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Finnwolf VL63 VL 63 Magazines [3 round]: Proposed Manufacture Of 100... Or More ... 'Field-Grade' Finnwolf Mags Fo

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

stevespencer

Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2010
Messages
5
Location
USA
Hello, all.
For me, I felt it best to be a Sako owner before joining the Club. In the weeks before even making
moves to get a .308 Finnwolf, I resolved to locate, at least, one...'back-up' mag. Many days and hours
later with no luck getting an extra mag, I went ahead with getting a Finnwolf, serial # 104XX.
When my FFL pulled it from the shipping box, he said, "Gawd, it's not been fired". Indeed, the mag was
pristine, w/o any of the scratches,rub marks that appeared on a Feb. '10 GunBrokers auctioned mag
[$315, F.O.B.]! Now what to do, for an extra mag..or five.

I knew I didn't need-or wish-to copy Sako's fine finish of the mag bottom side. Coming up with a
field-grade mag for shooting, without damage to the rifle, would keep costs down, perhaps encouraging
others to join my little project. I did have some questions to answer:
1) Would a 3 round mag copy of a '73-'74 Finnwolf fit w/ease & be useable in an earlier made
Finnwolf? This question I'd ask of you, the Club readers.
2) Would Sako or the Feds or State enforcement folks care at all what I proposed doing? Am
fairly sure Sako doesn't care, as long as I'm not coping an original mag for sale as an "original mag".
My off-the-record chat with an enforcement-type retiree yielded a comment that "3 rd mags in a 35 yr +
lever-action rifle, from Finland, wouldn't warrant time or scarce resources".

With mag in hand, I made the rounds of local machinist shops. If made by a sheet metal
stamping process, there'd 4 separate pieces to this box mag: the case; the bottom plate that is spot
welded to the case; the 'leaf' spring; the plate that rides the spring, lifting the rounds. Though
expensive, I found a shop doing high-end bicycle parts that can machine the case and bottom
plate as one piece from a single block of steel. Or stainless steel or titanium! With a combined
case/bottom plate; spring and the lifting plate...you're down to just three pieces. No real assembly
issues in three pieces that fit together, but unattached or unwelded to each other.

For you folks that are still reading this stuff...What are your thoughts?
I'm in position to front machining start up costs. I don't wish to profit...and would really rather
have someone else - a Finnwolf C.P.A- handle TRANSPARENTLY any monies. One thought of mine,
is that although we club members are apart in miles, we could 'bundle' mag buying interest together...
possibly having a minimum order....2 or 4 or 10? I'm in for five, or so. How about pledges to buy X
number of mags? And if we get pledges reaching a 100 or 200 total...pull the trigger and go for it.
As to cost per mag, what would you pay....will you buy 3, if they're $100 each..5, if they're $75
each...10 mags, if they're $50? We need to gauge the combined interest.....

Regards,
stevespencer
 
Steve,

This sounds like a fun project and am interested. I would like to see a protype before I made a commitment on how many I would buy and at what price.. I have both the older 4 round and newere 3 round Finnwolfs but have never swapped the mags to see if they work. It looks like you already have the Sako bug
[SakoCollectors.com] VL 63 Magazines [3 round]: Proposed Manufacture Of 100... Or More ... 'Field-Grade' Finnwolf Mags Fo


Let me know what you intend to do.

emmerth
 
Emmerth,

With positive feedback and some idea of numbers from Club members, I'd give the one shop the
funds and my Finnwolf box mag case only. They'd scan the case, computers would write the program
that'd make several exact copies of the mag case-in steel [stainless steel requires added steps, but
very possible]. That program could make one or one thousand mag cases, with the per unit cost
crashing as more are made. With a mag prototype copy in hand-shop folks can do the dark coating
fairly easy-I'd put both my original spring and original 'lifting plate' in the prototype case, slip the hybrid
mag into the .308 and shoot it.
Again, as mentioned in my original post, I'd like to see if the hybrid case shoots in earlier
Finnwolfs, with ease and without damage to those earlier made rifles. Another way to would be with
scans of an older mag case or two. The computer program can detect case differences and advise us
of differences between, say, a '65 case and my '73-74 case. We could even 'average' the scans of
several original mags, from different years, and see if this composite case would have the
tolerances to fit in all Finnwolfs. I'd suspect that case would fit fine.
That prototype case would cost thousands of $$. But then a run or 100, 200 or more units drops
the cost per unit--for the CASE- to, say, $ 30 ea. for 100, $15 ea. for 200, $10 ea. for 300......
The cost of a sheet metal place stamping out 100s of springs and 'lifter plates' will be much, much
less...down to 1-2 $$ per unit...or even less.
This 'project' could offer the separate parts or the whole unit for sale.

