greetings from Finland, from a Dutchman

[Arian]

So I have been reading on this forum for a while and finally got tempted to register. Iam on my way to owning my second sako soon, an L61r in 30-06 on top of my A3 full stock in 30-06. Why? because it looks like the 6.5x55 is sold out around here and i like my classic cartridges.

Iam not a fullblown Sako collector yet, being very partial to my old Husqvarna guns but maybe the L61r can convince me. Looking for sub MoA accuracy in guns this old may be foolish but i just cant bring myself to buy a modern rifle and iam looking to hit a rabbit at 200m. Sako may just overtake the huskies is the full stock is any indication.

Otherwise iam a big history buff and most of my interest in firearms comes from that perspective

 

[icebear]

Welcome to the group! And do feel free to post photos of your rifles. Many of us like Husqvarna too.
And as for getting MOA accuracy from old guns - here's a bit of encouragement. This target was shot with a .30-06 AIII fullstock like yours. Ammo was handloaded with fast-burning powder to minimize noise, flash, and muzzle blast.

 

[paulsonconstruction]

We love pictures of rifles & your hunting areas!!

 

[mattimoose]

So I have been reading on this forum for a while and finally got tempted to register. Iam on my way to owning my second sako soon, an L61r in 30-06 on top of my A3 full stock in 30-06. Why? because it looks like the 6.5x55 is sold out around here and i like my classic cartridges.

Iam not a fullblown Sako collector yet, being very partial to my old Husqvarna guns but maybe the L61r can convince me. Looking for sub MoA accuracy in guns this old may be foolish but i just cant bring myself to buy a modern rifle and iam looking to hit a rabbit at 200m. Sako may just overtake the huskies is the full stock is any indication.

Otherwise iam a big history buff and most of my interest in firearms comes from that perspective

Hei, Arian! Good to see more people from Finland on here; even if you are Dutch and like Swedish guns. I am surprised 6.5x55 is hard to get in Finland; but you can get .30-06? Both are indeed classics. I am jealous, I have never even been to Finland-yet. 6.5x55 was classically hard to get when I was young. A lot-of people, here, in Canada, were taking 2 threads off the barrel shanks of 1896 mausers; and re-loading with similarily chopped 6.5x55dies and .308 brass. This was in the early 80s. Kinda like .260 Remington . Now it seems like madness. My favourite classics by far are my Norwegian Krag-Jorgensens so you're not alone in your historical tastes.

 

[mattimoose]

I am only half-Finn so It's OK for me to like Husqvarna chainsaws.

 

[Arian]

Hei, Arian! Good to see more people from Finland on here; even if you are Dutch and like Swedish guns. I am surprised 6.5x55 is hard to get in Finland; but you can get .30-06? Both are indeed classics. I am jealous, I have never even been to Finland-yet. 6.5x55 was classically hard to get when I was young. A lot-of people, here, in Canada, were taking 2 threads off the barrel shanks of 1896 mausers; and re-loading with similarily chopped 6.5x55dies and .308 brass. This was in the early 80s. Kinda like .260 Remington . Now it seems like madness. My favourite classics by far are my Norwegian Krag-Jorgensens so you're not alone in your historical tastes.

6.5x55 is easier to find further south and along the coast, it sounds stereotypical but generally swedish speakers use 6.5 and finnish speakers use 30 cals, 30-06 is everywhere just like 308 and 9.3x62. 6.5x55 has remained the odd one unless you are from a swedish speaking area. 308, 30-06 and 6.5x55 are considered the allrounders here up to moose and bear but 6.5 tends to be discarded as too light for moose and too heavy and fast for small game. Also the country is built on 30 cals and Conversions of those that only require necking up a bit like 8x53r mausmosin. Unlike Sweden the 6.5 mausers where considered pretty fancy as well and are still priced as such. If any of the Finns here have a husky or sako in 6.5 they want to rehouse for good money tho iam game

