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New to me Mannlicher in 243 and questions.

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

DT400

Member
Hi all. I just picked up a Sako AII in 243 with the Mannlicher stock at an estate sale.
I have a couple other Sakos that belonged to my dad and grandad, 30-06 and .308 respectively.
I have been looking in vain to find any real info on it this one.
What I know
243 Cal
A II (stamped just before the Ser#)
Mannlicher stock
Hooded front sight and rear ramp sight.
High gloss finish on stock
barrel band
Checkered top of dove tails
2 pc stock
No plastic cap on pistol grip
20" barrel
It is in gorgeous condition not a dent, scratch or blemish that I can find.
Serial number is 328XXX

Any info would be appreciated (especially a link to a Sako serial number chart if one exists)
Date of manufacture, rarity and if someone knew of an approximate value..I am seeing around $1300 on auction sites but that is just the asking price not selling price.

Thanks

Darrell
 
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I am seeing around $1300 on auction sites but that is just the asking price not selling price.
That's a sage observation. Any idiot can ask any amount they wish, but whether someone will pay it is another question. In this case, however, the benchmark you cite is not far off of the mark -- buyers wouldn't regard it as a bargain while sellers would be hesitant to take much less. Mannlicher Sakos seem to be in fairly strong demand at the present.

Your A-II would have been manufactured sometime in the last year or two of the 1970's, or more likely in the early to mid-1980's. Sako serial numbers are not in chronological order, so you can't depend on the serial number alone for a date.

The A-II Mannlicher usually has a satin, not gloss, finish. The L579 which preceded it had gloss; so your carbine is somewhat unique, although I have no idea how many may have had glossy stocks.
 
Thanks stonecreek.
Were there different grade stocks that might explain the glossy finish on mine?

Darrell
 
Were there different grade stocks
No, there was just a standard grade made in the Mannlicher, but Sako did offer both gloss and matte stock finishes as options on its rifles during the A-series era. It's just that I can't remember seeing an A- Mannlicher with a glossy stock.

Before someone jumps on this answer, yes, Sako did make a tiny handful of prototype Deluxe Mannlichers with skipline checkering, engraved floorplates, etc. But the number was 10 or less and they were never commercially distributed.
 
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