Sako Finnbear De Luxe

[bloorooster]

Hey Sako fans!
Thought I would share my latest acquisition, a L61R in 30-06. I found it to be in very fine condition. The pad is showing the typical breakdown but I have seen worse, all in all...I think its freakin' awesome!
Ser# 28XXX puts it mid to late 60's...It has that perfect feel to it, balance and weight. I have had a few Finnbears and they were all way heavier. My 25-06 is way heavier.
At the range...she did what they all do. I shot two groups with the first and second shot touching...then the flyer put it out to an inch at best. Still...for a 50 year old gun. I'll take it. The flyers are my fault anyways! (50 year old eyes) ~Bloorooster

 

[stonecreek]

Congratulations on a great find! I suspect it has the open nut on the LH side of the stock crossbolt, and is Bofors Steel. Correct? But 28,000 is pretty close to the transition point, give or take a few.

The more slender stocks and barrels of the earlier Finnbears make them by far the more desirable to me. The early ones just feel best when cradled between your two hands. The beefier ones shoot just fine (and soak up more recoil), but there is just no comparison in "feel" between them when carrying in the field.

 

[bloorooster]

Yes Stone, you are correct, open recoil bolt/lug and bofors stamped. The gun came with a really nasty bolt assembly, I thought it was rust at first, but upon closer inspection and the aid of a pair of dollar store reading glasses I found it to be dried up kosmoline and crud... there was a small bit of rust forming in the mag well from being "put away wet" a lite soaking of oil and some 4/0 steel wool and she looks like new. I would almost bet it hasn't been fired more than a box full of times. the bolt handle has some bluing loss as does the edge of the muzzle more than likely from being taken in and out of a gun case of some type. The bearing surfaces of the bolt handle and cocking piece show almost zero bluing loss. The bolt face is clear with only a hint of primer wear. I have seen hang tag data that suggests shipping dates from 65 to 67 in the 28000 range. Mine has a plunger type floorplate release and pear shaped bolt knob. I have often wondered when the plunger release started being used...my guess was around 67, but who knows for sure.~Bloo

 

[Rocky]

Very nice Sako you have there Bloo. I like the color of the wood. Great find!

 

[bloorooster]

Hey thanks Rocky!
The timber on this one is probably the best of all my D's as far as color and grain character. nice fiddleback on 80%.
I have also noticed that the stocks of the eariest examples of deluxes have sharper forearm edges and deeper checkering. One can feel the difference more than it can be seen~Bloo

 

[misako50]

Bloo- the old deluxes can be like a time capsule to someone who appreciates them and knows what to look for. I haven't been paying attention to what is available of late but that looks like a snatch and grab gun. Didn't take much time to think about buying it.?-Misako

 

[bloorooster]

Misako...This is the gun I spoke of in your "Buyers remorse" thread...I didn't think I would touch it for what I bid on it. I didn't know I had won it for two or three days after the auctions end. ~Bloo

 

[stonecreek]

I have seen hang tag data that suggests shipping dates from 65 to 67 in the 28000 range. Mine has a plunger type floorplate release and pear shaped bolt knob. I have often wondered when the plunger release started being used...my guess was around 67, but who knows for sure.~Bloo

The "Bofors" barrel, serpentine floorplate release (with square floorplate tang), and open-centered crossbolt nut kinda go together, but during any transition period with Sako you're going to find some mixing and matching. My best guess is that the plunger-type floorplate release was 1968 or later and that your action was a "bottom of the bin" earlier action which didn't get made into a rifle until the plunger floorplates were in use. But it's anybody's guess, really. What counts is that you've got an early Finnbear with all of the attributes except the serpentine floorplate release, which is the most nominal (least important) of all of the early Finnbear features. The svelte stock contour is the most important in my estimation. The next most important is the open-centered crossbolt nut, since that is coupled with a flat-surfaced recoil bolt which my prejudices tell me is more conducive to accuracy. The Bofors Steel mark, although much sought after due to its visibility and frequent discussion, really means nothing since subsequent Sako barrels continued to be hammer-forged from the same steel.

