fell in love with a lever gun today - savage 990

Status
Not open for further replies.

thomis

Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2009
Messages
686
Location
NC for a spell
I was at the gun shop perusing the ammo shelves. A well treated older rifle caught my eye and I had to take a closer look. A lever action Savage 990 in .308 Winchester. Condition was excellent. The action was solid and very nice. I loved the iron sights. They were really low profile and the front bead fit perfectly in the rear crotch. Almost walked out with it. They were asking $499, which I thought was a sleeper. I'm doing some research. I want that rifle!!
 
Mmmmm?

It might have been a Savage 99C or 99G.

But as far as I know they never made a 990.

The 99C was the last of the 99's made and featured a detachable magazine instead of the rotery spool magazine of the older guns.

The 99G was a takedown model made prior to WWII so it couldn't have been a .308..

rc
 
Savage 990 in .308 Winchester. Condition was excellent. The action was solid and very nice. I loved the iron sights. They were really low profile and the front bead fit perfectly in the rear crotch. Almost walked out with it. They were asking $499
Assuming it is in fact a Savage 99[somthing] in the condition you describe, it sounds like a very good price. A Savage 99 in .300 Savage is one of my "when I win the Lotto" guns. ;)
 
I suspect you'll like it a lot. I've never seen anything bad about them other than folks complaining that the .300 Savage ammo can be "iffy" to find in factory loads. But I've seen more than enough bags o' brass for that caliber so a reloader is fine.

But since THIS one is in .308 that isn't an issue either.
 
The Savage 99 was a very popular rifle out west when I was a kid at the California deer camps. Most were either 250-3000 or the 300 Savage.
Having one in 308 would be a good thing...:)
 
I don't have a Savage 99, but I do have a Winchester 88 in .308. If it's in good condition and you can talk them down to $450 you've done great; otherwise pay them the $499 and never look back. If you do pay their asking price ask if they'll throw in a box or two of ammo or scope mounts, even if you already have some at home. Both the 99s and the 88s in good, unmolested condition usually run in the neighborhood of $600-$700. I believe these rifles were last ditch efforts by Savage & Winchester to revive the lever action rifle market in the US. Very cool rifles and good reliable shooters to boot.
 
Last edited:
I would pay that price in a heartbeat for that rifle...or same in 250 or 300 Savage for that matter...even 30-30.

Buy it or I will! It's a true American Classic. I guess there was a version of the Savage 99 up for consideration, to one degree or another, when the Springfield 1903 was chosen for the standard military rifle of the US Army. The Army chose well but that tells you how good the 99 was and still is.
 
Maudben, funny you shoould mention that. There is one for sale in the Rapid City Journal classified ads. Call 605-343-5618.
 
Look up the serial number to get a date of manufacture. You can also get an idea on where it says it was manufactured, Savage moved production to different factories. Did it have the brass follower in the magazine and a little window with a counter? Tang safety or is it on the lever? Lots of variations of this great rifle but being 308 it's mid fifties to the end of production. Look out for hairline cracks by the stock wrist (repairable), but by all means get it and enjoy. Under $500 on a less than a million serial number is a good buy.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top