Short Actions Another L46

[icebear]

Just collected this L46 from my transfer FFL. Got it off Gunbroker. It was a bit pricey but I couldn't resist the wood. Condition is outstanding - like the L57 I picked up earlier this week, it's undoubtedly a safe queen. Wood and metal are very close to like new - kind of amazing when you figure it's about 65 years old. Came with a Weaver K10-60B with adjustable objective in those early Sako one-piece wrap-around mounts. I'd say that makes it a near-certainty that it's the original scope as mounted when the gun was new or nearly new. It took me a while to figure out the AO, which requires you to loosen a lock ring, rotate the distance ring to the desired setting, push the objective carrier into position, and then tighten the lock ring. The carrier was stuck when I first tried it, making things a bit more complicated. I got it freed up and now it works fine. It's a 10x target scope with fine crosshairs. Optics are clear but suffer from the usual low contrast on these old scopes with relatively primitive coatings. As you can see from the pictures, this is from the era of loooong scopes. I'll see how it works out at the range.

There were two other bidders but they seem to have shared my hesitancy at the opening bid. The first one bid the minimum and the second stopped at the first bump, so I got it without a bidding war.

I really didn't need another L46 sporter, but you don't often run across this kind of wood on a factory Sako stock.

Here are some photos.

 

[bloorooster]

Nice find Icebear.
I have to agree that you have a rifle that was originally outfitted with the popular choice of the day in optics. I’ve had several of these over the years and actually learned to enjoy the big ugly K-10 and K-12’s. The parallax adjustment is hard to get used to at first, but with practice you can use your thumb to make adjustments fairly easy.
I love the look of the lengthy K-10 on a 46
I predict half inch groups and a 6 inch grin!
Nice find

 

[misako50]

That may be the prettiest L46 stock I have seen. Nice find isn't appropriate.

 

[stonecreek]

I really didn't need another L46 sporter

"Need" is not just measured in terms of practical application, like "I need a 13/16" socket to remove these lug nuts". Need can also be quantified in terms of emotional fulfillment and mental health, as in "I need to buy that beautiful L46 or I'll just die." At least that's the excuse I've given my wife a number of times to justify warding off my premature demise. It has sorta worked in the past, but I fear if I try that just one more time she'll negate the entire premise by killing me.

 

[misako50]

My good-natured little wife put it in a most memorable way, when I brought home a Sako acquisition I "needed" for the collection. She said: " You needed that the same way I "need" you to take me out for dinner". We went out for dinner.

 

[icebear]

My good-natured little wife put it in a most memorable way, when I brought home a Sako acquisition I "needed" for the collection. She said: " You needed that the same way I "need" you to take me out for dinner". We went out for dinner.

Sounds fair to me. Sometimes I even take my girlfriend out to dinner when I didn't buy a gun.

 

[misako50]

Kinda falls into the category of how to have a successful relationship. "Yes, Dear.....anything you say, dear".

 

[Furdown]

Sometimes I even take my girlfriend out to dinner when I didn't buy a gun

Overachiever!

 

[icebear]

Kinda falls into the category of how to have a successful relationship. "Yes, Dear.....anything you say, dear".

It's a win-win. You get goodwill, and both of you get a nice dinner. All it costs is money, and if money isn't for having a good time with your significant other, what's the point?

 

[Bucktote]

Well said!
After all folks, He is a Diplomat!!! I did tell you all the story of my wife's 20 GA
Browning A-5 & my Singer Sewing machine didn't I ???

 

[icebear]

Well said!
After all folks, He is a Diplomat!!! I did tell you all the story of my wife's 20 GA
Browning A-5 & my Singer Sewing machine didn't I ???

I do seem to recall a story involving those items.

 

[icebear]

Took the new L46 to the range today and got respectable results. Best group was around 7/8" at 100 yards with Remington factory ammo. The figured wood attracted quite a few comments.

My eyes and the period Weaver scope didn't see eye to eye. I've got some visual issues and some optics just don't work for me. This one has a very fine crosshair that I sometimes had trouble seeing. I'll probably offer it for sale in the Sako one-piece rings, set up for the L46 as it is now. I think it would go quite nicely on an L46 heavy barrel.

Getting the rifle ready to shoot was a bit more work than I expected. The reticle on the scope wasn't level, so I had to redo that, then bore-sight it with a laser. Curiously, the front action screw was nice and tight but the rear took more than a full turn. And the bore at first seemed to be clean, but when I wiped it out with Eliminator and let it marinate for a couple of hours, I started getting layers of black and blue. An overnight soaking and some scrubbing got the gun ready to shoot.

Next step is to try some different loads to see what shoots best in this rifle. I may also put on a different scope for next time. This gun looks promising for further improvement.