• Hey All! Lately there has been more and more scammers on the forum board. They register and replies to members requests for guns and/or parts or other things. The reply contains a gmail or hotmail address or similar ”anonymous” email addresses which they want you to reply to. DO NOT ANSWER ANY STRANGE MESSAGES! They often state something like this: ”Hello! Saw your post about purchasing a stock for a Safari. KnuckleheadBob has one. Email him at: [email protected]” If you receive any strange messages: Check the status of whoever message you. If they have no posts and signed up the same day or very recently, stay away. Same goes for other members they might refer to. Check them too and if they are long standing members, PM them and ask if the message is legit. Most likely it’s not. Then use the report function in each message or post so I can kick them out! Beware of anything that might seem fishy! And again, for all of you who registered your personal name as username, please contact me so I can change it to a more anonymous username. You’d be surprised of how much one can find out about a person from just a username on a forum such ad our! All the best! And be safe! Jim

Sako Compared to Browning Safari

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

douglastwo

Sako-addicted
Here are some pictures of a Deluxe Sako on the L579 action and a Browning Safari built on the same size Sako action. The Browning is a caliber 284 Winchester made in 1967. The Sako is a 308 made about 4 years before the Browning. There are several interesting differences when comparing the rifles. For instance, even though Browning offered the 284 in its product lineup, Sako did not produce a 284 for it's own product line for this vintage of Sako. The Sako barrel is 23" long and this one is 6 groove. The Browning barrel is a 4 groove 22 5/8" long and stamped Made in Finland. It's worth noting here that all Medallion and Olympian grade Browning/Sakos have barrels stamped Made in Belgium. Only the Safari grade Browning/Sakos are stamped Made in Finland on the barrel. Both rifles weigh 6 lb 8oz.

Sako and Sako Action Browning 1of12.JPG Sako and Sako Action Browning 2of12.JPG Sako and Sako Action Browning 3of12.JPG Sako and Sako Action Browning 4of12.JPG Sako and Sako Action Browning 5of12.JPG Sako and Sako Action Browning 6of12.JPG
 
The Browning Safari is Grrrrreat! Like Tony the Tiger! Outstanding collections D2! For many years I’ve admired the shadow box display windows of your gun room, full of pristine Sako’s and such!
The Browning also seems to have a slightly longer length of pull, I’m not positive, or maybe they just wanted to leave more room for Tiger Stripes!
The Forester has a rarely seen floor plate! Very nice rifle as well, in perfect condition!

Great photos D2!

Bloo
 
It's worth noting here that all Medallion and Olympian grade Browning/Sakos have barrels stamped Made in Belgium. Only the Safari grade Browning/Sakos are stamped Made in Finland on the barrel. Both rifles weigh 6 lb 8oz.
Beautiful examples of both the Deluxe Sako and the Safari, D2. I've always considered the Safari as approximately equal in grade to the Sako Deluxe.

Despite some being labelled "Made in Belgium", the Browning-Sako barrels were all made by Sako. For example, my .308 Medallion is listed in the factory records as a barreled action in .308, so it is clear that it left Sako with a Sako barrel on it. At first it seems strange that the Safaris would be marked "Made in Finland", while the Medallions and Olympians would be marked "Made in Belgium". However, it appears that the engraving on the higher grades was done at FN in Belgium, so I suppose they did the marking there, too, whereas the Safari barreled actions were fully finished in Finland, then stocked in Belgium. I'm not sure how much of the fabrication of a product is required to earn a "Made in XXX Country", but apparently engraving, bluing, and stocking a barreled action from some place else qualifies, whereas just stocking a barreled action doesn't?

I'm surprised that your Safari and the Forester show to weigh the same since the Safari has a tad shorter "pencil" barrel which should be lighter. There is a tiny bit more steel missing in the .308" bore of the Sako compared to the .284" bore of the Safari, but that wouldn't seem to make much difference. Your Forester is the older one with the more slender barrel, however, which makes up some of the presumed difference. Perhaps there is a difference in the density of the wood? I'll see if I can weigh a similar pair to see what I get.

Thanks for posting!
 
.... However, it appears that the engraving on the higher grades was done at FN in Belgium, so I suppose they did the marking there, too, whereas the Safari barreled actions were fully finished in Finland, then stocked in Belgium. I'm not sure how much of the fabrication of a product is required to earn a "Made in XXX Country",

...... I'll see if I can weigh a similar pair to see what I get.

It's generally thought by Browning collectors that Browning stamped Made in Belgium on the Medallion and Olympian Browning/Sako rifles because they (Browning) believed they devoted more than half the required time to produce each of these rifles. That's not a very strong nail to hang ones hat on, but it sounds reasonable to me. I've never heard that Sako challenged Browning on stamping the high grades "Made in Belgium". It seems that Sako would have voiced some type of complaint if they didn't agree. If you're able to get around to it, please let us know what a similar pair weighs. I was surprised that I got no comments about the 284 barrel having 4 grooves.
 
Even with the Sako butt pad it appears that the Browning has a longer length of pull. Wayne
 
But the cheekpiece on the Safaris extends much further to the rear than on the Forester or almost any other rifle.
 
Yes, the Browning cheekpiece makes a lot of people not familiar with Browning often ask if the stock has been cut off. Some want to argue about it until you measure it for them.
 
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