Sako AV

Bandit

Well-Known Member
Good evening everyone, I need some feedback on a sako AV.
i have the chance to buy one of these but have not heard of them before, so have done a bit of research on the sako web page and think I have found it.
Can anyone who has/had one give me some feed back on this,it would be really appreciated.
Regards jab,
 
Simply buy it! I have a AV in a 6.5x55, S/N 575XXX, manufactured in 1982. Its the last of the Mohicans, the great L61R actions, over built and over engineered. In the mid-80s they went to CNC and Sako was never the same. Despite its age, mine still shoots sub MOA. If you want to upgrade and re-barrel you are building on one of the best push feed actions ever made. Below is a link to the manufacturing dates. Just my opinion and good luck.


http://www.sako.fi/pdf/datatables/SakoOldmodelsNumbering.pdf
 
Ive built several rifles on AV actions, they are really very good.

Sometimes the trigger can require stripping, cleaning and re stoning (not surprising on a 30 yr old action) but they do make a fantastic stalking rifle with very good accuracy.

I wouldn't hesitate considering one.
 
Simply buy it! I have a AV in a 6.5x55, S/N 575XXX, manufactured in 1982. Its the last of the Mohicans, the great L61R actions, over built and over engineered. In the mid-80s they went to CNC and Sako was never the same. Despite its age, mine still shoots sub MOA. If you want to upgrade and re-barrel you are building on one of the best push feed actions ever made. Below is a link to the manufacturing dates. Just my opinion and good luck.


http://www.sako.fi/pdf/datatables/SakoOldmodelsNumbering.pdf
Thanks that was the info that I found, I have 2 sako 75s and a tikka595 all shoot better than I can. So you can see I quite like this countries rifles.
what does the AV stand for? Some one has told me it may be to do with controlled feed but we can't find anything.
 
Ive built several rifles on AV actions, they are really very good.

Sometimes the trigger can require stripping, cleaning and re stoning (not surprising on a 30 yr old action) but they do make a fantastic stalking rifle with very good accuracy.

I wouldn't hesitate considering one.
Thank you that's the info I need to hear
 
Thanks that was the info that I found, I have 2 sako 75s and a tikka595 all shoot better than I can. So you can see I quite like this countries rifles.
what does the AV stand for? Some one has told me it may be to do with controlled feed but we can't find anything.

AV is just a series, started with AI etc. I don't think Sako ever made a controlled feed AV / L61R, but I could be wrong. My action is a push feed although it looks like it is a CRF with the guide on the side of the bolt. And yes, tough trigger. I have a finnlight 85, but still prefer the style of my older Sako, which is also topped with an older steel-tubed S&B. Its just a beautiful piece of machinery.
 
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L61R was made from 1961 to 1991. This is the long action, .30-06 and magnum action, like .375 H&H.
The A1, AIII, AV, denote modifications along the way. There are some AV stampings for the short action L579 ( 1957 ), but mostly when you hear "AV" it means a long action or Magnum action. The AV long action is a change to the rear of the action in 1981. The same change from AIII to AV for the L61R Magnum is in 1982.

They are superb rifles, classy, balanced, quiet safety, fine trigger, accurate and reliable.
The smaller actions are a scaled down match, the L579 being for the .243, .308 size, and the L461 for the .222, .223 size.

They have an integral tapered dovetail in the receiver for Sako ring mounts.
 
I have a very early L579 (mid 60's) which never struck me as being really well made. Recently I fitted a roughly 20 year younger Sako action to a stock for a client that just screamed quality. It was in 243, not a L579 action but I just can't remember which action it was.
edi
 
ejg, That may have been a 591 Sako, which came out, as you can guess, in 1991. Along about 1985, Sako also made some models which were predecessors of the 75, for Beretta, for sporting and military tactical rifles, the 501 and 502. I have a 501 sporting rifle in matte blue and satin finished French walnut with iron sights, in .308 Win. It is very high quality.
 
