Forester help

[hunter2054]

I have Sako Forester - .308 carbine with a manlicher stock with an 18 1/2 inch barrel - Serial Number is AII 344265 - last three numbers of the serial number are also etched on the inside of the bolt handle - Can anyone tell me when this gun was manufactured and how many of the carbines were made? - I cannot seem to find any information on this particular combination - thanks

 

[misako50]

You may have what is referred to as a "transition rifle". They are manufactured at a time when characteristics changed as did the importer influence on the Sako Factory. About 1980 would be my best guess. Does your rifle have the streamlined bolt shroud or the more common bolt configuration like the Pre Garcias? Congrats on owning a fine rifle BTW.-Misako

 

[paulsonconstruction]

Based on your serial # your rifle was made sometime in the early 1980's. Probably prior to May 3, 1982 when the "change of the rear part of the receiver" occurred with serial #351081. Sako didn't keep exact records & produced things out of sequence with the serial # sometimes, so it is very difficult to pinpoint an exact date. I don't know of any data base that specifies how many of each variation (standard, deluxe, & mannlicher) were made, but others here may have some information on that. How are you measuring the barrel? The standard length for the Mannlicher was 20" (or 500 mm) & if I haven't "misremembered" is measured from the muzzle to the bolt face. I think the 308 Win is less common than the 243 & is a very nice rifle.

 

[stonecreek]

Although the Mannlicher carbine barrels were mostly 20", some of the Mannlicher barrels in the A-II era were shorter, appx. 18.5" models.

The U.S. importer, Stoeger, almost immediately changed the action designation from "L-579" to "A-II" after taking over importation in late 1978. I have to assume that this was for marketing purposes ("new and improved", you know), but the Sako factory didn't actually start stamping the actions with this designation until sometime a couple of years later. The earliest A-series guns I've seen are sometime in the first few years of the 1980's.

Because Sako was so bad about taking actions out of serial number order to make finished rifles, no one can tell you the exact date of manufacture of your rifle, and Sako either kept no records or did not preserve the records. Likewise, we can only speculate about the total number of a given form of rifle that might have been produced since those records don't exist, either.

 

[hunter2054]

thanks for the reply - I measured the barrell from the end of the muzzle to asnd including the chamber - this is the way required by the Canadian Government to declare firearms - it is a short and sweet gun

 

[hunter2054]

thanks - apparently i have the shorter version - the gun can drive tacks