Sako Handy Fiber

[Spaher]

Icebear, here is a .338 WinMag Fiberclass Carbine/Handy(?) in a 19” barrel configuration.
I say 19” as I cannot get 20” out of measuring tape. I’ll need to video a night shot to see what size flame blows out the barrel to satisfy our curiousity.
It came with a Williams sight

 

[icebear]

Icebear, here is a .338 WinMag Fiberclass Carbine/Handy(?) in a 19” barrel configuration.
I say 19” as I cannot get 20” out of measuring tape. I’ll need to video a night shot to see what size flame blows out the barrel to satisfy our curiousity. View attachment 27794View attachment 27795
It came with a Williams sight

Please do make a night video and post it. I'm betting it will be quite spectacular. Might be an overnight sensation on YouTube as well.

 

[paulsonconstruction]

I'm gonna guess Sako called that a 490mm long barrel. Spaher, do you have any documentation that the rifle was called a "Handy" or a "Hunter". The Williams sight & front sight without a hood would be more in line with what a remember as the "Hunter". Not disputing anything anybody is posting. Just trying to get a handle on the differences between the models & what sights they may have had & if those sights could have been comingled between the two models. Curious minds want to know!

 

[Spaher]

Paulson, good question and digging thru our forum there is discussion of a 1991 catalog describing it as a Handy Fiber, see attached. I’m going to go thru Sako advertising/catalogues to try & verify. I bought it as a Fiberclass Carbine per the seller. My preference is wood but I have high respect for the Fiberclass in various calibers that have served me well in the past in extreme environments.

 

[Spaher]

Paulson, 1 more try. I found the Stoeger price list for 1988 & accompanying brochure, attached.
There was a Fiberclass Carbine in 18 1/2”, all with open sights. I’ll say mine is a Fiberclass Carbine.

 

[wombat]

These pics are out of a Sako 1991 catalogue, says barrel is 490mm - = 19 1/4”
Jay

 

[paulsonconstruction]

We may just be looking at some subtle name changes by Sako rather than real differences. From the catalog info Spaher & wombat have provided it looks like in 1988 the Carbine had the wood stock & the Fiberclass Carbine had the synthetic stock. Then by 1991 the wood stocked Carbine was called the "Handy" & the Fiberclass Carbine from 1988 became the "Handy Fiber". Amazing the options Sako made back in the day.

 

[Spaher]

Icebear, still off short video as haven’t figured how to load video. Focus poor as may need use video camera versus I-phone.
Fiberclass stock helps minimize recoil & not an issue with good barrel rise. Will redo in few days with better quality as a good Cuban cigar & tequila calling just now. Hearing protection a must.

 

[icebear]

That does tell the story! I like the illuminated ring at the front of the main flash. Pity it's so fuzzy but photography at night isn't easy. It certainly is an impressive muzzle flash! Makes an RPG look like a Flashcube.

As far as loading a video, I've never done it so can't help much. A brief search suggests that the only way to embed it is to upload it to YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, or a couple of others and then embed using the Media icon. Or upload it to a server that's not on the list and just link it. It won't embed but the link will work.

Something I've noticed before is that I can't find any general instructions for using the site. There are a lot of features here that are not intuitive, and I've had to spend some time playing around with options to figure things out. And I've been doing this long enough to remember the Blue Screen of Death. Frequently newcomers are bamboozled by the hoops you have to jump through to get things done. The worst is sending a PM - it's easy enough once you know how, but clicking on Inbox and then hitting a couple more clicks isn't exactly intuitive. Half a dozen newbies have posted comments to my profile page when they meant to send me a PM. If the provider has a tutorial, reference, or FAQ on how to use the site, I haven't found it.

 

[Real Forester]

Lots of interesting info. I failed at posting pics from the catalogs I got. Closest I found was a pick of a wood stocked carbine with “Also available in fiberglass…” in the description. I’m not sure of the date of the catalog. It’s the closest thing I’ve seen to my rifle, except for that rear sight.

 

[RobbC]

A little late to the discussion but my 1986 brochure says the fibreglass stock was available on special order on the long L61R action only in the Sako Handy. Only walnut in the short L579 action. Barrel length stated as 18 1/2” for both actions.
Interesting concept but I didn’t like either of my 243 or 308 Steyr Mannlicher fullstock carbines (20” barrel) so I wouldn’t rush about trying to find a Handy other than to complete the collection.
My lovely little L46 222rem 20” carbine full wood is another story...
I will see if I can upload a copy of my brochure.

 

[Real Forester]

Hello all. I'll bring new life to this topic for a minute. I bought another one of these rifles a couple of months ago. AV in 25-06. Same stock and sights as the first, but this one came in the original box. "Handy" is checked on the label, as is "Fiberclass". I feel better about my first in .270 being a factory gun. Good luck to all this fall.