I have found several Sako L46 for sale and I have heard that the Sako L461 is a great gun. Are the L46 as good? Are there any differences between the two? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Try SakoCollectorsClub@groups.msn.com; alot of information there. Sako models very difficult to figure out at times!

quote:

Originally posted by kbebout:
I have found several Sako L46 for sale and I have heard that the Sako L461 is a great gun. Are the L46 as good? Are there any differences between the two? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

The L46 has a detachable magaizine, the L461 has a fixed magazine box. The detachable magazine makes it difficult to use an L46 for cartridges longer than what the action was originally chambered in. E.g. I'm not even sure you can fit a .223 Rem into an L46 - at least not if you want it to feed from the magazine.

The L461 was chambered for longer cartridges than the L46. The L461 can be found in calibers such as .223 Rem or .222 Rem Mag, whereas I'm not sure the L46 ever came in anything longer than a .222 Rem?? It is apparently hard to make an L46 feed a .223 length cartridge - even if you somehow solve the magazine issue.

The L46 had its' safety mounted on the bolt shroud, the L461 uses a trigger mounted safety.

I believe the triggers differ as well - although I can't expand on the details.

Personally, I prefer the L461 to the L46 - which I find looks a bit "tinny". But a lot of the earlier guns shot well, so an L46 can't just passed off as a "poor" gun, far from it. The L461s are as smooth as anything, mine must be the smoothest action I own. Never having owned an L46, I can't say how the actions compare in this respect.

- mike

P.S. If you are having trouble locating the L461 your heart desires, an alternative might be an A1, which is ALMOST the same as an L461 - the only difference I know of, if that the L461 has an open bolt shroud, where the A1 uses a closed one. Other than that, I can't spot any differences (except perhaps the way the gas baffle is attached to the bolt??)

The most desirable A1s (and a few L461s) have a target trigget - identified by two holes in the trigger guard (to allow the trigger to be adjusted) and the fact that the trigger shoe of the target trigger sits further forward in the trigger guard than the regular trigger. These triggers are often found on guns chambered in PPC cartridges, but they can sometimes also be found on guns chambered in other cartridges (like .222 Rem).

Perhaps I recall wrong, but I thought the L46 was done in 222 Rem Magnums and had a LONGER OAL.

Frank De Haas book on the Bolt Action Rifle tells it, but I don't have one. Sorry.

I would believe they are as good, maybe better, no worse, may have been made prior to 461, or about time it came out, but I do believe there were far fewer 46 actions/guns made.

I seem to recall desiring the longer action for plans to build a 6x45 or 6mm TCU.

I still have a l-46 in 218 Bee. Factory as far as I know. I sold off the 222 Rem and 22 Hornet a few years ago. As far as i remember the 46 was never made in the mag unless they were a single shot as the mags are too short. But then? Who knows?

Aloha, Mark

Yes, the L46 was made in .222 Magnum, but never in .223 as this round was not introduced in commercial form until after the L46 was out of production. You may occasionally find a .222 rechambered to .223.

The L46 had a trigger similar to a Model 70 Win, coupled with a striker safety on the bolt and a detachable magazine. The bolt was fairly straight down rather than swept rearward. As far as accuracy potential, I doubt there's any real difference in the L46 and L461.

The L461 used the "new" Sako #4 trigger with a trigger safety. It is an excellent adjustable trigger, but likely no better in feel than the L46 trigger.

As was mentioned earlier, the most visible difference in the L461 and the successor A1 is the shrouded cocking piece on the A1. The A1 bolt handle is a tad longer, and the A1 has a short extractor similar to the L579 and L61R, rather than the longer, thinner extractor of the L461.

If you were to find a bargain in an L46, I would regard it as just as good a shooter as the L461. The stock may have a bit more drop than the monte carlo-ed L461, but if it fits you, go for it.

My L46 was a factory 222 single shot. It had the square bolt shroud and was built in 1957.
Butch

I don't know for myself but my gunsmith who buys every L461 or AI that he can lay his hands on will not buy a L46. He tells me they are only up to 222 Rem length & the box mag is very hard to get.

Regards
JohnT

Back in the late 1970's I brought from an English gentleman a L46 in .222 Rem Magnum. I used it for many years ridding NY fields of the dreaded Wood Chuck, and can attest to it's accuracy and quality. We called them simply square bolts at the time, and the saftey was indeed on the bolt shroud.

Should member "Harry" who posts here read this, it was this rifle with which he trippled on wood chucks! A feat which I myself never achieved!

I have two l46s. One the clip model, and the other a single shot with a factory 222 Rem. barrel. The single shot was a 222 and I rebarreled it to 17Rem. In his book "Bolt Actions" Frank De Hass states that the single shots came only as a barreled action. I bought mine at a Spokane gunshow in like new condition, it came with a unfitted MPI fiberglass stock for the asking price of $425. I couldn't get the money out of my pocket quick enough. Oh yes, Sako rings in the deal.

Pedro, Didn't you feel the least bit guilty! LOL
Nice score.