Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Please talk me out of the Sako 85

The only way to go straight up into the scope tube is from the case being pushed through the claw. I would look for a stuck, damaged, or worn extractor, or a bad spring. With a good, free moving Sako extractor, the mechanics are no different than a Mauser, except instead of bending a full length extractor by hand to adjust and tune tension, Sako uses a coil spring.

There are only three parts to this Sako extractor assembly: extractor, retainer pin, and spring. Gre-Tan HD standard length springs are $1.50 US each, their extended version are $2.50 US each. A 10-pack of the extended is $17.00 each. The pieces pop-in and out.

One, here, stopped the case tinking the scope by replacing the stock spring with a Gre-Tan. One, here, stopped the case from tinking the scope by merely degreasing and deburring the stock parts. Another, replaced a damaged extractor claw.

It is rather simple, pop out your extractor, pin and spring. Make sure the recess is burr free. Clean the pieces off with lighter fluid. Examine the claw for damage. Re-install parts and test tension. You should not be able to pull a fresh case straight up through the claw. If you can, and the claw looks good, the spring tension is weak. Gre-Tan makes a higher tension spring that can be cut to fit and/or the recess can be deepened for it to fit.

The standing ejector only pushes the case up within the free space between the case head and bolt face, until it runs into the claw. This allows the case to clear the rail, and at that point, the case follows the claw out. Some combinations may glance part of the scope body on the way out, but for the case to go straight up and straight through the bite of the claw, something is amiss. Mine, as an example, the claw bites hard enough to tear off a case head, were it stuck.

I am sorry you gave up an otherwise great rifle. This is something that is little more difficult than removing and replacing a sling. Beretta is not going to bother beyond ensuring that the rifle ejects. They are not going to concern themselves with those who wish to push the scope lower than factory designs, for personal reasons to execute variations of stock crawl. For those, they give a refund, which is well beyond what other manufacturers will readily offer.

These are the reasons why on my posts reference fit of an 85, I point out the difference in the technique of cheeking a rifle compared to the technique of stock crawl. Rifles are no different than boots and backpacks, what fits one person exceedingly well, may be a poor fit for another. For my personal use of the Sako, I've spent a good amount of time attempting to walk a new owner through some of these discussions, to include meeting them, so I can place my hands on their rifle, and to use the stuff I have on hand to make a fix. For those I cannot meet, or those who refuse, I always request they make a video to demonstrate the specific malfunction that they describe. What I have learned over all those years, the ones who habitually complain, refuse to meet and refuse to make the video. There complaints then evolve and embellish as the years go by. SO, I now take this stuff with a grain of salt, as I realize most of these complaints are BS, and are done so, not from lack of mechanical skill, or ignorance, but merely from the joy of pushing buttons and trolling threads.

Best