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Old 02-09-2019, 07:12 PM
Bayou City Boy Bayou City Boy is offline
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Default OT: But an almost perfect blend.............

............of Finland and Sweden. And it didn't require even 2 seconds of mentoring to tell me that it had to go home with me.

I visited one of my haunts this AM and ran into this Sako AV chambered in 6.5x55 Swedish. It is in excellent condition with an era-appropriate 3.5x10 Leupold Vari-X-III AO Scope. I was told that the gentleman who sold it to the GS as a part of his father's estate did not think that the rifle had ever been fired.

The combination of rifle and cartridge combined with the nice looking wood made this an instant no-brainer for me. I am a fan of 6.5MM cartridges, and the 6.5x55 Swede is one of the best. They had just received the rifle a few days ago and had posted it on their web site yesterday. I had not seen it until I walked into the shop today. As a no-cost extra, they texted me the professional shop photos of the rifle......... (smiley face here)








EDIT: A quick check of the serial number shows it to have likely been produced late late 1981 to very early 1982, and the serial number makes it just a hair over 650 rifles into the AV action stamped era. The most dominant physical change to the rifles at that point was the A-series enclosed bolt shroud seen in the photo just above.

From a Sako document on serial numbers: L61R - Change of the rear part of the receiver and stamp AIII ==> AV - began 21.10.1981 with serial number 567146 and ended with serial number 589309 on 08.01.1985.

-BCB
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Last edited by Bayou City Boy; 02-12-2019 at 10:09 PM. Reason: Material added...................
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Old 02-09-2019, 07:17 PM
Daryl Daryl is offline
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Nice find!
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Old 02-09-2019, 09:54 PM
Bill K Bill K is offline
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Default OT: But an almost perfect Blend.....

That BCB was one great purchase.. Bill K
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Old 02-09-2019, 09:57 PM
Stan from Pa. Stan from Pa. is offline
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Default That’s a nice one!

BCB,
That looks like a good one, I like the clean Classic lines on that stock. I know the feeling, you see a rifle that has all the right things going on + a good scope, it just has to go along home.
I’m also a fan of Sako rifles and the 6.5 cartridges. A few years back I picked up a very nice Sako L61R chambered in 6.5/06, one of those deals, it had to come along home.
My go to rifle for Pennsylvania large game is an L61R in 264 Magnum with a 26” barrel. Barrel looks awful inside, but it shoots those Accubonds decent enough. Had a 6.5 WSM put together an 75 action, worked on loads but never hunted with it.
Enjoy you’re beautiful rifle.
Stan
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Old 02-09-2019, 10:17 PM
jdunham jdunham is offline
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That is a beauty! Nice grab.
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Old 02-10-2019, 12:01 AM
Screaminweasil Screaminweasil is offline
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Excellent rifle there Hal. Nice pick up!
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Old 02-10-2019, 12:13 AM
South Pender South Pender is offline
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That's a great find. The wood looks very nice--better than seen on most standard grade Sakos and as good as seen on the Deluxes. Hard to tell from the pictures, but there seems to be some nice figure on the left side of the buttstock. The stock lines are exactly right--American classic comb with minimal drop and cheekpiece.

Over on the Sako Collectors Club forum, the majority of the members lost interest in the models that came after the A-series, finding little appeal in the 75s and 85s. In my opinion, the A-series actions were the best of the various Sako actions. Adding the closed-off bolt shroud was an improvement on the previous L-series actions.

I still have a couple of A-series Sakos (both in 6 PPC), and my only complaint (not with Sako) is that no one makes a BR- or target-class trigger for them. There is nothing wrong with the standard #4 trigger found on the A-series models for hunting and general use--they can be tuned down to a safe 2 lbs.--but for those of us who like super triggers for bench shooting, there is no topnotch replacement for the A- and L-series actions. Timney makes a replacement, but it is no better than the stock trigger. There is now the Bix'n Andy trigger (rated as the very best) for the 75s and 85s.

All of the foregoing regarding triggers, however, will likely be of little interest to you. Enjoy that beauty!
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Old 02-10-2019, 12:51 AM
craig55 craig55 is offline
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A-series Classic was a great model. The only problem was the model was short lived.
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  #9  
Old 02-10-2019, 01:12 AM
Bayou City Boy Bayou City Boy is offline
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Thanks for the comments..............

I didn't put a lot of faith in the idea that the rifle had never been fired until I started to clean the rifle as I do with any rifle that is new to me. The barrel had a heavy grease in it that reminded me of cosmoline in terms of color and texture. It came out easily to reveal a very shiny bore, but it didn't look like a lube that a person might place in a barrel after cleaning. In addition, the bolt face, the rear of the bolt lugs, and the bolt cocking piece notch show absolutely no wear. In addition, the lug raceways in the action were completely free of any normal shooting debris. If it has been shot, it hasn't been much.

The pictures aren't the best, but if you copy them and enlarge them in a photo app, you'll see that the bolt side of the butt stock is nicely figured and that the off bolt/cheek piece side is highly figured. As South Pender stated, it's far better than most Sako rifles I've ever seen too. There is also some blond sap wood looking streaks in the fore end that adds to the character of the stock. I can't find a single handling mark on the stock and the metal is 100%.

Stan, I also have an L61 Sako in 264 Win Mag that is a favorite of mine for big game. I like the rifle a bunch, but my favorite 264 Win Mag is a Model 70 Super Grade that is top notch in all ways. Any rifle in 264 WM would be hard to not like.............

SP, I've been pondering a Bix'n Andy Model 700 trigger for awhile, but I haven't convinced myself to spring for the $500+ price tag just yet.... I'm mostly afraid that they might be like potato chips........... The trigger on this rifle is very smooth and consistent but I haven't measured it yet for pull weight. It will be easy to adjust to when shooting, however, just the way it is now.

Craig, the American Classic stock caught my eye immediately earlier today. I've kicked myself for years for not buying one in 270 Win when the Series A rifles first hit the market. I went in to the GS today to check about ordering a rifle I've been thinking about and I left with this. And I completely forgot to check on the other rifle after seeing this one on the shelf.....

-BCB
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I miss mean Tweets, competence, and $1.79 per gallon gasoline.

Yo no creo en santos que orinan.

Women and cats will do as they please. Men and dogs should relax and just get used to the idea.

Going keyboard postal over something that you read on the internet is like seeing a pile of dog crap on the sidewalk and choosing to step in it rather than stepping around it.

If You're Afraid To Offend, You Can't Be Honest - Thomas Paine
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Old 02-10-2019, 05:03 AM
georgeld georgeld is offline
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Fine buy Hal:

Don't know about "short lived", am not into such much.

I do have a beautiful 7 mag L61R, believe it has either a
four or five diget serial number. Too big a deal to dig it out
and confirm.

I bought it new from the Weisbaden Gun Club in the summer of
'72 and shipped it home. Doubt it has 400 thru it. Almost like new.

Postoffice or customs opened the crate and scratched the stock. I'd built a
wood crate for it and the 461 .222mag. It wasn't opened, but, this one was and took three months being delivered. The other went right thru in 2-3 weeks.

Enjoy your find.
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