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Opinions on L61R in .375 H&H- New to Sako's & the Forum

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

DavisTN

Member
Hello All & Thanks in advance for any input you may have.

As the title states, I am new to the Sako world and to the forum. I have the opportunity to acquire a L61R chambered in .375 H&H for what I believe to be quite a good deal. The owner tells me that the serial dates the rifle to 1962 production, but I do not have the serial to reference. So far, I have only seen pictures of the rifle (local seller, planning to meet up tomorrow). It does have a handful of blemishes in the bluing, but appears to be a well-preserved rifle.

Being new to the Sako world, I have had a hard time finding useful information regarding this particular model/caliber setup. I have seen similar vintage rifles in different calibers selling for $1,000-$2,500. The asking price for this rifle is $500.

I know that I didn't really formulate this post in the form of a question, and that was kind of by design. I wanted to see what opinions/suggestions/experiences fans and collectors of Sako firearms might be able to offer. Again, any and all opinions or information will be greatly appreciated. I have attached a couple of the photos that the seller has sent to me. The stock appears to be in great shape!

Thank you for your time and knowledge. Hopefully, I'll purchase the rifle and have more to contribute to this site in the future!

Chris
 

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from the poor quality pictures it appears to be a sako/Mauser no dovetails made throughout the 50's until 60 when the L61r came out. that is a very under rated rifle and hasn't the appeal as later models. mainly because of mounting system. exceptional accuracy.
$500 is the rite price.
 
It is not an L61R. If the barrel is marked "Sako" then it is likely a rifle built by Sako on the FN Mauser action. These were from the 1950s into the first year or so of the 60's, preceding the L61R which came along in 1961-62. The FN action is a time-proven, high-quality action. And Sako made quality rifles on the FN action. This one appears to be one of the later ones which actually used a Sako trigger. They were distributed in this country chambered in .270, .30-06, .300 H&H, and .375 H&H. In Europe some were distributed in additional calibers like 8x60. If the rifle is in decent condition, $500 is a screaming bargain. Buy it.
 
Thanks for the reply stonecreek. From the seller:"The only marking on the rifle is 'Sako' & '375 Magnum' on the barrel. I was told by Sportsmans WH that it's built on a Mauser action and they dated the serial to 1962. I'm not sure if it's 375 weatherby or 375 HH, but Sportsmans said 375 HH."

I'm supposed to be meeting with the seller this morning, so I truly appreciate your feedback. If the rifle is in acceptable condition, I'll purchase it and post higher quality pictures.

If it isn't considered a L61R, how would this rifle be designated or referenced for lookup?
 
The Fjestad Blue Book is notoriously inaccurate on both how it lists Sakos and how it values them, so don't bother with that source. There was no model number for this rifle, so it is simply referred to as the "Sako-Mauser". References vary as to exactly what years the Sako-Mauser was produced, but it was not until 1959 that Sako introduced its #4 trigger, which is what the rifle in question appears to be equipped with.

Probably because of when these were produced, I've seen quite a few .300 H&H's rechambered to .300 Weatherby, which was all the rage in the early 1960's. Some of the .375 H&H models were undoubtedly rechambered to .375 Weatherby. However, regular .375 ammunition will shoot just fine in a .300 Weatherby chamber. Regardless of whether it has been rechambered, it is still easily worth the $500 asking price. The action alone in probably worth $400.
 
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