Just bought a Sako Bavarian Mannlicher in 243 for my daughter's 21st birthday. She is a very small frame female and the length of pull is to long. So I am thinking about shorting the stock to 13 1/2 inches. I am not planning on ever selling the rifle. I have 2 questions if somebody could please help. Mounting a leopold vx 3i, 2.5 x 8 on it if I remover the open sights, I would need some barrel plugs to replace the screws, I have no idea where to look or size. With the ammo shortage here, I spent about 450.00 to buy 243 ammo on gunbroker. I bought a little of each brand from 80 grain to 105 grain factory shells, Does anybody have an idea whats shoots in a mannlicher, what kinda of groups I should get. Thanks for all the help. Just retired after being a cop for 33 years so all I want to do is sit in the woods, buy guns, and fish.
Why remove the open sights? They make an OK temporary back-up, in case of a dropped/bashed up scope... I haven't found a slightly visible front sight to be any sort of serious distraction in set-ups like that... -Chris
I agree with Chris about the open sights, but if you want to remove them, Brownells sells plugs to fill the holes. The only fly in the ointment is whether the screws holding the sights are metric or inch. They are most likely inch, as Sako designs for the US market, but you need to be sure. Everybody should have a set of screw checkers - one for inch and one for metric. I got one recently from Amazon. The newer version of the inch "Screw Chek'r" has the 6-48 thread, an odd size used mainly in firearms. The old one did not. Personally, I think a Mannlicher-style carbine looks funny without open sights, even if it has a scope, but that's just my personal taste.
I feel the same way. Of course, the U.S.-imported versions of the L461 and L579 Mannlichers had only front sights, but still, that seems intrinsic with a full stock carbine. I also think that a full stock gun needs a metal fore end/muzzle cap. Customs without such a cap look kinda unfinished.
Agree. The Sako muzzle cap wraps around the muzzle; most others just cap the stock and do not wrap around. I think the Sako type looks better, but it limits the barrel to a specific diameter at the muzzle.
