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Where have all the rear sights gone ?

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

wildbill

Member
I see this all the time,a vintage Sako advertised for sale with the caption original front sight,where have all the rears gone? One not much use without the other.


http://www.gunsamerica.com/962871244/SAKO_243_L579_Sporter_Bofors_Stee.htm?wl=1



- PRICE REDUCED - SAKO Collectors - Here is a mid-60's SAKO .243 Sporter on the L579 action, with a "Bofors Steel" marked barrel, black pistol grip cap, double lined checkering panels, and correct factory vintage sight hood, all specific to that era. This gun has had the swivel rings removed to facilitate quick detachable sling swivels. Other than that it is 100% original and in 95% conditon. Satisfaction is Guaranteed.
 
Wildbill,

Welcome to the forum. Most likely, there was a peep sight on the rear dovetail - they are often missing since/when people started adapting to scoped rifles, they took them off. I run into peep sights among my things now and then that I forgot I even had.

Also, regarding the front sight, hunters often lose the hood over the sight. That's what he means by "original front sight".

Regards,

S-A
 
To my knowledge, the pre-'72 Sakos didn't have rear sights. Garcia changed that. Remember that scopes sucked in the old days.

By the way, I've looked at that rifle on Gunsamerica several times. Not bad, I say.
 
Wildbill: Most early Sakos (1940's-early 1950's) came with open rear sights, as did most Sakos intended for the European market up through the 1950's and into the 1960's where open sights remained popular longer than in the U.S. Early rear sights were soldered to the barrel.

Recognizing the popularity of telescopic sights on rifles, most Sako production shipped to the U.S., beginning sometime in the 1950s, was equipped with only a front sight and no rear open sight on the barrel. This was because Sako, and its importer Firearms International, correctly assumed that almost all U.S. buyers of the upscale Sakos would choose to mount a scope using the integral dovetail scope bases on the receiver. But to make an easy option readily available for the minority of shooters who wished to use iron sights, Sako produced the peep sight which would mount on the rear dovetail. This removable sight was intended to satisfy both those who wished to use iron sights as a primary system, and as a fail-safe for those who wished to use a scope, but who could quickly dismount the scope and replace it with the peep sight if the scope were damaged in the field or on a hunt days away from home. Sakos of this era did not come equipped with the peep sight as standard, but it was a very inexpensive ($7.95) accessory available from Sako dealers. There are lot of the slip-on peep sights in circulation, and there are about three different versions of the peep sight, all being very similar in design.

Shortly after Garcia took over as the U.S. importer in 1971 they asked Sako to make a slightly "downscale" rifle which could be sold for a bit less money than the standard Sako in an effort to broaden their market. The result was the Sako Model 72, which used the identical Sako barrel and action a bit less finely polished. One of the features of the Model 72 was open rear sights attached to the barrel with screws. This was Garcia's effort to offer a rifle for the less well-heeled shooter which could be used just as it came from the box without the expense of buying and mounting a scope.

Sakos have always been available, especially in Europe, with factory rear sights. But in the U.S., unless special ordered, most of them came with front sights only.

By the same token, the assumption was made that people who bought the Deluxe would be affluent enough that they would forgo the iron sight option entirely in order to have a clean barrel sans any sights, thus the majority of Deluxes came without front or rear sights. Front sight were an option on Deluxes, but a minority of them came so equipped. I suppose that the distributors reasoned that anyone who could afford a Deluxe could not only afford a scope to go on it, but could also afford a second rifle to carry on hunting trips as a back-up, thus they felt no need for the peep sight emergency option on the Deluxes.

But as with anything Sako, there are always exceptions and digressions. Don't take any of the above information as exact; only as a general guideline regarding Sakos found with and without one or more of the sights required to aim them.
 