 

[bloorooster]

Thanks Stone, In my observations and ponderings here, it always seemed to me that the Bofors stamp and the smaller barrel and stock contours had the square tang floorplates. With the Finnbear coming in later in comparison to the L579's, which have the early inside release, then the "S" type, then the plunger...I have a Forester numbered in the 25xxx's which has the inside release. The L461's started with the "S" type along with the L61R (Not to mention the Sako Hi Power which probably used Mausers floorplates). I have seen Finnbear sporters that had Bofors stamps and plunger releases but not many. Trying to make sense out of it is fun...but not as fun as hunting and shooting it... Is it also true that Bofors steel was used until 78'? ~Bloo

 

[misako50]

Misako...This is the gun I spoke of in your "Buyers remorse" thread...I didn't think I would touch it for what I bid on it. I didn't know I had won it for two or three days after the auctions end. ~Bloo

Bloo- have you decided what you will name the new addition to your "brothel".-Misako

 

[bloorooster]

I have not found one to fit...And it's not a "brothel"...It's more of a "Harem"~Bloo

 

[misako50]

 

[topgear]

I like your harlem a lot Bloo!

 

[bloorooster]

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=442394942

Take a close look at this one guys..I don't know the seller nor am I promoting the auction. This rifle has a plunger type release and is also Bofors stamped...Ser.# 64xxx~Bloo

 

[16b410]

Another earlier Sako (very late 26xxx serial) stamped Bofors, open cross-bolt with the plunger release where there would likely be the 'S' release. This rifle was horribly abused and brought back from the dead. So beaten up that when I bought it, I was only buying it for the parts. Dad named this rifle Lazarus.

 

[bloorooster]

Lazarus is a good name! Did you have evrything ceracoted? What type of stock are you using?I like the look of it.

I saw another exemple of the bofors stamp/plunger release combination recently. the serial # escapes me but it was a Forester with bofors stamping, plunger type bottom metal and the stock had no black pistol grip cap, two point forearm checkering pattern.

That is the interesting part of these fine rifles...All the Sakoddities that come up! I must add this fact, there are a bunch of "putogether" Sako's around, with parts from almost all period changes. Its very hard to be absolute about many rifles because of this. I remember seeing one that was bofors stamped but was installed in a AII Stock. The barrel channel was made for the heavier barrel contour of the AII and the slimmer barrel was free floating, very free floating.~Bloo

 

[stonecreek]

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=442394942

Take a close look at this one guys..I don't know the seller nor am I promoting the auction. This rifle has a plunger type release and is also Bofors stamped...Ser.# 64xxx~Bloo

SN 64,000 is very high for a rifle with a Bofors-marked barrel. Such an action would presumably have been manufactured well after the Bofors stamp was dropped. Just illustrates once again that Sako often mated parts of various ages into finished rifles. I have an L61R with an SN in the 49,000's with no Bofors mark. Sako always keeps us guessing.

 

[16b410]

Bloo, I don't know what the coating is really called, but the 'smith who did the work calls it K-cote S/S M-50-1 on the receipt. It matches the silver Leupold in color and texture to perfection. The stock is the original. I filled in the many gouges with wood putty, then I bead-blasted the whole thing. I then shot it with satin black marine enamel, leaving a very 'composite' looking stock. The cap spacer is a piece of aluminum I cut and fit. The fat end wears a pad from an 'A' series Sako, and the business end wears a break put there for looks. The previous owner cut the barrel off right behind the front sight. The bent trigger guard came out better than I thought it would - I was lucky with my torch and a small anvil I was loaned. It was fun doing the work and the rifle shoots like it's grateful to be saved.

 

[scottbitterman]

Stonecreek i have a 22-250 with serial 74074 and it is marked bofors.I have always thought because the 22-250 barrel was the same as a 222 the more then likely had been laying around and used as sako got to them. also my rifle does not have a black pisto grip.

 

[bloorooster]

16b410...with the combination of the K-kote and the marine enamel, you should have a hunting rifle that will withstand whatever Ma' Nature has in store while still preserving the original balance and feel of your Bear. Most composite stocks seem to change everything in that respect. The aluminum pistol cap is a nice touch. Good job! Lazarus should serve you well..~Bloo