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New to me L46 .222 fullstock

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

waterwolf

Well-Known Member
New to me L46 .222, the one with the amber stock and peep.

It is next to another L46 .222. I have a few pairs of nearly identical rifles, one with a scope and one with a peep. (e.g. See the Husqvarnas below, two model 456 30-06s flanking a model 458 in .243. The HVA Lyman peep sights are a lot harder to find than the Sako peeps, but I managed to get this one with target knobs cheap and BNIB. Why HVA insisted on having its own unique hole spacing, I have no idea. ) Scope on the M78 .22LR is a Leupold low-power variable with duplex reticle, on the Sako L46 a 26mm Zeiss 4X with fine crosshair and target dot, on the HVA 456 a Swarovski low-power variable and on the 458, a Swarovski fixed 4X, both with German 4A reticles. Rings are Talleys and Sako. I find the Zeiss 4X with target dot just about the perfect scope for a .222.
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I really like Mannlichers and you've got some extra nice ones, Robin.

The style seems to have fallen out of favor in Europe, where they were once so popular. There might be some bargains there to be picked up if you can navigate the export/import hurdles.
 
Europeans are handicapped by laws restricting the number of firearms that they can own. In order to expand caliber selection, they have embraced swap barrel rifles. However, even given that, European companies are still producing Stutzen rifles for their domestic market. Unfortunately, most are bulky and heavy. As an example of the type, consider the currently imported Sako 85 Bavarian fullstock "carbine"...a real log.

re: "some bargains there to be picked up." Not long ago, I tried to buy a Swedish made Varberger (rotary mag) 6.5x55 fullstock from a gunshop in Denmark. The price of the rifle itself wasn't too bad but the shipping and export fees would have more than quadrupled the price!!!! So no deal.
 
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I once had numerous actual Mannlichers as well. I gave one to my oldest son and sold all the rest, except one, a minty 1926 Mannlicher-Schoenauer Model 1903 in 6.5x54 M-S with DST and factory upgraded "fancy" wood (Most M-S wood is really bland.) Nostalgia was involved, as my grandmother was from a family of gunmakers in Steyr, Austria, home of Mannlicher-Schoenauer. However, as a northerner, I prefer the minimalist ("less is more") functionality of Scandinavian rifles. German/Austrian sporting rifles, although well-made, are too often over-complicated designs.

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I love the wood on that rifle. As you say, most M-S wood is pretty bland. I can't recall ever seeing one for sale at a gun show with wood that nice.

And I couldn't agree more about the Germans and complexity. Many German arms are designed so that they require extreme precision machining and hand fitting. A Luger is fussy and complicated enough, but try taking a Mauser Broomhandle apart and getting it back together. I have one made in 1900, in like-new condition. I took it apart for inspection, cleaning, lubrication, and spring replacement before I fired it. Some of the small parts fitted so tightly that it took me half a dozen tries to get it back together. It's a fun and accurate shooter, but I hope I never have to take it all the way apart again. The thing is a jigsaw puzzle. And then we have the Sauer 90 with its retracting locking lugs, and many more.
 
Pics of my sole fullstock. Husqvarna with a FN98 action (I think). 1952? But apparently Husqvarna did not make such an animal, so I guess it is someone's project gun.
 

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Pics of my sole fullstock. Husqvarna with a FN98 action (I think). 1952? But apparently Husqvarna did not make such an animal, so I guess it is someone's project gun.
Husqvarna made plenty of fullstock rifles on 98-type actions. I don't know if they got any actions from FN, but I have a book with some old catalog illustration of full-stock Husqvarna rifles.
 
Hi Icebear,
For sure Husqvarna made lots of fullstock rifles ... but I think they were 96 actions not 98. You cannot scratch me very deep on the distinction, but I think there is one.
Maybe the 98 is the more robust but not the better? Both good. I think FN made the 98 earlier and Husqvarna the 96 later.
And oddly it has a Remington recoil pad, suggesting a project gun.
And despite the appearance, the stock seems to be a single piece, not two-piece as the Husqvarnas.
I think the dealer brought it in from Europe ... it has the smaller sling swivels which fits that assumption I think.
I would like to think it is a Husqvarna but others say only 96 fullstocks, not 98.
Thanks as ever for your comments.
 
According to what information I have been able to find, Husqvarna made sporting rifles on FN actions from 1939 through the early 1950's. They then changed to the HVA action, a small-ring Mauser-type action designed in-house. Actual 96 actions were used only in the immediate postwar period. I was unable to find any photos of FN-action, full-stock rifles (in fact, I found few if any images of FN-Husqvarna rifles at all). I did, however, find a later catalog excerpt with an image of an HVA-action model 456 rifle with what appears to be a one-piece Mannlicher-style full stock. It's entirely possible that the rifle in question is a put-together, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility that it's a factory gun that somebody modified with a Remington pad. That pad looks to me like a later addition, but the stock does look like a Husqvarna stock with that sharply swept-back pistol grip.
 
Thanks for that information.
That Tradeex outfit near Ottawa has a bunch of old Husqvarna FN98 rifles (not fullstock) for sale. Virtually certain these come from Europe.
I am more interested in the Sakos they bring in. However, the business is being downsized and nothing of interest to me has shown up lately.
Re Husqvarna, checkering goes all the way to the grip cap, which is correct.
 