The reason I ask was that all I have had still retained the original rear sight.This L461 in 222 Mag went to AU about a year ago.My L46 in 22 Hornet also still has the original rear sight.
Just curious.
Thanks

Picture 791.jpg
 
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Bill,
i think your question is two part, Yes many rifles came from the factory to the US without the rear sight. Many, if not all early rifles to Australia and the domestic market carried the sight.
One of the favourites over here, is to get a angle grinder and remove the ears off the rear sight base so a scope can be installed.
Oh did i mention the very first L469 i bought back 15 years ago, a dream come true, until i unwrapped the parcel, the previous owner had trouble fitting the scope as the rings where to low, so 'No problem' out with the grinder and remove some steel from the barrel to make a flat section so the scope would fit. 'Pure genius' I wish i was that smart!

Back to the sight question, early on, i spent many hours and travelled countless miles looking for sights , mags, sight hoods, oh and 7x33's. Most turned up at gun shows. But i bet there are drums full of them some where, so when you find them, let us know.
 
Bill,
i think your question is two part, Yes many rifles came from the factory to the US without the rear sight. Many, if not all early rifles to Australia and the domestic market carried the sight.
One of the favourites over here, is to get a angle grinder and remove the ears off the rear sight base so a scope can be installed.
Oh did i mention the very first L469 i bought back 15 years ago, a dream come true, until i unwrapped the parcel, the previous owner had trouble fitting the scope as the rings where to low, so 'No problem' out with the grinder and remove some steel from the barrel to make a flat section so the scope would fit. 'Pure genius' I wish i was that smart!

Back to the sight question, early on, i spent many hours and travelled countless miles looking for sights , mags, sight hoods, oh and 7x33's. Most turned up at gun shows. But i bet there are drums full of them some where, so when you find them, let us know.

I saw a Finnwolf at a show that apparently got the grinder treatment. Scope too big? Mounts too short? No problem! Just grind off part of the barrel. Then when you go to sell your rifle you can keep your valuable scope and just sloppily fill in the ground-out section with J.B. Weld. Add a dab of cold blue. Presto! Parts gun!
 
I saw a Finnwolf at a show that apparently got the grinder treatment. Scope too big? Mounts too short? No problem! Just grind off part of the barrel. Then when you go to sell your rifle you can keep your valuable scope and just sloppily fill in the ground-out section with J.B. Weld. Add a dab of cold blue. Presto! Parts gun!

Ha Haaa Ha! The best part is the 'Cold Blue' That will hide anything!
Like New again
L-46
 
Do these rear peep-sights fit the 85? Can you still buy them? I'd love to get one for my Brown Bear. I love a quality iron sight.
 
Yes, the original peep sights fit the standard dovetails of virtually all Sako actions. You see them advertised on eBay sometimes and the prices have gone steadily upward as the supply diminishes. The last time I checked Rodger at SakoSource had some in stock, so you might try him at www.sakosource.com

One thing to be aware of: I have no idea if the front sight on the 85 is approximately the same height as on previous models. If there is a mismatch in heights then you might have a problem getting the correct elevation. Perhaps someone who has tried an original peep sight on an 85 can comment.
 
where have all the rears gone?
One basic configuration Sako offered their rifles was "Ilman diopteria" = Without Peep Sight, which meant that the rifle came with a front sight, but no rear sight.
In the factory records this would be marked "id."
 
Where have they all gone? I have them...at least most of my 'A' series guns do. I love them so annointed. (both front and rear OEM sights)
 
I've been wondering the same thing. The peep sights seem to be much harder to find than even a year or two ago, and sellers want absurd sums of money, basically priced as collector's items rather than a working sight. I've got two of them, a type 2 that I keep on an L46 for target practice, and a type 3 that some previous owner converted to a ghost ring. I wouldn't mind having one or two more, but not at $200+ per each!
 
Where have all the rear sights gone.
Long time passing,
Where have all the Bofors gone,
Long time ago,
Where have all the deluxes gone-
Gone to estate sales everyone,
When will we ever learn. . .
 
I've got a couple of rear sights that I can spare. Drop me a private conversation if you're in the market and I'll try to cut you some slack over the eBay and GB prices. I think mine are the later slant-front models.
 
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