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L46 barrel details....

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

ed333

Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2011
Messages
20
Location
State of Maine, USA
Today I took a look at an L46 .222Rem , #515**. The dealer had brought it in from Switzerland a few years back, it has the dark wood color referred to in recent posts. The bolt was numbered with the receiver, but the barrel had some odd (to my uninformed eye) markings. On the right side was the Bofors Steel legend, with those odd arrows. But on top, the word "Akah" inside an oval, and on the left side of the barrel just ahead of the receiver, there was a four digit number (not corresponding to the serial number) hand stamped, one digit at a time . The dealer thought this might be a proof mark from an outside proofhouse?
Is it possible that this is a re-barrel? Even with the Bofors legend on the right?
 
Ed,

I have never seen a proof mark on sako that is numbered how you described. I have seen people stamp/etch their last 4 digits of their SS# on guns. Not sure this is the case if the owner did in fact bring this over from Switzerland???

What was he asking for the gun???

Thanks

emmerth
 
If the barrel has the regular "Bofors Steel" mark then it is certainly not a replacement as I can't feature anyone (other than Sako itself
[SakoCollectors.com] L46 barrel details....
!) counterfeiting the Bofors mark.

The other markings would appear to be proof or customs marks when it was imported to Switzerland (or less likely, when it was exported from Switzerland).
 
"Akah" was a German Co. which probably stamped the weapon.
A quick Google search yielded this:
Albrecht Kind GmbH, the company, is probably the oldest wholesale house of the weapons industry.
Besides the headquarters in Germany, the company has plants and subsidiaries in France, Austria and Hungary.
The rifle was no doubt an export to Germany, France, Austria, or Hungary through this company and required this stamp - which may have been a "proof" stamp of sorts.
I'm sure the barrel is original and the extra numbers stamped by hand are there for reasons we will never know.
S-A
 
emmerth said:
Stone,
What about the numbers on the barrel, they certainly are not proof marks.
I like the personal identification theory, these digits were stamped in with dies, and they did not line up perfectly, not professional work. I have had revolvers with home inscribed numbers under the grips, I don't know why people do not want to rely on serial numbers.
 
I've seen these types of things as well, although not the same letters/numbers. The numbers are the tested barrel pressure, but not sure what the units are. ????? Somebody told me this, but I really don't know. I think some British proofs/inspections did the same thing.

DeerGoose
 

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