Son recently inherited a Forester L579 .243 Win from Father in law

[Steve Sims]

This rifle is a tack driver, and except for the stock being a little beat up (nothing a good refinish won't fix) it is pristine. It's a high gloss finish, but it's seen better days. The wood itself is beautiful. My father in law was an avid North American big game hunter and used this rifle to take a "grand slam" of big horn sheep, and a couple of excellent prong horns. (but I digress)

I would upload some pics but I'm in the process of refinishing the stock.

It's serial is 306641, no import markers anywhere I'm thinking it's "pre Garcia", with a Redfield 2x7 scope that appears to be about the same vintage. I wanted to rescope it with a nicer more modern scope, but my son has insisted that it was good enough from Grandpa and he wants to look through the same glass. (I can respect the hell out of that)

The only thing that perplexes me is that there is no crown on the barrel. It almost looks sawed off square, but it's perfectly blued and smooth to match the rest of the barrel. Did Sako not crown their barrels back then or is it possible a quarter inch has been removed to repair some damage. I wish I could ask my father in law, and if it's been repaired I'd love to hear the story, but too late for that.

Also is fully glass bedded. It looks PERFECT. Did Sako send these out bedded or is that my father in law coaxing every last bit of accuracy out of this rifle?

Any insight for you old Sako hands would be appreciated.

 

[sraaw]

The barrel crown described sounds standard Sako to me. There was no 11 degree bevel or step/rebate used to crown Sako barrels.
I don't believe they glass bedded any rifles at the factory either, so this would have been done at a later time.
I've never had an issue with the way the factory put then out myself, however, others may disagree.....

 

[stonecreek]

If you have the serial number correct then your rifle would be from somewhat later production, sometime after the serial numbers for the Sako "medium" action jumped from the 100,000's to the 300,000's around 1975, about the middle of the "Garcia" period.

Assuming it has the original barrel with the original finish, if it has no import mark on the underside of the barrel then it was originally sold somewhere other than the U.S. Many of these were "bring backs" by U.S. servicemen who were stationed in Europe and bought Sakos there.

 

[Steve Sims]

Thanks very much for your help and great info. Stonecreek you were absolutely right, after much more careful inspection of the underside of the barrel it is indeed a Garcia import. Great gun though, the stock is coming along nicely. I've got a couple to Tikkas but no actual Sako. Andrew is a lucky kid!

 

[stonecreek]

after much more careful inspection of the underside of the barrel it is indeed a Garcia import.

I was looking at a Garcia Sako just today. It had excellent, original blue, but had such a faint barrel marking that if I hadn't known it was a Garcia I might have thought there was no marking at all.