Regards,
stevespencer
 
stevespenser- The 3 shot and the 4 shot do not interchange. There are a few differences in the two magazines but the main influence is related to the recoil lug-magazine latch mechanism being different in the two choices of rifles, (3 or 4 shot). There is a magazine repro being done at this time for the Winchester model 88. It is a 4 shot and can be modified to fit the 4 shot Finnwolf. It is not ideal but it does work and takes very little time to rework. I appreciate your plan and see that 100 mags would be a great start for the project. My ideal would be to have equal numbers of mags for both series rifles and be complete with bluing and polishing. Stainless and other exotic ideas can come later after a market is established. You could count on me for 2 spares if the cost is not much more than $75.00 each.- Regards, Misako
 
Hi,
I am also interested, in one or two 3 round Finnwolf mags, as long as they do not cost more than $100 or thereabout.
Great initiative! Best regards from Kristoffer
 
Misako,
Thank you, for your time and input.
Consider your request done: we'll seek 'pledges' for 100 units of a 4 round magazine, along
with 100 units of the 3 round mag. Now if I could figure how to change the title of this
discussion to " VL 63 magazines [ 3 and 4 round]..." , we might get more readers and their
comments.
Should there be enough pledges to proceed on manufacture of a 4 round mag, I'd need
either: 1) A 4 round mag to get the drawings of...for the prototype [ no damage or even
markings to be made on original mag]..... OR
2) I'd locate a professional person or company NEARBY an owner of a 4 round
mag, who could take-in person[ my personal choice..]-that mag to that professional and
witness the drawings being made of their original mag, for making 4 rd prototype.
Misako, your comment about".. bluing and polishing." needs further discussion.
The bluing is not a problem. The machinists and I don't know much about the polishing
on the mag bottom plate. I do know I don't want to get any hassle from Sako over
duplicating their original mag. Don't know if anyone FROM Sako reads these discussions
and would respond to my concern.
Regards,
stevespencer
 
goodenough,
Thank you, for your 'pledge' for the 3 [I assume] round mag. Please pass on this
discussion to any Finnwolf owners you can contact in Norway, Europe, etc. There will be
international shipping offered. Hope this project doesn't become a Customs hassle.

Regards,
stevespencer
 
Emmerth,
Updating my reply to your message: As you can see, we're going ahead on replacement
mags for both the 3 and 4 round mags.
Your further input, Emmerth, would be helpful...as you can put both mags in front of you.
Do either the spring or the 'lifting plate' that rides the spring appear to be the same in both
mags? I-obviously-haven't seen a 4 round mag....so this may seem a stupid question. But, if
only the base and bottom plate differ in the two mags, we'll have less parts to make/deal with.

Finally, if my descriptive terms for the various box magazine parts are in error-PLEASE
advise, as it is the machinists and I that came up with the terms I've used above.
Regards,
stevespencer
 
Steve,

This is great. When I have a few moments, I will have to dig through the safe to get them out to shoot some pictures. I just did some reorganizing of the safes and buried the Finnwolfs. I would be interest in a couple of each.

Send me a PM with your email so i can send Hi-Res pics.

Thanks

emmerth
 
The 3 shot and the 4 shot do not interchange. There are a few differences in the two magazines but the main influence is related to the recoil lug-magazine latch mechanism being different in the two choices of rifles said:
stevespenser
This is interesting stuff, keep up the good work gents.
 
Hi Steve
I'm in for 2 in a 3 shot mag as long as we can keep the price below 150.00 total. I will go as high as 100.00 for 1. I tried something similar a year or two ago but the magazine manufacturer said it would cost over a 100 thousand for retooling. Never thought of the route you took. Great idea. Keep us informed on how things go.
Roy
 
I would be interested in two of each version.
Here are some comparison pictures.
The 4 round is on the top /left and 3 round on the bottom / right.
The one in the middle is a Winchester 88 mag which I am planning on modifying some day.
I have more if they will help.
The plate seems to be the same in both Finnwolf magazines on a limited inspection.
 

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Hello Steve
Just curious how you're making out with orders? This site seems rather quiet and I'm somewhat surprised by that but also realize most of us are on a tight budget. Hopefully we can get enough responses to make this project a go
 
I'm interested. Like the others, if the price is not too far off the alternative of modifying a Winchester one, then I would like to be put down for at least one four shot model.
 
I can go for two of the magazines that are in the bottom of the photo. My magazine on my Finnwolf is the "flat base" style. Let me know when you are ready to move forward.

Thanks
 
Hello all
I have just bought a Finnwolf SN 56xx in Australia, though have not yet recieved it. I would be interested in a couple of spare magazines. From the pics above It appears that mine is the 3 round mag.
Is this still a possibility or has the wheels fallen off due to the level of committment thus far?
When did Sako change from 4 to 3 rounds. was it based on serial numbers or was it a date.

Cheers
 
Put me down for 2 or 3 three shot mags provided the cost isn't astromical. I'm frightened of the day I lose my original.
 

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