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Fist Sako

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

mjbmjb

Active Member
Well, after 4 weeks my FinnBear 30 06 arrived. I am really happy with it and think I did very well. It shows very little wear on the metal parts, is a pre garcia, and has decent wood. It was a very good price (700 US shipped all in). However there is a poorly repaired crack in the forend. I will see how it shoots before deciding what to do about that. If it shoots really well, I may just leave it. The bore is shiny, but I'm not great at judging the rifling. Before it arrived I was contemplating a new stock because of the crack, but now I am thinking it is in pretty good shape overall so I think I'd like to keep it original. I know a 30 06 is not collectable, but I sure would prefer to keep the original stock. I can slide a paper bill between the barrel and stock easily until the rear sight. Do you think this may have been free floated?
 

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Well, after 4 weeks my FinnBear 30 06 arrived. I am really happy with it and think I did very well. It shows very little wear on the metal parts, is a pre garcia, and has decent wood. It was a very good price (700 US shipped all in). However there is a poorly repaired crack in the forend. I will see how it shoots before deciding what to do about that. If it shoots really well, I may just leave it. The bore is shiny, but I'm not great at judging the rifling. Before it arrived I was contemplating a new stock because of the crack, but now I am thinking it is in pretty good shape overall so I think I'd like to keep it original. I know a 30 06 is not collectable, but I sure would prefer to keep the original stock. I can slide a paper bill between the barrel and stock easily until the rear sight. Do you think this may have been free floated?
As paulson has stated, cracks can typically be addressed unless catastrophic results might result. Your rifle is a nice older example . The crack is an easy fix and if correctly executed, the crack would be very difficult to detect. Obviously it presents no safety issues, and keeping the original is warranted in my opinion.
 
I think the difficulty is getting the old glue or epoxy out and maintaining clean edges. Any tips?
So can the crack by slightly pried opened? Or, is it still glued shut? Tough to evaluate from one photo. If the crack can be carefully pried, I’d use a syringe and introduce a glue softener. Even Goof-Off for glue isn’t bad unless it’s a tougher product. Let it soak, the I use a Dremel with a soft wire wheel, an Exacto knife and steel wool to carefully remove the glue.

If it’s still glued shut then you can carefully and slowly work it from the backside. I’d still use the chemical outside to soften or break down the glue. You do not want to pry at all on the outside, You’ll possibly damage or leave pry marks by prying. Any repair such as this requires proper clamping. Obviously any repair will require finish sanding and spot refinishing.

If you have skills or want to tempt faith then by all means take it on - otherwise a good professional wood worker in your area might be a good resource. Best of luck.
 
So can the crack by slightly pried opened? Or, is it still glued shut? Tough to evaluate from one photo. If the crack can be carefully pried, I’d use a syringe and introduce a glue softener. Even Goof-Off for glue isn’t bad unless it’s a tougher product. Let it soak, the I use a Dremel with a soft wire wheel, an Exacto knife and steel wool to carefully remove the glue.

If it’s still glued shut then you can carefully and slowly work it from the backside. I’d still use the chemical outside to soften or break down the glue. You do not want to pry at all on the outside, You’ll possibly damage or leave pry marks by prying. Any repair such as this requires proper clamping. Obviously any repair will require finish sanding and spot refinishing.

If you have skills or want to tempt faith then by all means take it on - otherwise a good professional wood worker in your area might be a good resource. Best of luck.
Cheers
 
If the white line I see in the photo is exposed glue from a botched repair, then there is not much one can do to improve the cosmetics. If it is just the crack we are seeing then you need to relieve wood in the crack by routing it out from the inside of the barrel channel. Then use a epoxy type glue & clamps to bond the crack together. If you put glue in the crack without relief the crack will not go together "quite" all the way & be much more visible on the outside. Properly done & combined with a refinish of the stock that crack can "almost" disappear if, as I said, it hasn't already had a messed up glue job.
 
If the white line I see in the photo is exposed glue from a botched repair, then there is not much one can do to improve the cosmetics. If it is just the crack we are seeing then you need to relieve wood in the crack by routing it out from the inside of the barrel channel. Then use a epoxy type glue & clamps to bond the crack together. If you put glue in the crack without relief the crack will not go together "quite" all the way & be much more visible on the outside. Properly done & combined with a refinish of the stock that crack can "almost" disappear if, as I said, it hasn't already had a messed up glue job.
It is epoxy or glue that you see. I almost think taking a minute bit of it away on the outer side and putting a touch of filler may be the best option. It is too bad as otherwise the rifle is really in great shape for a mid 60s L61R, especially the bluing. I was under the impression from other threads that the barrels are snug to the stock from the factory. This one is free for the first 5 inches or so till the rear sight. Is this normal or do you think it has been altered? I'm undecided as to whether I'm going to take the stock off yet to look at it.
 
Repair looks good on the inside, but it was definitely sanded to free float the barrel. Perhaps whoever did this did it because of the repaired crack. Not the end of the world. Stock sure is light. Put together it is only 7.2 pounds.
 