 

[Arian]

have only 1 rifle at them moment my a3, husky is marked as a military mauser but in sporter stock and chambered in 9.3x62, unfortunately at the gunsmith at the moment due to what appears to be a small crack in The front ring and Will likely be left there if repair cost exceeds The Price of a 1600 in 6.5x55 Otherwise i have a tikka m97 shotgun in 12/76 and my real game getter a husky 310as from 1912. laws here require a shooting test for rifles and i picked up my first rifle after those past last year so shotgun only challenge. The husky took 2 roe deer, one White tail and 57 hare. Il find some pictures when i retun from my hunt, last days of hare season here. Got the 310as with me, for a shotgun it has some crazy range.

 

[stonecreek]

The husky took 2 roe deer, one White tail and 57 hare

The whitetails came from deer shipped to Finland from Michigan in the 1930's by Finnish ex-patriots. I understand that they've done well in Finland. Photos of game you have taken are always appreciated!

 

[Arian]

I am not mutch a pictures guy but here some pictures of the guns used this hunting season and the unfortunate victims of the husky 310AS.

 

[Arian]

The whitetails came from deer shipped to Finland from Michigan in the 1930's by Finnish ex-patriots. I understand that they've done well in Finland. Photos of game you have taken are always appreciated!

they have done so well that in my hunting area small herds can be seen. Unlike roe deer they are subject to a special permit tho, to hunt them you must either pass a shooting test with a rifle or use slugs. My husky loves 28g brenneke surprisingly enough, white tail taken from 40 meters with only The bead at dusk. We have no limitation on hunting hours btw so night hunting is the norm.

 

[Arian]

If all goes well il be adding another husky shotgun soon, this time from the 1940s, they started making 70mm chambers then. I tried the Tikka, i tried a mossberg, i tried an over/under. Nothing lives up to that husky in pure shooting pleasure and long range patterning, peppering a hare from 50 meter is nothing to the husky. I suspect its the full taper and 29" barrels with more than full choke. Longest kill was 65m on a brown hare on the frozen lake with no2 pellets. Fired both barrels and the hare didnt move a meter.
But enough husky simping from me, iam entering Sako territory now. Its just hard to imagine someone outdoing the swedes when it comes to sheer pragmatic quality with a dash of style My current quest is to find a vintage rifle that will keep up with the modern tikka rifles my buddies use to show them newer isnt nessesarily better. Think iam on the right track with the l61r? the a3 carbine is accurate but not always consistent, bit sensitive to getting moisture in the front stock. wich is problematic when hunting in slushy wet snow

 

[stonecreek]

Yes, you're on the right track looking for an L61R. No problem with the successor AIII, AV, and L691, or even the Model 75 for that matter. I have no experience with anything newer so can't comment.

I enjoy your comments on the Husqvarna shotguns. They seem to be fairly plentiful and not as expensive as some competitors. Is lead shot still in use in Finland, or are you required to use steel?

 

[icebear]

One technical point - the AIII and the L61R are basically the same thing. The biggest differences are that the AIII has a shrouded cocking piece and a reshaped stock. The basic action is identical. I am not sure about the barrel - the A-series guns may have a slightly heavier barrel than the L1R, or the barrel may be the same as the later version of the L61R. The early L61R barrels were noticeably more slender and lighter in weight than the later version.

 

[Arian]

Yes, you're on the right track looking for an L61R. No problem with the successor AIII, AV, and L691, or even the Model 75 for that matter. I have no experience with anything newer so can't comment.

