Of course, the idea of an old Model 99 selling for well north of six grand is preposterous… until you see this one:
I mean, seriously?
I know, the silly price really reflects the added cost of the engraving (none of your laser-cut nonsense here), and as far as I’m concerned, transforming this lovely old rifle into a work of art is a Good Thing, akin to any similar improvement made to a decent old shotgun, for instance.
The only iffy thing about this rig is the scope, which I’d replace with something more fitting, such as this Leica.
On to practical matters. First, the chambering. I’ve owned and/or shot many Savage 99s, in the above .250 Savage (a.k.a. the .250-3000), in .243 Win, in .300 Savage and in .308 Win.
The .308 was a brute, and hurt my shoulder like hell (Savage 99s have a very slender buttstock) and ditto the .300 Savage, albeit to a lesser degree. The .243 Win was nice, but of all of them, the .250 Savage was an absolute joy to shoot, and it’s the only chambering I’d consider now. It’s also fast, deadly and wonderfully accurate.
Secondly, the full (Mannlicher) stock. Savage barrels are not heavy, to put it mildly; the Model 99 was designed as a light carry gun, to be used when there were miles of stalking involved in the hunt, or where portability was at a premium, e.g. in hilly- or densely-forested terrain. So after a few shots — maybe a magazine load or so — the “soda-straw” barrel tends to start whipping around from the heat. While the full stock would not help the barrel to cool down (the opposite, in fact), I can’t help but think that the wood could also brace the barrel as it heated up.
None of which is important, really. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Mannlicher stock on a Model 99, and I’ve certainly never seen one so beautifully engraved.
Want.
That is an interesting rifle, I have a .308 Savage 99 that I was cleaning yesterday, I took some of my rifles out to give them a light oiling and wipe down, I agree that the .308 99 has features that result in a strong recoil. In the case of my rifle I took it to the range 10 years ago and shot about five rounds to check the zero on the scope and it was ten years before that when I purchased the rifle with scope used and zeroed it in. I doubt if more than ten rounds had been shot through it from when it was new, made in the 1980’s. It never occurred to me that recoil might be the factor which keeps a rifle safely tucked away in the safe. My go to rifle during my deer hunting days was and would be again were I to shoot deer an older Winchester model 70 featherweight in 30-06 with a Leupold scope, it is a sweet shooting easy carry rifle and critters fall down dead when shot with that gun and it has real purty wood. I do like the old time guns.
Much like the automotive industry, where beauty and functionality may not be together.
Some examples might be any Ferrari, Maserati, E type Jaguar (or any Jaguar) may be and surely are beautiful to behold but far less so to keep and maintain.
However, that Mannlicher stocked Savage is surely a beauty that would grace anyone’s arms collection.
Gorgeous rifle!!!