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That stock was designed with upward pressure at the tip, but there's nothing wrong with a free floating barrel. Personally, I will only float a barrel if I run into accuracy problems that don't respond to other measures. You can also try a shim at the forend tip, being careful to avoid any uneven side pressure. That appears to be an early gun; the early Finnbears had lighter barrels and stocks than later ones. That means that the barrel will heat up quickly and accuracy may fall off after the first couple of rounds. However, the first round and maybe the second are the ones that count in hunting. Shimming the barrel at the forend may or may not help to stabilize the barrel as it heats up.

Pity about that crack but it should be possible to improve it, if not eliminate it entirely. If you decide to try to get rid of the excess glue and try again, you can mix some stain in with the epoxy so any visible glue doesn't stand out so much.
 
That stock was designed with upward pressure at the tip, but there's nothing wrong with a free floating barrel. Personally, I will only float a barrel if I run into accuracy problems that don't respond to other measures. You can also try a shim at the forend tip, being careful to avoid any uneven side pressure. That appears to be an early gun; the early Finnbears had lighter barrels and stocks than later ones. That means that the barrel will heat up quickly and accuracy may fall off after the first couple of rounds. However, the first round and maybe the second are the ones that count in hunting. Shimming the barrel at the forend may or may not help to stabilize the barrel as it heats up.

Pity about that crack but it should be possible to improve it, if not eliminate it entirely. If you decide to try to get rid of the excess glue and try again, you can mix some stain in with the epoxy so any visible glue doesn't stand out so much.
Hmmm...that will be interesting to see about the accuracy. It will be spring before I get a scope and play around with it, other than a couple shots with the iron sights today or tomorrow just to shoot it. Too bad about the free floating, but unless there are obvious issues I'll just leave it. Getting that glue out may be too much of a pain, but I'll think about it. I've done a bit of woodwork in my time and repairing a crack like that initially should have been very easy to do properly. C'est la vie... the gun was priced accordingly and the shape of the metal components more than make up for it. I would have prefered a heavier barrel though.
On another note, doesn't that look very light colored for walnut where it has been sanded?
 
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Hmmm...that will be interesting to see about the accuracy. It will be spring before I get a scope and play around with it, other than a couple shots with the iron sights today or tomorrow just to shoot it. Too bad about the free floating, but unless there are obvious issues I'll just leave it. Getting that glue out may be too much of a pain, but I'll think about it. I've done a bit of woodwork in my time and repairing a crack like that initially should have been very easy to do properly. C'est la vie... the gun was priced accordingly and the shape of the metal components more than make up for it. I would have prefered a heavier barrel though.
On another note, doesn't that look very light colored for walnut where it has been sanded?
European walnut is generally much lighter in color than American Black walnut. So much so that sometimes people confuse it with Maple. Not sure if there is any "proof", but it is thought that Sako used French Walnut. The color, especially of the early L61R stocks, is all in the finish. Once stripped they usually show many color inconsistencies(I've seen splotches of grey wood in them), poor grain structure, & a general "blah" look. Proper staining & a good hand rubbed oil finish can make them much more attractive.
 
I think a lot of the Sako wood from that era isn't walnut at all, but another hardwood from the forests of Finland. It would be interesting to know. The Deluxe grade stocks are French walnut, but I've got my doubts about the standard grade. Sako made military stocks out of Arctic birch, but that doesn't look the same as the wood on Sako L-series rifles.
 
I think a lot of the Sako wood from that era isn't walnut at all, but another hardwood from the forests of Finland. It would be interesting to know. The Deluxe grade stocks are French walnut, but I've got my doubts about the standard grade. Sako made military stocks out of Arctic birch, but that doesn't look the same as the wood on Sako L-series rifles.
I think I agree with you. I have a reasonable amount of experience with different woods, and the sanded bit does not strike me as european walnut. I quite like the stock though in terms of its aesthetics, aside from the forend crack of course.
 
European walnut is generally much lighter in color than American Black walnut. So much so that sometimes people confuse it with Maple. Not sure if there is any "proof", but it is thought that Sako used French Walnut. The color, especially of the early L61R stocks, is all in the finish. Once stripped they usually show many color inconsistencies(I've seen splotches of grey wood in them), poor grain structure, & a general "blah" look. Proper staining & a good hand rubbed oil finish can make them much more attractive.
I think I have to agree with Icebear on this. Not that I care, but from the weight and the look it doesn't strike me as walnut.
 
European walnut is generally much lighter in color than American Black walnut. So much so that sometimes people confuse it with Maple. Not sure if there is any "proof", but it is thought that Sako used French Walnut. The color, especially of the early L61R stocks, is all in the finish. Once stripped they usually show many color inconsistencies(I've seen splotches of grey wood in them), poor grain structure, & a general "blah" look. Proper staining & a good hand rubbed oil finish can make them much more attractive.
I stand corrected. It is definitely walnut.
 

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