[CaptainCrossman]

how tight should the buttstock bolt be on a Savage 99 rifle ?

is the a torque spec, or just tighten it until it stops, or ??

intuition tells me the tighter the better, but would like input from someone with experience with these guns

[99trix]

Most people think tighter is better, hence the number of tang cracks. Tighten it like you would tighten an oil filter, snug, not overly tight.

[CaptainCrossman]

very good advice, I agree

I'm starting to believe that all the tang cracks are caused by guns that were taken apart, then reassembled and the stock OVER TIGHTENED- not from being too loose.

The more that bolt it tightened, the more the upper/lower tangs of the receiver are rammed into the wood of the stock, eventually cracking the edges.

If the stocks had a socket to go inside of, then they could be turned up really tight- because there's no outside edge to rip open- like a Lee Enfield stock is attached

the stocks on these old Savage 99's are very brittle and fragile- ESPECIALLY the take down models. The wood edges crack as easy as glass ! I would not even take one apart, unless it was malfunctioning, or was getting a total bluing/stock refinish.

[Sav .250]

I see where you go (9) answers to your question on the 24 Campfire forum.
You should be good to go.

[CaptainCrossman]

everyone approaches a repair or defect in a different way, the best approach is get as many opinions and techniques as possible, and give as many as you can think of in return- then there's a database to work from

your reply tends to lean towards limiting the possibilities

if there's 9 replies, I'm open to 20 more, if they're out there

otherwise we'd all still be driving a model T, because there'd be no reason for improvement, right ?

and using outdoor outhouses, instead of indoor plumbing

it pays to think, and progress