Dear All,

Some years back I bought a Sako L461 Varmint in .222 Rem online - forget if gunsamerica or gunbroker? Yesterday, after a multi-year delay in export, I finally received the rifle. It looks a bit more neglected and tired than what I remembered when buying it, but there it is. Nothing serious, but the rifle is in need of a bit of TLC...

I would like to repair a smallish (maybe .3"x.3"?) rub in the stock. The stock finish looks like a lacquer of some sort (see pictures below). Any idea of what I might use?? The result does not have to be immaculate, but it would be nice if the rub was less conspicuous than it currently is. Currently, it looks as if the finish in this location has been sanded (or rubbed) away entirely?

The grip cap on the rifle needs to be replaced. I think a former owner mounted a non-standard grip cap, and an attempt has been made to "engrave" initials into this . The current grip cap is mounted slightly off center.

How is this normally done? Do you attempt to get a cap which is undersize, which fits exactly (unlikely?), or do you get a bigger cap and file it down to the exact size??

These pictures are not of my rifle (I lifted these off the net, thanks to original owner!), but should give you an idea of what rifle in what finish we are talking about.





Thanks a lot for any help in advance.

- mike

To rejuvinate the original lustre and remove the scratches and blems, I'v had good results with Brownells 'Five "F" stock rubbing compound' (#083-028-510). If that dosent fix the blem, I would then start with rubbing pumice and rhottenstone, finishing with the o83-028-510. Then buff with paste wax. I'm sure there are other ways to accomplish this but I've had good results on older stocks doing it this way.

As for the grip cap, I'd first watch ebay and post a WTB in the classifieds for an original SAKO grip cap before trying to fit a new one to the stock. If I were to fit a new one, I'd get a slightly oversized (steel) cap and fit it to the rifle.

For small rubbed areas in a Sako's stock finish as you describe, I've had good luck with a light dab of Birchwood-Casey Tru Oil rubbed into the limited area of the damaged finish. Tru Oil will blend pretty well with the original Sako finish.

Even if you could find an original Sako grip cap it might or might not fit your grip too well in that Sako stocks were individually fitted and finished and their finished dimensions tend to vary slightly. I think I'd consider having a custom grip cap made and fitted by a stocking professional, maybe this time with YOUR initials in it.

Thanks guys, much appreciated.

Regarding putting initials on rifles, somehow I have never really felt the need. It is certainly a pain in the posterior if the rifle ever changes hands.

- mike

I would agree unless the rifle is truly a "keeper" -- and even then it would need to be a special circumstance.

Here in NZ rifles take a real beating in our thick bush and steep rugged terrain. that rifle would be advertised as "virtually mint" in our local sales!