Rare?

[bloorooster]

Cobra1..notice also that there is no Forester stamping as well. I believe this rifle is legit, the earliest 57’s were not stamped as such until later. I have a De Lux numbered in the 9000’s that is not stamped Made in Finland, but it does have the Forester stamping as well as the Bofors Steel stamping on the right side. The rifle above is missing that as well, much like the L46’s of the same period.
The Special engraving is weird, no blueing , but Sako did produce a De Lux Special, which were the remaining unshipped rifles made for Colt at the time. It’s been a long time since I laid eyes on one of those, but I’m sure a couple guys here have them. Maybe they can add something of clarity.
The biggest surprise for me is a .222mag chambered to a medium sized action. Very cool Sako!

bloo

 

[kj60]

Here’s the pics I just took. Removed the old western field scope for better pics. L57 222 magnum

Thanks for the pics - nice rifle. Would love to see the bolt face if possible as to the larger diam bolt head on the smaller face

 

[icebear]

While the stampings are a bit odd, it appears that the usual lion's head proof and inspector's mark appear on the left side of the barrel shank. An in-focus closeup of this area would confirm this. And while the caliber stamp does not match later Sako .222 Magnum stamps, the type face looks to be correct for the era. The lack of "Made in Finland" is easily explained if the rifle was not built for export.

Looks authentic to me; a good photo of the barrel proof would add a big piece of evidence.

 

[douglastwo]

Your rifle deserves a Factory Records Service. It's a small fee that could bring a warm fuzzy feeling of legitimacy. If it's correct, your rifle is extremely rare, being one of five or so made. That is hard to come by. Good luck with it.

 

[CVCOBRA1]

Had to take a look at my two 57's, both HB's. My 243 has Forester on it but no "Made in". My 244 has neither markings just like this 222Mag. Neither of my 57's have Bofores marks. Something I had never caught before. That Mag just might be one of the Holy Grail, congrats.