Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Colt Sauer rifles

Last night I was looking at the auction sites researching my next rifle and ran across one of these which sorta peaked my interest. You don't see many Sig Sauer rifles in these parts, in fact I've only seen 2 and both of them were 202s, but man, they sure were slick rifles. The one I played with had NICE deep blueing and a bolt as smooth a butter! Based on that limited experience I know next to nothing about Colt Sauer rifles and a couple of google searches didn't turn up much either but I'm still interested and hope someone can help me with a few questions?
1 Does the Colt Sauer 90 have a 60 degree bolt?
2 A tang safety?
3 In 300win, whats the barrel length? In 30-06?
4 How much does one weigh?
5 How well made are these rifles?
6 How accurate do they shoot?
7 Pros and cons, the good, bad and ugly?

1. Yes, it is a Sauer 80. A few of the 90s may have come in as Colts because Colt got into financial trouble about that time, dropped the bolt actions, and Sauer and Mel Forbes went off on their own.

2. I don't remember on the Colt. Sauers have had them left and right side, very quiet.

3. 7.5 lbs Most have longer barrels. .30-06s and .270s are 24 inches.

4. Better made than any Winchester, Kimber or Remington.

5. Never saw one that wouldn't shoot factory ammo sub MOA.
My Sauer shoots match ammo into bugholes.

6. You can still get parts for them, and I would get a magazine spring, firing pin, extractor, etc if you plan to keep it.
I assume that the Sauer 90 barrels interchange, but never asked any owner.

The new 202s come in several grades. Look at what a Luxus would cost you new and used. That is what the Colt was in a 90, so see what you can find, in order to see if this price is in line. I see Sauer 90s going for $1,500 in nice wood, but some people trying to get $2,500. Be patient, but if it is less than $1,500 you had better quit looking further.

Thanks Lee!

How many rounds does the magazine hold?

How good is the triger? Adjustable?

I have not shot the Colt, but have shot other Sauers. All have very good triggers. I think all of them are adjustable. Mine is, but I have left it alone at 3 lbs because it breaks so cleanly. My magazine holds 4 standard and 3 magnum, but some have a straighter stack and hold less. The .375 H&H magazine is a straight stack that protrudes below the stock. That gives it more reliable feeding.

afaik,
There is no connection between the Colt Light Rifle and the Colt Sauer. The Cold Sauer, made by JP Sauer & Sohn, predated the Colt Light Rifle by a decade or so. Melvin Forbes was involved, to some extent, with the ill fated Colt Light Rifle and not the Sauer. fwiw & imho

Regards, Matt.

Is anyone out there confusing the JP Sauer rifles with the little Melvin Forbes things?

This is may Sauer 202 bought new about 3 years ago. This is a factory upgrade:



This rifle is very accurate. Bolt is smooth as silk. Trigger is crisp. Love it.

ClaretDabbler

That is a very beautiful rifle..
Great wood...

Don

I have handled and shot (but never owned) Colt Sauers in .30-06 and 7mm Rem Mag. They are very well made and well finished rifles but have the rather extreme monte carlo stocks with glossy expoxy finishes that were all the rage at the time that they were designed. They are heavy--I never weighed one, but both of the rifles that I have been around were well over nine pounds scoped, and may have been pushing ten pounds. Both of the rifles that I shot were acceptably accurate with factory ammunition--the 7mm RM would consistently put five shots right at one inch, using the standard Hornady 175 grain loads that you could buy at any discount store.

if anyone is looking for a COLT-SAUER i have a grade 3 in 300 wby. if interested send me your phone no. via pm and i will call you.

Good set of iron sights on that 202.
American gunmakers need to take note.

Lee, my eyesight is pretty crap (short sighted). I actually took the scope off one weekend just to try the irons out. I amazed myself by shooting a couple of sub 3 inch groups at 100 yards with the irons. Didn't think it was possible. The was a bit of vertical stringing from me not lining up the front sight perfectly in the U notched rear. The back of the foresight has a silvered line, there is a silvered line on the rear sight also.

A good friend in MN owned several Colt Sauers in different calibers, the biggest being the .458 Win. I owned a .22-250 and really regret selling it nearly 15 years ago. It wasn't a light rifle, but its balance and fit were superb, as was its accuracy. The longest shot I've made on a coyote was with that rifle and I remember well the trip back to the vehicle -- that part of western ND has hills, ravines and such and that pretty coyote got heavy!

BTW, ClaretDabbler, I truly like that rifle! Don't be dumb like I was and sell it. That's a keeper.

I'd love to own it, cdhunt, but that isn't in the cards for me right now. Tell you what though, a picture or three would help me get over that... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

41keith, just for you:





And if you like germanic rifles, try this one on for size:

I'm thanking you very much for that. It's like remembering a lover from the past and how she felt in my arms.

Mark,

I have two Colt Sauers that I acquired from my wife's cousin NIB a few years ago. One is in 270 and the other is 300 Weatherby. Here are responses to your questions, some of which have already been answered by others:

1 Yes, a 60 degree bolt.
2 Yes, a tang safety.
3 The barrel length on both of mine are some even number of centimeters that escapes my memory but are about 23-5/8 inches.
4 They are not lightweights. The 270 with a steel-bodied 1.5-6x42 Swaro (30mm and heavy) weighs 9-5/8 pounds. The 300 Weatherby with a 6x36 Leupold weighs 9-3/8 pounds.
5 They are beautifully made -- the bluing has to be seen to be believed, the wood is outstanding. As another poster remarked, the finish is a high gloss epoxy and the stock has a strong Monte Carlo. Triggers are fully adjustable and excellent.
6 I have hardly fired the 300 Weatherby. The 270 is extremely accurate and I have taken considerable game with it. The last time I shot it at the range in July, I put 7 shots into 0.80 inches. These were fired with cooling after no more than three shots. I wouldn't win any contests, so it would be fun to see what an expert could do with this rifle.
7 If you appreciate the style, these are wonderful rifles. I have two other 270's that weigh 8-1/8 pounds scoped, and would most likely carry one of them if I were walking all day. But from a stand, the Colt Sauer is super.

Hope this helps,

Al

I bought a left handed Colt Sauer .270 barrelled action in 1977. They only made a batch of LH models a couple of times a year. It took another 6 mos. for me to afford the custom stock for it and 6 more months for the guy to complete it. It is one of the nicest actions that I have ever had the pleasure to use. Buttery smooth and a great trigger. Very accurate with every ammo that I've tried with it. And it's already been mentioned that the blueing is without equal. My only problem with the rifle is that it is so danged purty that I always worried about scratching it or banging it up. The stuff that I hunted was really thick and nasty so I used my Browning or Remington most of the time. I really don't have much use for a safe queen but I worked so hard for this one that I couldn't let it go for any amount of money.

Kelbro, I can't blame you one bit for not wanting to ever let go of it. My son is a lefty and shot my .22-250 very well, but I was always looking for what you have, durn your lucky hide... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

You have my compliments regarding your descriptions.

I'm so damnably angry with Colt that it's nearly an offense to myself when I mention the name -- they knew the good things, but were about as faithful in delivering them over an appreciable time as an errant and evil spouse.