• 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

Meaningless GB Auctions

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

A note on Keystone Arms. They seem to get top prices, frequently above-market prices, for most everything they sell. They are very big in the military semiauto sector. I attribute this partly to the excellence of their presentation. Many photos, on contrasting backgrounds, well executed, in focus, and usually providing a complete picture of the gun. They don't always respond to questions. I once e-mailed them about a semiauto that appeared to be a European-market dewar. Never got an answer. I have no input on whether all their bids are legitimate. No knowledge, so no opinion. I haven't personally purchased anything from them.
 
OMG, we've got phony boxes, labels, tags, restocked, re-barellled and now home made swivel protectors! I get the idea of collector items and desire to preserve them but it's my preference to responsibly shoot my guns, wind up the tach, and pop some vintage corks
 
Speaking of Keystone arms, I am wondering why there's been no comment in regard to keystone's recent GB sale of an A2 7.62x39 mannlicher. I recall a lively thread a few years back regarding the exact same rifle.
 
AII Mannlicher 7.62x39 went for $5,475.
Keystone smart marketing language of “ultra rare”, “holy grail”, “rare”, etc conveys exclusivity & seem to get a premium. Last 7.62x39 AII mannlicher in as good a condition before this recent sale went for about $2,000.
 
AII Mannlicher 7.62x39 went for $5,475.
Keystone smart marketing language of “ultra rare”, “holy grail”, “rare”, etc conveys exclusivity & seem to get a premium. Last 7.62x39 AII mannlicher in as good a condition before this recent sale went for about $2,000.
I still am leery of that carbine. The barrel /caliber stamping is suspect to my eyes. Marked box aside.
 
Keystone smart marketing language of “ultra rare”, “holy grail”, “rare”, etc conveys exclusivity & seem to get a premium.
I agree, and I don't quite understand why buyers fall for that BS. GB must have fifty Holy Grails for every item that actually might fit that description., and Keystone is a master of that kind of language. I guess people just don't do their homework, don't know what is truly rare, and don't research the market before bidding.

I don't really trust Keystone. I've seen a couple of items I thought were dodgy, and as I mentioned in a previous post, my e-mail attempting to clarify one of them went unanswered. I might buy something from them if I was sure of it from the photos and if it was not selling for a ridiculous price.
 
Maybe the buyer is aware of the BS, but does not care. Just wants the item, perceiving it is, in fact, rare. willing to go overboard for the opportunity.
 
I agree, and I don't quite understand why buyers fall for that BS. GB must have fifty Holy Grails for every item that actually might fit that description., and Keystone is a master of that kind of language. I guess people just don't do their homework, don't know what is truly rare, and don't research the market before bidding.

I don't really trust Keystone. I've seen a couple of items I thought were dodgy, and as I mentioned in a previous post, my e-mail attempting to clarify one of them went unanswered. I might buy something from them if I was sure of it from the photos and if it was not selling for a ridiculous price.
That same gun was for sale about 4 years ago for the asking price of $6500. I don't know if it sold or, if it did, what it sold for. I believe the 7.62 Mannlicher is a legit factory rifle as I don't know how one could fake the import stamp. The hand stamped SAKO & the caliber would be expected on a rifle chambered in a non-standard round in very low numbers. Why would Sako make a complete roll stamp for just a few or maybe one rifle? I'm not the only one that did some homework on that rifle and my opinion is that if one was a serious collector of rare Mannlichers in rare "metric" calibers & prefer NIB rifles that one is truly rare, if not the Holy Grail. It started as a penny auction & was contested till the end, so the hammer price could very well be it's current market value. That rifle is much more rare than the old L46's in 218 Bee & 22 Hornet that are selling for even more money. Just my two cents.
 
I have a 7.62x39 mannlicher with similar stamping that includes the Sako lion Logo, photo attached. Of 4 7x57’s I have, 1 has similar stamping on the side of the barrel with the other 3 on on the top of the barrel. I believe the same side stamping on a non-GO xxx .280 Rem. I agree with Paulson that on short run calibers this is not unusual but an exception to the general standard caliber production.
Caveat: good to be skeptical & examine closely to verify before committing.
 

Attachments

  • 7DBA468A-2CB5-4BF1-B707-B9E78381F468.jpeg
    7DBA468A-2CB5-4BF1-B707-B9E78381F468.jpeg
    206.1 KB · Views: 45
  • 87B81092-1CEA-4A93-8DD2-5D6C85BDDCC2.png
    87B81092-1CEA-4A93-8DD2-5D6C85BDDCC2.png
    58.9 KB · Views: 44
  • 0933AD04-47B8-4ACF-A2C8-DC6BE8F81DAD.jpeg
    0933AD04-47B8-4ACF-A2C8-DC6BE8F81DAD.jpeg
    57.3 KB · Views: 45
Last edited:
I think that Spaher's post pretty much confirms the stampings are factory! I would be curious if the import stamp is on top of the barrel like the rifle on GB. I guessing "84" stamp right of the Lion's Head proof stamp on the barrel is the year it was built.
 
Paulson, I’m a few days away from these Sako’s but will follow up & do a closer inspection on import marks, etc with photos & post the info.
 
Paulson, attached photos of import mark on barrel & serial no. with same first 3 digits of my 7.62x39 mannlicher.
Separately other mannlicher’s with side barrel stamping in 7mm-08, 30-06, .308, (rather than top of barrel), also 6ppc heavy barrel & 45599A5C-103A-4BA7-A3D1-DB796BF66D42.jpeg 97D4255A-4109-47CE-B7C5-9BB48052166B.jpeg DDC2DBA1-EDA6-45A5-A3F0-FB67F66EF2CD.jpeg 3ABC1DB0-80C8-455E-A087-C02BD5FEEBA3.jpeg FED458EE-748B-434B-9C69-69C1F150D2BC.jpeg B191AE7C-06CC-4D6A-BD16-2315C415C25A.jpeg 4AC2F678-8020-454B-ADBF-8C7405242B5A.jpeg also on several varmint Sako’s that I’ve not included.
 
Paulson, attached photos of import mark on barrel & serial no. with same first 3 digits of my 7.62x39 mannlicher.
Separately other mannlicher’s with side barrel stamping in 7mm-08, 30-06, .308, (rather than top of barrel), also 6ppc heavy barrel & View attachment 28722 View attachment 28723 View attachment 28724 View attachment 28725 View attachment 28726 View attachment 28727 View attachment 28728 also on several varmint Sako’s that I’ve not included.
Thanks for taking the time to post these photos. Top of the barrel import stamp is a new one for me. Sako can always surprise us!
 
Import stamping/etching on top of the barrel is horrible & I will venture to say due to a lazy employee faced with a mannlicher, so took an easy quick route with disregard to aesthetics.
 
Import stamping/etching on top of the barrel is horrible & I will venture to say due to a lazy employee faced with a mannlicher, so took an easy quick route with disregard to aesthetics.

Probably common on such guns as mine. but I have (in Canada yet where such markings are not used) an Italian Tikka 512S shotgun, marked on the side of the barrel 'imported by Stoeger, N.J.' Looks out of place to me.
 
Back
Top