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Variations over Time of the Sako Heavy-Barrel Contour

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

South Pender

Well-Known Member
I've been on the lookout for a heavy-barrel Sako in one of the .22 cartridges and have discovered that today's HB models have a much heavier barrel contour than those in the past. I've run across a 75 with the .865" muzzle diameter (same as on my HB 6 PPC A1), and I believe that the 85 HBs have that contour as well. On the other hand, the early L46s seem to have a lighter contour (although I don't have any measurements, having just seen pictures), and the L461 HBs appear to have had a muzzle diameter of about .74". An A1 I ran across in .223 has a muzzle diameter of about .75". (I'm omitting the Browning/Sako HB Safaris, with their stepped barrels and muzzle diameter of only .625".) Since my A1 6 PPC has the heavier (.865") contour, obviously not all A1s had the lighter form.

I think that Sako regarded their two HB PPC offerings as possible bench guns (the box that mine came in has the word "bench" on the flap), but the other A1s were probably seen as true varmint rifles--heavy barrel, but not bench-heavy. I'm curious about what motivated Sako to increase the weight of their HB varmint rifles in the 75 and 85 series.
 
The L46 had two contour variations of the HB. The first being lighter. These changed about 15-18xxx.
The second profile was continued onto the L461 rifles untill the 'Match' or PPC target barrels were produced. Both weights were produced for each model.
 
Dang you guys, always making work for me! You should know that my curiosity will get the best of me and I'll have to go to the safe and dig out mine to measure.

I have Sako HB's in L469 .222 Mag, L461 .222 Mag, L579 .22-250, and L579 .244. All of them hover around .750" at the muzzle and vary by on a few 100/ths. The L469 is a late one, so would be the heavier of the two cited by L-46 above.

I also have a Browning Safari HB in .243 which measures .675", a little more than SPender cites, but he is probably looking at the .222's which may very well be a tad lighter.
 
Good Evening Sako Lovers,

This is just the topic I have been waiting for. Can anyone tell me what the barrel muzzle measures on a 1970 HB Sako L579 .308 Win.? and also the length?

I was given the L579 Receiver, plus the lovely figured stock that came off the above rifle, and I have a new .22-250 Rem. Ack Imp chrome molly barrel blank that I would like to fit in the stock. I would like the new barrel to fit like the original. I do not have the original .308 Win. HB, wish I did!

Regards Blackjack AKA Mike The Limey
 
Hello Enotstehw,

That would be great and I thank you. Of all the Sako models, I have always loved the HB's the most. Your HB L579 .244 Rem. is what dreams are made of!

Regards BJ Mike The Limey
 
Blackjack:
If you have the original stock wouldn't turning your barrel to fit the barrel channel work? Sako HB's are #5 1/2 & #6 straight taper contours (or their European equivalent), depending on era & model. If your blank is not straight taper & at least a #6 contour it's probably not going to work. I have 3 HBs from different eras & models and none measure exactly the same, so any measurement you get from others may or may not be correct for your rifle.
 
Hello Paul,

Thank you for the information regarding Sako HB barrels.

The barrel blank is with a Rifle Smith in Lincolnshire, so I will e-mail him and ask for the measurements of the blank. I know It is not tapered and is a straight blank, which was given to me some years ago. Here is a brief history.

A great rifle-smith friend of mine, who is no longer with us, gave me the barrel blank about 10 years ago. The rifle-smith had 4 barrel blanks. 2 of these barrels were in .308 Win calibre, and the other 2 were in .22-250 Rem. calibre. These barrel blanks came from the Tikka factory in Finland, and were going to be fitted to Tikka rifles for a Police Department in the USA.
How my friend got hold of the barrels I do not know. What I do know is that the barrel blanks were threaded & chambered, and my barrel blank had 1 in 14 stamped on the breach end of the barrel blank. The rifle smith in Lincolnshire tried fitting the barrel blank on to my L579 receiver and the barrel blank screwed on with out any wobble. { a very good tight fit } I just hope that there will be enough material on the barrel blank to fit my Sako HB stock.

Regards BJ Mike The Limey
 
Blackjack:
When I say straight taper I'm referring to a barrel that has no shank of the same diameter for a few inches out from the action before it starts to tamper, but rather tapers in a straight line from the diameter @ the action to the diameter @ the muzzle. This is how the Sako HB's are contoured. If your blank is a straight bull (same diameter end to end) you should be able to turn it to the proper tapered contour to match your barrel channel.
 
Personally, I'd be a bit reluctant to turn down a barrel that had been made as a straight bull barrel for fear of disturbing the interior diameter (of course only slightly), particularly at the muzzle--likely enlarging it a bit, which is just the opposite of what you want at that location. Some high-end target barrels are machined in a way that produces just a slight bit of choke at the muzzle, and, if you look at the Anschutz Target and BR barrels, you'll see a swelling in the OD for about 3-4 inches back of the muzzle--evidently to provide that slight bit of choke.
 
Hello Paul & South Pender,

The barrel blank in question is only a machined blank! not machined for a particular rifle, and not a finished Bull barrel. As I said before the only work carried out was threading & chambering, also stamped with 1 in 14 at the breach end. The 4 blanks were going to be fitted to Tikka rifles back in the late 1970's. These rifles would then be sent to a Police Department in the USA. I will find out this week the measurements of the blank.

Blackjack
 
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