Help Sako L 461

[SmokinJoe]

All Kevin's suggestions summarize the possibilities pretty well. Do you have a Hornady comparator that you could check headspace of fired vs sized brass? That could very well be a problem.

[Kevin Gullette]

Although rare.....a too long rear action screw can rub on the bottom of the firing pin sear.

I've an old custom L461 rifle where someone actually ground the sear bottom.......rather than just slightly shortening the action screw.

Maybe a bit more help.....

Kevin

[Daryl]

If you fire a primed & sized case with no powder nor bullet, the ejected case will show excessive headspace situation with that sizing die setting, by the amount the primer protrudes from the case.

[flyrod]

Plenty of ideas here already, but one I didn't see was goop on the pin/assembly. Some oil/cleaning products will get sticky over time and can slow down the pin. I've seen a similar thing with regular grease in cold weather.

[Bill K]

Originally Posted by flyrod

Plenty of ideas here already, but one I didn't see was goop on the pin/assembly. Some oil/cleaning products will get sticky over time and can slow down the pin. I've seen a similar thing with regular grease in cold weather.

He did tear the bolt apart, cleaned it and found nothing that looked out of kilter, still did it after he put it together and back into operation.

[FastPPC]

Thanks for all the help, Yup i checked headspace etc. I did play with the trigger and will take her out next week and see how it does. Was very frustrated that i pulled all 4 of the bullets of the misfires and then ran them through fired with only the empty cases and all four of them fired. Hoping I've nailed it down. thanks for all the in put. Rick

[FastPPC]

Well everyone I appreciate all the help. Kevin nailed it! Someone had messed with the trigger, broke the head off the pull adjustment screws and over set the over travel screw. Looked like they were trying to set pull with over travel. Set it up with 20 oz pull and set over travel correct and seems to work well now.
thanks again for all the input. Really appreciate this site and all the wisdom shared.

[Kevin Gullette]

Good to hear.

One note of caution, if I may.

I consider a 20 ounce setting, for the standard Sako No. 4 trigger assembly, to be highly questionable and likely unsafe.

In my experience, over dozens of L461/AI action assemblies, the minimum No.4 trigger setting is approximately 40 ounces......typically 2.5 to 3.0 pounds. Of course, ANY setting would need to withstand action "bumping", snappy bolt closures, quick safety on/off movement, etc.

Please note that the above is NOT meant to be critical.......only helpful/safe, based on my own opinion/experience.

Hope this helps.....once again.

Kevin

P.S. A pic of one of my Sako PD rifles........a custom 17-222. Hope the pic works.

[drover]

Originally Posted by FastPPC

I'm looking for some suggestions or information. I have a sweet little Sako L461 chambered in 222 Rem Mag. It's an older model Viken Varmint model and has been shot very little. I'm having problems with the firing pin not striking the primer hard enough to detonate. 90% of the time works but that 10% is frustrating. I disassembled the bolt and it looked fine. Cleaned and put back together, with some help from member!!! I've found it doesn't make a difference on the primer type I've tried numerous brands. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks Rick

Ochams Razor - The simplest answer is most likely to be the correct one.

Your rifle is likely to be somewhere between 50 and 60 years old, likely your firing pin spring has weakened over the years and needs to be replaced. That is by far the most probable cause of the issue, springs are cheap - replace it and if that doesn't cure the issue then start down the other rabbit holes.

drover

[FastPPC]

Thanks for the heads up on trigger setting, I'll re-adjust it. I did bang the butt of the stock on rubber flooring I have and attempted to get a misfire but I appreciate the advise and will re-set the trigger.

Yup picture worked great. Nice setup.