Sako 579 23 inch barrel Fullstock .243

[rob]

I am not a Sako collector...I have precisely one Sako..and I am seeking information on it. It is a fullstock (Mannlicher-type stock) Sako 579 in .243...The barrel is 23 inches long and medium/heavy...the rear sight is a military-like tangent sight...It is in excellent/near new condition. Can someone tell me approximately when this model was made? It doesn't appear in most of the Gun Trader type guides.

I have only fired it twice but both times I experienced extreme horizontal stringing of the group...that is a group with a vertical spread of sub-one inch but a horizontal spread of 5-6 inches...I was using sub-par discount brand (Yugoslavian) 100 grain ammo and perhaps should experiment with higher quality ammo before jumping to conclusions (blame it on the fullstock connection , the barrel band, etc.)...but I expect better accuracy from a Sako with a barrel this heavy...

I would appreciate any information on this rifle...

Robin Peck
[email protected]

 

[deergoose]

I have a rifle very similiar to yours, except mine does not have the rear site. Please give us some more details such as serial number, barrel markings and if there is a black plastic grip cap. The biggest question will be to see if your gun was made before 1972.

DeerGoose

 

[rob]

I bought some Winchester ammo...cheap 100 grain Power-Points...instant half-ich groups....I threw away the discount Yugo ammo.

Serial number is 104673 Last three digits are on bottom of bolt handle

It does not have a plastic grip cap...no grip cap at all, just the wood. Buttplate is palstic with Sako gear logo.

On the left side the barrel has same proof marks as receiver, the Finnish Lion and that weird little MV symbol (I am sure you know the one I mean)..it also says FORESTER MADE IN FINLAND....and on the top it says SAKO Cal. .243

 

[rob]

1/2 inch groups

 

[rob]

Pictures have been posted above and here are a couple more (I hope)

 

[rob]

...and there was an original white plastic spacer between the stock and buttplate...I just couldn't take it...I removed it and put it into the garbage...aside from that...no modifications.

 

[deergoose]

ok. here are some pics of my medium-heavy barrel Mannlicher .243, made in 1970. This gun has a 22.25" barrel. For giggles, (and some techno-geekness on my part), I had a comparison pic of this .243 along w/ another .243 sporter that I have. The diameter of the Mannlicher is larger, and I even cropped out the muzzle to make sure. I've got the actual dial caliper measurement written down somewhere, but finding it will to laborous for me on a damp and humid night. I don't feel like going outside to the shop and getting the caliper either. You've got a great gun there and a rare one. Hold on to it.

DeerGoose

 

[rob]

Thanks for the picture...its basically the same rifle....interesting photo of the different barrel thickness...I sure do like the tangent rear sight on mine...I've seen it on early Sakos but not on one as recent as mine...Is there any evidence on yours that the rear sight was removed? What do you think these rifles are worth (mine is not for sale...just curious).

 

[deergoose]

it's worth in the high hundreds because there just wasnt' that many of them made. The guns were catalogued, but not many were made and I've paid over a grand each for some of my Mannlichers, if that tells you anything. The long action Mannlichers, pre-1972 are even scarcer. My gun did not have the rear site and is all factory original. Most of the pre-72 guns didn't have the rear sites, maybe one in 10 would be my guess, maybe less. Enjoy your gun, its one of the best.

DeerGoose

 

[rob]

Thank you very much for all the useful information. I very much appreciate it. I bought the rifle as a practical hunting rifle and fully intend to use it soon...normally I shoot one of my 30-06 Husqvarnas but I had been looking for a smaller caliber, light recoiling rifle for some time...I live in a relatively remote part of rural Alberta, Canada and have whitetails, mulies and moose regularly grazing just a few feet away from the living room window (see attached image of a curious buck...note the dinosaur bone ...there are lots of those here as well)..I have shot real big northern ten point whitetail bucks only 100 yards from the back door...and moose at not much further...and the other day a big pronghorn buck showed up in the field (they are rare this far north, but on the average they are much larger than the ones further south in Montana/Wyoming)...and there are tons of coyotes and a few cougars...and plenty of bears and elk and etc. about an hours drive west into the mountains...so the rifle will get a good workout this fall and winter...and autumn here is nearly over...I woke up this morning, looked out and saw that nearly all the orange leaves are gone...they blew away in the night...now for six months of the white stuff! Thanks again.

 

[deergoose]

looks good, Rob. Looks like you need help handling all those critters !!....ha, ha. And good for you that the dinos are not roaming around up there any longer.

regards,
DeerGoose

 

[sakoverein]

DeerGoose prompted me to take a look at my collection again. I had always noticed that the mannlicher barrels were slightly larger diameter than the sporter version counterparts. So... after some measuring here is what I came up with:
Forester .308 Mannlicher (rifle version with 23in barrel) is .607
Forester .308 Sporter is .587

Vixen .223 Mannlicher Carbine (rare) is .609
Vixen .223 Sporter is .581

Vixen .222 Rem Mag Mannlicher Carbine is .611
L46 DeLux .222 Rem Mag Sporter is .580

Vixen .222 Rem Mannlicher Carbine is .610
Vixen .222 Rem Sporter is .582

Interesting to note that even when measured at the 20 inch mark on a 23 inch barrel (i.e. Sporter) the diameter is still smaller than the Carbines. They must have just made carbine barrels in larger diameters. Any one else have a good explanation for this?

Sakoverein

 

[Guest]

How about selling me one of your vixen mannlichers? the .222 if you are interested give me a call

From:[/B]SAKOverein
To: Sako Collectors Club
Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 2004 11:24 AM
Subject: Re: Sako 579 23 inch barrel Fullstock .243


]<div>

 

[deergoose]

Back when Firearms International was importing barreled actions, you could order, or at least the 1962 FI catalog said that you could order barrels of varying sizes. I think FI called them "light", "heavy" and "bull" and they had three "profiles" each for the light and heavy barrels, but only one profile for the bull barrel (no taper). Most of us refer to these sizes as "standard", "medium-heavy" and "heavy". I had got on a kick a few years ago about this whole barrel size issue, and now have been forced to look up the dial caliper muzzle diameter measurements that I've recorded. Here they are:

L61R .270 Sporter: .625"
L61R .270 Mannlicher: .626"

L61R .30-06 Sporter: .594"
L61R .30-06 Mannlicher: .641"

L61R .300WM Sporter: .601"
L61R .300WM Mannlicher: .672" (this gun weighs a ton)

L57 .243 HB ("bull" barrel) Mannlicher: .719" (another gun that weighs a ton)
L579 .243 Mannlicher 22.25" barrel: .628"
L579 .243 Mannlicher Carbine: .597"
L579 .243 Sporter: .595"

L461 .222 Mannlicher Carbine: .603"
L46 .222 Sporter: .599"

As you can see, there are numerous possibilities here. I won't go on any further.

DeerGoose
a somewhat possessed Sako collector

 

[sakoverein]

I was finally able to get to the back of my safe and pull a few more rifles out for measurement. It is interesting how different vintage rifles had slightly different measurements.

My circa 1952 218 Bee Mannlicher rifle was .592. A bit smaller than later era Vixen and Forester Mannlichers. Sadly I don't own a sporter version in this caliber so I had to go to my 1950 22 Hornet for a comparison. This rifle was almost exactly the same... .593. During the early years they must not have made the mannlicher barrels quite as robust as later versions. Anyone have a guess why?