years.
I have a 99 that has seen a hard live.
The barrel has a brake on it to make it legal at 16 inchs.
Would like to find a smith to make a new barrel for my brush buster.
If I can get a new barrel made I would go up from the 300 to a 358.One problem is the the gun is a takedown model.
This gun is great as is for brush hunting but if I could get a new barrel with a jump in thump that would be Great.
Anyone Know of a smith that works on 99 in a take down model.
Thanks
Wilbe Lead

[GatCat]

I'm no expert on 99's, but I do not think you can safely convert a .300 Savage to .308 Win or .358 Win.  When the factory made the .308's various changes were made internally, I believe. If you want a .358 I think it best if you start with a .308 WIn. version.
Mark

[Siskiyou]

I have seen a comparison  of the pre-308 Winchester to the .308 generations of Model 99s.  I believe Savage extended the length of the action and frame.

[Wilbe Lead]

Thanks for the insight guys.I have a 300,303 and a 250-3000 all 99s.Did not know about the change in sizes for the 308.
I will just leave my brush buster as is.
Thanks again
Wilbe Lead

[Calgarynorm]

I just inherited a Savage lever gun (Model 99 I believe) but it is chambered in 303 Savage - a long defunct cartridge. The 303 Savage cartridge is a bit bigger than 30-30 Win. I want to re-barrel and chamber it for a currently available cartridge (rimmed likely). The lever action is set up for rimmed 303 length cartridges so it cannot be changed without remachining. If I ream the old barrel out  bigger I will end up with more pressure (bigger cartridges) and that could impact safety of the old action. I am sure for about $200 I can get a new barrel.  Does anyone know of a feasible chambering? Would 30-30 Win work without jamming in the action?

[federali]

The .303 Savage and the .30-30 Win. both have a rim diameter of .506. .303 case length is 2.015 while the .30-30 case length is 2.039. It would seem to me that this may be a doable conversion. You might try inserting a .30-30 into the magazine, then see if you would have any feeding or ejection problems.

[blackpowderbill]

.303 Savage is a ballistic twin to the 30-30. I believe you can still get brass for reloading and it uses .308 bullets so loading for it would pose no particular challange. Those old 99s are beautiful guns and it  causes all us  savage 99 lovers considerable pain every time an old 99 gets chopped or modified somewhere in the world.

[IOWA DON]

Sometime in the last year or so I read a magazine article on the Model 99 Savages. I am not absolutly sure, but think it was stated that older rifles of this model were not as strong as ones made in later years. Anyway, the factory pressure for a .308 or .358 Winchester cartridge may be greater than for a .300 Savage cartridge and your gun may not be as strong as those made when the Model 99 was chambered for the .358 Win cartridge. Also, I don't think the difference was in the mechanical design, but rather the type of steel used.

[diego]

there is a gunsmith I believe in Maryland that does stock work and barrel work. I will try to find it and post it later.

[diego]

here it is     thegunsmith@gostomskisgunsmithing.com

[timmo58]

gentle men dont destroy those old savage rifles cause their in .303 savage !!! i have a 99 made in 1927 its in .303 savage and i reload , ther are many articles about how to form your own brass for the .303 savage ,i found one such article a few years ago and never looked back i form my brass from the PARENT CASE OF .307 WINCHESTER YES IT TAKES ME 10 MINUTES A SHELL but if ya aint got any this will give ya few the article was in a november issue 2006 ibelieve any way RIFLE SHOOTER MAGAZINE had it around that time i followed it exactly and carefully and yes the end result was good indeed i now have alot of ammo for my .303savage making it usefull once again as it is better than a 30/30 with a 190gr load and the fact that pointed bulletts can be used a very good deer cartridge up to 200 yrds or so i once shot a red fox at 360 yrds with the marbles flip up peep sight it is as good as it gets love the way the 99 handles and fits mine is a takedown and came with a .410 shotgun barrel too in a presentation wooden box have pictures of that box but its long gone now have the barrel though ..

[Siskiyou]

Huntingtons has .303 Savage cases.  I agree do not chop-up a classic rifle.  I used one barrowed from my Dad's hunting partner.  "If" I had one I would enjoy reloading safe and sane loads for it.  I agree with timmo58 that pointed bullets would be in the option box. 

http://www.huntingtons.com/cases_norma.html

[timmo58]

west endicott arms co. has loaded plinker rounds made from parent case of 30/40 krag i have used them plinkers for small game and then loaded them heavy with deer hunting loads really pleased at their work

[Calgarynorm]

The 30-30 bullets do not go all the way into the 303 Savage barrel. I assume the shoulder on the casing is at a slightly different location and is not a twin to the .303 Savage. I will get some 303 Savage casings and try reloading. I saw a Huntington's add in Handloader Magazine last week (thanks for confirming Siskiyou). If I go under the 30-30 powder loads by a couple of grains I should be fine. I found a note in the locker from my late father who owned the gun that it shoots 6" to the left at 150 yards so I will need to tinker with the blade sights. I see the rear sight is welded to the barrel (no screws) and only adjusts for elevation.
Thanks for the tip Diego on the gun smith who does stocks as there are cracks on both sides of the pistol grip area. Looks like it was a hunter’s rifle and likely rode on the farm tractor.
The "serial number" on the bottom of the action in front of the lever states 41.825 so I assume it is a 1941 manufacture. That should be late enough in manufacture to have used higher strength steel. The barrel also has "Savage Smokless Steel - High Pressure Powder" stamped on it. I would be a bit worried if it was earlier in 1900's. I see Timmo58 is shooting his 1927 version still. I should be good to go with Reloader 15.

[Siskiyou]

If you can find a copy of the Lyman Reloading Handbook 44th edition or earlier .303 Savage loads are listed.

A source:   http://www.amazon.com/Lyman-Reloading-Handbook-Sight-Corporation/dp/B000MD7XIM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1226869774&sr=1-4

I also have a 42 Edition that shows a jacket 190-grain load.

Best quess is that any most Lyman Handbooks published before 1968 will have .303 Savage data. 

[32-20]

Calgarynorm, your 41.825 SN would put your rifle as being made in 1903 or 1904.  Is the cocking indicator on the bolt ?

[Calgarynorm]

I am not sure what the cocking indicator is. The bolt has a flat bar recessed in the top but it does not seem to move when I stroke the action. There is no other indicator (it it moves with a cartridge in it I have no cartridges to try it) The left side has the counter for the number of rounds inside the rotary magazine.