Who can make me a barrel for a Sauer 202 in .204 Ruger?

Paddy_SP

Well-Known Member
I hunt almost every day with one or other (sometimes both) of my two Sauer 202s - one in .22-250, the other in .308. I love them to bits, but now need another rifle in a lighter calibre for long-range corvids, bunnies, etc. After much homework, I settled on .204 Ruger as being the answer. Ideally, I'd like to stay with Sauer, but as they don't make anything in this calibre, my options appear to be limited to either having a barrel made, or buying something else.

The Sauer 202 in both .222 and .223 has the right bolt-face, but I can't find anyone who can make a .20 cal barrel for it. The first complication is that the bolt registers in the barrel, while the second one is that there are two (or more) different bolt lug patterns. Border Barrels can only make barrels for the six-lug (i.e. .308 bolt-face) rifles, not the smaller three-lug ones.

I've emailed Sauer directly to see if they will sell me a blank (via Garlands, of course), but if they're unable to help, I don't know what to do. Kimbers don't have removable mags, and everything else I've handled has been plain horrible.
 
If the Sauer plan fails then it has to be a Sako 75, it ticks all the boxes as a semi-custom hunting rifle.

I have 2 and I love them. I recently bought a 223 one and had Neil McKillop convert it into a 20Tac.

Best of luck :)
 
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paddy there is a sako 75 at countryman of derby in 17 rem. get it snapped up for 550. then send it to dasherman and have a custom barrel on it. in 20 tac or 204.

will be superb
 
Hope you get it sorted Paddy. I love the 204, its been a great foxing round so far. You wont be disappointed by it.
 
Can you not get a shot out .223 barrel, cut the barrel off forward of the lugs, internally bore out and thread whats left, and then fit a new barrel to the old stub with lugs in. Bit like the way ar15's are barrelled using the barrel extension.

That works in my head.
 
If the Sauer plan fails then it has to be a Sako 75, it ticks all the boxes as a semi-custom hunting rifle.

I have 2 and I love them. I recently bought a 223 one and had Neil McKillop convert it into a 20Tac.

Best of luck :)

Thanks - I looked at an 85 at the weekend and the action was just nasty...:( I had heard the 75 was far better.

paddy there is a sako 75 at countryman of derby in 17 rem. get it snapped up for 550. then send it to dasherman and have a custom barrel on it. in 20 tac or 204.

will be superb

Hmmm - that sounds like a plan! :)

Can you not get a shot out .223 barrel, cut the barrel off forward of the lugs, internally bore out and thread whats left, and then fit a new barrel to the old stub with lugs in. Bit like the way ar15's are barrelled using the barrel extension.

That works in my head.

As Sauer have not been making the small calibers for long, I don't think there is such a thing as a shot-out .223 barrel yet. I really struggled just to find a s/h .223 or .222 Sauer, let alone a worn-out one..:(
 
......As Sauer have not been making the small calibers for long, I don't think there is such a thing as a shot-out .223 barrel yet. I really struggled just to find a s/h .223 or .222 Sauer, let alone a worn-out one..:(

I like your thinking, but it is just too much hassle and expense to pursue this route to a 20cal.

Either buy an older cheapish Sako in the correct action size and get it rebarreled, or watch on the SD classifieds, guntrader etc. Someone else's 20 Tac will turn up for sale there at a sensible price sooner or later. Let them take the hit on the price.
 
I believe border do sauer barrels, could be wrong but defo worth a call.

Thanks, but if you re-read my post, you'll see that Border can't help me...

I like your thinking, but it is just too much hassle and expense to pursue this route to a 20cal.

Either buy an older cheapish Sako in the correct action size and get it rebarreled, or watch on the SD classifieds, guntrader etc. Someone else's 20 Tac will turn up for sale there at a sensible price sooner or later. Let them take the hit on the price.

Agreed - but I've been watching out for a decent quality .204 for over a year now, and haven't found one yet. :(
 
Paddy, I take your point, the factory options in 204 Ruger are limited to Ruger, Howa and Remington I think. You could pick up a Howa for around £500, get it a decent stock and improve the trigger and have change from £800.

The reason I say 20 Tac is that these are the flavour of the month just now, and the semi customs knocking about will be pretty well made, but they will start turning up second hand more frequently from now on.
 
paddy dasherman has a brand new tikka m595 action at his workshop it comes with mag,trigger and trigger guard, action screws for £400
add a barrel in 20 cal fully fitted is £660

£1,060 you have a brand new semi custom rifle. yes your have to find a wood,plastic.or laminated stock but there about.
or if you dont mind paying abit more dosh get it in a mcmillan hunter stock.
 
Paddy, I take your point, the factory options in 204 Ruger are limited to Ruger, Howa and Remington I think. You could pick up a Howa for around £500, get it a decent stock and improve the trigger and have change from £800.

Agreed - It looks as though I may have to go down that route

paddy dasherman has a brand new tikka m595 action at his workshop it comes with mag,trigger and trigger guard, action screws for £400 add a barrel in 20 cal fully fitted is £660. £1,060 you have a brand new semi custom rifle. yes your have to find a wood,plastic.or laminated stock but there about. or if you dont mind paying abit more dosh get it in a mcmillan hunter stock.

Yep - I think a call to Dasherman may well be on the cards. Do you have his number?
 
Hi Paddy,

Last summer I asked Border Barrels if they could make a 20cal barrel for a Blaser, they couldn't but helpfully pointed me at Bix n Andy for making aftermarket Blaser barrels but I never followed it up.... may be they can do Sauer barrels too.


There was a recent post on B&A's aftermarket adjustable Blaser trigger either on here or on UKV - they've got a good reputation by all accounts.

Found it: r93 adjustable triggers -

I've no idea as to the cost etc - apparently they make the Blaser barrels in 2 parts.

Cheers

Fizz
:cool:
 
Agreed - It looks as though I may have to go down that route



Yep - I think a call to Dasherman may well be on the cards. Do you have his number?

McKillop.jpg
 
Hi Paddy,

Last summer I asked Border Barrels if they could make a 20cal barrel for a Blaser, they couldn't but helpfully pointed me at Bix n Andy for making aftermarket Blaser barrels but I never followed it up.... may be they can do Sauer barrels too.


There was a recent post on B&A's aftermarket adjustable Blaser trigger either on here or on UKV - they've got a good reputation by all accounts.

Found it: r93 adjustable triggers -

I've no idea as to the cost etc - apparently they make the Blaser barrels in 2 parts.

Cheers

Fizz
:cool:

Thanks for your input - Border were kind enough to also put me onto Bix n Andy - I must admit that I've shied away from dealing with someone outside the UK as I've had so many bad experiences through work with foreign companies as the result of poor communications, complicated export/import procedures, high costs, etc.
 
try talking to Border Barrels. I think they do make Sauer compatible barrels, using an adpter. I can't remeber exactly how it worked, but it's worth a phone call.
 
Thanks, Jay! :)

Give jim baker bullets n guns a ring Tel: (Mobile) 07733 043823

Thanks, will do - never heard of him before!

try talking to Border Barrels. I think they do make Sauer compatible barrels, using an adpter. I can't remeber exactly how it worked, but it's worth a phone call.

Thanks for your suggestion, but this is what I wrote in my original post:

The first complication is that the bolt registers in the barrel, while the second one is that there are two (or more) different bolt lug patterns. Border Barrels can only make barrels for the six-lug (i.e. .308 bolt-face) rifles, not the smaller three-lug ones.
 
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