I have a chance to buy a Marlin 322 Bolt action rifle. I understand it's a Sako L46 action with a Marlin barrel. The rifle is about 90% and the asking price is $350.

Any info, experience or opinions on this rifle would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Weagle

Great old guns, in my opinion. And the price is a steal.

Some people complained of lack of accuracy with the Marlin Microgroove barrel used in the 322. I have never shot one of the Marlins, but I have a Sako .222 of the same era that uses a similar 12-groove barrel that is among the most accurate of all of my rifles. Properly cleaned and fed, I believe the Microgroove barrel can be as accurate as any.

Even if the barrel gives you trouble, the action alone is worth what you'd be paying. If you don't want it, pass it on to me. I'll take it in a heartbeat!

You should ask the seller if he can get you a trainload of them at that price!! They are great rifles...were well known among the pickier riflemen of their day as exceptionally accurate (on average).

From the time of their manufacture (around 1960) 'til the mid-1970's they were much sought after on the various used markets for the same reason (good accuracy at good price). Then as their wood & metal morphed into "unobtainium", people gradually quit looking for them and then by about 1990, newer members of our sport never knew anymore even what they are.

You will also hear occasional lip-flapping about the Micro-groove barrels quickly shooting out. I'd say "camel-dung", but it isn't polite, so I won't. Just buy it, feed it some decent ammo, and it'll doubtless do its part.

And that price is an absolute STEAL!! I paid more than that for them in the 70's !!!

Is this the 1 at outdoors adventures?? Have they found the clip?

Tom, that's the one, only now it's in the Weagle's nest They didn't have the clip so I'm in the market for one of those. I see some 6 round clips on Ebay, but I would imagine this clip is either 3 or 4 rounds as it fits flush to the bottom.

In any event I think it's a real nice rifle especially since it's price about like the 788's i've seen around lately.

weagle

weagle

Be VERY careful buying Sako clips (Magazines) on eBay. I bought a clip for one of my .222 Sako L-46's there a few months ago. Put simply, it was a fake and would not work in my gun. Every aspect and measurement of it was wrong, though at first glance one could see someone had tried to make it look like a genuine Sako. It appears tp be made in a third world country where mics and calipers are as yet unknown.

I contacted the seller and asked for my money back, telling him I would send him his clip back. He refused. Told me ithat instead he would give me the clip from HIS .222 Sako, which he knew was real. I agreed to that.

When his "real" clip arrived, it was another of the same exact fakes and had obviously never been used in a gun.

Some of the differences are:

1 Follower is different in profile from real Sako (very slightly, but enough to impair functioning)

2 Back strap of fake magazine is too short by about 3/64ths inch...which allows floorplate to continually slide off to the rear.

3 Long "dimple" in front strap is too short by about 5/16"...preventing bullet noses of factory length cartridges from going down into magazine deeper than one round...so rifle with fake mag only holds two rounds.

4 Fake mag has untempered floorplate spacer, with dimple in the wrong place. So, spacer won't hold spring tension against floorplate, and dimple places floorplate out of proper site on bottom of magazine.

5 Whole assembly is of very low grade sheet metal, rather than hard, elastic steel sheet metal of Sako magazines.

That seller has been getting more than $75 each for these fakes.

Were I you, I would call or write Sako directly in Finland. IF they can provide you with one, at least you will know it will function in your rifle. (Last time I did that, I was able to get .222, .218, & 7x33 clips directly from them.)

Thanks for the heads up on the mags. Do you know how many rounds the correct magazine holds?

Weagle

I'd have to go down to the shop and get one of my .222's out of the vault and load it, but I THINK the L-46 magazine holds three cartridges.


I'd suggest buying your magazine at a gun show, if you have the chance. Take along three DUMMY rounds with NO primers (no primers so they'll let you take them into the show). Then when you see a purportedly real Sako magazine, put your three dummies into it. If it is a real Sako product, they will fit easily and smoothly.

Here's a pic of the new toy.

Weagle