Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Sako aficionados, I need some help!

Just made arrangements to purchase this L579 in .243.
Rifle is an estate item, and is being billed as factory
original.
Not getting cold feet, I'm just NOT knowledgeable about Sako rifles and could use some reassurance.

I can't find anything resembling it.
https://imgur.com/gallery/gUT1D

Thanks
shotgunjock

Don't believe that's a factory stock. It's pretty though....

No input, other than she's a butte.

Not a Sako expert but I have never seen a factory Sako with a stock like that.
However, it is a beautiful stock, to me much prettier than any factory Sako I have seen. I would be proud to own it.

drover

Different than any factory stock I've ever seen. Are they placing a premium on it because of an original or rare stock?

Not a factory stock but it does have very nice lines

Actually, it's priced slightly below market value for other L579's I've seen. Comes with 80 rounds of factory ammo as well.

Let me know if you pass.

I wouldn't let the non factory stock concern me as long as the inletting fits nicely. It looks good with nice lines. It isn't like it's a Fajen.

X2!

I LOVE that stock. Love the style love the wood.

Definitely not a factory stock but that is a beautiful stock/rifle! The presence of a bolt shroud suggests it's an AII action which was the immediate successor to the L579.

Interestingly, semi-custom Sakos often sell for below market value because the Sako collectors only want all original rifles and pay a premium for desirable models.

If the price is right, that would be a great rifle to add to the stable.

Beautiful gun! Very nice find

MCT3-
What other differences are there between an L579 and the AII?
I'm told that this rifle dates to 1977?

Does this rifle have a factory barrel or aftermarket barrel?

The main difference between the AII bolt and L579 is the enclosed bolt shroud. There are some other minor cosmetic bolt differences.

The L series actions (open bolt shroud) were used in pre-72 (pre-Garcia) rifles produced from 1959 to around 1972. Occasionally you'll encounter an L series action with an enclosed bolt shroud. The Pre-72 factory Sako rifles with L series actions will often have a 3rd locking lug at the rear of the bolt, a higher polished blue, a lighter more svelte stock + pistol grip cap and a lighter contour barrel. Most have a Bofors barrel stamp.

Typical L579 (pre-72) Forester



Sako Classic with AII Action

Typical Sako factory pre-72 barrel stamps.

You do have a L579 Sako. After Stoeger started importing them, they did put a shroud around the end of the bolt, but even some Stoeger imports had the open firing pin.

It appears to be a nicely restocked Sako L579 with the Sako barrel and would have been a Stoeger import. This was before they went to the A1, A11 and A111 marked actions. Sako did the changes or modifications on these rifles, FIE, Garcia and Stoeger were just the importers.

Lucky you.

Love Sako rifles, but have never been wild about the stocks. Looks like somebody else felt the same way.

So, the bottom line is that this IS NOT a factory stock,
but that it appears to be a well done restock, and I should get it, and shoot the crap outta it!

Thank you all for the info, most helpful.
I'll let you know how it shoots.

shotgunjock

Yep, Yes, Yes and please do report on how it shoots.

HitnRun,

That's probably the right call that it's an L579 if the rifle really dates to 1977 as the OP was told.

For shotgunjack,here's a little explanation of what HitnRun alluded to. None of this amounts to a hill of beans concerning your rifle but just some interesting history of the Sako lineage. From 1968 when FI took over importation, then Garcia in 1972 and Stoeger in 1978, Sako was producing rifles with some variations/traits of earlier rifles secondary to parts available in inventory.

During the Sako transition when Stoeger took over importation, the shrouded bolt occurred over a period of time. Stoeger announced the A-series actions in 1978-79. It's rumored the switch to the "new and improved" A-series was more Stoeger's idea(marketing) than Sako's.

Sako already had an inventory of completed L-series receivers when they began making shrouded bolts. As a result, Sako rifles produced up until around 1980 had the L-designation on the receiver and some of those also had the shrouded bolts.

Eventually, Sako used up the L-series stamped receivers before producing receivers stamped with the A-designation. Likewise, Sako used up all of the unshrouded bolts before it released any A-series receivers. So you'll find some L-series rifles with shrouded bolts but no A-series rifles with unshrouded bolts.