Hi all I have been looking for info on Sakos for a while now. My wife and I inherited 2 Sakos one is a L461 Vixen in .223 and the other one is a 61R Finnbear in 30-06. I would love to learn more about these since I know very little. Any info you guys give me on their history would be appreciated. Heres is a few pics of the Vixen. I posted this on the Sako collectors forum alsoto see what they say on there

Others here can give you more information, but I can add that the L461 is a beautiful little action. I have one turned into a 6x45 and another to a 221 Fireball.

Absolutly fantastic rifles..Sako decided to change them for the better but in fact they screwed the pooch and came out with one of the crappest rifles ever..

The L series, that is what you have, is one of the finest examples of factory gun making in history..

I have an L-461 custom rifle I built in 6x45 caliber, I have shot deer, antelope and lots of African plainsgame with it..It weighs about 5 lbs scope and all..love it.

You hit pay dirt my man! Your L-461 is worth at least %1200 and depending on condition maybe more.

re the L-461: The finest action I've ever owned....period!

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Sako decided to change them for the better but in fact they screwed the pooch and came out with one of the crappest rifles ever..

The post-L461 "A1" action is a dead ringer for the L461 with changes in only (I believe) bolt shroud and extractor. Same size as the L461, and just as sweet.

Later Sako actions did go down the quality scale a bit... Shooters still enjoy them, though.

- mike

I made changes to the bolt shroud, bolt handle, and the trigger guard. The picture shows the changes. I wonder why they changed in the first place to the best little action on the market.

Les,

Lovely.

How come we only get a half photo? Didja scrimp on the wood on the forearm?

Gerry,

I only posted to show some changes of the action appearance. I didn't want to screw up Moongoose29's question. I will create a PDF file of several different small Sako rifles from over 40 yrs ago. I used a 35mm camera and didn't shoot with the correct lights. These were shot only for my own scrap book. If you will send me an email address I will send the pictures as one page of PDF format. You can enlarge these to see the details.

Here is the other half of the first post.

Thanks for the answers so far guys. Les I got along with the 2 rifles all the reloading equipment and logs with receipes he created. I have shot the .223 so far with a few of his loads and it is a better shooter then I am. I love the trigger on it and action on it.Atkinson Thanks, I am still trying to research more details on the 2 I have. What are the numbers underneth the bolt?

IMO the A series was a decent engough gun and you are correct as to the changes, but it was the first step towards one of the worst rifles in the history of gundome! I never liked that humpy look of the A series..much prefering the more Mauser like look of the L series rifles.

My 6x45 is and L-461 action, douglas barrel, It has a African/English style stock with short forend and Ebony tip, and a pancake cheek piece. A full fiddleback blood red stock with Neidner steel butt..19 inch barrel and the late Tony Barnes built me a hand made scaled down mod. 70 3 pos. safety that is an awesome piece of metal work, built it out of a piece of 30 cal. bull barrel. All it needs to be a tiny 416 Rigby is barrel band sights, quarter rib etc. but it shoots so good I have always been afraid to monkey with it..It will shoot 10 shots in an average of .265 and thats too good to go putting heat on the barrel just for cosmetic sights and thats pretty tough for a 5 lb. gun with a skinny barrel. Chamber is 0 tolerance and I have reloaded it without resizing the cases..I can't post pictures but for anyone building a super L Sako maybe some tips here to help you make up your mind, and I can email pictures to your email..

Mongoose,
The numbers under the bolt handle are nothing more than parts numbers.

Anyone know what the twist is in this .223 and for that matter the 30-06 l61r

moongoose26,

The numbers, on the bottom of the bolt handle, are usually the last three digits of the action serial number.

Kevin

Les,

It's for me to apologize, my sarcastic humor strikes again .....



..... and you're correct; I don't want to hijack Lunar-Goose's thread and his good fortune with his inheritence.

Yours a lovely looking customized Sako, just drooling.

ghclay@googlemail.com

and a couple more of these wonderful little rifles

I have an L-46,L-461,L-469 and L-61. I started to sell the L-61 and then asked myself why I would sell the most accurate 30-06 I ever owned just because it had a crummy stock.