icebear
Sako-addicted
Here are three custom Sakos I have acquired over the years - a lightweight .222 sporter, a heavy barrel .222 varmint rifle, and an FN-Sako in .300 H&H.
First, this .222 L461 sporter was built by C.O. Audette and is so stamped on the barrel. Audette was better known as a target shooter and builder of target rifles, but as this rifle shows, he also built sporting rifles. I got this one at a gun show in Virginia (I think - it was a long time ago). I don't recall what I paid for it but it was a reasonable premium over what I would have paid for a standard L461 at the time. The rifle is extremely accurate, shooting 1/2" groups consistently at 100 yards with good handloads. I added the Conetrol scope mounts and the Burris Mini 4-12x scope. I like the old Burris compacts for slim, lightweight rifles like this one, as they don't overwhelm the gun with their size. The stock was carefully cut from a feathercrotch board to have the grain curve around the pistol grip for maximum strength. This is a master's touch. The stock wood is actually a slightly lighter shade than it appears in the photos.
Next we have an L46 in .222 with a heavy varmint barrel and the original front sight. I also got this one at a gun show in Virginia. The seller claimed it had been stocked by Al Biesen, but I have been unable to find any markings to confirm that. Looking at photos of other Biesen guns, it does show a family resemblance. The fine-line checkering is superlative. It is also a 1/2" shooter with the right ammo. Stock appears to be English or Circassian walnut. I love the striped figure. The scope is a 6-20x Leupold, which is ideal for the rifle and cartridge. In the photos showing two guns, the other one is an L461 heavy barrel in .222 Magnum with a Leupold 12X.
And finally, this is an FN-Sako in .300 H&H. I seem to recall buying this one sight unseen out of the old Gun List. The original custom builder is unknown, but I have extensively redone it. The stock is by Bishop and was, which I got it, one of those aesthetic disasters from the 60's and 70's with an absurdly high Monte Carlo cheekpiece, super-shiny poly finish, and a big clunky forend. I wish I had a before photo; the thing was hideous. Checkering was a nice standard pattern but indifferently executed. I chopped the Monte Carlo down to a semi-Bavarian shape, slimmed down the forend, deepened and cleaned up the checkering, replaced the ugly plastic grip cap with ebony, added a recoil pad, and finished it in tung oil. The stock had been bedded when I got it and it had a Timney trigger, which I left in place. I topped the rifle with a 2.5-8x Leupold in EAW-style swing mounts. The mounts are not real EAW; they are some kind of East European copy but they work fine. The rifle retains the original express sights, one standing and one folding.
The custom is shown in a rack with an original FN-Sako in .30-06. The FN has a 2.5-6x B. Nickel Marburg 26mm scope in Sako-style rings of unknown origin. If you recognize these rings, please post.
First, this .222 L461 sporter was built by C.O. Audette and is so stamped on the barrel. Audette was better known as a target shooter and builder of target rifles, but as this rifle shows, he also built sporting rifles. I got this one at a gun show in Virginia (I think - it was a long time ago). I don't recall what I paid for it but it was a reasonable premium over what I would have paid for a standard L461 at the time. The rifle is extremely accurate, shooting 1/2" groups consistently at 100 yards with good handloads. I added the Conetrol scope mounts and the Burris Mini 4-12x scope. I like the old Burris compacts for slim, lightweight rifles like this one, as they don't overwhelm the gun with their size. The stock was carefully cut from a feathercrotch board to have the grain curve around the pistol grip for maximum strength. This is a master's touch. The stock wood is actually a slightly lighter shade than it appears in the photos.
Next we have an L46 in .222 with a heavy varmint barrel and the original front sight. I also got this one at a gun show in Virginia. The seller claimed it had been stocked by Al Biesen, but I have been unable to find any markings to confirm that. Looking at photos of other Biesen guns, it does show a family resemblance. The fine-line checkering is superlative. It is also a 1/2" shooter with the right ammo. Stock appears to be English or Circassian walnut. I love the striped figure. The scope is a 6-20x Leupold, which is ideal for the rifle and cartridge. In the photos showing two guns, the other one is an L461 heavy barrel in .222 Magnum with a Leupold 12X.
And finally, this is an FN-Sako in .300 H&H. I seem to recall buying this one sight unseen out of the old Gun List. The original custom builder is unknown, but I have extensively redone it. The stock is by Bishop and was, which I got it, one of those aesthetic disasters from the 60's and 70's with an absurdly high Monte Carlo cheekpiece, super-shiny poly finish, and a big clunky forend. I wish I had a before photo; the thing was hideous. Checkering was a nice standard pattern but indifferently executed. I chopped the Monte Carlo down to a semi-Bavarian shape, slimmed down the forend, deepened and cleaned up the checkering, replaced the ugly plastic grip cap with ebony, added a recoil pad, and finished it in tung oil. The stock had been bedded when I got it and it had a Timney trigger, which I left in place. I topped the rifle with a 2.5-8x Leupold in EAW-style swing mounts. The mounts are not real EAW; they are some kind of East European copy but they work fine. The rifle retains the original express sights, one standing and one folding.
The custom is shown in a rack with an original FN-Sako in .30-06. The FN has a 2.5-6x B. Nickel Marburg 26mm scope in Sako-style rings of unknown origin. If you recognize these rings, please post.
