I have the opportunity to purchase a NIB Sako 74 in 7mm Rem mag that was manufactured in 1976. I am looking for opinions on the rifle, especially from those who have one or have had one.
Thanks.

being a sako should be no problems

I have owned exactly that rifle.

The Model 74 was nothing but a marketing change in name for the standard Sako sporter. Garcia was the importer and had made an attempt at introducing a slightly lower priced Sako rifle into the U.S. market, the Model 72, but gave up on that after a short time and returned to the "standard" rifle which they christened the Model 74. You'll find that moniker only on the box or tags, not on the rifle itself, which is essentially the same L61R action as previous Finnbear models.

About the time the Model 74 name came along, Sako did change their bolt indexing slightly by using a small pin on the left-hand side of the bolt at the rear which held the bolt stationary as the bolt handle was lifted, thus cocking the action. This pin is simply pressed into the bolt shroud and there have been reports of the pin coming loose, but I've never personally seen such a problem.

Most model 74's will have a very slightly different checkering pattern on the forearm from earlier Finnbears, but that is cosmetic only. They also used a QD swivel stud rather than fixed sling swivels as in earlier models. The metal is not polished as brightly as earlier models, but this was a change in production techniques dictated by a weak dollar versus strong European currencies in the mid-70's -- the quality of the steel, barrel, action, and wood are all the same as earlier Finnbears, just the luster of the blue is toned down closer to Remchester standards.

Thank you both.
Stonecreek, what do think the rifle is worth?