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In the last week I've be fortunate enough to acquire a couple of medium action guns to expand my Sako collection in a slightly different direction.
The first is a "Wards Western Field Model EJN 750 CAL. .308", or so it proclaims on the barrel. It is, of course, built on a Sako L57 action, SN in the 78XX range. The action is unidentified other than a stamp "Made in Finland" below the wood line.
The barrel is a good old American even up 22 inches, and the finish on the barrel, while quite passable, is definately not the same as the finish on the action. In other words, this is an American-made and mounted barrel on the Sako action. The same appears to be true of the stock, which looks like straight-grained American walnut and is contoured, checkered, and red finished much like a contemporary Winchester Model 70.
To add a grin to an otherwise well-preserved 90% or better example of a somewhat rare gun, someone replaced the original buttplate with -- get the irony of this -- a J. C. Higgins recoil pad marketed by Wards arch retail nemisis. Outside of that misogynous pad, the gun is in pretty nice shape.
It has an aluminum rear sight housing/assembly that appears to slide on from the muzzle and be held in place with a set screw on the bottom side. This makes an artificial barrel bulge much like the actual barrel bulge of the pre-64 M70. The unshrouded front sight is also mounted on an aluminum housing which encircles the barrel.
The trigger is pretty stiff, so I took it out of the stock to adjust it and discovered that this gun has likely never been apart in the last half-century since it left the plant of whoever assembled it for Wards (Hi Standard maybe?). The weight adjusting screw has no locking nut and must have been secured with shellac as it is unwilling to turn. I have it soaking in penetrant to see if that will free it up.
All in all, I'm quite please with this find, especially considering I paid for it about what the action is worth by itself. Will add some photos in the next day or two.
I'll describe the second medium "Sako" in my next post.
The first is a "Wards Western Field Model EJN 750 CAL. .308", or so it proclaims on the barrel. It is, of course, built on a Sako L57 action, SN in the 78XX range. The action is unidentified other than a stamp "Made in Finland" below the wood line.
The barrel is a good old American even up 22 inches, and the finish on the barrel, while quite passable, is definately not the same as the finish on the action. In other words, this is an American-made and mounted barrel on the Sako action. The same appears to be true of the stock, which looks like straight-grained American walnut and is contoured, checkered, and red finished much like a contemporary Winchester Model 70.
To add a grin to an otherwise well-preserved 90% or better example of a somewhat rare gun, someone replaced the original buttplate with -- get the irony of this -- a J. C. Higgins recoil pad marketed by Wards arch retail nemisis. Outside of that misogynous pad, the gun is in pretty nice shape.
It has an aluminum rear sight housing/assembly that appears to slide on from the muzzle and be held in place with a set screw on the bottom side. This makes an artificial barrel bulge much like the actual barrel bulge of the pre-64 M70. The unshrouded front sight is also mounted on an aluminum housing which encircles the barrel.
The trigger is pretty stiff, so I took it out of the stock to adjust it and discovered that this gun has likely never been apart in the last half-century since it left the plant of whoever assembled it for Wards (Hi Standard maybe?). The weight adjusting screw has no locking nut and must have been secured with shellac as it is unwilling to turn. I have it soaking in penetrant to see if that will free it up.
All in all, I'm quite please with this find, especially considering I paid for it about what the action is worth by itself. Will add some photos in the next day or two.
I'll describe the second medium "Sako" in my next post.