I enjoy your comments on the Husqvarna shotguns. They seem to be fairly plentiful and not as expensive as some competitors. Is lead shot still in use in Finland, or are you required to use steel?

lead is fine for grouse, hare, deer, basically all your forest and field shooting. For waterfowling i use the tikka m97 altho the husky is so well built i feed it slugs and bioammo blue shells without a second thought. Got the husky for 140 euro, fully engraved and balanced perfectly about a cm from the trigger guard. I just cant like another shotgun the action is flawless, ejectors work great on it and the choke on it is rather unique. I dong know if this is normal on shotguns from the early 1900s but rather than a choke at the muzzle the barrel is a perfect taper from the cone wich seems to work incredibly well for botg slugs and shot, i get about 40cm near round patterns at 30m. Hitting moving targets is a challenge but i mostly ambush hunt on the edge of fields and in forest clearings.

A 190 euro simson suhl S quality from 1955 was offered to me today and iam tempted to try it but permits are such a pain that iam very hesitant to use up the permit i currently have (aquisition permit) on it rather than looking for a post 1940 310 in nicer condition(mine has a small rib seperation wich hasnt hurt anything so far)

 

[bloorooster]

My current quest is to find a vintage rifle that will keep up with the modern tikka rifles my buddies use to show them newer isnt nessesarily better. Think iam on the right track with the l61r? the a3 carbine is accurate but not always consistent, bit sensitive to getting moisture in the front stock. wich is problematic when hunting in slushy wet snow

The L61r will probably show a better level of accuracy with the longer barrel and Sporter stock.
The 2 piece Mannlicher stock was designed to have some flexibility in that joint under the barrel band. I have one in a Forester or L579 that’s been hunted in snow conditions over the years with no problems.

 

[Arian]

One technical point - the AIII and the L61R are basically the same thing. The biggest differences are that the AIII has a shrouded cocking piece and a reshaped stock. The basic action is identical. I am not sure about the barrel - the A-series guns may have a slightly heavier barrel than the L1R, or the barrel may be the same as the later version of the L61R. The early L61R barrels were noticeably more slender and lighter in weight than the later version.

the particular one i found locally has a deer engraved into the floorplate with a gold coloured inlay and is entirely uncheckered with what seems to be a bone cap under the grip, gun is lighter than the Full stock AIII but the barrel is heavier than iam used to seeing on rifles like that. It seems almost new, shiny bolt, very stiff to rotate into battery, wood has a few tiny dents but is otherwise imaculate. It has a ladder rear sight and rather long buttstock( good because iam 6,6 in liberty units) What strikes me as odd is the inlayed engraving and fancy grip on what looks like the most basic uncheckered squared off stock i have seen so far. Receiver is also very squared, edges are almost sharp. Pictures Will follow once i get my permit in order to go pick it up. Paying 500 for it.

 

[Arian]

The L61r will probably show a better level of accuracy with the longer barrel and Sporter stock.
The 2 piece Mannlicher stock was designed to have some flexibility in that joint under the barrel band. I have one in a Forester or L579 that’s been hunted in snow conditions over the years with no problems.
View attachment 33854

biggest issue for mine is swelling of the wood right where the stock joins, it causes pinching underneath the barrel band and groups open up to an unacceptable 20cm.... Its really bad. In dry conditions there is absolutely no issue tho. Its the half melted slush on multi day hunting trips that does it. I think it will make a good driven game rifle but for my usual snow stalking around the lakes iam hoping the l61r will be more reliable.

 

[bloorooster]

20cm! Holy chit!

 

[Arian]

20cm! Holy chit!

yea, and it has more issues, had it checked out this morning, overoiling by the previous owner causes the screws to come out of The Wood after a few shots. I fear i payed 800 for a lemon there. Cant entirely fault the rifle, previous owner did a great job intentionally covering up the issues. dont think i can ethically sell it like this so its going to the smith as well. Hopefully its going to be an easy fix. I havent actually owned any rifles before last season and only handled museum pieces so iam learning the hard way what to look for in a used rifle.

 

[bloorooster]

Understood…that shouldn’t be too hard to remedy with a little skill and craftsmanship. The holes can be cleaned and filled or possibly doweled carefully and then refitted properly.
Still not a bad gun for the money IMO