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Need Help with Savage 99
Ambrose
Member Posts: 3,221 ✭✭✭✭
I am new to this rifle. I have handled and fired a few but never, until now, owned one. This one, according to the Blue Book and member navc130, is a 1940 issue, (almost as old as me!). Aside from some old stock scars and three d/t scope base holes in the top of the receiver it's in great condition. I haven't fired it yet but it feeds, ejects, locks up tight, and the bore looks good. My issue: That brass spool and the magazine well has 80+ years of accumulated crud; the counter numbers can hardly be read. Is there a way to get that spool out of there and cleaned? Is there a book that I should have? I don't want to lose parts (as I have a tendency to do), or otherwise f- this thing up.
Any help is appreciated.
Comments
If it were mine, I would take all the wood off and soak the entire action in Kroil for 24/48 hours, then use a air=compressor outdoors and blow it out really well, now get a large can of Birchwood/casey synthetic/plastic safe gun scrubber and spray the heck out of it, now spray it till it is dripping with your favorite gun oil/lubricant wrap in plastic and let it sit for 24/48 hours, then wipe it down with a cotton soft rags and let it stand upright in a pan of some type for another day, then wipe down again with a soft cotton rag, reattach wood, and I would think if there are no broken parts causing a malfunction the rifle will most likely work correctly, if not at least you tried and haven't lost any parts .
you can remove and clean the 'spool' but check with 'u-tube' for reassembly. getting the spool 'timed' correctly can be a little tricky. start by removing the forend and then the screw that holds the spool in.
I've got a couple of brass spool 99's and have always been told not to remove the spool when cleaning. I would remove the stock and flush the action with a spray gun cleaner and then allow it to drain. You can clean the numbers with a Q-tip. A light application of oil to keep the spool turning freely and then reassemble. Bob
if it has that much crud it may be best to take it to a good gunsmith for a complete disassembly and good cleaning. Like Mike Whiskey said I have read about timing with these.
Thank you, gentlemen, for your advice. I think I'll leave the brass spool in place and clean it up the best I can. It's not nearly as easy to access as the spools on my Mannlicher Schoenauers!
Tank has some excellent suggestions for cleaning without disassembly & I might add a step somewhere in there to use spray brake cleaner. These methods are worth a try before taking things completely apart. I took my 1903 Colt Pocket apart once and it took quite a while to get it back together, a helpless feeling for someone who made a living doing that with machine tools. A humbling experience.....
I have a few 99s and Mannlicher Schoenauer rifles. Adjusting the 99 rotary if it's weak isn't all that difficult. Not so sure about removing it entirely though. The 99 rotary doesn't have much "oomph" behind it when compared to the MS, but it's enough usually. I'd tend to leave it alone so long as it works. To be honest, I never really paid that much attention to the counter. So long as it actually worked the numbers showing didn't much matter to me.
Spool was indeed a bit slugish. Put a drop of Kroil fore & aft, rolled it a little and it perked right up!
Also, I found an old Redfield scope base that fit those d&t holes. I put an old Lyman Alaskan on it and now I've got a first class 1940's deer rig.