Hello, I recently acquired a somewhat beaten up but still much-liked Valmet 412 12 gauge/308, here in Canada. But it is missing the rear iron sight. The receiver is, if memory and research serves, about the 168th Valmet 412 manufactured. It is marked with a stylized V, instead of the numerals 412. However the barrel is of later vintage ... a normal 412 (not 412S) so to speak. I spent a long time online and finally tracked down a rear sight for it and had it mailed from Sweden. It did not fit and was returned and exchanged. The new one does not fit either. It now lives in a drawer. So I started looking for a scope mount. I found a well used and relatively inexpensive scope mount (just what I want) at another Swedish shop. Unfortunately the shop, pleasant as they are to deal with, is not comfortable sending it to Canada. There may be regulatory complexities ... I don't think so, but I realize it is a bit of an unknown. Anyway, in the unlikely event that anyone on this great Sako website (helpful to me in the past) has any leads to a Valmet 412 combination gun rear sight or scope mount, please comment.
The scope mounts are sometimes found on eBay or Gunbroker. You might also try the same sources for a rear sight.
I do not really expect anyone to be able to answer this query, but just in case. As noted earlier, I am looking for an iron rear sight for a Valmet 412 to fit a 12/308. Or a Valmet scope mount. The barrel, while fitted to a very early receiver, is of later vintage and not factory dovetailed for scope mounts. However, I recently acquired another Valmet combination gun. This is a 12/222. It has a rear iron sight. And as the barrel as well as receiver are both early ones, the barrel is factory dovetailed for scope mounts. I think the term Sako-style scope mounts applies? So if I knew how, I could put Sako-style scope mounts on the 12/222 and install a scope. I expect this is not too difficult, even for an inexpert hobbiest such as I. I have an L579 with a scope and maybe can learn from that. Misako50 and many others coached me re the L579. That would allow me to transfer the rear iron sight to the 12/308. So my obscure question is can anyone familiar with Valmet 412's suggest what is involved in moving the rear sight from one gun to another? Thank you.
There is a small allen grub screw on each end of the flip up sight leaf. These screws retain the leaf as well as allow some horizontal adjustment. back the screws out and the leaf will pop off. There is a small spring under the leaf that provides the detent for the flipping up and down. After putting the sight on the other barrel it's just the tedious matter of regulating the barrel to shoot where the sights point. The rear sight allows for small adjustments from side to side.
Thanks very much, P04R. That is most helpful. (One of my kids has the 412 12/222 just at the moment, but I will get it and proceed as you suggest.)
my brother has a Valmet in .308 /12 that is currently wearing my low L-46 rings as he is almost blind. I got it from Tradeex, and it might be known as a 212 as this receiver taking SAKO style rings was very different from my 412S. My 412S has it's own base, but Tradeex also has an adapter that converts the European 412S dovetail to weaver style. I don't like my Valmet base because it sits too high. Ironically, the dovetail on the Valmet is Identical to the dovetail holding the rear sight on the Finnish 91/30 and nicely situates an LER scope at just the right height.
Thank you. I cannot find the item on the tradeex website. Might you know what "product" tradeex lists it under?
I just looked on Tradeex and they have 4 left in the Scopes Mounts and Rings category SKU 03 Marocchi 612 and Finn-85.00
Thanks very much. I sent a note to Tradeex seeking confirmation that this will work on a 412 (predates the 412S as you know). I need something for the 412, be it an iron rear sight, a Valmet scope base, or this Marocchi item, if hopefully it works on an early 412.
there are a few different avenues to scoping a Valmet without the prohibitively expensive base. my 6.5x 55 under 12 guage barrels has a Leupold or Redfield set of .22 see throughs that butt-up against the raised back sight, scope is sighted to the rifle barrel. I have 2-other set-ups that work as well. As long as the grooves are straight and not SAKO style with taper, you'll be OK .The old ones that take SAKO rings are the nicest because you can really get low with a compact scope.
Thanks again. I think the rifle has the straight grooves, not the Sako version. I have high hopes for the Marocchi item, but tradeex is closed for a couple of days. And those Valmet bases are dear, as you say ... but after the fact I saw a 412 with one attached go way too cheap at auction.
last Valmet one I bought at a gun show for 100 bucks, 2 years ago but it is 30mm so it puts you even higher above bore!
I envy your luck (or hard work) to find a Valmet scope mount at that price. The way I shoot a high scope does not make me even more erratic. And right now, of course, there are no gun shows to search in. (I did get an iron sight from a guy on a Swedish or Finnish ebay-like website, but it did not fit.)
When you are a gunsmith, you kinda get OCD about these things. as low as possible so you have a good cheek-weld every time
