• 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 guy from CT

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

Chrisss31

Member
Hey Guys,
I’m new to the forum today! I live in NE Connecticut. I fell in love with Sako rifles at a young age when my father showed me his L46 in .222 that he bought for gramps back in the 60’s. I’ve recently become interested in the 22 Hornet and hope to learn a little about that here. They made the L46 in that chambering correct? Anyway, I’m looking forward to talk all things Sako and learn a bit along the way.
Best Regards,
Chris
 
Welcome to the SCC forum. Here you can learn everything about the 22 Hornet and do not be surprised if you need one and several more Sako`s as they are very addictive. You have been warned! Wayne
 
Hello and welcome!
The L46 was first produced in 1946, and its first chambering was 7x33 Sako only. Soon it was available in 25-20 , 218 Bee and .22 Hornet , as these cartridges worked with the original L46 action length. The .222 rem came a bit later and the action was lengthened to accommodate the round.
The L46 or as some refer to it, the Riihimaki is well known for its splendid accuracy and light, quick handling. As you probably remember about your Grandfather’s rifle.
There is a wealth of information here concerning these little guns and many, many top shelf authorities with lots of help with everything but money to buy them with, which you will need eventually as you slip into what has us all enchanted.
You definitely picked a great place to start and great rifle to start with! Best of luck!!

…edit: the body length remains the same (my bad)…the breach or bolt opening was lengthened

The old Hippie
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The magazine & bottom metal were changed to accept the 222 Rem in 1950. The action body itself was not altered. The L46 was modified again around 1959 to accept the 222 Rem Magnum by lengthening the magazine & moving the ejector further back, but again the action body itself was not changed.
 
Look out, Chris! Hornets can be addicting (don't ask me how I know).

Sako made two slightly different L46's in .22 Hornet -- the "short" magazine and the "long" magazine. The "long" magazine model had a block in the rear of the magazine to make it more Hornet length since it was adapted for the same slightly modified L46 action used for the longer .222. So far as function they are essentially the same. There are some other features of the L46 that varied over the years, but suffice it to say that most of the variations are minor and all L46 Hornets perform pretty much alike. The L46 was supplanted by the L461 with its internal 6-round magazine in 1961, but the factory continued to produce some L46's for several years afterward. Unfortunately, Sako never chambered the fine L461 for any of the small cartridges which began the life of the L46 -- the 7x33, .22 Hornet, .218 Bee, or .25-20.

Sako also made a Hornet on what was essentially a rimfire action, the P72 (later branded P75 and then rechristened the M78). Generally, people have had less luck with accuracy in the rimfire-type Sako Hornet. I do own one and its accuracy is acceptable, but not as good as most L46 Hornets.
 
Look out, Chris! Hornets can be addicting (don't ask me how I know).

Sako made two slightly different L46's in .22 Hornet -- the "short" magazine and the "long" magazine. The "long" magazine model had a block in the rear of the magazine to make it more Hornet length since it was adapted for the same slightly modified L46 action used for the longer .222. So far as function they are essentially the same. There are some other features of the L46 that varied over the years, but suffice it to say that most of the variations are minor and all L46 Hornets perform pretty much alike. The L46 was supplanted by the L461 with its internal 6-round magazine in 1961, but the factory continued to produce some L46's for several years afterward. Unfortunately, Sako never chambered the fine L461 for any of the small cartridges which began the life of the L46 -- the 7x33, .22 Hornet, .218 Bee, or .25-20.

Sako also made a Hornet on what was essentially a rimfire action, the P72 (later branded P75 and then rechristened the M78). Generally, people have had less luck with accuracy in the rimfire-type Sako Hornet. I do own one and its accuracy is acceptable, but not as good as most L46 Hornets.

Welcome New Guy. I am from CT too. This forum is great. These guys are like museum guides with their wealth of knowledge and some of them are funny! (I’ll let you decide which ones!)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Thanks for the photos Hippie! Gramps 222 is the later version with the block on the rear of the bolt. I like the later version a little better, for no other reason than childhood nostalgia. It's straight out of the 60's with nice Weaver scope and leather shoulder strap.

Stonecreek, If I remember correct a P72 recently popped up for sale and my impression was that it was kind of a light action. One of the things I really like about the L46 is that it's a small version of a real rifle action if that makes sense to you... It's scaled well with a good balance of size and weight.

Thanks for all of the replies and information guys!
 
Woodstock! Wwway cool! I always face that direction when I meditate! I sit on my rug with my Sako’s all lined up in front of me , pointing towards Woodstock as well. They all do synchronized yoga…I just meditate.:cool:

Hope you find that hornet!

Old Hippie
 
Woodstock! Wwway cool! I always face that direction when I meditate! I sit on my rug with my Sako’s all lined up in front of me , pointing towards Woodstock as well. They all do synchronized yoga…I just meditate.:cool:

Hope you find that hornet!

Old Hippie

Hahaha. Woostock, CT not Woodstock, NY. Close though!! I'll find one in due time. There are quite a few old postings of rifles that have already sold so I know they exist. I have probably read everything there is on the site about L46s and 22 Hornets, this is a great site and wealth of information.
 
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