L61R was made from 1961 to 1991. This is the long action, .30-06 and magnum action, like .375 H&H.
The A1, AIII, AV, denote modifications along the way. There are some AV stampings for the short action L579 ( 1957 ), but mostly when you hear "AV" it means a long action or Magnum action. The AV long action is a change to the rear of the action in 1981. The same change from AIII to AV for the L61R Magnum is in 1982.

They are superb rifles, classy, balanced, quiet safety, fine trigger, accurate and reliable.
The smaller actions are a scaled down match, the L579 being for the .243, .308 size, and the L461 for the .222, .223 size.

They have an integral tapered dovetail in the receiver for Sako ring mounts.
Thanks southern,the one I am looking at is 30.06my research got it to be about 81 to 85,
thanks for your help jab.
 
Southern, 591 does ring a bell. Anyway, one of the nicest Sako actions I had in my hands which seemed of higher quality judging by surface finish and smoothness of the action compared to my older Sako action.
CNC is not as bad as it is often made out to be on here, in many cases quality and precision can be upped compared to traditional manufacturing methods.
edi
 
Southern, 591 does ring a bell. Anyway, one of the nicest Sako actions I had in my hands which seemed of higher quality judging by surface finish and smoothness of the action compared to my older Sako action.
CNC is not as bad as it is often made out to be on here, in many cases quality and precision can be upped compared to traditional manufacturing methods.
edi

edi .................................. nice snipe. Thought that was a bit beneath you. Obviously I was wrong on that score.

As I am the most likely person on here to try and point out the truth about CNC machining however please point out where I said it was no good?

What I pointed out that it's not always as good as many including you crack it up to be! There are many variables and many different quality of operating systems and base machines never mind in the tooling used. Advertisers love to say CNC machined .......................................... and to the great uneducated masses about CNC it sounds good. However as you well know that is only part of the story.

I recall when working at one firm the new boss overall came from another factory in the group and he didn't like having to travel to ours and the site was a good one for development so I started looking for a new job as I knew he would close it down and I didn't fancy the ride over in the winter to the factory he preferred. His pet factory sent over a large batch of relief valves for grinding made on their new CNC machines ....................................... and every single one of them was scrap.

The muppets had made them out of hex bar. Sure the corners could be ground tot eh correct diameter but the valves would not work due to leakage past the flats. Pasqua the new manager said never mind mistakes happen yet when due to tool wear soem circlip groove were 0.002" tight he went berserk and those were easily rectified. I moved the part of BOC and sure enough 4 month ater Pasqua shut the place down.

Many hundreds of parts scrap yet they were made on the wonderful CNC's ........................................ it was not the machines fault but the muppets setting and running them................................................. and that is often the problem. The other one is scrimping on tooling, pay and training. Employ monkies and get rubbish, buy cheap,poor tooling and get problems. Many employers have swallowed the CNC hype and believe that any muppet can mind them never mins set them up. Never mind have a poor programmer. BOC had one so bad that the setters refused to push the green button and they were right too as 9 times out of 10 it resulted in a crunch up.
 
Bandit -
This AV probably has a 22.5 inch barrel. The older ones were 24.4 inches and had a very light stock, which they soon beefed up a bit.
My L61R is a very early one with a light stock, in .375 H&H, with the quick adjusting rear sight, and an extra peep sight which fastens to the rear dovetail.

They have a large magazine, holding an extra round. If you don't use that, the spring is not bottomed out, and the rifle really cycles smoothly.

Brithunter -
I used to design and build CNC machines for woodworking and composites and large aluminum structural members for aircraft. "CNC" is a buzzword, as if it means better quality. In metal working especially, its advantage is in combining operations, reducing parts handing, and set up. You still have to employ it properly, gauge the parts, and adjust for tool wear, or you will product out-of-tolerance parts.
 
