• 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

L61R Bolt Stuck - Gunsmith Says no Guide Needed??

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

Gentlemen,

I'm having a recurring issue with my beefy L61R (AV bolt shroud) .300 WM. It seems the bolt guide slipped in and locked the bolt - sent it to the gunsmith and he might have broken something in the disassembly because it has happened again. A couple of further conversations ensued where he tells me the bolt guide is not an essential piece of the bolt and I can safely fire without it, alas, I'm not sure that's the case.

Attached a couple of pics of the parts. Kindly chime in with your expertise.

Cheers,

Ricardo. 3639a086-03bc-4e83-b8aa-5aacbe847570.jpg be7ea141-7f51-42af-9ea7-0c47a2294d6d.jpg be7ea141-7f51-42af-9ea7-0c47a2294d6d.jpg
 
Recardo use the forum search function (in the top right corner under your user name) and search "locked bolt" and you will find a wealth of information. Looks like the gunsmith took the barrel off to get the guide back to open the action,He didn't have to do that. There is an improved guide kit that can be installed if you can get one. There is also a fix using a pin through the guide. That should be explained in the quite extensive thread. Read all the threads for locked bolt and get back to us. Jim
 
What Jim said......

As your search will probably tell you......"someone" has lost a critical part of the bolt-guide assembly.
The forward guide recess should retain a curved "tab/spring" that prevents guide fore and aft movement.
Even if the "tab" is present.....incorrect positioning will defeat its purpose, and allow the guide to move forward under recoil......locking the bolt.

Hope this helps.
 
Gents, appreciate the prompt help, an additional fellow forum member has also mentioned that the "Stop Spring" is what's missing in the setup. Is the image attached accurate? If installed, do you deem it will prevent further lockups? Screen Shot 2022-01-25 at 10.33.07 AM.png CS_001140-SAKO-BOLT-STOP-SPRING-007-SM.jpg
 
Ricardo. Not that stop spring but the bolt guide strip stop spring part number 5. The stop spring you show keeps the bolt from being pulled out of the action unless you press the bolt release.
 
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The bolt guide stop spring is number 5 in the drawing, The item that is circled in red is the bolt stop ejector spring. I think the bolt guide stop spring is missing as I did not see it in your image showing the dissembled rifle. As Kevinig stated the bolt guide stop spring is a slightly curved spring that keeps the bolt guide from moving forward which can lock the action from recoil. I will try to get image of the correct bolt guide spring and post an image for you. hope these responses are helpful to you. Jim
 
By the way the picture does not agree with written description The picture is part 5 but description for it is marked as 7.
 
Ricardo there are better images of the bolt guide stop spring online than I can produce so if you google Sako bolt guide stop spring S3351312 you will at least know what is missing. Maybe a local gunsmith has a stash of them hidden away in a dark corner of his shop. Jim
 
Ricardo there are better images of the bolt guide stop spring online than I can produce so if you google Sako bolt guide stop spring S3351312 you will at least know what is missing. Maybe a local gunsmith has a stash of them hidden away in a dark corner of his shop. Jim

In addition to what Jim said.......

Once in hand.....the bolt guide stop spring MUST be oriented correctly, when positioned in the bolt guide/bolt body assembly.
This is CRITICAL!!
The bolt guide stop springs' concave curvature MUST face the bolt body once correctly assembled.
This permits its "tab" to capture the bolt collar hooks in the bolt guide recess.....and prevent the collar from sliding rearward.

If....on assembly....the bolt guide stop spring is mistakenly flipped-over/inverted, the bolt collar hooks WILL NOT be captured......allowing the guide rod to move forward under recoil, and locking the bolt closed.

As an aside......I do not agree with the gunsmith's claim of shooting the rifle without the guide rod correctly in place.
Think.......the possibility of a case RUPTURE!!

Hope this helps.
 
Gents, another conundrum, my rifle seems to have the L61R action BUT the bolt seems to be the AV one (pics attached), then should I look for AV spare parts??

3639a086-03bc-4e83-b8aa-5aacbe847570.jpg IMG_3695.JPG
 
Ricardo- You have an A3 bolt it is an important note to remind you that Sako had some confusing terminology when the changed over to newer models. They used up all their parts and then changed the name from L61R to A3. Just call it a Finnbear. It is what you can see inscribed on the action but the bolt has a shroud instead of a round cocking piece.
 
Ricardo......

Under close inspection of your picture, it appears that a small area....lower front portion.....of the bolt guide has been damaged.
I would think that this damage occurred, at some time, when an attempt was made to forcefully open the "locked" bolt.
A repair or replacement may be in order.

BTW......why the trip to the "strip club"? Other than re-attaching the barrel, the bolt just needs proper re-assembly.

Hope this helps.
 
Gentlemen, the bolt got stripped again to inspect, and sure enough the Bolt Guide Stop is missing. Aside from this, couple of additional questions:
- Is the guide missing a carveout of similar shape as the one that holds the Guide Stop? (this one only has one)
- Is this the direction the Guide should be installed back?

Cheers. Ricardo. b0b06829-a053-4a63-9024-63b18190db05.jpg
 
Gentlemen, the bolt got stripped again to inspect, and sure enough the Bolt Guide Stop is missing. Aside from this, couple of additional questions:
- Is the guide missing a carveout of similar shape as the one that holds the Guide Stop? (this one only has one)
- Is this the direction the Guide should be installed back?

Cheers. Ricardo.View attachment 25781
Look up this thread and all you need to know is there.
Sako L61R bolt guide differences. bold face copied from thread as is, not hollowing at you.
 
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