North American Arms Grizzly

[waterwolf]

I see this ad in Canada (WTS : North America Arms Grizzly (canadiangunnutz.com)).
It is not my ad, but I once owned a NAACO "Sako" in .22 and it had a Sako marked barrel on it, as well as being a Sako action.

"Time to let go of my piece of Canadian firearms history. North America Arms was a small manufacturer from Toronto. They were one of a few manufacturers that used the Sako action to make their guns. This is a Grizzly in .308. It utilizes the L57 action from Sako. From what I know of the rifle, everything is original. It is in very good condition with handling marks as shown. You will notice that the barrel has a reddish bronzey finish. Front hooded sight and rear peep. I have taken 1 deer with this rifle. Round count is unknown since I am not the original owner. I have put 21 rounds through the rifle. I was able to put together 2” groups of 3 at 100 metres. $1100 with shipping included. Insurance is on the buyer. No trades please. Thanks for looking."

 

[icebear]

That is one good looking rifle! I've never seen one before but I'll be on the lookout for one if it turns up this side of the border.

 

[stonecreek]

A very scarce proprietary Sako, and it even comes with a Sako peep sight. For about $880 USD it's not a bad price for a dedicated Sako guy.

I don't think anyone has a handle on just how many of these Canadian Sakos were built, but it can't be a large number.

 

[waterwolf]

 

[waterwolf]

I note it has been sold. The ad was only up for a day or two.

Maybe someone on this forum got it.

 

[stonecreek]

Curiously, the NAACO ad shows both models with Monte Carlo stocks, but the pictured rifle has a straight stock which doesn't appear to be altered. There must be rare variations among this rare group of rifles -- makes them all the more interesting, and virtually unobtainable to U.S. Sako enthusiasts.

 

[icebear]

Looking at that old magazine ad or catalog page, the gun that was just sold was the deluxe grade, and appears to have been in near-mint condition. I'd say whoever bought it got a real bargain.

 

[waterwolf]

I see this empty can in a Canadian on-line firearms accessories auction. Might be nice to have if you own a NAACO Sako. (Hoppe's Guide to Gun Cleaning & Empty Naaco Gun Solvent Can (icollector.com))

 

[waterwolf]

 

[stonecreek]

That catalog is a great find! Thanks for publishing!

It also illustrates why you should never depend on catalog listings to accurately show what was actually being manufactured and offered.

To my knowledge no one has ever seen one of the NAACO "Model 100" Finnwolfs. And as we know, no long action Finnwolf (other than possibly a prototype) was ever manufactured.

But it is clear than NAACO had reason to believe that a long action Finnwolf was coming their way since they listed it in their catalog. This adds to the mystery of why Sako never came through with a long action Finnwolf -- along with the question of why they dropped their efforts to market a semi-auto after building several prototypes. I fear that the answers to these questions have gone to the grave along with the factory personnel of the day.

Also, the NAACO catalog gets it right that the L46-based "Model 80" was a 4-shot rifle (three down plus one), but it is inconsistent in that it lists the L57 "Model 50 & 60" as a 5-shot rifle, when it was actually 5 + 1. The lesson here is to never rely on commercial catalogs for accurate information. In the first place, the copy is written by advertising or marketing personnel who may not fully understand the products. And, the catalogs are often prepared far in advance and are prospective, meaning that the items they advertise may never have actually made it to market -- or even been manufactured for that matter.

 

[marlin92]

Very interesting Thanks WaterWolf

 

[icebear]

A deluxe grade Grizzly just sold on Gunbroker for $1780. I was thinking about bidding, but I didn't want it badly enough to spend that kind of money.
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/901225631

 

[stonecreek]

A deluxe grade Grizzly just sold on Gunbroker for $1780. I was thinking about bidding, but I didn't want it badly enough to spend that kind of money.
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/901225631

I just saw that. Bringing that price obviously means it went to someone who appreciated its uniqueness and scarcity (a "collector", whether he might regard himself that way or not) and not just a shooter. I can't help but believe that the discussions we've had here on this forum have brought about more interest and information regarding Sako models and variations, which is reflected in the growing market for them.

