Just back here briefly to clarify my earlier comments. This will be much more brief than I first intended. As others with this problem seem to be, I'm just getting really tired of the rifle and dealing with Beretta/Sako.
First of all the ejector/ejector design. As we all know the extractor serves not only to pull a cartridge case from the chamber but also to hold the case in position for the ejector to do it's work. One doesn't work well without the other. I looked at bolt rifles in my safe to get a direct comparison to the 6 o'clock positioning of the Sako blade and it's 10 o'clock position of the extractor. The following are the clock face positions of Extractor/Ejector in some other rifles:
A-Bolt.... 10/4
Rem Mod 7...9/4
Ruger 77 (pushfeed)...8 to 10/5 (extractor covers a lot of case rim)
Mk X mauser...8 to 10/3
Sako...10/6
All ejector positions have one thing in common except for the Sako. Each is positioned to push a cartridge case OUTWARD thru the ejection port except the Sako which is designed to push the case UPWARD. The first example of a firearm I could think of that uses this ejector position is the Winchester lever action. With the Model 94 and others Winchester proved this would work as designed to push the case in an upward motion. Sako has confirmed this finding. Even though the push feed Ruger uses a low 5 o'clock ejector position, direction of travel is still outward partially because it at least pushes somewhat in an outward direction and also because of the huge extractor blade that is arced to follow the curve of the groove and, at least on my rifle, holds the case rim against the bolt face pretty well until the case flips outward.
The extractor positon is consistent in all the rifles I checked, beint in the 8 to 10 o'clock range. And all seem to work very well in holding the case in position for ejection except the Sako 85M when the case neck bumps the bottom of a scope tube or turrets.
With my Sako in a maintenance cradle I pulled the scope to check direction of ejection without interference fully expecting the empty case to fly straight up in the air. It didn't. Instead it was ejected to the rear and outward. Interesting. Tried it a half dozen times or so with the same result. Placed the scope back on the bottom rings and the case hit the tube and bounced back down. Long story short, the case is made to eject upward. If there is no obstacle (scope) above it, the neck of the case simply arcs upward and backward and exits the ejection port. By holding a finger at the scope tube position while ejecting I was able to see what was happening. When the case is pushed upward the extractor holds the rim by the lower point of the extractor blade ONLY. If there is no scope in the way all works well. However if the scope is bumped by the case neck, the ejector loses it's small grip on the case rim and the case simply drops off the bottom of the bolt face.
That being said and being true, it seems that additional pressure on the extractor hook/case rim connection seems to prevent this ejection of the case head downward. By holding pressure against the extractor and pushing it inward toward the case, then allowing the case neck to strike the scope tube, the case neck seems to be able to roll off the obstruction and out the ejection. However, the case still stands upward and strikes the scope which is unacceptable. Hence my earlier comment that "every time it works it almost didn't".
Most likely this rifle can be made to work by replacing the extractor spring with a stronger one as several have suggested, even though Beretta CS says this isn't a fix because there's no problem. There may be an issue with the extractor hook itself, but I have no other to compare. I will be contacting Sako directly and speaking by phone with Beretta to see if I can get this issue resolved. By resolved I mean I want the money back I paid for the rifle. If that fails I will file a Consumer Complaint.
In he meanwhile if someone wants to do the spring fix it's all yours. Send me $1250 and an FFL copy and it'll be out the door to you with my best wishes. Still unfired with paperwork and original box. And it's headed to the Classifieds now.
