Pre 74 features

[wombat]

Hi to Forum members,
Can some enlighten me on the main differing features of the 72 ? Models, I have been looking at a L61R s/n 77xxx in .264WM.
It has matte finish walnut? Stock, smooth top dove tails, flatter bluing, is there anything else I am not seeing?
Sights have been removed, but plugged with correct screws, looks like it may have had a Williams rear sight??? Am I right on that?
Has original vented pad, not compressed, But is rock hard and NO give in it!?
As new. May have shot one packet?
Any feed back from the experts would be great.
Thanks, Jay

 

[stonecreek]

The "Model 72's" exhibited a number of varying features during the short time Sako was using that designation. Originally, they had skip-line checkering, but that was so much like the Deluxe that it was soon dropped. Some had a plain plastic grip cap and others did not. The dovetails were checkered on some and not on others. Some had sights and others not. Mostly, their bluing was not as highly polished as the "standard" grade Sakos. What seems to be a common feature among most of them is that the stock stain had a light orange hue and the checkering pattern on the pistol grip had two forward points instead of three. This mix of features sometimes has people puzzling whether a particular rifle is a "Model 72" or not.

Little known is that Sako also briefly produced Finnwolfs designated "Model 72", but like their bolt counterparts that designation was found nowhere on the gun, only on the box or perhaps literature.

The entire Model 72 effort seems to have been to offer a Sako with a price more in line with the Remingtons and Winchesters it was competing with in the U.S. market. At that time the U.S. currency was pegged by the government instead of floating with the market. The U.S. Secretary of Treasury devalued the U.S. currency twice by 10% each time in order to make goods produced overseas more expensive and at the same time stimulate U.S. exports (yes, it was a dumb idea). This made Sakos even more expensive for U.S. consumers. The problem with the Model 72 is that it was made to sell cheaper, but there was very little manufacturing cost savings in it and it was still priced somewhat higher than its U.S.-made competitors. Thus its short time on the market. Sako soon re-christened its standard model the "Model 74 Super" and dropped the Model 72.

 

[CVCOBRA1]

I have two, what I consider Model 72's, a 243 and a 308. What they both have in common is that they both have the orange "hue" and both have the two point pistol grip checkering. The 308 has front and rear sights - the 243 none. Both have dove tail checkering and grip caps. The bluing may not appear as polished but is still nice. The 308 has a little bit of a stiffer/heavier barrel and both are just as good of shooters as all of my other Sako's.

 

[wombat]

Thanks guys for some great information, I will have another look at it today.
Jay