The AV is not an action design. A1, AII, AIII, AIV and AV refer to changes in the actions, like the length of the tang, or the rear bolt shroud.
The actions were
L47, later L461 Vixen, the L461 A1, then L461S. This was in .222. Then later, the L461 A1 was in .223. The L461 PPC was in 6mm PPC.

L57, later L579 Forester was for .308 sized cartridges like the .243. It had some A variations.

L61R Finnbear was long action, for .30-06, .270, 7x64.
L61R Magnum Finnbear was for the .375 H&H, .338, .300 Win Mag and 7mm Rem Mag. These had variations labeled A1..AV.

Later, there was a TRG-22 for short action and TRG-42 for long action and magnums, built as both sporting rifles and tactical, in synthetic stock.
 
The AV is not an action design. A1, AII, AIII, AIV and AV refer to changes in the actions, like the length of the tang, or the rear bolt shroud.
The actions were
L47, later L461 Vixen, the L461 A1, then L461S. This was in .222. Then later, the L461 A1 was in .223. The L461 PPC was in 6mm PPC.

L57, later L579 Forester was for .308 sized cartridges like the .243. It had some A variations.

L61R Finnbear was long action, for .30-06, .270, 7x64.
L61R Magnum Finnbear was for the .375 H&H, .338, .300 Win Mag and 7mm Rem Mag. These had variations labeled A1..AV.

Later, there was a TRG-22 for short action and TRG-42 for long action and magnums, built as both sporting rifles and tactical, in synthetic stock.
Thanks southern much appreciated I've just bought a vixen in .222 :)
had a forester in .243 when living in Canada and loved it really accurate rifle
 
The AV is not an action design. A1, AII, AIII, AIV and AV refer to changes in the actions, like the length of the tang, or the rear bolt shroud.
The actions were
L47, later L461 Vixen, the L461 A1, then L461S. This was in .222. Then later, the L461 A1 was in .223. The L461 PPC was in 6mm PPC.

L57, later L579 Forester was for .308 sized cartridges like the .243. It had some A variations.

L61R Finnbear was long action, for .30-06, .270, 7x64.
L61R Magnum Finnbear was for the .375 H&H, .338, .300 Win Mag and 7mm Rem Mag. These had variations labeled A1..AV.

Later, there was a TRG-22 for short action and TRG-42 for long action and magnums, built as both sporting rifles and tactical, in synthetic stock.
Thanks Southern that's pretty well covered what I need to know, I have been on sako's web sit for old model and will be able to match the serial number with a year now aswell,
thanks for all your help it's really appreciated , I will be looking at the rifle Friday and if I take it I will let you know
regards jab
 
Brit what I meant to say is that if done right the CNC machines have their good points, or can have. For example changing position of the part without needing to re-clamp etc. One of the biggest problems in conventional machining is when it comes to making the first reference surface and then not being able to work from their due to bad re-clamping.
I am certainly not a great friend of the cnc technology, I managed to finish my apprenticeship before cnc was "in". Since then all I can recall is fixing problems that were made with cnc technology. I used to be in the injection moulding trade. Toolmakers who made tools for us without cnc technology supplied very good quality tools within 6 weeks. Later when these lads retired tools were delivered mostly faulty in no less than 6 months. Our in house tool-making facility was very modern...nothing worked and I outsourced tools for my department. One huge problem with cnc is that operators seem to not have a feeling for how much strain the machine or cutter is under. With a manual machine one, feels see's and hears the strain, or lack thereof. Often cnc machines run very uneconomically for that reason.
I see the advantages that cnc can have but have been disappointed many times.
For example, at this time I can make a stock prototype and a production mould for a stock with my two hands and hand tools about three times faster than a cnc company with all their gear. Not one of my hand made moulds needed re-working.
edi
ps, the comparison between the 1960's Sako and the newer Sako action was just an observation, I have no reason to lie about it. Maybe it had something to do with that generally the company pulled up their socks and decided to produce higher quality or higher quality looking products.
 
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