• 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

Sako L46 .22 Hornet Deluxe

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

topgear

Sako-addicted
Hi

Just wondering if there was ever a L46 deluxe .22 hornet produced? I've seen a rare few of the .222 L46 deluxes on the US websites but never a .22 hornet. Did they ever exist?

Cheers John
 
That's a good question, and further begs the question of when did the first Deluxe models appear. I don't recall ever seeing an L46 Deluxe in anything other than .222, and also don't recall seeing a Deluxe in less than a five digit serial number. For example, the Deluxe .222 I have in my collection is numbered in the 46,000's.

Now, what I've seen and what is actually out there may be two different things, but from my observations it seems that the Deluxe must have been introduced fairly far into the L46 production, perhaps some time in the mid-to-late 1950's. It was certainly around in the 1957-59 time period since there were L57's made in Deluxe. If anyone has any info on the timeframe for the introduction of the Deluxe it would be very useful.
 
Stone brings up a good question. When did Sako introduce the first Deluxe models? I have seen a few L46's and L57's from 1958 thru 1960...also once I ran across a Sako Hi-Power (M-98) Deluxe in 30-06, with fish god plate and the very early sharp pointed diamond inlay, also from the late 50's...I do believe the very earliest deluxes had the sharp diamonds. With the introduction of the Triple Deuce in the early 50's, it soon became the "bee's knee's" , both in Europe and the US. Leaving the sweet little hornets and bee's in the shadows~Bloo
 
Further minutia on the earlier 222 deluxes: There's a 45XXX 222 deluxe on GA w/ diamond inlay & rosewood forend tip slanting to rear, also one there 47XXX w/ fox inlay & rosewood tip slanting forward. My 472XX has diamond and rear slant, so appears that diamond & tip slant transition may have occurred in the 47XXX's.
 
All!

A while ago I read all my Firearms International catalogs and Deluxe models were introduced in a catalog from 59.
I am offshore right now so I can´t double check but I will do when I get home.

Jim
 
once I ran across a Sako Hi-Power (M-98) Deluxe in 30-06, with fish god plate and the very early sharp pointed diamond inlay, also from the late 50's~Bloo
I've recently added one of those to my collection, but so as not to hijack this thread I'll start a new one with some photos.
 
Thanks for the responses. The reason I asked is that I see five digit .22 hornet serial numbers in the list and they are dated in 1957 and 1958. I wasn't sure when the deluxe L46's first appeared but based on Jim's response maybe there is a slight chance there might be one out there. It sure would be nice to see one!

I must say I've actually never seen a L46 deluxe out here in Australia - even in .222. So if there is a .22 hornet deluxe it most likely will be in the US or Sweden.

If some exist they must go close to placing in the top 5 sako collectors rifles!


Cheers John
 
Further minutia on the earlier 222 deluxes: There's a 45XXX 222 deluxe on GA w/ diamond inlay & rosewood forend tip slanting to rear, also one there 47XXX w/ fox inlay & rosewood tip slanting forward. My 472XX has diamond and rear slant, so appears that diamond & tip slant transition may have occurred in the 47XXX's.

I saw one some months back with silver acorns or pine cones and needles around 48,xxx no tip either
 
I'd love to see someone post some photo's up of a deluxe hornet if they happen to have one.

I'm starting to believe it may be like the bofors .25-06 - non-existent !
 
Well actually it was in 1971. Serial # 62825 was shipped May 7, 1971.

Jim
 
Yeh I it was a mistake wires crossed.
jim is more than 100% correct but still makes the 25 06 out of Bofor range and that was my point .
 
topgear
what are you looking for?
any late model hornet would be a great find!
the deluxe models appeared about 45xxx odd? with a square fore end
L-46
 
I just don't think one exists. Its possible as the serial number ranges line up (i.e. deluxe L46 were around when the hornet was being chambered) but I don't think one was ever made. It sure would be a rare beast if it or they did exist.
 
My guess is that there is no such thing. The .222 was hot property at the time Sako started offering a Deluxe model, while the Hornet was rapidly moving toward what many thought would be obsolescence. So the demand for Deluxes among well-heeled buyers would have been for the .222 chambering.

Now, that's not to say that there is not a late Hornet with the longer magazine walking around somewhere with a Deluxe stock on it. Certain less-than-honest "operators" in the gun retailing business (like one in particular who operates in the Northwestern U.S.) could easily move a Deluxe stock and engraved magazine bottom metal from a .222 to a Hornet and represent it as original. Obviously, such an animal would likely bring him a big profit for his chicanery and there would be little way to prove that it was a deception.
 
According to my files, the last Hornet was made in May 1962 which makes a Deluxe Hornet plausible.

The first L46 Deluxes Vixen´s appears in the 1959 FI catalog along with the L57 Forester Deluxe. Calibers .222 and .222RemMag only.

This doesn´t mean that there were no Hornet Deluxes, only that FI opted not to market them and if a guy would place a special order on a Hornet Deluxe I bet they would have arranged it for him. And in other parts of the world, well who knows?


Jim
 
Just thought of something -- the magazine should be stamped with the caliber, so if a factory-engraved magazine should show up with the .22 Hornet caliber stamped on it (I think they were stamped ".22 H", but someone who has one will need to verify this), then unless it were a very clever counterfeit, it would likely be the genuine article and the attached gun would likely be a genuine L46 Hornet Deluxe.
 
Stonecreek,
The mags where stamped 'Hornet' that i have seen here, both long and short
you make a very interesting point about the bottom metal, my 222mag deluxe magazine has acorns, no caliber stamp where as the regular mag has the caliber stamped on it.
so you would have to take the 222 stock and bottom metal, change the hornet mag by removing the base metal with the engraved so you had the spacer in the rear of the hornet mag with the acorns etc, than assemble the rifle. You would also need a 40,xxx hornet barreled action so the barrel profle matched the stock and the serial numbers matched the period of the deluxe, plauseable but unscupulous as you say
very few late model hornets over here, think i have only seen a couple in the 20-30,xxx range
L-46
 
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