Sako's online ammo catalog. Some great stuff here, but Beretta USA chooses not to import it. I see all kinds of rare and European calibers: 7x33, 8.2x53R, 9.3x53R, 9.3x74R, 8x57 JRS, 7x64, .222 Magnum, etc. https://issuu.com/sakoltd/docs/sako_cartridges_2020_2f5c96089053f2?fr=sZmFiZTE1MTc5ODM
Yes, Beretta will tell you that there's no demand for those items in the U.S. Of course, they have no idea how much or how little demand there might be since they don't offer the items. "No one in the U.S. buys 7x33 ammunition". This is a true statement since there is no 7x33 ammunition to be bought. The bottom line is that even though Beretta might generate some profit from selling these items in the U.S. they don't see enough profit to go to the bother. As they have proven over and over again, they are not about serving their customers but about taking their customers' money with as little effort as possible.
Well, historically speaking, ammo that came into Ontario in the70's sat in dealer warehouses for 30 years collecting dust so I can see the demand thing. I was just the first guy to ask in forever and old guys went into the back and got them. I paid 80's sticker prices too, and the packaging seemed all from the same lot from 4 different stores. Ellwood Epps, Ad Hominen , Lovett's and Goble's I think. Huntington's had the Bertram brass on sale, too. I ordered 11 boxes at 11.00 a box for 20.
If you shop at Ellwood Epps, you might find this L46 interesting. It was one of the first 100 L46 rifles chambered in .222, built in 1951. It was imported to Canada by Ellwood Epps and later found its way across the border. The Kollmorgen scope in Stith mounts is contemporary and it's quite possible that it was installed by Epps for the original retail buyer. Here's a photo; the 1951 rifle is on top. And here's a link to a thread on the rifle, with more info and photos. https://sakocollectors.com/forum/threads/early-l46-with-wing-safety.15568/
Ironically, Ellwood Epps has a nice .222 Rihimaki on their sight as we speak. I just haven't got the cash to scoop it. I knew Ellwood personally, and he has been gone a while now. Neat old fella, he was operating Gramps Cartridges in semi-retirement next door to the original shop he had sold. He had drawings for the .22 JGR cartridge that I had to make up for a customer. My father had built a .303 Epps Improved for my mother on a Siamese Mauser action back in the 60's and had introduced me to Ellwood, early-on. In conversation with Ellwood, I found-out that his greatest affinity for Ackley's improvements were that you didn't have so much case stretching with the sharper shoulder's and minimal taper. He first learned this with Killbourne's K-Hornet. Ellwood absolutely hated the chore of trimming brass.
The Fullstock Mannlicher.222 I traded for the 7x33 I have today was likely one of those 100 .222's, as it was in Ellwood's former business partner's shop directly behind Ellwood's for 30 years before I got it!
