When it first came out at the tail end of the 19th century, the Savage Arms Model 99 was one of the most cutting-edge lever-action rifles ever made. Even today, it's easy to appreciate the design elements of this unique lever-action, of which more than 1 million were made. Watch our "American Rifleman Television" I Have This Old Gun segment above to hear the history of Arthur Savage's rifle.
"Arthur Savage was a really interesting guy. He had done a lot of things in his life. And it was clear that he had a mind for mechanics and a penchant for business," American Rifleman Executive Editor Evan Brune said. "So, in 1889, he patents a rotary magazine lever-action rifle. And he enters it into the 1892 Army trials. Ultimately, his design does not win out, but Arthur Savage doesn't give up there. He decides that there's a market for this new design of his, and he's gonna find it."
*****
I've got my Dad's Savage 99E, the plain Jane model, in .308 Winchester. He bought it in 1974 or 1975 and it was the very first centerfire rifle I ever fired. He passed it down to me about 20 years ago.
