Very early production Savage Model 1899 lever action rifle. The Savage Model 1899 rifle was a firearm well ahead of its time. It featured a slim receiver without an exposed hammer- this was a new development for lever action repeating rifles. With its rotary magazine, it had the advantage of using pointed bullets where most tubular magazine rifles of the time required the use of ballistically inferior flat tipped bullets, thus avoiding the possibility of the tip of one bullet setting off the primer of the loaded round ahead of it in the magazine tube. Rifles without magazine tubes hanging from the barrel (like Winchesters and Marlins) also tended to be more accurate. This was another advantage to the Savage 1899. This example with early serial number 40361 was checked with the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, Wyoming, which retains the original shipping records for the Savage Model 1899. Some members of the museum can access information from serial numbers to obtain information from the original the Savage shipping and manufacturing records. According to these original records, this rifle was “accepted on July 7, 1903 and shipped on July 21, 1903. It was sold to Baker and Hamilton.” Founded in 1849, Baker and Hamilton was a sporting goods dealer in San Francisco, California. In their early days, they supplied goods to the early California gold seekers and later became the famed Colt Revolver San Francisco Agency. Interestingly, the Baker and Hamilton building at Pine, Market and Davis Streets was devastated in the famed 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Their main warehouse, constructed in 1905, is currently a San Francisco landmark. It is also interesting to note that during this time there was a booming business in sea otter hides. Market hunters working along the Pacific Coast nearly exterminated the otters whose pelts could bring upwards of $100 each. It is very possible, even probable, that this Savage Model 1899 rifle was used during this unfortunate historical event. This early example with 26” round barrel (round barrel stated in the record) .303 Savage caliber shows nearly all of the factory original deep blue finish on the barrel. The barrel shows excellent markings and is also fitted with the original buckhorn rear sight with elevator bar and small blade/bead front sight. The receiver blue is intact showing only even thinning with a most attractive appearance. This is unusual as most Model 1899 Savage rifles of such an early vintage show heavy handling wear with most retaining no finish on the receiver. The forend with schnable tip is excellent as is the butt stock which has one stress crack coming back for an inch or two from the receiver on the top left- this is normal and very common because the stock is held to the receiver by a long bolt through the full length of the butt stock from under the butt plate to the receiver. When tightened at the factory to snug the stock to the receiver, stress is placed on the walnut. With changes in temperature and humidity the wood will contract and expand causing “stress cracks” to occur. Almost all early Savage 1899s exhibit this. The action is tight on this example and the sliding safety tab in the lever behind the trigger functions properly. The bore is a little dark with good rifling all the way through. The .303 Savage cartridge was the standard for the Model 1899 and is very similar to the .30-30 Winchester and used a heavier bullet. Many hunters of the time considered it a better big game cartridge than the popular Winchester round with which it was in competition. Brass is once again available and easily found online. The Savage 1899 had a very long production run, but was too expensive to produce and required a great deal of hand fitting to manufacture. The quality of the ‘99 is legendary and rifles like this are in increasingly short supply with demand, not only by collectors but with shooters, very strong. Overall, this 123 year old Savage is in remarkable condition and particularly desirable with the included Savage Factory historical information and association gleaned from the Cody Museum. The rifle weighs 7lbs 8oz. Serial Number: 40361. This firearm qualifies as a Curio & Relic firearm, and requires FFL Transfer or NICS Background Check.