Project 99

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DocRock

DocRock

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Colorado Springs
D92EFA4A-C2F8-4820-83AB-105E3F0D0B88.jpeg 26358C9F-DB47-4594-B2C0-147BEA477985.jpeg 9C377A3C-5527-4CF1-BC40-EA8888BCE989.jpeg My Savage 99E in .308 Win arrived today. In better shape than the pictures. Gave it a good cleaning and it lightened up the previously goop-ridden trigger significantly. Bore nice and shiny. Wood is in better shape than I thought. Guessing Beech? Painted with some vile red-brown stain. That’s coming off.

Polishing the receiver now. Will strip the wood tomorrow and work on the barrel over the weekend. With all the crud out of the action now, it’s as smooth as a Krag!
 
The outside of the barrel is bad. About 6" from just below the front sight down is really badly pitted. I went at it for over an hour with a diamond file and steel wool, and there's still pitting. May not be able to get rid of it entirely. The receiver polished up pretty nicely though. Lots of 0000 steel wool. Evened out the bluing pretty well. Will go at the wood this weekend.
 
Nice project gun.
I suspect you are right about the pitting.
I'd just get the best I could with the files and fine emery paper, re-blue it and call it good.
That is a nice looking rifle, I'd take it in a heartbeat.
 
DocRock said:
The outside of the barrel is bad. About 6" from just below the front sight down is really badly pitted. I went at it for over an hour with a diamond file and steel wool, and there's still pitting. May not be able to get rid of it entirely. The receiver polished up pretty nicely though. Lots of 0000 steel wool. Evened out the bluing pretty well. Will go at the wood this weekend.
Click to expand...
Draw filing can remove that pitting if you wish. It is tedious but not particularly difficult and does a good job quicker than emery in removing pits. This is a guide on how to do it from Brownells https://www.brownells.com/userdocs/learn/Inst-278 Draw File.pdf You will also see gunsmithing videos demonstrating the technique.
 
I had a machinist show me how to clean out a file loaded up using a piece of Al. What you do is run it the directions of the teeth, letting the AL cut down into the groves. It will pop anything loaded into it off and not damage the file. Once done the groves are clean like a new file. Works better than anything I've tried.
 
You suppose the pitting on the barrel is from using the rifle as a walking stick? It just seems like its in a very defined area on the barrel, right were someone would place a hand on it side hilling or the like, and it appears there is grime on the forearm end of the stock as well from handling. Is the receiver pitted where someone would carry it one handed at the balance point?

Looks like a good project, a Savage 99 is worth your efforts.
 
<*(((>< said:
You suppose the pitting on the barrel is from using the rifle as a walking stick? It just seems like its in a very defined area on the barrel, right were someone would place a hand on it side hilling or the like, and it appears there is grime on the forearm end of the stock as well from handling. Is the receiver pitted where someone would carry it one handed at the balance point?

Looks like a good project, a Savage 99 is worth your efforts.
Click to expand...

So, there's no pitting, but what I would call 'pre-pitting' as in there will have been surface rust under the bottom of the receiver consistent with carry. The barrel pitting suggests much more prolonged contact with a source of corrosion - like a wet rag or something.

Boom-Boom, thanks for the info on draw filing!
 
DocRock said:
So, there's no pitting, but what I would call 'pre-pitting' as in there will have been surface rust under the bottom of the receiver consistent with carry. The barrel pitting suggests much more prolonged contact with a source of corrosion - like a wet rag or something.

Boom-Boom, thanks for the info on draw filing!
Click to expand...

That is an excellent method to use. To prevent the file, from what most skilled machinists call, "pinning", I was taught during my apprenticeship to "chalk" the file before the draw filing begins. What that entails is simply using a chalk stick, like those used for the old black/green slate wall boards in school before white boards became the thing. The chalk will prevent the metal being removed during the filing process from pinning, or clogging the teeth of the file with "pin-like slivers of metal". Easy to do rather than brush or scrape out those clogged file teeth.

Another remedy for gun metal pitted as such is to fine blast the metal with #280 to #320 grit silica to get any rust out of the pits. Then, spray the metal with a pit filler style paint from Dura-Coat. Spray and then lightly sand until the pits are filled even with the higher metal. Then, use the black gloss or flat finish spray on the metal and bake in an oven at 200° for an hour or so. Very durable, and the look is pretty good also.
 
