Carbine Finnbear L61R carbine

[DKhunter]

I have a Finnbear L61R Carbine - as best as I can tell, never shot.
Chambered in 338 Mag,
S/N 65466 (about 2/3 of the way through the serial number listing) I have not separated the stock from the barrel to see if it is Pre-Garcia.
I picked up the rifle from a friend that doesnt hunt / shoot - was previously owned by his father that passed away.
The rifle is in amazing shape, still has an orange tag on the lower sling bolt, no scope ever mounted - I really doubt that it was ever fired.
For hunting deer, elk , sheep, antelope - I am partial to my 7mm RM that I have always used. I am planning a moose hunt, and would like a 300-338 class cartridge for that size of an animal.
My question: What is the value range for a relatively "new" 5oyr old rifle?
Would it be better to sell it to a collector that would appreciate it, or use for my larger game hunts?
If I kept it, I would likely change the stock, as I would hate to scratch the wood finish.
Thanks for all your feedback and thoughts

 

[gowyo]

Don't alter that carbine! Moose hunting is low impact, no scrambling over cliffs, crawling thru desert scrub, etc. Give it a couple coats of renaissance wax and you're gtg. If you dont reload .338, get a couple boxes of Fed premium in 210 or 250 partitions ($$). Put a 1.5x5 or 2.5x8 Leupold on it in OEM rings and get a good sling. Give it a sound cleaning, tighten all action screws and have at it! Then post pix. Edited- don't sell! But as described, value could be 1200-1700 USD.

Best,

Gary

 

[stonecreek]

There were no "pre-Garcia" L61R Mannlichers as all were imported after Garcia took over. However, L61R Mannlichers are rather scarce since the changeover to the A-series came very shortly after Sako began producing Mannlichers in the long action.

As we've observed many times, the market value of any gun is what a willing buyer and willing seller will trade gun for money. Although L61R Mannlichers are not plentiful, short barrels in magnum calibers are not popular, either. This tends to limit the number of potential buyers, so selling a big Mannlicher can be a slow process. Slow movement usually means a lower settlement price in the end. That's why I think that gowyo's estimate may be on the high end for this particular item. But opinions, especially from a non-buyer, aren't dependable indicators of actual market, so take this one for only what little it is worth.

As far as changing the stock, no one offers a stock for a Sako Mannlicher so you would have to adapt a sporter stock to it. It would look a bit silly with a too-long forearm and stubby barrel, so as has been suggested, shoot it the way it was intended and don't worry about acquiring a scratch or a ding. It's not a decoration, it's a rifle.

 

[DKhunter]

Gary & Stonecreek,
Thank you for your insight and responses. I will enjoy shooting (and hunting) it - while my shoulder may be less happy with me.

 

[icebear]

Gary & Stonecreek,
Thank you for your insight and responses. I will enjoy shooting (and hunting) it - while my shoulder may be less happy with me.

I totally agree with Gowyo and Stonecreek. The best thing to do with that rifle is clean it up and shoot it.

As for the shoulder, I highly recommend handloading. Find a faster-burning powder that will burn completely in the short barrel, use a bullet at the lighter end of the range for that caliber, and start with a minimum load and see how your accuracy is. The short barrel will lose quite a bit of velocity with a normal magnum load and you will have a giant flame of unburnt powder out the muzzle. The correct handload for the short barrel will give you a much more comfortable experience. I did this with my .30-06 AIII carbine and it shoots 1/2-3/4" groups. You'll still have plenty of power to get your moose.

 

[Jeffy1]

I am operating from memory here. But that serial number has got to be pretty well within the Rifles made pre 1972 and earlier. If so, check and see if your rifle has the third locking lug. If it has the third locking lug on the rear of the bolt it is definitely pre 72 even though it likely has a Garcia stamp underneath the barrel. Despite that, to a mannlicher collector this is a real find especially in the condition that you are a describing. There were only about 50 of those made according to an early (1981?) Sako collectors club letter, of which I have a copy. To the right person, you could get over $1,800 for that rifle.

 

[stonecreek]

I am operating from memory here. But that serial number has got to be pretty well within the Rifles made pre 1972 and earlier. If so, check and see if your rifle has the third locking lug. If it has the third locking lug on the rear of the bolt it is definitely pre 72 even though it likely has a Garcia stamp underneath the barrel.

Not necessarily. Remember that Sako skipped around unpredictably with its serial numbers. I've seen numbers that low with two lug bolts, two lug bolts in three lug receivers, and three lug bolts and receivers. I've also seen Sakos with numbers in the 80,000's with three lug bolts and receivers. Quite a few three lug bolts and receivers left the factory after 1972, regardless of when the actual receiver might have been milled, so there is no "bright line" between pre- and post-1972. Sako mixed and match features, so some features are associated with pre-1969, pre-1972, and the erroneous term "pre-Garcia", but such features are not always consistent.

 

[deergoose]

Here's a wild guess.....if your .338 carbine has a laquered stock, my bet is that it is a 3-lug bolt and one from the run of 1971 Finnbear Mannichers. Nice find !

DeerGoose

 

[Jeffy1]

I agree with stonecreek about the serial numbers. But the real point is whether, as deer goose appreciates, it is one of the rare Finnbear mannlichers. How bout the 375, 264 or bofors marked full rifle 223? Only 10 made of each.

 

[gowyo]

DK great plan! ...now, about those pix...

 

[gowyo]

Dk! just ran across this, sitrep? pix?