Hello from Nebraska

[nbhunter]

I'm new to this so if I screw up just point me in the right direction. I found this forum while researching a gun my dad bought back in 1968. I was 10 yrs old when my dad took me along with him to J.C Penny's ( they sold guns back then) in Altoona,PA to pick up his new deer rifle he had on lay- away.
I never forget the fuss the guys behind the gun counter made over that beautiful Sako Deluxe Forester.308. It was just beauitful. Dad saved a long time to buy that gun. Not sure what the price was but it was a lot of money for a man with a wife and five kids back then.. He treasured that rifle.
Dad retired and my folks moved to Florida in 1996. Two days after they moved in the house was robbed and his guns were gone. Broke his heart. Now I'm on a quest to reunite him with his long lost love. He's in his late 70's now but still very active. I want him to have one last hunt with his Sako.308.

This forum has be a wealth of information. I'm a hunter and have been around guns all my life. When I started to look at gun auctions for Sako's I quickly found out you just don't jump in and buy with out
doing your research. Vintage Sako history is somewhat complex and so interesting. What beauitful
guns. Now I know why dad saved and saved to buy his Deluxe Forester. I hope to put one back in hands someday. Thanks for all the great history and information.

nbhunter

 

[stonecreek]

NB: I hope you find a Deluxe Sako worthy of a hunt with your dad. It seems that Deluxe .308's are kinda scarce. I have a good friend who has been on a quest for one for several months and was just able to find one (at a reasonable price) this past week. If I see or hear of one, I'll drop you a PM to alert you.

I, too, fondly remember when J.C. Penney's sold guns. I found a cache of Browning-Sako Safaris at a local Penney's store when my son was only one year old. I was fortunate at the time to have the $350 close-out price they were asking, and was allowed the privilege of looking through their stock of about 15 .243's (only caliber they had!) to pick the one with the wood I wanted for him. He grew up knowing that was his gun and he would ask to get it out every now and then to look it over.

Penney's used to have an in-house name like Sear's "J.C. Higgins" that it labeled its sporting good with. For the life of me, I can't recall the name, but one of these days I'm sure I'll run across it. I don't think that Penney's ever sold a proprietary Sako like the Ward's Westernfield, but talking about it does remind us of the days when every department store of any size sold not just sporting goods, but guns and ammunition as well!

 

[L61R]

nbhunter!
Thanks for joining us!!! But it is always sad to hear stories like yours!!
But you have come to the right place! We have a lot of experienced Sako people here, and eventually, you will find what you are looking for!
By any chance, do you still have the serial numbers?? That may help to locate the rifle in question.
Regards
Jim

 

[misako50]

Penny's brand name was " Foremost". I used to like the foremost jeans when I was in my early 20s.-Our store here had some rifles and shotguns, but the wards store did better as did the sears store.-Misako

 

[stonecreek]

Yes, now I do recall Foremost, but I think that was limited to their apparel. I wore many a Foremost pair of jeans to school -- which had to be the uncoolest thing you could possibly do at the time! I think they had another name -- a person's name -- for their sporting goods line. Could be wrong, but maybe the magic of the Internet will turn up the answer sooner or later.

You probably knew that in addition to the semi-fictitious "J.C. Higgins", Sears also branded sporting goods with "Ted Williams", then for a short time with "Catfish Hunter" .

 

[misako50]

Wasn't there some "Lorenna Bobbit" cutlery sold at one of the majors.I think she was before Martha Stewart?

-Misako

 

[emmerth]

nb,

If you are interested, I was just offered a L579 deluxe .308 in 98% condition with the exception of the particially crushed recoil pad for $1250.00 It had a Lyman scope but I not sure which one. If you are interested, I can forward you the gentlemans contact information.

Good luck

emmerth

 

[nbhunter]

Yes, That would be great. Hard to find the .308 Deluxe in top condition I'm finding out. Just bought a pre Garcia Forester Deluxe .243 I found. Not a Bofors but I could not pass it up. Perfect condition. Don't think it's be fired much if at all. I think I'm hooked. Started this quest to find the.308 now when I find a great Forester Deluxe in the wrong cal I buy it. This could get expensive......Do you guys have a support group???

NB

 

[stonecreek]

Started this quest to find the.308 now when I find a great Forester Deluxe in the wrong cal I buy it. This could get expensive......Do you guys have a support group???
NB

Yes, we are a support group of sorts. However, unlike those groups that deal with other addictions, we support you by trying to separate you from your excessive Sako acquisitions by buying them at ridiculously low prices to teach you not to do that again! We're prepared to help you for as long as you need it; there's hardly any limit to the number of Sako Deluxes we'll offer to buy from you for $500 in order to help cure you.

I do urge you to get help now while you still can. As for me and a few others here, well, we're too far gone and the condition is terminal. Meaning that when we die we'll still own way too many Sakos.

Where did you want me to send my $500 cashier's check for your Deluxe Forester?

 

[L61R]

"Meaning that when we die we'll still own way too many Sakos. "

No No No No!!!!

This is how it SHOULD read!
Meaning that when we die we'll still own way too FEW Sakos. :bigsmile3:

Hello!

My name is Jim! IxB4 m a Sakoholic!

Pardon me for my bad humour! I do want to appear derogatory towards people with other, much more serious illnesses!! Trust me, I donxB4t!

Regards

Jim

 

[emmerth]

nb,

PM sent with contact information on the 308.

Let me know how it works out.

emmerth

 

[nbhunter]

Graig,

Called Don and he sent me the pics of his .308. Nice gun, not quite what I'm looking for. Thanks for the help. I'm still looking.

Ron