• Hey All! Lately there has been more and more scammers on the forum board. They register and replies to members requests for guns and/or parts or other things. The reply contains a gmail or hotmail address or similar ”anonymous” email addresses which they want you to reply to. DO NOT ANSWER ANY STRANGE MESSAGES! They often state something like this: ”Hello! Saw your post about purchasing a stock for a Safari. KnuckleheadBob has one. Email him at: [email protected]” If you receive any strange messages: Check the status of whoever message you. If they have no posts and signed up the same day or very recently, stay away. Same goes for other members they might refer to. Check them too and if they are long standing members, PM them and ask if the message is legit. Most likely it’s not. Then use the report function in each message or post so I can kick them out! Beware of anything that might seem fishy! And again, for all of you who registered your personal name as username, please contact me so I can change it to a more anonymous username. You’d be surprised of how much one can find out about a person from just a username on a forum such ad our! All the best! And be safe! Jim

Help Identify AV

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

IMG_0833.JPG IMG_0832.JPG Hello, I'm new to the forum and I don't know my Sakos very well so I was hoping for some help to identify this rifle. From what I've researched it seems to be a L61R in 338 win mag made between 1985 and 1989, is this correct? Any history of this model would be great and maybe what you think it's worth? I would love to learn more about these rifles. Thanks.
 
You have an AV Sako sporter. I'm not sure, but IIRC, the rounded forend was called the "Hunter" style stock. There was a light weight shorter barrelled rifle from the same era called the Hunter Model, but I don't believe the 338 came that way. The L61R, the AIII, the AIV & the AV are the same basic action. The AIII & AV stampings denote minor modifications of the L61R. The AIV had a deeper magazine well to accommodate the magnum "Safari" cartridges. If you peruse the forum section on long action Sakos you can learn the basics about your rifle much more efficiently than asking one question at a time. This forum is like an encyclopedia of Sako knowledge & it's just a click on your mouse away. The evolution of the L61R to the AIII, the AIV, & the AV are covered in great detail. It is difficult to date a Sako without a hang tag or factory records, as Sako didn't build rifles in order with the serial numbers & little factory data is available for rifles from that period. Knowing that the change to CNC machining occurred in May of 1985 with serial #589401 I would guess yours was made that same year. Values vary & are based on a host of factors. As you learn more about your rifle you will become better aware of it's market value.
 
What Paulson said. During this period some A-V's came with barrels slightly shorter than the traditional 620mm (24.4" measured from muzzle to bolt face) Finnbear barrels. I think that the shorter barrels measured about 580mm (about 22 7/8"). The second stock crossbolt just in front of the trigger indicates a "Tikka" trigger which Sako used after the Sako #4 trigger was dropped. There's nothing wrong with the Tikka trigger, but most of us are more familiar with the old #4. A late A-V like yours isn't old enough to have collector interest, but lots of shooters like the "Hunter-style" stock with its RH palm swell, so it should be fairly liquid if you should wish to sell it.
 
Ok thank you, yeah I just joined so I plan on doing a lot of research on this forum, you guys seem very knowledgeable and I appreciate the responses.

Another question I had was what are the opinions on changing this into a different caliber? I've worked on a lot of 700's but never sako stuff. I would really like to keep it and turn it into a .257 weatherby. Sorry if there is a similar thread on this but just curious what your thoughts are.
 
As the bolt face for the 338 & the 257 Wby is the same it would be a simple barrel replacement. Put an index mark on the 338 barrel before you remove it & you can screw it back on should you or a new owner want the 338. Not sure if the feed rails would need any work, but I doubt it. You might want to check case body diameters to see if they are close. I recommend you send it to a barrel maker that will do custom contours (all of them don't) & have the barrel contoured to match your factory barrel. Pac-Nor is one that has done custom contouring for me. That way you won't have to do any wood work in the stock's barrel channel. By saving your factory barrel you won't devalue any "originality" should you sell it later. The 338 is a brutal round, for me, to shoot & they are not particularly easy to sell. Although, being in Montana makes it a more attractive rifle than say back east or in the midwest. If you want a 257 Wby, go for it!!
 
Yeah I wanted to go with that 257 so it would be as simple as a barrel swap pretty much, I was going to go with a lilja #3 contour but I like your idea of not in letting the stock if I decided to go back to 338. I see on liljas website they have several factory sako contours but I will certainly be looking at pac-nor. Thanks
 
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