Savage 99 restification project
- Thread starter Ian
- Start date
F
freebullet
Guest
Great news!
Ian
Notorious member
Got the action completely back together today and function-checked, looking good. Had to take some wood off of the bottom of the stock to clear the lever closing all the way now, got that re-profiled, blended in, and a coat of oil on it. Looks like I'll have to ream the chamber another .002" to get it to completely close on a cartridge without binding the rim. It's .004" away from closing on the go-gauge right now. All I need is to get cartridges to chamber and then go shoot the wee out of it to see where headspace ends up. I bet it settles right down to the go gauge.
While I was at it, I went ahead and turned a bore indicating plug and made a thread protector out of a brass pipe fitting, then stuck the barrel through the headstock, indicated both ends and faced it off, crowned it, and threaded it 5/8x24, .600" muzzle to shoulder per the standard. It's getting real close to shootable.
While I was at it, I went ahead and turned a bore indicating plug and made a thread protector out of a brass pipe fitting, then stuck the barrel through the headstock, indicated both ends and faced it off, crowned it, and threaded it 5/8x24, .600" muzzle to shoulder per the standard. It's getting real close to shootable.
Ian
Notorious member
Did a little test firing today with a hand full of my bunny loads (Lee 120 RNs with Titegroup @~1080 fps) to check function, primer strikes, etc. No issues whatsoever aside from having no front sight. Got a 1.5" group at 25 yards just peeking over the top of the suppressor.
Rechecked the headspace and it didn't move one iota. Primer strike is on center, and plenty deep. The stock fits like a glove, very happy with that. The barrel, which according to Green Mountain needs a break-in procedure, looks smooth as can be and tracked no lead anywhere. I'm REALLY impressed with this $93 profiled blank, to say it is "high value" would be an understatement. I own barrels costing three times as much, from several manufacturers, and this one is easily as good as any of them.
Rechecked the headspace and it didn't move one iota. Primer strike is on center, and plenty deep. The stock fits like a glove, very happy with that. The barrel, which according to Green Mountain needs a break-in procedure, looks smooth as can be and tracked no lead anywhere. I'm REALLY impressed with this $93 profiled blank, to say it is "high value" would be an understatement. I own barrels costing three times as much, from several manufacturers, and this one is easily as good as any of them.
Ian
Notorious member
It's weird, but it feels like a brand-new rifle. No more crusty gunk, rusty, pitted finish, old beat-up wood, all the metal parts are clean, lubed, and tight, buggared screw heads fixed, etc. In a way I'm kind of sad, like I took way its soul. I'll just have to finish it up nice and then use it a bunch, maybe put some meat on the table with it this year.
fiver
Well-Known Member
you gotta break it in some, like a new fishing pole.
they sometimes just don't know how to throw in the right place or tell you there is a fish on the other end for a little while.
rifles are the same way.
some of them you hunt with and hunt with and never see anything, and others only need 3 sight in shots on a new scope and get a deer within 10 minutes of getting to your spot.
they sometimes just don't know how to throw in the right place or tell you there is a fish on the other end for a little while.
rifles are the same way.
some of them you hunt with and hunt with and never see anything, and others only need 3 sight in shots on a new scope and get a deer within 10 minutes of getting to your spot.
F
freebullet
Guest
Load up a couple thou 150-170 w/5-6.5gr of tg. 
Super happy for ya, Ian, that would have been a heavy mobile.
Super happy for ya, Ian, that would have been a heavy mobile.
Ian
Notorious member
The saga isn't over yet, still a lot of work to do, but yeah, it looks like it won't be Jackie's new mobile after all! It will likely be hers one day, though, when she's old enough for center-fire rifles.
I'll keep posting the last few details as I go, and when finished, try to get some decent photos outside in the daylight.
I'll keep posting the last few details as I go, and when finished, try to get some decent photos outside in the daylight.
Ian
Notorious member
Another little progress report.
Got the barrel drilled/tapped for the Williams shorty front sight ramp, deepened the chamber another .002" until the action will close fully with slight resistance on the go gauge, started shaping the forearm and inletting the barrel channel, and did some shaping/polishing on the barrel band sling stud. Reshaped the buttstock a little on the bottom and am on the fourth and last coat of sanded finish, will straight oil for the next few.
I acquired a front sight insert of correct height for the suppressor, the barrel band, and two-screw sling stud for the stock this week, which rounds out all the necessary hardware to complete the rifle save for the brass forearm screw escutcheon that I'll need to make from scratch. Tonight all I did was collect all the bits into one pile, which is something.
Projects include fixing the buggared threads in the forearm dovetail stud, filing the dovetail for it in the barrel, mounting the band and front sight base, blueing the barrel and some screw heads, bedding Barn's vintage Williams rear sight on the tang, shortening the tang sight mount screws, inletting the buttstock sling mount. Somewhere in there I'll install and torque the barrel again, and finish the forearm. Details details details.
Got the barrel drilled/tapped for the Williams shorty front sight ramp, deepened the chamber another .002" until the action will close fully with slight resistance on the go gauge, started shaping the forearm and inletting the barrel channel, and did some shaping/polishing on the barrel band sling stud. Reshaped the buttstock a little on the bottom and am on the fourth and last coat of sanded finish, will straight oil for the next few.
I acquired a front sight insert of correct height for the suppressor, the barrel band, and two-screw sling stud for the stock this week, which rounds out all the necessary hardware to complete the rifle save for the brass forearm screw escutcheon that I'll need to make from scratch. Tonight all I did was collect all the bits into one pile, which is something.
Projects include fixing the buggared threads in the forearm dovetail stud, filing the dovetail for it in the barrel, mounting the band and front sight base, blueing the barrel and some screw heads, bedding Barn's vintage Williams rear sight on the tang, shortening the tang sight mount screws, inletting the buttstock sling mount. Somewhere in there I'll install and torque the barrel again, and finish the forearm. Details details details.
F
freebullet
Guest
Well.....
At least the current list don't include a bunch of cursing & head scratching ......anymore....
At least the current list don't include a bunch of cursing & head scratching ......anymore....
Ian
Notorious member
I forgot to add, I did get some engraving done. That was a fiasco, actually. I took time off work to take the barrel to the engraving shop appointment and the fellow there got the layout and design of the font (copied from the original roll-stamping) sorted out very well. Then he tried to set up the barrel, which after much cardboard engineering was able to get it fixtured. Then he tried to engrave the caliber mark with a pointed, cone-shaped carbide cutter, which of course burned the tip right off. He didn't have any radius-point cutters, so after 13 passes with the blunted carbide cutter it finally wallowed out the pattern to the depth I wanted. Since that was only five characters, and I wanted about another 80 engraved, and he already was making noises about more money for each fixturing operation (there would be three total), I just told him to quit and let me pay for what he did. He's pretty sharp with graphic design, but knows next to nothing about materials or tooling.
So, $45 later, I got "30-30" marked on the barrel.
See why I try to do everything myself?
So, $45 later, I got "30-30" marked on the barrel.
See why I try to do everything myself?