• 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

Sako Finnbear L61R 30-06. Serial number # 3598.

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

dkdivot- I would say very early 1963 and the "build quality" would be excellent. Welcome to the forums and please show us the rifle if you purchase it.-Misako
 
dkdivot28,
Welcome to the forum. I would guess that this rifle was manufactured in the mid 1960's. You will get an "exact date" I am sure from catalog owners, et. al., on the forum. So, we can start from here. The build on an L61R is very good. I have a Deluxe model .30.06 in 5 digit serial number that was made in roughly 1970-71. The rifle you are looking at will most likely have a 3-lug bolt, presumed to be more desirable although not proven any stronger than later models with 2-lug bolts. I do prefer a 3-lug personally. There are two lugs at the bolt face and a third by the bolt handle that slides into a groove machined in the lower part of the receiver.
My Sako L61R .30-06 is a great rifle to shoot and I have never had a problem with it. On the rifle you are looking at, it would be important to check the bore; that it feeds well; that the serial numbers on the receiver and bolt match; and if it is a Deluxe in mint condition at a price you like, then it is a good find. Even if not a Deluxe and you intend to use it for hunting, I'm sure the service life will be good under the circumstances I mentioned. .30-06 is a great cartridge for North American big game with a good variety of bullet weights.
I hope this helps. Can you get a picture or two so we can see it? That would speak volumes more for comments , if you wish.
Glad to have you on board.
Regards,
S-A
 
That's an early number and could be as early as 1962, but Sako tended to use receivers out of order, so you can never be quite sure of the exact date the finished rifle left the factory.

It will have a few things I particularly like in the oldest L61R's: First, the barrel contour is slimmer than later guns which makes the gun a little lighter. Second, the stock also has more slender, less beefy lines. And third, the stock crossbolt has a flat side against the action's recoil lug rather than a round shoulder. I tend to think this makes the action seat in the bedding more consistently.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with later guns, but I just like the features of the older ones in this serial number range.
 
It seems that the "flat side" goes the way of the receivers, bolts, and barrels. I have later models (2) with that flat side of the cross bolt lug. One is a Deluxe .375 H&H, 3-lug. Interesting. The parts fairy was all over the place in Rihiimaki:bigsmile3:
S-A
 
Yep, I'm not surprised to see a "flat side" crossbolt in a later gun. Sako never discarded a useful part and apparently had no problem with sending guns in the same production lot out that varied from one another in small details. It's one thing that makes dabbling in Sakos so interesting.
 
stonecreek</p> said:
It's one thing that makes dabbling in Sakos so interesting.
Stone!
I second that!! What should we all be doing if it wasnxB4t for all the anomalies and "inconsistencies" of Sako rifles??:bigsmile3:
Speaking of anomalies! Anyone who has info on when the barrel contours changed in the 60xB4s??
Jim
 
Jim- The barrel contours changed about 1968. That doesn't mean that there wasn't a mix for a few months. That is just from what I have experienced. The non-bofors marked barrels from that time period were a bit beefier- Prior to 1960, the barrel contours were different , also- They seem to change around any major model change that coinsides with importer change. European rifles may vary (probably do) Misako
 
Misako! Or is it My Seiko??:wink2::evil2:
Thanks a lot! I suspected it was at the end of the 60xB4s but wasnxB4t sure.
Gracias Amigo!
Jim
 
I would love to have a good old seiko- I never had it confused with a sucko!:evil2:
t.gif
-Mike
 
:bigsmile3::bigsmile3::bigsmile3:
Thanks Mike!! Good to know you are not confused!! If so you would have to change your signature to Mental USA!:angel2::evil2:
Jim
 
Very Nice- Also has some real pretty wood and looks to be in excellent condition. Can't tell what the scope is. I lightened it up and turned it.-Misako
 
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