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Has this happened to anyone....

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

mjbmjb

Active Member
Hello,

Has a rear sight just popped off during firing on a vintage Sako for anyone??? The barrel wasn't hot.

Cheers.
 

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Hello,

Has a rear sight just popped off during firing on a vintage Sako for anyone??? The barrel wasn't hot.

Cheers.
Tough to gauge but it’s more likely to have been caused by pressure rather than heat. But both could have played a role. I simply cannot tell based on your single photo, although the photo suggests a poorly executed install. A competent gunsmith should be able to prep the surfaces properly and reinstall.
 
Tough to gauge but it’s more likely to have been caused by pressure rather than heat. But both could have played a role. I simply cannot tell based on your single photo, although the photo suggests a poorly executed install. A competent gunsmith should be able to prep the surfaces properly and reinstall.

I think I'll leave it off and see if I can get a good bluing done. From the new pics do you think this was the original bond, or do you think this was re-bonded at some point?
 

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I think I'll leave it off and see if I can get a good bluing done. From the new pics do you think this was the original bond, or do you think this was re-bonded at some point?
It’s possible the sight is original to the rifle as Sako did install rear sights more commonly in the European market. Please take a few more photos of the entire sight so myself and others can determine it’s origin. It still may not 100% decipher whether the solder job was redone at some point during the rifles life.
 
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It’s possible the sight is original to the rifle as Sako did install rear sights more commonly in the European market. Please take a few more photos of the entire sight so myself and others can determine it’s origin. It still may not 100% decipher whether the solder job was redone at some point during the rifles life.
I am fairly certain the rear sight was original. The rifle is a late 60's 30 06 Finnbear and the sight looks consistent to others I've seen as far as I can tell. The rifle is all original other than a refinish on the stock due to a crack that had to be repaired in the forend. Due to the repair it is floated and because of that I had it bedded though.
 

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I am fairly certain the rear sight was original. The rifle is a late 60's 30 06 Finnbear and the sight looks consistent to others I've seen as far as I can tell. The rifle is all original other than a refinish on the stock due to a crack that had to be repaired in the forend. Due to the repair it is floated and because of that I had it bedded though.
I agree regarding the sight. Can’t say whether it was once off the barrel then poorly reinstalled.

Solder differs related to the temperature it melts at. 400 degrees is about the minimum. So, temp doesn’t make sense to me. It makes more sense (but only a guess) that it was somewhat brittle, then pressure or harmonics simply popped it off. Same as an old double or over and under shotgun related to the rib and barrels.
 
Happened to me once. I'm not too surprised when 50 year old tin/lead solder gives away. That rust probably didn't do any good either.

They did blue the barrels with the sight base installed and the bluing bath eats away the solder at certain rate. That's why it was not attached at the edges. If you plan on leaving the sight off, you will find the barrel surface under the solder is much rougher, so you will need to do complete resurfacing or you will have a big rectangular rough spot on it.
 
Happened to me once. I'm not too surprised when 50 year old tin/lead solder gives away. That rust probably didn't do any good either.

They did blue the barrels with the sight base installed and the bluing bath eats away the solder at certain rate. That's why it was not attached at the edges. If you plan on leaving the sight off, you will find the barrel surface under the solder is much rougher, so you will need to do complete resurfacing or you will have a big rectangular rough spot on it.
Ouch...maybe I'll just get it put back on then. I like the look of it off better though.
 
Thinking about posting late last night about trying to blue the spot. I tried to do a front sight vacancy and found it not possible without trashing the blue on the whole barrel. I think you should put it back on, also.
 
Thinking about posting late last night about trying to blue the spot. I tried to do a front sight vacancy and found it not possible without trashing the blue on the whole barrel. I think you should put it back on, also.
Yeah, I'll take it to a gunsmith and see what he says, but I think it will probably go back on. I've never been a fan of the rear sight with a scope look, and my eyes negate the need of it for practical purposes, but the bluing may be an issue that can't be dealt with. The original bluing is perfect on this rifle, and in no way do I want to mess with that...
 
What waterwolf said! Depending on the solder, the heat can be high enough to discolor the surrounding blue. A good two part long curing epoxy will keep it on unless you club it with a hammer.
 
I once bought a Sako that the front sight had been removed because the owner carried it in a leather saddle scabbard and he didn't want the sight to chew a hole in the leather. Fortunately, the seller included the original sight in the sale. I had it reattached by a gunsmith, who used some kind of adhesive (epoxy, I think). That was about 25 years ago and the sight is still on the gun. So, I'm with waterwolf and Paulson. If the mating surfaces are properly prepared, a good epoxy should do the trick. I've had good results with J-B products like J-B Weld, but I haven't used them fo attach a gun sight.
 
I once bought a Sako that the front sight had been removed because the owner carried it in a leather saddle scabbard and he didn't want the sight to chew a hole in the leather. Fortunately, the seller included the original sight in the sale. I had it reattached by a gunsmith, who used some kind of adhesive (epoxy, I think). That was about 25 years ago and the sight is still on the gun. So, I'm with waterwolf and Paulson. If the mating surfaces are properly prepared, a good epoxy should do the trick. I've had good results with J-B products like J-B Weld, but I haven't used them fo attach a gun sight.
Should I emery cloth the solder off first?
 
Should I emery cloth the solder off first?
I wouldn't use emery cloth anywhere near a gun. I think you could get most of it off with a mini-torch. That sounds contradictory to the advice not to try to resolder it, but it takes a lot less heat to just melt some solder off the surface than it does to sweat solder a big part like that. On the one hand you are just heating the surface a little bit at a time to get the solder up to where it flows, where on the other hand you have to have both pieces hot enough to melt the solder. Heat a small area at a time and remove the solder with some kind of metal scraper. This requires you to be extremely careful. If you're not comfortable with it, take it to a smith.
 
After you get the solder melted off a light sanding with 220 grit sand paper to the mated surfaces will help the epoxy bond. Be sure to clean the metal surfaces with something to remove all traces of oil using alcohol, lacquer thinner, or something similar.
 
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