L61R bolt

[Guest]

I don't know if anyone can help but my pre-72 has been given me problems. The bolt would not open after firing a round. The rifle shoots the round but then the bolt lever is stuck and it is very hard to open. I have to force the bolt to open. Once open, every thing is free until I close the chamber and fire again. Then it locked bolt again. It is at the smith but he is baffle over this problem also. Does the old sako need to have a round in the chamber to use the safety? I can turn safety on without a round in teh chamber. I wonder if the trigger is the cause of this.
thanks,

 

[Guest]

No, it is irrelavent whether there is a round in the chamber as to whether the safety can be put in the "safe" position.

You would need to give a more complete description of the problem in that it seems as if you are suspicioning the safety bolt lock, however your description of having to "force the bolt open" does not comport with a problem with the bolt lock. You don't describe either the caliber or the ammunition, nor the condition of the cartridge case once the bolt is successfully opened. Will the fired case go back into the chamber and allow the bolt to close normally? Knowing these things might be helpful in diagnosing your problem.

There are a limited number of reasons why you might be experiencing the problem of a very sticky bolt after firing a cartridge. If your gunsmith is "baffled", then you should probably find another gunsmith.

 

[Guest]

Stonecreekranch,

Thanks for the response!
I have 2 sako 75 and this is my first L61R. I have heard so much about this model that I wanted one for myself. Load and behold I found this one still in excellent condition.
I bought the rifle use six months ago and had finally had the time to fire it 3 weeks ago. First shot with federal fusion ammo, the bolt locked so I wiggle and bang on the bolt and it finally loosen up with force. Finally, I was able to unchamber the cartridge. I kept the casing and I than inserted a different ammo using Federal premium ammo the second time and fired the rifle. It fired fine but again it locked up on me again. So I took the rifle home and forced it real hard to unchamber the round. I re-inserted the empty casing and chambered it fine. The bolt closed properly and I can dry fire it without any issues.
Upon arrival at the smith, he thought it could be ammo related. So he took it to the range and reported the same issue. He than check the barrel for wear and tear and said it looks real good for a 30 years old gun. It was hardly use. He than polished the chamber and took it to the range again. Using different ammo, he said after the polishings, the bolt was a little better but still not up to par. He showed me the casing and he re-chamber that fired casing into the chamber and the bolt closed fine.
The reason I asked about the safety is that if I dry fire the rifle than I cannot enable the safety. However if I have the rifle unbolt and bolt back in place and the firing pin is ready to strike than I am able to turn the safety on. I read online that old rifles could have the trigger all gunk up and cleaning it with lighter fuel oil should do the trick. The smith will try something else and he will test fire this weekend. He is a good smith but not a sako cert. smith. Maraviov out of woodland, ca. He is a good honest guy and I hope he cures my sako problem. But if not who can I send it to that has work with a lot of sako?
thanks from fustrated hunter.

 

[Guest]

The Sako #4 trigger used on your L61R is a pretty straightforward mechanism. You can find the rifle owner's manual with trigger adjustment instructions on the Sako website. It is easy enough to entirely remove the little piece of stamped metal that is the safety/bolt lock to test if that is causing interference. However, I very seriously doubt that the trigger is the root of your problems.

It is remotely possible that a previous owner could have abused the action with very high pressure loads which set back the locking lugs and galled the locking lug seats. Your gunsmith should be able to quickly determine if this is part of the problem.

You didn't mention the caliber, however this shouldn't be of any significance in that any caliber with factory loads should not exhibit the problem you are encountering.

 

[Guest]

Hi this gun is know for bolt guides sliding forward from recoil have your gun smith remove the guide if it only has one guide retaining spring have him install a second retaining spring kit good luck

 

[Guest]

I am sure the smith checked this, but since you didn't mention it, I will. Check that there is no pitting on the bolt face, whether from corrosion or machining. I have not seen the problem in Sakos, but I have in other rifles, especially in higher pressure calibers. The bolt will operate nicely until the rifle is fired. The pressure of firing forces the cartridge head back into the small pits and essentially locks the bolt to the cartridge case. It can be forced open, and thence it is as free as it should be. There will be some scarring on the case head if this is the snag. It is an easy problem to correct. Hope all turns out well.