 

[bigcountry4me]

I just saw that. Bringing that price obviously means it went to someone who appreciated its uniqueness and scarcity (a "collector", whether he might regard himself that way or not) and not just a shooter. I can't help but believe that the discussions we've had here on this forum have brought about more interest and information regarding Sako models and variations, which is reflected in the growing market for them.

I also believe the forum has an influence. The forum has provided and educational tool for members (myself included) as well as, those simply trying to gleam information. I know sometimes I gripe about the rising prices of the older standard Sako rifles. However, and truth be told, even in comparison to other vintage rifles of similar quality, Vintage Sako rifles still can be a good or a great buy for the type of quality received.

 

[Mark Kobrin]

I'm the person that bought the Grizzly. I'm a new member to this group. You are correct in that your discussions about this rare rifle piqued my interest in it. After reading your conversations I guess it was just plain luck that this rifle came up for auction. It may seem like the final price was over the top, however realistically how often does this brand of gun come up for sale? It also appears to be in pretty good shape. One question I do have for the people more in the know than me (just about everyone on this forum) is that in all the pictures I have seen of this rifle it seems to have sights. This one does not have front or rear sights. Was that just an option on this model? In any event I appreciate being able to come on this forum and acquire knowledge on rifles that did not use the Sako brand but did use Sako components.

 

[icebear]

It appears from the photos that the rifle was built without sights. I can see no screw holes or evidence of unsoldering and spot bluing. Unfortunately, the mediocre quality of the photos makes it hard to be sure. The rifle was made by a small manufacturer; such outfits frequently are willing to custom produce an uncatalogued variation for a customer. You'll know soon enough.

 

[Mark Kobrin]

It appears from the photos that the rifle was built without sights. I can see no screw holes or evidence of unsoldering and spot bluing. Unfortunately, the mediocre quality of the photos makes it hard to be sure. The rifle was made by a small manufacturer; such outfits frequently are willing to custom produce an uncatalogued variation for a customer. You'll know soon enough.

That is for sure. Again I want to thank the guys on this forum for being so willing to share info on such a rare gun. I looked everywhere on the internet after initially learning about the gun here. All links were back to you guys. I don't think there is any other source of info other than here.

 

[gunner620]

Mark, can't remember where I copied this from but may be of interest to you. Hope you be able to enlarge it. Jim

 

[stonecreek]

Mark, congratulations on your buy.

I can't say if the rifle ever had sights, but it was not uncommon during that period for various manufacturers to build "deluxe" models without sights while "standard" models would have iron sights. This was in the period when hunters were still transitioning to optical sights and it was assumed that the upscale hunter would put a scope on his rifle while the guy buying the plainer model might have to shoot it with iron sights due to the cost of a scope, which was considerable in the dollars of more than a half-century ago.

Since the NAACO Grizzly was only marketed in Canada it is truly rare to have the opportunity at one in the U.S. As to its monetary value, well, the auction proves that there is at least one guy who thinks it is almost as valuable as you do. Or it's possible he thinks it is even more valuable and he just ran out of money. Happens to the best of us. Anyway, there will never be any more of them, it is increasingly difficult to get a rifle from Canada to the U.S., and the one you bought is probably in the 98th percentile of condition of all that exist. Bottom line is, you've got a prize.

 

[Mark Kobrin]

Mark, congratulations on your buy.

I can't say if the rifle ever had sights, but it was not uncommon during that period for various manufacturers to build "deluxe" models without sights while "standard" models would have iron sights. This was in the period when hunters were still transitioning to optical sights and it was assumed that the upscale hunter would put a scope on his rifle while the guy buying the plainer model might have to shoot it with iron sights due to the cost of a scope, which was considerable in the dollars of more than a half-century ago.

Since the NAACO Grizzly was only marketed in Canada it is truly rare to have the opportunity at one in the U.S. As to its monetary value, well, the auction proves that there is at least one guy who thinks it is almost as valuable as you do. Or it's possible he thinks it is even more valuable and he just ran out of money. Happens to the best of us. Anyway, there will never be any more of them, it is increasingly difficult to get a rifle from Canada to the U.S., and the one you bought is probably in the 98th percentile of condition of all that exist. Bottom line is, you've got a prize.

Stonecreek thanks for the encouraging words. I can't wait to receive the rifle.