• Hey All! Lately there has been more and more scammers on the forum board. They register and replies to members requests for guns and/or parts or other things. The reply contains a gmail or hotmail address or similar ”anonymous” email addresses which they want you to reply to. DO NOT ANSWER ANY STRANGE MESSAGES! They often state something like this: ”Hello! Saw your post about purchasing a stock for a Safari. KnuckleheadBob has one. Email him at: [email protected]” If you receive any strange messages: Check the status of whoever message you. If they have no posts and signed up the same day or very recently, stay away. Same goes for other members they might refer to. Check them too and if they are long standing members, PM them and ask if the message is legit. Most likely it’s not. Then use the report function in each message or post so I can kick them out! Beware of anything that might seem fishy! And again, for all of you who registered your personal name as username, please contact me so I can change it to a more anonymous username. You’d be surprised of how much one can find out about a person from just a username on a forum such ad our! All the best! And be safe! Jim

New Member with Question

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

Register Log in
B

BobbR

Member
Hello Everyone.

I have own a beautiful SAKO Finnbear in .30-06 which I purchased when I was in my early twenties. As I'm now entering into working career retirement, I am looking forward to doing more shooting, handloading, and the like.

My favorite production rifles have always been SAKOs, so I am now seeking my "dream" rifle: a SAKO 85 Varmint Stainless in .243. My quest to find this particular rifle is stalled because there doesn't seem to be any available for sale in North America at the present time.

Perhaps I may be way behind with the news in the SAKO enthusiast world, so I will pose the question here: are SAKO rifles still sold in the USA? I noticed that some retailers that offered SAKO rifles not only indicate that certain models are out-of-stock, but they add that they also can't be backordered! That tends to cause me to believe that SAKO is no longer importing rifles to the USA. I also note that I see no SAKO rifles on Beretta USA's website. Hmmm.....no longer imported?

Many of you may be saying "DUH!" Where has this guy been?? Answer: out of the loop for a good while. I attended the SHOT Show in Las Vegas two or three years ago, and talked with some SAKO reps and examined a bunch of SAKO rifles, but a lot may have changed since then.

Anyway....

Thanks for adding me to the ranks of this forum members.

Best wishes...

Robert
Coatesville, PA USA
 
Unless you are dead set and have to have stainless, I would set my sights on a good ole L579 in 243. They are plentiful, probably one of the most produced Sako's out there. Many in great shape to choose from. Older Sako rifles have gone nuts in pricing so just be careful on your choices.
The new Sako S20 is out there but to modern for my thoughts. An 85 stainless might still be findable but you will pay for that no doubt.
 
CVCOBRA1 said:
Unless you are dead set and have to have stainless, I would set my sights on a good ole L579 in 243. They are plentiful, probably one of the most produced Sako's out there. Many in great shape to choose from. Older Sako rifles have gone nuts in pricing so just be careful on your choices.
The new Sako S20 is out there but to modern for my thoughts. An 85 stainless might still be findable but you will pay for that no doubt.
Click to expand...


Thanks for your reply. You are certainly correct about the high price if what I want can be found, judging from what I've seen on the internet in the recent past.

My overriding question is still unanswered: are SAKO rifles still being imported at all? There is currently none to be found on Beretta USA's website, which was not the case the last time I looked about a year ago. That makes me think they are no longer being brought in.
 
I doubt Beretta would stop importing rifles to the largest market for firearms in the world. Think about it! Any unavailability is probably what we now call "supply chain issues". There are Sako rifles available at wholesalers & at retail outlets across the country as I type this. Maybe not in the numbers & variants they were pre-covid, but to think Beretta would stop importing Sako rifles to the U.S.A. without it being headline news in the gun industry is absurd.
 
CVCOBRA1 said:
Unless you are dead set and have to have stainless, I would set my sights on a good ole L579 in 243. They are plentiful, probably one of the most produced Sako's out there. Many in great shape to choose from. Older Sako rifles have gone nuts in pricing so just be careful on your choices.
The new Sako S20 is out there but to modern for my thoughts. An 85 stainless might still be findable but you will pay for that no doubt.
Click to expand...
Better yet…hit this!
https://www.gunbroker.com/item/924441779

Almost a no brain’r price!

bloo
 
paulsonconstruction said:
I doubt Beretta would stop importing rifles to the largest market for firearms in the world. Think about it! Any unavailability is probably what we now call "supply chain issues". There are Sako rifles available at wholesalers & at retail outlets across the country as I type this. Maybe not in the numbers & variants they were pre-covid, but to think Beretta would stop importing Sako rifles to the U.S.A. without it being headline news in the gun industry is absurd.
Click to expand...

Absurd, perhaps...but plausible? Absolutely! Part of the reason I even mentioned that is because I've been "out of the loop" and thought I might have missed such an announcement IF it happened. Also, consider the fact that where there was once a plethora of Sako rifles on the Beretta website, there are now NONE, so for me to wonder if importation of Sako rifles had been discontinued is hardly an absurd idea. I'll also note that quite a few firearms retailers I've checked on the internet not only show that a number of their Sako rifles are "out of stock," they add that those rifles can not be backordered. There certainly could be a number of reasons for that, but given what I've cited, can you blame me for just wondering?

Update: I asked several Sako retailers about Sako rifles, and was told by a few that they are no longer selling Sako. Also, I just contacted a major USA retailer of Sako rifles, and here's the exchange:


THEM: Hello, my name is Mike! How can I help you today?

ME: Sako 85 Varmint Stainless in .243: you indicate "out of stock and cannot be backordered." Just curious as to why backorder is not possible. Is is because it is no longer in production?

THEM: That is correct!

ME: Okay! Thanks.

THEM: Welcome! no word yet but we suspect a new model is coming
 
Last edited:
That new model came. It is called this S20. Sako put all their eggs in that basket. Not what I care for but a lot of the manufacturers are leaning that direction. Look on Sako's site, not Beretta's.
 
I was wrong the stamping on the right side of the receiver is Made in Finland. The IMG_1174.jpg old eyes aren't as good as they used to be
 
Well, it's true that Sako isn't importing any new rifles to the U.S.

At least none that that are of particular interest to most of us.

Now, if they were to reintroduce the L46 in .218 Bee . . .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top