Savage 99 restification project
- Thread starter Ian
- Start date
Ian
Notorious member
I should have PM'd you, it was pretty confusing reading about all the styles of that period and looking to buy a rough casting with no knowledge of what was what, and most sites not having very good photos or dimensions of their product.Anyway, I got the Hawken butt plate today and after much deliberation (and cardboard, masking tape, sharpie, and a host of other rifles) I got the fit figured with it. I'll have to put a slightly raised comb (about 3/8" higher than the top of the butt plate) parallel to the top of the butt plate. Very happy with the layout now, and the plate fits my shoulder like a glove. The arch of the crescent and angle from toe to heel is perfect, just like Savage did it all those years ago on some of their rifles, like this one http://i122.photobucket.com/albums/o266/paulskvorc/Savage 1899/Buttplate.jpg
Ian
Notorious member
Update. Couldn't find screws to fit or with the exact crown on the head that I want, but I have a lathe.....
I had to do a lot of reshaping on the butt plate. It was "as cast" on the back, investment-cast no less, but not very symmetrical or uniform. Plus, it had been polished with little regard to flatness and been fitted poorly to another rifle, so it needed some draw filing. After truing it up and reshaping the sides a bit, I sunk it in the stock.
I had to do a lot of reshaping on the butt plate. It was "as cast" on the back, investment-cast no less, but not very symmetrical or uniform. Plus, it had been polished with little regard to flatness and been fitted poorly to another rifle, so it needed some draw filing. After truing it up and reshaping the sides a bit, I sunk it in the stock.
Ian
Notorious member
Ya think?
I like the crescent butt and raised comb because it makes levering from the shoulder a lot more natural. I figured the l.o.p. on this based on lever stroke mostly; the wrist drop and comb height alone are enough to keep my thumb knuckle out of my nose.
I like the crescent butt and raised comb because it makes levering from the shoulder a lot more natural. I figured the l.o.p. on this based on lever stroke mostly; the wrist drop and comb height alone are enough to keep my thumb knuckle out of my nose.
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Pistolero
Well-Known Member
Yep, the "I have a lathe" phrase is one that I have learned to use a lot. It really is nice to just
SOLVE that problem by making the part you really needed. or modifying the part that is ALMOST
right, but not there.
And fitting that wood is easy -- just cut away the part you don't need.....
One tiny flake at a time, refit, scrape, refit, scrape, refit, scrape..... repeat about 400 times or
more. Easy....NOT.
Looking good, Ian.
SOLVE that problem by making the part you really needed. or modifying the part that is ALMOST
right, but not there.
And fitting that wood is easy -- just cut away the part you don't need.....
One tiny flake at a time, refit, scrape, refit, scrape, refit, scrape..... repeat about 400 times or
more. Easy....NOT.
Looking good, Ian.
Ian
Notorious member
That's what the sneak preview was about, after working the contours for a while I couldn't resist smoothing it off with some sandpaper and then a rag lightly dampened with paint thinner just to see what I really had there. Doing that also let me check for bug holes (found two more tiny ones), cracks, and other surprises like half a dozen pin knots that I was hoping to find, and some neat mineral streaks here and there. If I don't end up sanding it all off, there's going to be a band of quilting on the left below the comb, and I might get into some more of it on the right side in the same area. It will be a lot fancier than the typical clear, eastern cherrywood, though not so fancy as some I have worked with.
One of these days I'm going to refresh the stock I did for my Glenfield model 25 when I was about 10-11 years old. It's all the wrong shape in places and has a few poorly dealt-with cracks, chips, and worm holes, but the wood grain has to be seen to be believed, for cherrywood, anyway.
One of these days I'm going to refresh the stock I did for my Glenfield model 25 when I was about 10-11 years old. It's all the wrong shape in places and has a few poorly dealt-with cracks, chips, and worm holes, but the wood grain has to be seen to be believed, for cherrywood, anyway.
Bret4207
At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
I like the "Perch Belly", you did well on it. FWIW, the original butt plate were never really intended to be shot from the shoulder proper, but rather from the ball and socket part of the shoulder joint. Or at least thats the most logical explanation I've come across for why those pointy ends exist. Your butt plate is much flatter, easier to use "normally".
The Monte Carlo is unusual for a lever gun of that vintage. But as I recall you're going to add a suppressor (?) so tradition is out the door!
The Monte Carlo is unusual for a lever gun of that vintage. But as I recall you're going to add a suppressor (?) so tradition is out the door!
Ian
Notorious member
There was a lot to work out. The object being to have a crescent butt that will lock into my shoulder pocket vertically like an 1873 Winchester, but unlike the Winchester, have enough comb height that I can get a good cheek weld and see down the sights while working the action. Shotgun butts and low combs are the worst for me because the butt slips up and down on my shoulder while levering and I can't get enough good contact with my chin and jawline to brace the stock in place. Low combs and crescent butt plates aren't as bad because the butt tends to stay planted with a little pressure from my support arm, but still I have to cram them into my shoulder too hard to support against the lumps in the lever force because my face isn't adding any real support. If I don't have good cheek weld, the rifle wants to roll under my chin, disturbing my sight picture when cycling the action. Then I have to squirm my face around on the stock to find the sights again, which is uncomfortable and not really good for quick follow up shots.
So, I endeavored to make this rifle fit me, and that required raising the comb since the butt needed to be just about where it was on the original Savage 99. Raising the comb and dropping the heel seemed to be the only logical way to do that, and I tried to make it as graceful and decent-looking as I could. If I had put a parallel comb on it like would be best, it would have looked really stupid on this rifle since nothing else on it (not even the bolt) is directly parallel with the bore axis. I shaped on the comb a bit and decided where you see it now is the best compromise for looks and function. The comb is about 1/8" higher than what "should" fit me, which leaves room for adjustment, and after I put some more taper in the comb toward the front, it should be just right. Making rear-sloping comb taper toward the front like a wedge compensates for the recoil bite of the rear-angling slope, and also helps prevent the receiver from bucking away from the face under recoil.
So, I endeavored to make this rifle fit me, and that required raising the comb since the butt needed to be just about where it was on the original Savage 99. Raising the comb and dropping the heel seemed to be the only logical way to do that, and I tried to make it as graceful and decent-looking as I could. If I had put a parallel comb on it like would be best, it would have looked really stupid on this rifle since nothing else on it (not even the bolt) is directly parallel with the bore axis. I shaped on the comb a bit and decided where you see it now is the best compromise for looks and function. The comb is about 1/8" higher than what "should" fit me, which leaves room for adjustment, and after I put some more taper in the comb toward the front, it should be just right. Making rear-sloping comb taper toward the front like a wedge compensates for the recoil bite of the rear-angling slope, and also helps prevent the receiver from bucking away from the face under recoil.