Sako L46 7X33

[finskspets]

Bought this gun today . Made in 1949.

 

[emmerth]

Very nice....You should take a few more pictures and post them.

 

[stonecreek]

Congrats on a great find! It looks very clean! Where are you located?
I have a Mannlicher 7x33 that is very similar (1946), but it has a rear sight mounted on the barrel. Yours looks to have had no rear sight. Is your checkering custom? It looks a bit different from most Sako factory checkering.

 

[finskspets]

I haven't got it home yet. It's in the mail.
There is no rear sight on it, because there have been a scope on it. Seller didn't have it.
The stock is a brand new one that a friend of the seller had. He sold the one that followed the gun to another friend that had a L46 with a broken stock. Was of birch. (Think that is what it's called in english)
Seller has another with nr: 710 and only been fired 20 shots when he baught it.
I live in Norway,
Not sure what chekring means?
When u say Mannlicher, is it a sako or a custombuild? 7x33 is a sako only i've been told

.

 

[rowdy]

Hi,

Welcome to the forum. That is a great looking rifle in a very rare calibre. I have a L46 .22 Hornet. serial number 15427. I think it is one of the easiest rifles I have owned to shoulder and swing. The balance is great. Is the Mannlicher easy to handle?

Rowdy

 

[misako50]

Oh My!!!- I would be like a kid waiting for Christmas if that was on the way to my house. Very nice.-Misako

 

[finskspets]

Thank you guys for liking it.

When u say Mannlicher, do u mean that the stock is going all the way?

A bit new to this kind of guns. Only own a shootgun before this one.

And sako is making new ammo for it this year. Allready ordered some.

Great news.

Looking forward to try it out.

 

[rowdy]

Hi Finskspets,

I looked a little more closely at your new pictures. The checkering ( the cuts in the hand swell and on the fore end ) look very much like my L46. Stonecreek, I think my stock is Birch, not walnut, maybe that could be a difference with the L46 you own ? If yours is a walnut stock ? I belive my gun is original. Mannlicher is a term used to describe a fully wooden stocked rifle. It is a generic term, and could apply to any manufacturer, not just Sako. My safety is on the right and yours, the more rare early version is on the left. Well done on the gun. Go get the other 7 X 33 !

Best regards,

Rowdy

 

[finskspets]

Now i know what mannlicher is. Thanks for that info. Think i have read somewhere that there is a rifle that has that name, but i probably missunderstod the whole thing.

Birch was used on the first L46 that came out. Most of the guns sold in scandinavia was made of birch i belive. When usa and austrailia started to import, they wanted another type of wood. And they made them of walnut. But still some was sold with birch.

I read this in a articel about the L46 in a swedish magasin.

 

[bloorooster]

finskspets, Hello and Welcome! You have a magnificent rifle, the wood grain is beautiful, and the checkering is very fine! I don't personally own a Mannlicher yet but this one or one like it would be very nice...when it comes to you, please let us know how it shoots! Very beautiful gun!-Bloo

 

[stonecreek]

Thanks for the additional photographs. It is very nice. Regardless that the stock is a replacement, it is nice as well. Are you going to hunt Capercaelli (sp?) with it? Or perhaps fox or hares?

Yes, the early Sakos used Birch wood ("Arctic Birch") stocks, but apparently Mr. Jan Winter, who headed Firearms International which was the U.S. importer, insisted on using walnut for the production headed to the U.S. as this wood was traditional with American guns. Sako used both Birch and Walnut for several years before going to exclusively Walnut. I happen to think that some of the flame colored Birch actually looks very attractive, and as far as I know, its physical properties do as well for a gunstock as Walnut does.

The term "Mannlicher" as used in this regard refers to the full length stock on which the wood goes all the way to the end of the barrel. The term comes from the Mannlicher-Schoenauer carbine made in Austria (and derivatives like the Italian Mannlicher-Carcano or the Greek Mannlicher) because the Mannlichers were famous for their full length stocks. When someone says "Mannlicher" they might be referring to a rifle made by Mannlicher (the Steyr Company), but if they refer to a "Mannlicher stock" they usually mean a full length stock on a Sako, Ruger, or any other rifle.

 

[bloorooster]

stonecreek, does the Mannlicher stock design provide any functional advantage in performance or accuracy in this type of rifle. I've always pondered this type of stock design-Bloo

 

[stonecreek]

In military rifles that are sometimes fired rapidly the full length wood, when combined with a wooden handguard on the upper portion of the barrel, protects the shooter from a blistering hot barrel. But in sporting rifles, so far as I am aware it is purely a matter of style. But they do look classy, don't they?

 

[rowdy]

Hi Stonecreek,

Thank you for a fuller history of "Mannlicher" . I always enjoy learning new things about Sako's and guns in general, and this forum never lets me down.

As for the after market stock, what is the tell tale sign ? Mine looks very similar, and I asumed that it was original.

Best regards,

Rowdy

 

[bloorooster]

Wow! I have never been real crazy about 'em, but this one and a few others I have seen here have kindled an interest, thanks for the info,makes perfect sence concidering heat and protection of the shooters hands-bloo

 

[stonecreek]

Rowdy,

The checkering pattern on the forearm is unusual. It is a bit different than the typical Sako checkering, but as they were all hand-done jobs they did vary somewhat, especially in the early years. Finkspets mentioned that it was a replacement, but it may be a genuine Sako stock.
The close-up of the pistol grip checkering certainly looks factory Sako.

 

[rowdy]

Stonecreek,

I reread the original post and Finskspets did indeed mention that it was a new stock. My mistake. I think I was focused on the picture of the pistol grip which looks just like mine. Thank you for the guidance.

Rowdy

 

[finskspets]

Hi all.

stonecreek.

Thnx for the lesson about Mannlicher . Great to read

Going to hunt Capercaelli and Black Grouse mainly. Perhaps some fox and deer to if i get the time for it. Just bought a new dog for hunting those birds, so most of my time will go into training the dog.

Boorooster.

I will tell u when i have tried it. Need to get a scope and some ammo first. The guy that is selling it to me, promised that he would try and send a few rounds to me with the gun so i can try it. He have to ask a friend to make them first.

Last rumor from Sako is that they will wait until october before they start produsing the ammo. Gives me plenty of time to find a scope.

Perhaps there is someone here that has one of these guns with a scope and can post a picture. I need to find a scope that wont interfere with the safty when it's on.

The stock is new yes. Was told that it is a original Sako stock made for these guns.

Will ask the seller for some more info next time i talk to him.

 

[misako50]

finskspets-When the new dog gets you sufficiently trained. Please post some good photos of the hunt. And don't make him take all the pictures

-Misako

 

[finskspets]

He he. I will do so misako.