A kind gentleman referred me here. Said there were knowledgable Sako people. I have a Sako in .222Rem that I inherited 6 years ago. It is marked Riihimaki on the barrel and the serial # is marked N 74xx. I would like to know the model and age of this rifle. Is there such a thing as a Sako Riihimaki, or is this a Vixen, as I suspect? Also, could anyone tell me the age of this rifle? I think it is at least pre-55, but would like to know what year. Any help? Thanks.

From your brief description it sounds like your Sako is the L46 model with a detachable clip magazine. It was made sometime post- WW II and before about 1959 when the updated box magazine model, the L461, dubbed the "Vixen", replaced it. Your safety should be a part of the bolt, while the Vixen safety is part of the trigger.

You're correct. The safety is on the bolt. So it's a model L46 then. Thanks a lot. Eagle Eye was correct. There are knowledgable Sako people here. Thanks for the advice guys.

...and Riihim�ki is the city where the Sako factory is located.

Otto P.

Well, this is my first post here, and I'm happy I found this place. I am the lucky owner of an L46, and had no idea it was made before 1959, until reading here. No wonder I can't find anything for this rifle!!!!

The stock on mine shows a good portion of that 40+ years of use, and I'm wondering if there is a synthetic stock available that would work, short of getting a custom one done?

OTOH, I can get a wood stock, but then I have to go through the effort of pillar bedding, etc. What do ya'll think?

I also have an L46 in 222, finally shot the barrel out and replaced it with a Shilen ss. Now shooting better then ever. Two years ago I picked up an L46 single shot in 222. These were sold only as barreled actions, but an MPI glass stock came with it. I had the action rebarreled to 17Rem with a # 4 weight barrel. the forend was too skinny so I added layers of Accura glass & cloth to accept the heaver barrel. It took alot of work to get the stock where I wanted it. And not all of it was in the forend. The grip & comb also had to be built up to make them usable. I don't think I would buy another MPI stock based on what I had to go through with that one.

If I were you I would do a nice refinish on the factory stock, after all it's a classic.

There are stocks available for the L461, but since the L46 used a detachable magazine, had a different safety, and had a different bolt sweep, I think that it would be difficult to adapt an L461 stock. I think the advise to refurbish the original stock is good advice.

Try calling this number in KS he has all kinds of SAKO parts.
316-799-2509 Whitwater Shooting

THSimpson

Thank you all for the advice and information. It's all good.

I think you are right. The original stock can't really be hurt any more by refinishing and pillar-bedding, so I'll probably do that.

I'm extremely fortunate, because the original "Bofors Steel" barrel still shoots quite well. (Without proper bedding, and with plain vanilla Winchester brass not even fire-formed, it was shooting ~7/8" groups.) I can't wait to see what it will do with proper bedding and tuned ammo!

Someday, if that original barrel wears out, I'll have to get a lilja or other barrel for it.

Lord knows when that will be: Have any others of you L46/L461 owners noticed that the very light barrels demand slow shooting to avoid over-heating? This, in turn seems to preclude shooting the barrel out to quickly... A happy symbiosis (unless you're in the middle of a P-Dog town and this is your only rifle ), isn't it?

I put something over 8000rds. through the factory barrel before it gave up the ghost, and I bought the gun used in 1961. I'll bet I could lay jackrabbits the lenght of Idaho with what that gun has shot.

Well, that's outstanding!!!!

One other question:

Does anyone have any opinion on the proper way to bed this rifle?

At first, I was planning to float everything but the action screws, which would run through aluminum pillars, but a local gunsmith said he would simply glass-bed the entire receiver and then completely float the barrel. He says this provides for a better (more stable?) "fit" of the action to the stock. I think he's thinking of the old ways of doing things as he can only explain that full glass bedding provides the best fit due to maximizing contact between the stock and action. Who's right?

Also: I've heard the light barrels these 46's come with shoot better with upward pressure at the front of the forend. Any opinions? (I'm guessing this is something I'll just have to try, by floating the barrel, test shooting, and then inserting some shims and test shooting again.)

I think Sako knew what they were doing when the built the stock, so I'd leave the bedding alone, unless you're experiencing flyers that indicate a bedding problem.

[This message has been edited by Stonecreek (edited 05-17-2002).]

About 10yrs. after I bought my .222 I did glass bed it with Herters glass something? I also floated the barrel and it did tighten up the groups. When I had it rebarreled it didn't shoot much better, then I noticed when the guard screws were removed you could just tip the stock sideways and the barreled action woulf fall out. The glass bedding had shrunk. I rebedded it (the front lug, rear tang, and the first inch of the barrel).
The groups shrank to .5 for 5 shots.
Your stock is aleast 40yrs. old, lots of time to dry out. I'am betting it will respond to a bedding job. As for the barrel floating or not you just have to try it. I have rifles with very light barrels and it a tossup,some need floating and some don't.

Thanks Pete.

I found, after shooting this rifle for about a year, that there are two one-inch-long areas near the forend tip at about the 4 o'clock position that are pressing against the barrel hard enough to remove the bluing.

The rifle has shot OK, but I haven't really tuned the ammo yet, and knowing that all three legs of the accuracy triangle needed to be in top shape, I decided to look at the rifle as well as start working on tuning the ammo.

That's when I found the rubbing spot, and discovered that the action moves when loosening or tightening the action screws. I'll go ahead and pillar bed along with a small amount of fibreglass around the tang and under the first inch of barrel and see what that does.

One last question for you Sako guys, if I may? I am wanting to adjust the trigger down, just a little. Any idea which of the nuts/screw heads are the right one(s) to turn and which way?

Dougr, the L46 was designed by Sako for the American market in 1949 and was produced until about 1963-64, when Sako released their redesigned L46 action, the L461. These rifles were imported into this country by Firearms International Group. From what I can find, your rifle was probably produced in the mid fifties.

MMA10mm, the L46's trigger and sear are very similar to the M-70 Win. It has three nuts attached to the trigger stop screw: one nut below the trigger(trigger stop screw lock nut); two above the trigger (trigger-adjustment jam nuts. The trigger tension is controlled by the coil spring that sits between the top jam nut and the sear. All you have to do is loosen the jam nuts to change the spring tension. It's not difficult and you can't screw it up (excuse the pun). Just play with it until you find the right of creep (bottom screw) and pull weight (top screws).

[This message has been edited by DOCTOR LOU (edited 05-20-2002).]

Doctor Lou: At the risk of sounding a lot like Gomer Pyle: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

That sounds so simple, even I can't mess things up. I will be giving it a whirl tomorrow.

I am with Pete in Idaho...I have a couple of 222 Mag Sakos that have had thousands of round run thru them killing P dogs, Texas jacks and fox plus the occassional whitetail deer. Still the same bbls from the factory and they will still shoot 10 shot groups at 100 under 1 1/2 inches. I have had them so hot you could cook an egg most likely. They are the Timex of bbls...take a licking and keep on ticking.
Two shooters shooting the same gun a the same target put 13 holes into 7/8" at 100 yrds off a bench using one of those old worn out rifles.
Save your money buying new bbls and put the money in more ammo and travel expense. You have not even scratched the surface of the life of that bbl. yet.
"Those who know...shoot Sako!"

"Those who know...shoot Sako!"

AMEN!!!