Sako M591 carbine with oak leaves

[ihmishessu]

Hi,

I recently ran into a pristine condition Sako M591 carbine cal. 308 with hand engraved oak leaf motifs that I just couldn't let go.. The scope is an older Tikka Platinum 3-9x40 on optilock rings which is nothing special but with the rifle I'm not really sure what i've got here because I have never seen a Sako carbine with these engravings before. I know that similar engravings were used with the Super Deluxes at the time but this rifle is missing the other ornaments from floor plate and trigger guard. To my eye it is in 99% condition with immaculate metal and just a nearly invisible small scratch on the stock next to the floor plate. It has most probably been fired a handful of times but at least for the last 9 years has been kept in a safe. Originally bought it to be used for white tail and moose but now i'm thinking that i might regret it if I go and scratch it... Any info on what i've got here would be greatly appreciated!

 

[misako50]

Very nice fullstock. I would love to get the story on how the custom stock was done and by whom. Looks like the stock work was done by someone at the factory or at least someone who had worked there. Take it out and hunt. That way when you take it out of the safe you can remember the many hunts it has been on with each and every blemish, or you can leave it in a safe and take it out and remember the day you bought it.-Misako

 

[RANE]

Perhaps....there could be a simple explanation for how that stock was born?Years back...Sako had a very busy Custom
Shop where at shooters/customers /hunters..could leave an order for almost anything they wanted or needed.
That would explain the missing engravings on the bottom metal.
However ihmishessu, you`ve got one beautiful Sako rifle!!
Good Shooting
RANE

 

[enotstehw]

Wow . . . thanks for posting a photo of a Sako that I've never seen before.

 

[misako50]

Another thing about the riflescope. First time I have seen or heard of a Tikka scope. I would like to hear more about that, also. Great way to join the club, Ihmishessu. Thanks for showing us your fine Sako and welcome to the club.-Misako

 

[Johnny twshoes]

That rifle is breath taking.

Congrats on owning such a beautiful example of someone's passion.
The ability to preform such art must have been a genuine gift.

Enjoy that one and take it out and make some memories.

 

[ihmishessu]

Thank you for the kind words. I'll try to find a contact number/e-mail to Sako (strangely they don't have one on their website) and ask if they can shed some light on my purchase and especially the origin of the carvings.

Tikka used to offer riflescopes i believe until around 2000. Earlier models were manufactured by Hakko in Japan and were considered to be a good purchase (the ones I've seen have been called gold crown). Later models called silver, gold and platinum (the one pictured above) were built in Korea by Nikkon and were of lower quality though still having Japanese made glass.

 

[David_S]

That scope looks very much like a Nikko-Stirling. From memory they came in Gold Crown, Silver and Platinum versions. For many years I had the Platinum version on both my Model 70 Featherweights (243 and 7x57). Mine were made in Japan, had good glass and stood up to years of abuse before the one on the 7x57 died. When I bought the .243 it had a Gold Crown scope which was nowhere near the quality of the Platinum I replaced it with.

I still have the one on the .243 but that does not get much use these days. I will dig it out of the safe and post a photo for comparison. One problem I did have early on was that the scope caps were loose fitting and in the rain the water ran down the tube and puddled in the cap eventually causing the scope to fog. The local importer replaced the scope without question and I fixed the problem by drilling small drain holes in the cap.

David

Edit PS Here is a photo of the 3-10 x 44 Nikko-Strling Platinum scope. Yes, it is mounted 90 degrees to the left. If I remember correctly the tube took a knock once (you can see the rifle/scope had a hard life) and to get it on line I placed the L/R turret on top as a temporary measure. Seemed to work, though I intend replacing it one day.

Look anything like yours, Ihmisshessu?

 

[deersako]

That is a beautiful thing Ihmisshessu ! The oak leaf carvings look fantastic, and on a fullstock it just sets another example of true craftsmanship.
Wouldn't it be great if Sako were still doing such things ?

 

[terenceh]

My sales brochure "Tikka 1981 Sporting and Hunting Arms" features "Tikka Silver Crown and Continental Rifle Scopes", with the statement "The Tikka rifle scopes are manufactured by the well-known Japanese Stirling Scope Company........"

The same scopes also feature in the 1978 brochure (in Finnish), but by 1987-88 the "Tikka Elektro telescopic sights have an illuminated sighting point" are being offered. The overall design is slightly different, suggesting perhaps a different manufacturer?


Terenceh

 

[Bowne1]

I have to say, that is one of the best I have seen.

 

[Technologist]

I don't know if that's news to anybody at is enthusiast forum, but I just saw a couple of pics of a Finnbear stock with the exact same oak leaf carving. The poster said it was a 1972 jubilee model.

 

[gowyo]

Very well done, but I can't help but think it was custom carving added after the checkering was done. Still, I would have to hunt with that beauty, it would be a crime not to.

 

[rkbacorn]

Would Love too own it!!!

 

[eddsako]

Its definitely a sako custom shop creation never seen one like that and the engraving looks to have been done after the guns original construction. but I strongly believe it a sako creation or the work of a master engraver and this is not impossible to replicate oak leaves that well.