Wow! I actually got a reply back from Sako - having asked about manufacturing date of the Sako Vixen (L461 action)Ser. # 110XXX. I'm suitably impressed!

Quote:

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Thank you for your inquiry.
Your Sako L461 rifle was made in 1969.

Here is some general information about the model.
The Sako L461 Vixen was in production from 1962 till 1992.
The Vixen models were: Hunter, Deluxe, Super Deluxe, Laminated, Varmint and Target.
The Vixen was available in the following calibres: .17 Rem, .222 Rem and .223Rem. Hunter, Varmint and Target also in calibres .22 PPC USA and 6 PPC USA.
The length of the barrel varied from 573 mm to 603 mm and that of complete rifle from 1065 mm to 1090 mm. The weight of the rifle was from 2,85 - 4,20 kg.
The Forester featured a 6rds magazine and open sights as standard ( barrels of stainless steel always without sights ).

At the same time that the Sako L461 Vixen was in production, there were the L61R Finnbear ( big and magnum size calibres ) and L579 Forester ( medium size calibres ).

Kind regards,

Reine Austin
Marketing Assistant
Sako Ltd.

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Btw, looking through the bore with a borescope, it transpires that the barrel has no less than 12 (sic!) lands and grooves! Was that normal for Sako at the time??

Secondly, the barrel does not seem to be stamped with caliber (seller sold it as a .222 Rem, which I'm pretty sure it is), was that normal at the time??

Thanks for your time in advance.

- mike

mho



Can you post their email address?



Or, hazard a guess as to the age of my action. Mine is in the 79,XXX range. 17 Remington, Douglas bbl.

mho,
Marlin offered a .222 sporter on the small Sako action from about 1954 to 1959. It was known as the M322. Short accuracy life(as few as 500 rnds) in the microgroove barrel caused Marlin to introduce the M422 with stainless barrel and conventional rifling. Marlin barrels were available for this rifle/action for several years after it was discontinued in 1959.

A reasonable guess might be that someone built up a .222 varmint rifle with a Sako action, Herter's stock, and one of the earlier illfated Marlin microgroove barrels. This information comes from Brophy's book, 'Marlin Firearms'.

If the rifle was barreled by Marlin I would expect it to have the Marlin proof(JM in an oval) on the barrel near the receiver. Hope this is of some help on the rifle's history. Plateau Hunter

Plateau Hunter,

Oooh, that does not sound too promising. Guess I better ask at Sako's if they actually ever did 12-bore/land barrels. Thanks for the information.
- mike

Whoa, there, boys. Let's not go hangin' the suspect until we can prove he's a rustler!

MHO: Sako did use a 12 groove barrel in their .222's at one time. I have one on a sporter, marked "Bofors Steel", and it provides some of the most consistently pinpoint accuracy of any rifle I own. One day when the wind was down (rare for West Texas), I tried on paper at 400 yards and it put three rapid shots into 2.6 inches. Normal 100 yard groups are <.5 inches at 100. Not that my 6-groove .223 or .222 Magnum Sakos are any slouches for accuracy, but if I could trade them for the 12-groove variety, I'd do so in a heartbeat.

The caliber designation on a factory Sako barrel is stamped radially on the top of the barrel immediately in front of the receiver ring. If the gun has a low-mounted scope, this stamp can be very hard to see.

The gun in question being a 1969 model means it MOST LIKELY has "Bofors Steel" stamped on the right side of the barrel a couple of inches in front of the receiver. If this stamp is present, I can assure you that it is no replacement barrel.

Although the marketing assistant at Sako was very kind to answer your email, the information was not quite complete. Sako also built the .222 Remington Magnum on the L 461, and I think made a few of the rare 7x33 Sakos on this action (most were on the earlier L46). They said mistakenly that it is the Forester which has a magazine capacity of 6 rounds -- six rounds is correct for the Vixen (must have been a typo). As to open sights, the "standard" sporter came with a FRONT SIGHT ONLY, the heavy barrel version came without sights, as did MOST, but not all, Deluxe sporters. In later years, some sporters did have a rear sight (Model 72). The marketing assistant also failed to metion that the Vixen came in a Mannlicher full stock, sometimes with a 23.74" barrel, but usually with a 20" barrel.

Hope some of this is pertanent to you.