It is funny, icebear, but today I came across another fullstock Husqvarna FN98 ... was not looking for one ... just happened across it online. So I guess your gut feeling was right, my rifle is (probably) a full fledged Husqvarna.
The one just encountered appears to be from another, new-to-me Canadian dealer bringing in old stuff from Sweden. It seems in poor condition from the pics online.
And model numbers for old Husqvarnas confuse just about everyone, me in spades.

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It is funny, icebear, but today I came across another fullstock Husqvarna FN98 ... was not looking for one ... just happened across it online. So I guess your gut feeling was right, my rifle is (probably) a full fledged Husqvarna.
The one just encountered appears to be from another, new-to-me Canadian dealer bringing in old stuff from Sweden. It seems in poor condition from the pics online.
And model numbers for old Husqvarnas confuse just about everyone, me in spades.

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I also recently came across that (new?) company on line (InterSurplus). They seem to be selling off some of Tradeex's overstock (now that Tradeex is downsizing.)

Anyway, I bought that fullstock 9.3x62. I don't think it's in "poor"condition, but it's definitely not minty either. Blue is worn. Its missing the rear sight (which I have), has a slightly worn bore (which doesn't necessarily mean it won't shoot) and also has those three nasty tapped holes on the left side of the receiver for a Euro scope mount. Tradeex sells these side mounts (steel or alloy) but I doubt if I will scope it, and if I do I will use steel Talleys. Its factory drilled and tapped for scope mounts. I have a spare older model Swarovski 1.5-4X2o I can use. I also have a three screw plug set intended to fill the side mount holes and might put a spare Talley peep on it. I will also completely strip and refinish the stock. I'll change out the recoil pad if its too dry. All fun projects.

I thought the price was right. Including all taxes and shipping it only cost me a total of $480. (US) I also have a lot of 9.3x62 ammo sitting around doing nothing. I'll report back once it arrives in a week or so.
 
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I like Husqvarnas. They are well made Mauser rifles. Good purchase.


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Hi waterwolf,
Best of luck with the new Husqvarna. It sound like a dream once you have smartened it up. And the all steel FN98 is a really quality product, so my reading tells me, and they are certainly very infrequent as a Husqvarna full stock.
(I have noticed over recent months a few high-endish tradeex rifles being sold thru Epps ... pretty sure of that anyway.)
I look forward to seeing your progress on the new acquisition.
 
By the way, the reason for probably not scoping the 9.3 is that I don't plan on actually hunting with it. Instead, I thought it could be useful as a close range bear-defense fly fishing rifle. If I can keep it light enough. Here is a picture taken by my son last week of my happy grandson, ten years old with his first trout on a dry fly. On the upper Ram river, eastern slope of the Rockies, straight west of Red Deer, Alberta. Plenty of grizzlies out there.
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By the way, the reason for probably not scoping the 9.3 is that I don't plan on actually hunting with it. Instead, I thought it could be useful as a close range bear-defense fly fishing rifle. If I can keep it light enough. Here is a picture taken by my son last week of my happy grandson, ten years old with his first trout on a dry fly. On the upper Ram river, eastern slope of the Rockies, straight west of Red Deer, Alberta. Plenty grizzlies out there.
Sounds like a good plan. 9.3x62 is about the most gun you can put in a lightweight package with manageable recoil. Anything bigger and it kills from both ends. I speak from experience - I once owned an original .35 Newton, which packed .375 H&H muzzle energy in a 7-pound package. It was a shocking thing to shoot. Those who fired it once generally declined the offer of another round.

The picture of your grandson brought back some memories. My grandfather taught me to fish for bass and panfish out of an ancient wooden rowboat on Pine Lake. It was a walk in the woods to get to where the boat was stashed. Fortunately, there aren't any grizzly bears in Nashotah, Wisconsin so we didn't have to go armed! Anyway, I can remember being that happy kid. That's a great picture, thanks for sharing.

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Yes grizzlies common these days ... for example often see from main highway (93) over to Radium in BC. Here is a pic taken from a motorcycle west of Turner Valley, Alberta. Have to look pretty hard to see the grizzly.
I do some trout fishing (rainbows and browns) on the Bow River (but badly disrupted by flood a few years ago at least where I fish which is just from shore) but no such great fishing companion.
 

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Yes grizzlies common these days ... for example often see from main highway (93) over to Radium in BC. Here is a pic taken from a motorcycle west of Turner Valley, Alberta. Have to look pretty hard to see the grizzly.

I spotted it right away. Here is one I saw beside the road west of Red Deer. My son the fly fisherman runs into them way too often.
Maybe when I get the 9.3 fixed up, I'll give it to him.



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I used to own this CZ 550 fullstock carbine in 9.3x62...although it was one of the "older" ones with the slimmer stock than the later models (all out of production now), I still thought that garish "tiger-striped" walnut was hideous...some guys like it...I don't...just personal taste I guess...and the plastic floorplate didn't help...so I sold it. It had a nice single-set trigger though. I shot it enough to learn what sort of recoil, noise and blast to expect in a short barrel 9.3x62.


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