I'm back with it.
There is a rub mark on the barrel where it looks like it may have ridden in a gun rack. There are some scratches in the bluing, but nothing deep. There are some stratches and dings in the wood, but nothing too bad. I pulled it out of the stock. No rust. The trigger is at three pounds. The bore looks good. (Once I got the spider webs out!).
I cycled several rounds through it. (SSTs, Seirra HPBT, Horn. BTSP) Everything feed and ejected fine.
It says L579 on it on the left side of the receiver. On the left of the barrel, it says "Forester" and m"Made in Finland." On the top of the barrel it says "SAKO" and "Cal 308." The barrel is about 22.25 inches. The serial number is 1108XX.
I don't think I'll get rid of the Kimber. With the sling and the Banner scope in the Weaver rings and bases it came with, it goes eight pounds even. It balances well, though. I thought with that raised cheek piece it would be okay for me to get behind the scope, but it is still too low. It has sights on it, and I get a perfect weld for those. (I have that problem with about every rifle I've ever had or shot. The Montana has a really high comb that I like better, but is still a little high. Maybe the Talley ectra lows wil help.) If I keep this Forester (I'll see how it shoots for me.), I'll need to find a way to get my head higher, without hurting the value of the gun.
The rifle came with a cheap scope in Weaver rings on Weaver hases. (#66 front and 67 rear.) I took them off to check for rust. I'm embarrassed to say this, but that was a big mistake. The rear base had two shims under it. The popped out when I tapped the base off. I just spent twenty minutes trying to get it back together, and I can't get it yet.
Both the shims have holes in the center for the Weaver screw to go through. It looks like they would slide inside the Weaver base, then on top of the dove-tail on the rifle. But they won't go.
I have no idea how to do it. (You'd think it would be simple, it's not.) Yes, I know I just should have left it alone, but I wanted to check it our. If I keep it, I thought I'd put the blue Loctite under the base to make it more solid and keep water out.
The rifle has dove-tails on the receiver. The Weaver base slides onto it from the rear. I can't get the shims back inside the base, and if I did, they would just push out if I could get it back on the rifle. It looks like the shims are to keep the base screw from bottoming out. I tried it without the shims. Even with the screw from the Weaver base all the way tight, bottomed) I can still tap the Weaver base back off the rifle. (Without the shims.)
If any of you with this rifle have the same shims, how do I get them back in? I don't want to just start trying to force it. The base screw is so little and fine, I don't want to try to take shorten it.
If you want to call me names and insult me and my mechanical ability, go ahead, I deserve it.
But, since I just got this beautiful rifle for $350, I'm not going to feel to bad!
Oh, I almost forgot. Higbean, you said yours have three position safeties. This has a two position. Is there a trick to lock the bolt? I HATE rifles that I can't lock the bolt on.
