Savage Arms Co 1899 Short Rifle 1899-A .32-40 WCF 22″ Lever Action 1914 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1100
LSB#: 210425RJ13
Make: Savage Arms Company
Model: 1899-A Short Rifle
Serial Number: 149919
Year of Manufacture: 1914
Caliber: .32-40 WCF
Action Type: Lever Action with Rotary Magazine. This is a solid frame model.
Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “SAVAGE HI-PRESSURE STEEL / MODEL 1899.”. The top of the barrel is marked “MANUFACTURED BY THE SAVAGE ARMS COMPANY, UTICA, N.Y. U.S.A. / PATENTED FEBRUARY 7. 1893, JULY 25. 1893, OCTOBER 3, 1899.”. The underside of the receiver is marked “149919” and the base of the lever is marked with an encircled “H”. The top of the chamber is marked “32-40”.
Barrel Length: 22” Round
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade dovetailed into the barrel, the bead has broken off. The rear sight is a “U” notched elevator sight dovetailed into the barrel. The top tang is installed with a Lyman flip-up aperture peep sight. We were unable to adjust the elevation of the peep sight.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are smooth walnut with a straight grip, straight comb, schnabel tip forend, and a shotgun-style metal buttplate. Sling studs have been installed on the buttstock and forend. There is a repaired crack on the right side of the forend at the front. There is a repaired crack on the top of the comb at the rear. There are a few little compressions, scratches, and dings, the majority have colored with age. The LOP is 13” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has some mottled patina, erosion, and scattered discoloration from previous oxidation. The stocks rate in about Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blued & Case Colored
Finish Originality: Original.
Bore Condition: The grooves are dark, the lands are gray. The rifling is worn but has remained well defined. There is some light erosion, mainly in the grooves.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 70% of its metal finish. The barrel has a coat of patina, and there are some little tiny hairline scratches, scuffs that have thinned the finish, and some spots of light oxidation. There are some scattered scratches and scuffs on the receiver. the most noticeable are on the left side. There are some scattered spots of light oxidation on the receiver. There is finish loss on the receiver, most noticeable on the bottom. There is mottled discoloration on the bottom of the receiver. The lever has finish loss, discoloration from previous oxidation, and freckles of frost. There is visible case color left on the protected portions of the lever. The markings are mostly clear, the barrel address is light and some of the markings are gone. The screwheads are mostly lightly tool marked, the front screw on the left of the receiver has heavy tool marks. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None
Our Assessment: The Savage 1899/99 model rifles have quite a history. They were preceded by the Model 1895, which was the first hammerless lever-action rifle produced. A hammerless action was useful as it reduces the lock time, allows the rifle to be fired more accurately and is less likely to jam in brush or snag in clothing. The 1895 and 1899/99 models used a rotary magazine to hold the cartridges, using a spring-loaded spool with grooves. The 1899/99 models added a counter to the spool to indicate how many rounds are loaded. This design allowed the use of spitzer bullets, which could not be used in the Winchester rifles of the times because the pointed tips in the tubular magazines could cause accidental discharge. This gave Savage a lead in producing rifles that could handle high velocity smokeless powder cartridges with bullets offering flatter trajectories than other lever-action designs. This is a Model 1899 Short Rifle with a smooth straight grip stock and a Schnabel tipped forend. The rifle has a 22” round barrel and comes with iron sights, with its upper tang installed with a Lyman peep sight. This is a nice looking vintage rifle and will be a welcome addition to a C&R or lever-action rifle collection! Please see our photos and good luck!