Total L57 Production Records

[218Bee]

I didn't realize Sako made any 244/6mmRem.
I like the cartridge and currently have a 700 & 788 Remington so chambered,
I wonder if anyone knows what twist rate Sako used on the rifles they chambered in 244?
I suppose they did not make them in any other rifle other than the 400 in the L57?
I like the cartridge just cause its a bit different.

 

[stonecreek]

I suppose they did not make them in any other rifle other than the 400 in the L57?

A few were made in the successor L579. But finding either an L57 or L579 .244 these days is a bit difficult. And if it is in nice condition you'll be competing with collectors.

I wonder if anyone knows what twist rate Sako used on the rifles they chambered in 244?

The best I could measure mine with the tight-patch-on-swiveling-cleaning-rod method was about 1- 11.25". It stabilizes 100 grain Remington Coreloct factory ammunition (the only factory ammunition for .244/6mmRem that I'm aware of) just fine.

 

[Jarifin]

I've been down with a cold for a while and not feeling like doing any real work, so I took some time to glean some additional interesting information from the Sako records.

The L57 medium action rifle was introduced in 1957 and produced until superseded by the L579 in 1959. Here are how many L57's were produced in each year by caliber from the shipping records:

1957:
.243 -- 150
.308 -- 2

1958:
.243 -- 6,245
.308 -- 398
.244 -- 235
.222M -- 3

1959:
.243 -- 1746
.308 -- 848
.244 -- 174

1960:
.243 -- 51
.308 -- 6

1961:
.243 -- 24
.308 --0

Totals Production:
.243 -- 8,216
.308 -- 1,254
.244 -- 409
.222M -- 3
ALL -- 9,882

It's clear that demand in the late 1950's was heavily skewed toward the .243 Winchester, but I wouldn't have guessed so strongly.

Most of us probably didn't know that the .243's outnumbered the .308's by a ratio of six and a half to one. I owned an L57 Deluxe .308 in original condition and foolishly sold it. I don't think I'd have done that if I'd realized how relatively scarce those really are.

It appears that the three L57's chambered for .222 Magnum were an experiment, but Sako instead chose to lengthen the magazine of the L46 to accommodate the increasingly popular (at the time) new cartridge.

Of course, any Sako .244 is a prize, as we've known all along.

By the way, the inspection records indicate that L57 SN #1 was in "Kal 257", presumably .257 Roberts. However, the shipping records show SN #1 (and #2) as being in .308. Curiously, the inspection records shows a blank for SN's #2 and #3. I suppose confusion like that is understandable when building prototypes, but you have to wonder if there really ever was an L57 in .257?

Thank you stonecreek, very interesting shipping records!

It says here in this book "SAKO-Aseet 1921-2000" (Timo Hyytinen, Arma Fennica 2012, https://www.armafennica.fi/)
https://www.finna.fi/Record/helmet.2045395?lng=en-gb that the L57 production started with .244 Rem in 1957, but it also says that the serial number 1 was cal .257 Weath (19 units). It seems a bit confusing also when comparing these shipping records, but I guess that is how the old records are. It says on the text that the first units got depressing reception in the USA but the subsequent units got increasing demand as the stock was remodeled, or so. I am not sure if the first units are in these records as L57 or something else, though.

Here is a photo of the L57 detail page and a rough google lens translation, if that helps!

 

[stonecreek]

Well, there is certainly no way that a .257 WBY would fit in an L57 action. However, there is a notation in the inspection records of ".257" at the top of the first page. The .257 Roberts could fit in the L57, but no one has ever seen a factory L57 in .257 Roberts, so that notation remains a mystery. The only calibers listed in the shipping records for the L57 are .243, .244, .308, and a tiny number of (apparently prototype) .222 Magnum.

 

[icebear]

Arma Fennica is a valuable source of information on Finnish firearms, and in many cases the only easily accessible source. However, the books contain many errors, omissions, and typos. The impossible L57 in .257 Weatherby is clearly among them.

 

[Jarifin]

Thanks for the clarification, Stonecreek and Icebear!