Sako 85 safety issue

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Nick T

Well-Known Member
I have a Sako 85 varmint in .308 fitted with a GRS stock. I've got a serious recurring safety issue that's proving extremely difficult to solve. On a number of occasions I've fired the shot & put the next round into the chamber. When I try to put the safety catch to safe it won't budge leaving the rifle cocked & ready to fire - not an ideal situation when stalking as happened again last night.
The rifle is about 2 years old & had no more than 150 rounds through it. I increased the trigger pull pressure from 2 to 2.3lbs a couple of weeks ago to try & resolve it but seems that didn't solve the problem.
Does anyone have any suggestions? I've tried to contact Sako but they apparently don't have an email or technical help facility which I think is very disappointing from such a well known high end manufacturer.
 
Have a chat with Neil McKillop - he runs (or used to run a 75) as well as being a very fine riflesmith. He took a look at my 75 trigger when I discovered an anomaly which was the other way around to yours. If I fired a shot and then slipped the safety on (unusual, but did occasionally happen), I could chamber another round and then the rifle wouldn't fire. Missed a few deer like that until I figured out what was happening.

You can prob just drop the trigger unit out and post it to him to look at (registered / tracked post etc).
 
Any gun smith should be able to sort it for you. However you need to be getting it to them a bit lively as come the lock down I suspect that they're not going to be able to trade in guns etc. That was certainly the case last time anyway. The will however most likely continue to work on them.
 
75 said:
Have a chat with Neil McKillop - he runs (or used to run a 75) as well as being a very fine riflesmith. He took a look at my 75 trigger when I discovered an anomaly which was the other way around to yours. If I fired a shot and then slipped the safety on (unusual, but did occasionally happen), I could chamber another round and then the rifle wouldn't fire. Missed a few deer like that until I figured out what was happening.

You can prob just drop the trigger unit out and post it to him to look at (registered / tracked post etc).
Click to expand...
Broken pin in the SAKO 75 key locking mechanism by any chance? Me too. Used to bug the hell out of me until I replaced the bolt.
 
Nope - just one of those things. Still does it and not an issue now I know about it but a real puzzler to get my head around until I realised why nothing was happening when I pulled the trigger!
 
I had an issue with my 75 there is a small washer on the safety catch check if this is in the correct place.
 
Is the trigger sear engaging ie firing pin locked in the compressed position easy to see at the base of the bolt shroud. Or the safety is catching in the stock.
Take it out of the stock and you should be able to see what the problem is.
 
If there was no problem with the rifle before you dropped it into the GRS stock that's where I'd start looking.
Check that the trigger mech isn't wobbling from side to side and binding on the stock.
Take the rifle out of the stock and put some ink on the safety lever and the safety on bolt release lever, put it back in the stock cinch it up, work it a few times then take it apart and look for witness marks.
Personally I wouldn't use it until the issue is sorted, but that's just me...
 
Should have said this first, if you're not competent or confident enough to do this yourself, then give the rifle to someone who is.
Faulty safeties are an accident waiting to happen, particularly intermittent faults.
 
When you do the stock bolts up so tight the safety leaves this imprint in your stock it’s not going to work. Combination of spongy laminate and minimal Sako 85 contact area, if it had been a 75 it would not be a problem. They never used to but now GRS recommend all their stocks are bedded. You can chop a bit of wood out under the safety but without pillars it will continue to sink. And move around and probably throw shots.
 

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Had similar issues when swapping to an aftermarket stock.

Almost certainly, part of the trigger mechanism will be fouling on the new stock, and you just need to look where, and relieve the area.
 
Lateral said:
Had similar issues when swapping to an aftermarket stock.

Almost certainly, part of the trigger mechanism will be fouling on the new stock, and you just need to look where, and relieve the area.
Click to expand...
I put a 75 wooden stock on my 85m.
It took a bit more patience than I’d normally display to get it right.
 
Many thanks guys, I got it round to Neil McKillop & he's found a very light 'witness mark' where the safety catch only just touched the stock. So i'm having the stock very lightly sanded to give it more clearance. Many thanks Neil
 
Good a simple result. I had a Mauser action zastava that would only chamber a round on fire. Then you could apply safety. I never liked that. I think the Remington 700 is the same. Someone posted a video of a tv show about it on here.
It was prone to firing when you went to unload.
Anyway, glad you found a fix for it without any drama.
 
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