Sako .30-06, Good Buy???

[NimrodRx]

Okay, I think I finally have it straight.  The rifle is a Finnbear L61R A III.  The L61R denotes the action and the A III denotes the length.  The box is the original.  

Now if only I could run across a good used scope…

Thanks to all for your help.

[GeoW]

Just for the record, I only buy american made  

Does that mean you don't wear underwear, hats, shirts, pants, shoes?
You watch no TV, hear no radio. Walk and don't drive. Hell, with a global economy, I don't see how you can survive on American made. Perhaps a fresh turnip or orange now and then, picked by a Mexican, of course...

You deserve a Winchester.
 :-D

GeoW

[smk]

browning a-bolt (my favorit american bolt) / winchester 70s and such......
Just for the record, I only buy american made

I hate to tell you this Nasem, but Browning A-bolts are made in Japan by Miroku.

[NimrodRx]

Well, the folks over at “Sako Collectors Club” straightened me out.  It is unbelievable how many different models and configurations Sako has used over the years.  Add to that the changes that different importers made and it becomes dizzying.  

So here’s the deal (not that anyone other than me cares…).  I have a Sako A III that was manufactured in either 79 or 80.  This was right at the time that Stoeger took over importation.  My rifle is a Stoeger but isn’t stamped as such because it was purchased in Finland.  The only change between the L61R (Garcia) action and the A III (Stoeger) action is the bolt face.  Stoeger also improved upon some cosmetic issues.  It seems that the pre-Garcia (International Arms) and the post Garcias (Stoeger) are favored.

It wasn’t until the introduction of the 75 that any changes of real significance were made.  To stay competitive (build a rifle that people could afford), Sako modernized their plant (added robotics and automation).  The old actions did not lend themselves well to robotic manipulation.  Enter the world of Beretta…  

It wasn’t uncommon for packaging to lag behind changes in rifle production.  This was even the case when Beretta took over.  This is why my box is marked as the L61R action.  I’m told that the paper work that accompanied the first Stoegers was also marked as L61R.