icebear
Sako-addicted
Went to a gun show in Tucson today. For the first time in many months, there was a line to get in. Not only that, a whole extra area of the exhibition hall had been opened to meet the demand for tables. The down side was that an awful lot of the new vendors were peddling jewelry, quack pain remedies, and God only knows what else. As for the gun portion of it - well, there was a genuine improvement in quantity and quality over last time. Still, I get the impression that it weren't for AR's, Glocks, and knife sellers, we wouldn't even have gun shows. There were lots and lots of big multi-table displays of ammo - mostly at elevated prices. The most breathtaking ammo prices were for FN 5.7 ammo. I've been told there's a shortage, and I saw one 50-round box priced at $200.
But wait, there's more! Way in the back there was a guy selling some guns he said belonged to his aunt. Among them were two Sako L46's and a Steyr .222. First guns of that class I've seen in a while. He was just putting away one of the Sakos, which he had sold, but that left one, with some of the prettiest wood I've seen on an L46. And I'm a sucker for wood. I kind of agonized over it, as I have a number of very similar guns, but I couldn't say no to the wood. Price was in keeping with the current market at $1200, including the Lyman Alaskan in old Sako rings. The glass on the Alaskan is surprisingly clear and bright and it's undoubtedly original to the gun. I'll probably leave it on there.
The rifle has a couple of curious features. There's no front sight, which is very unusual on an L46. Oddly, my wing-safety L46 also lacks a front sight. The other oddity is the shape of the forend tip. It's cut at a reverse angle like later Sako stocks, rather than the rounded shape typical of all but the last L46 stocks. I've included a picture of it with my other one to show the difference. I suppose it could have suffered some damage and been recut, but that's inconsistent with the gun's overall condition. Here are a few photos. More in a day or two; I'm a bit rushed at the moment.
But wait, there's more! Way in the back there was a guy selling some guns he said belonged to his aunt. Among them were two Sako L46's and a Steyr .222. First guns of that class I've seen in a while. He was just putting away one of the Sakos, which he had sold, but that left one, with some of the prettiest wood I've seen on an L46. And I'm a sucker for wood. I kind of agonized over it, as I have a number of very similar guns, but I couldn't say no to the wood. Price was in keeping with the current market at $1200, including the Lyman Alaskan in old Sako rings. The glass on the Alaskan is surprisingly clear and bright and it's undoubtedly original to the gun. I'll probably leave it on there.
The rifle has a couple of curious features. There's no front sight, which is very unusual on an L46. Oddly, my wing-safety L46 also lacks a front sight. The other oddity is the shape of the forend tip. It's cut at a reverse angle like later Sako stocks, rather than the rounded shape typical of all but the last L46 stocks. I've included a picture of it with my other one to show the difference. I suppose it could have suffered some damage and been recut, but that's inconsistent with the gun's overall condition. Here are a few photos. More in a day or two; I'm a bit rushed at the moment.