Sako Fullwoods

[Rubicon]

(quote) The L57 and L579 sporter rifle barrels were called 23" but were actually 580mm, or about 22 7/8". The L57/9 Heavy Barrel is a bit longer at 600mm, or 23 5/8 inches. (quote)

Hi Stone, I have an L57 Sporter in .244 with a barrel just under 23" and still have an L579 243 Sporter I bought new in 1973 that is 23 5/8". I thought all 579 Sporters were 23 5/8"? Were really early ones shorter?

Rubicon

 

[Rubicon]

Hi again Stone, just saw where you said you dont take much notice of post 1980's Sako's. Had a chuckle there, can relate to that - in fact my passion is L46's post wing safety. I also like early L461's, L57's and early L579's. Oh, and P54's.

Gorgeous, extremely well fitted and finished, exquisitely balanced little rifles those post wing safety L46's - doubt we will ever see production rifles of their class again, at least not without a price tag that would give you a heart attack!

Rubicon

 

[deergoose]

The L46 rifles are in a class of their own !!!!......a major factor in building Sako's reputation.

Hey, looks like several of you guys have Riihimaki carbines, I'm jealous. Those are scarce and a challenge to find.

DeerGoose

 

[L-46]

The L46 rifles are in a class of their own !!!!......a major factor in building Sako's reputation.

Hey, looks like several of you guys have Riihimaki carbines, I'm jealous. Those are scarce and a challenge to find.

DeerGoose

DG, you would have seen more than most, what calibres have you seen them in?
L-46

 

[pcunder]

So there's a guy I've seen at the local gun shows that's trying to pass off this beat-up L46 as a factory rifle. I'd almost believe it but the barrel is like 18.5-19" long. I did not precisely measure it because I thought since it was leas than 20" someone just cut the barrel down. Maybe I should give it a better look. It's a 222 if I remember.

So Stone, what would the exact measurement be, in metric or English?

I assume I'd measure from a closed bolt-face to the muzzle.

Sorry guys, this is not a Manni but the precise description of the barrel lengths in this thread is what got me going.

(I am considering a full wood custom Forester project, however..)

Thanks,

Phil

 

[stonecreek]

I think you'll find that older Sako barrels, although intended to be of a particular length, may vary slightly. This is because, as we know, Sako never threw anything usable away. Since the barrels were hand-fitted and headspaced, it is possible that a barrel intended to be of "standard length" might check out to have slightly excess headspace once assembled. The cure would be to screw it back out, face off a thread's width from the shoulder, and rechamber and re-install. This might yield a barrel of a few millimeters less than "standard" length. Twenty inches works out to 508mm (depending on the conversion factor you use.) If the original carbine barrels were intended to be 510mm then they wouldn't be enough longer than 20" to detect with a simple rod-down-the-barrel method of measuring barrel length. By the same token, a "refaced" barrel would be within lyin' distance of 20", also.

But if a barrel measured 19", then I'd have to think that was a cut barrel instead of original factory length. Evidence of the front sight having been moved would be the most immediate indicator.

 

[pcunder]

Stone,

Thanks. That's what I was thinking as well. There is NO front site and it seems like all the older Sakos had at least a front site. I'll bring a cleaning rod/tape measure and determine barrel length carefully this weekend when he's back in SA. I need to get this one out of my system. The price is even too high for donor parts.

 

[stonecreek]

I don't recall Sako ever offering a full stock (Mannlicher) without a front sight. Earlier ones were soldered on, and later ones attached with screws, but all had front sights.

 

[L-46]

To me, when people remove the front sight off a fullwood, it just looks like it is missing something! an unfinished project waiting that last touch of class.
But that's just my opinion.
L-46

 

[stonecreek]

To me, when people remove the front sight off a fullwood, it just looks like it is missing something! an unfinished project waiting that last touch of class.
But that's just my opinion.
L-46

My opinion, also.

I came by a later model Mannlicher a few years ago from which a previous owner had removed the screwed-on sights, both front and rear. These later factory sights were from Williams. I studied the Williams spec sheet for quite a while, and if I remember correctly found some sights specified for Sakos. So my dealer called Williams to order and happened to get a knowledgeable employee who told him that the sights we had selected were not what Williams had furnished Sako as OEM, but that he knew which ones were proper and sent those instead. They were a perfect fit and restored the Mannlicher to its original configuration. It's been a while and time moves on, so the "institutional memory" may or may not still exist at Williams, but if you need to restore the sights on a later Mannlicher perhaps Williams can help.

 

[L-46]

7x33 Fullwood

Just wanted to share a photo of this little beauty,
I have to thank Rubicon for saving this one, he had it for about 10 years or more, before being kind enough to pass it on.
Any Sako especially a 'Fullwood', that has been saved from the grips of a 'Mad' shooter, who just wants to remove the fore end, open up the barrel channel, add a bigger cheek piece, and do some 'home' bedding, just to see it does not shoot any better!
These are thin on the ground even over here!

L-46

 

[mattimoose]

Love your gun

 

[L-46]

Matti,
Thank you for sharing your appreciation,

L-46

 

[topgear]

Missed that one when you first posted L-46. Very nice!

 

[mattimoose]

My son and I were-out shooting our .222 Fullwood yesterday in the snow. Rifle seemed to be right at home in the hands of a blue-eyed Finn kid out in the snow. We were shoving potatoes onto branches and blowing them to ratshit with old 50-grain remington ammo in the green boxes

 

[L-46]

Matti,
Great to hear a story like that!
Your Son is very lucky to have such a Cool Dad,
potatoes are plentiful and they are still making bullets.
Happy Days!

L-46

 

[L-46]

The 7x33 Kokotukki

The L46 Long stock, or fullwood was developed in 1947 and introduced in that year. Arma Fennica calls it the model 3 L46.
They produced a small number right through the production run of the 'Domestic' left wing safety model.
I believe this one to be very early in the production run, being numbered just under 2,xxx. They where produced right up until about 6,5xx or the change to RH toggle safety.
They are a really unique version of the L46 fullwood, having a few features that are only found on this model.
They were chambered in 7x33, 6.3x33 and 22 hornet.

L-46

 

[mattimoose]

Iff that had double set triggers I'd faint!

 

[waterwolf]

re: The 7x33 Kokotukki

Beautiful rifle. This is what keeps me going to out-of-the-way gunshops, small gunshows and auctions, etc., because every now and then I find something similar or equivalent.