• Hey All! Lately there has been more and more scammers on the forum board. They register and replies to members requests for guns and/or parts or other things. The reply contains a gmail or hotmail address or similar ”anonymous” email addresses which they want you to reply to. DO NOT ANSWER ANY STRANGE MESSAGES! They often state something like this: ”Hello! Saw your post about purchasing a stock for a Safari. KnuckleheadBob has one. Email him at: [email protected]” If you receive any strange messages: Check the status of whoever message you. If they have no posts and signed up the same day or very recently, stay away. Same goes for other members they might refer to. Check them too and if they are long standing members, PM them and ask if the message is legit. Most likely it’s not. Then use the report function in each message or post so I can kick them out! Beware of anything that might seem fishy! And again, for all of you who registered your personal name as username, please contact me so I can change it to a more anonymous username. You’d be surprised of how much one can find out about a person from just a username on a forum such ad our! All the best! And be safe! Jim

L61R Finnbear Deluxe date of manufacture

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

Hi, all. New forum member. I am hoping someone can help with date of manufacture on a rifle inherited from my father. It is a Sako Finnbear Deluxe in 7mm Rem Mag. S/N 38XXX, has the Bofors steel stamp and 3-lug bolt. I think this is a “pre-Garcia” model from the early to mid-sixties. The Sako S/N listing would indicate between 1961 and 1973, but the later numbers were 9XXXX which is why I hypothesize early to mid 60’s, but I also know Sako was not always consistent in S/N ranges and sequences. It’s a beautiful rifle regardless and I plan to shoot it just for long-range target fun. Thanks in advance for any info on date of manufacture!
 
Your rifle falls within the serial number range the club has factory records for, so just click on "Factory Records Service" in the upper left of this page & request the data. You are correct that Sako did not make rifles in sequential order, so hypothesizing is futile. The "Bofors" stamp does, however, indicate it was made in or prior to 1968, which would also mean it has no importer's stamp. Firearms International would have been the importer.
 
prolly 1968. that's a late serial for still being a Bofors stamp. Once of the latest that I've seen.

DeerGoose
 
prolly 1968. that's a late serial for still being a Bofors stamp. Once of the latest that I've seen.

DeerGoose
Thanks! Interesting about late serial with Bofors stamp. I’ll post back to the thread with the date once I get the information from the club order I sent in. Sadly, I don’t know the rifle’s provenance or when/where my dad got it.
 
Parents can be annoying that way. My dad picked up a 270 L61R first year for my mom back in the day.

Keeping in mind we were not all that far above poverty, FAA supplied the housing at a reasonable cost (with utilities!) and money was still tight. I saw a lot of checks of .50 to 1.25 when we cleaned those out (should have kept em)

My dad got a 1903A3 and finished his own stock for it for his hunting.

They planned a sheep hunt but we moved before that happened. Where my dad got that gun so early and the cost, not a clue. Lots of possible with FAA moving people around and to and from Washington DC so it could have been a can you get me one or someone had one.

We eliminated an over the pole bring in as it was FI delivered but other than that. nothing, my mom does not know and my dad passed before we realized what an Icon it was.

We still have it and much used and loved and it shoots sub MOA (at least with reloads)
 
Thanks for the great story, RC20. Money was tight for us in the 60s too, but my dad was a serious hunter and he must’ve found a way to afford such a fine rifle. My letter said mfg in 1969 and shipped to FI. I was hoping I might be able to determine the retailer who sold the gun but I’ll have to figure that out some other way. Anyone else have a Finnbear with a family story?
 
You are welcome. Kind of a classic.

My dad didn't buy new things for himself, but he did buy my mom things (knitting machine and a mixing machine - granted she used both a lot - not low cost though)

When we moved to S.E. AK they bought a new boat, safest one around (Boston Whaler) and he saved on the engine by getting a 35 hp that was really a 40 hp with a different label.

Years latter I found out why he bought white gas for it, no lead in it. Heard about it being available at the pump on a car tech fix talk show.

It was two cycle of course back then, but the less crud the better and getting the lead out ensured it ran and started well and cleanly.

I suspect my mom said she wanted to go sheep hunting and he worked out as good a deal as he could on the classic in those days sheep hunting caliber.
 
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