SGW, thanks for that excellent advice. It may come to that, but for a classic lever gun, I’d like to stick to bluing. If possible.

After several hours with a diamond file and steel wool, followed by interminable buffing with jewelers rub, I’ve got to what I think is the best I can do or, good enough for government work.

I will try cold bluing and see how that goes. Can always go back to the drawing board. I’ve definitely made big progress but some of the pitting is very deep indeed.

C4F11FB3-EC77-4F38-9425-E405B6C1FD29.jpeg AB1968BB-7650-479B-8656-D73A61A26B7D.jpeg
 
Just finished stripping the wood. Well, that’s disappointing. Made in 1967 towards the end of the Model 99 lifespan, you can tell cost-cutting was in full fledge. Piss-poor pressed “checkering” in wood that makes Rossi’s rainforest mystery wood look pretty good. The plain Jane American walnut on my 1946 Savage 340 is much much better. There’s really no figure to be brought out at all... think Daisy BB gun. When one harks back to the halcyon days of the 99, this wood is really quite tragic :(

EE71F54C-7540-49FB-9C11-2CFCE3D02316.jpeg
 
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Btw, used Citristrip gel to strip the stocks. I was skeptical, but it worked a charm. No vile chemical smells. On with a paintbrush and off with a plastic scraper, some Scott scour sponges, and paper towels. Then used mineral spirits very sparingly to clean up. And then some citrus stuff called Zep as a degreaser. Toothbrush and paper towels. Easy.
 
I have a bit of a mystery on my hands with this one. Perhaps a Model 99 expert will wander by and help?

The barrel on this carbine (20") is marked Model 99E and Westfield MA. The nasty pressed checkering, beech stocks, and short, rounded forend are consistent with a Model 99E (1961 - 1984), as is the receiver serial number 1,115,xxx ((in the 1966-67 range). However, the lever code boss is marked "L", which is 1960 and the receiver has the lever catch safety rather than the shotgun style top tang safety which were used on all 99 receivers from 1960 onwards. So, the mystery is: how does one have a 1966/67 serial number receiver with a 1960 lever code AND a lever catch safety (integral to the receiver) that ceased to be used in 1960? Curious.
 
<*(((>< said:
Looks great to me
Click to expand...

Put the beer down and step away from the bar. You'll thank me in the morning :)


It's definitely looking better. The frosting is still visible on the barrel but at least it doesn't look like a cellulite Orange peel disaster. And the wood may turn out ok. We'll see. I think I'll put a vintage Weaver k4 on it. But I also have an old Bushnell Scopechief 4x with the "command post" reticle. I love that post reticle on a hunting gun. May try that.
 
Now that I’m looking at your 2nd picture I see what you’re talking about on the frosting. I couldn’t see it last night, but now that I zoom in.

Still much better than before.
 
DocRock said:
I have a bit of a mystery on my hands with this one. Perhaps a Model 99 expert will wander by and help?

The barrel on this carbine (20") is marked Model 99E and Westfield MA. The nasty pressed checkering, beech stocks, and short, rounded forend are consistent with a Model 99E (1961 - 1984), as is the receiver serial number 1,115,xxx ((in the 1966-67 range). However, the lever code boss is marked "L", which is 1960 and the receiver has the lever catch safety rather than the shotgun style top tang safety which were used on all 99 receivers from 1960 onwards. So, the mystery is: how does one have a 1966/67 serial number receiver with a 1960 lever code AND a lever catch safety (integral to the receiver) that ceased to be used in 1960? Curious.
Click to expand...
Assembled (and serialized) from older leftover parts would be my guess. My postwar .243 carbine has a lever catch. Ill see if I can date the serial number when I get home.
 
Mystery solved. I have been informed that the 99E (1960- 1984) always retained the lever catch safety and never moved to the top tang safety. Also the "L" code on the lever may be a poorly struck "T", which would be 1968, late for the receiver serial number but closer than 1960, or possibly a subsequent replacement.

I went at the bore today with some JB Compound an old bronze brush and a ton of bronze wool. Wow, did a lot of lead come out. Mirror shiny now and no tight spots. Have two coats of Tung Oil on the stocks and they are already looking much improved.
 
Very nice, DocRock. Ya gotta love Tung Oil. Used it on a few stocks.

Your 99 looks like it will be a very nice and practical shooter.
 
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