• 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

How A Rifle is Made | Hands-on Tour of the Sako & Tikka Firearms Factory

Sako Collectors Club Discussion Forum

Hey y’all
Robotics are the norm in almost all aspects of industry. I can only imagine how many humans it would take jobs from. But the processes that most robots that I have been involved with are actually labor intensive lifting and transferring operations.
I worked for Toyota Manufacturing for the last two years before I retired. I worked on several lines with robotics and PLC driven processes. There are hundreds of machines on these lines that pick up, rotate, invert, and stack parts as they are machined and tempered. Now in the same aspect, there are thousands of employees that do testing , inspections and evaluations on everything that goes by on each line, along with the transfer of materials and bins of parts moving to assembly process , 7 days a week.
As an electrician, I had a few opportunities to see how things go when the robots are not yet involved. When a CNC machine get finished with a part , in this case it was a transaxle housing body, a robot was used to reach in and lift the part up and out, turn it 90 degrees, invert it and set it (gently without a sound) on a conveyor on its way to the next process. This was a brand new line still in its installation phases. The cnc machines were being calibrated and tested by hand. Since the robot was not in the sequence yet all parts had to be moved by human touch and human strength! Where a robot could reach in and do everything in less than 5 seconds. Two men would get together and wrestle the housing out of the machines and drop them (with a clang!) on to the conveyor. Which took over a minute, if everything went smoothly and maybe 10 minutes when the part would get jammed because the human touch would get things out of kilter. I was amazed by this.
Now , I’ll be honest, I haven’t watched any of these videos , mostly because the new Sako Rifles don’t interest me much. If this was black and white footage from say..1962..I would be all over it, probably saving it to watch over and over. That would have been more interesting to see and understand in the way a Sako was made when they were all hand fabricated.
Today’s production capacity in comparison to the mid twentieth century’s capabilities has increased tenfold at least.
Quality control has been overwhelmed by increased production, simply because there was isn’t enough time , and since modern machines can replicate close tolerances every time they run, it’s no longer as important.
Quantity over Quality !

Sako will become Remington will become Howa will become Ruger will become Savage…until it all comes to be the same!

Then , I will grin a huge grin as I reach for one of my old , beat up, but extremely accurate , functional and beautiful Sako’s

Old Hippie
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Hey y’all
Robotics are the norm in almost all aspects of industry. I can only imagine how many humans it would take jobs from. But the processes that most robots that I have been involved with are actually labor intensive lifting and transferring operations.
I worked for Toyota Manufacturing for the last two years before I retired. I worked on several lines with robotics and PLC driven processes. There are hundreds of machines on these lines that pick up, rotate, invert, and stack parts as they are machined and tempered. Now in the same aspect, there are thousands of employees that do testing , inspections and evaluations on everything that goes by on each line, along with the transfer of materials and bins of parts moving to assembly process , 7 days a week.
As an electrician, I had a few opportunities to see how things go when the robots are not yet involved. When a CNC machine get finished with a part , in this case it was a transaxle housing body, a robot was used to reach in and lift the part up and out, turn it 90 degrees, invert it and set it (gently without a sound) on a conveyor on its way to the next process. This was a brand new line still in its installation phases. The cnc machines were being calibrated and tested by hand. Since the robot was not in the sequence yet all parts had to be moved by human touch and human strength! Where a robot could reach in and do everything in less than 5 seconds. Two men would get together and wrestle the housing out of the machines and drop them (with a clang!) on to the conveyor. Which took over a minute, if everything went smoothly and maybe 10 minutes when the part would get jammed because the human touch would get things out of kilter. I was amazed by this.
Now , I’ll be honest, I haven’t watched any of these videos , mostly because the new Sako Rifles don’t interest me much. If this was black and white footage from say..1962..I would be all over it, probably saving it to watch over and over. That would have been more interesting to see and understand in the way a Sako was made when they were all hand fabricated.
Today’s production capacity in comparison to the mid twentieth century’s capabilities has increased tenfold at least.
Quality control has been overwhelmed by increased production, simply because there was isn’t enough time , and since modern machines can replicate close tolerances every time they run, it’s no longer as important.
Quantity over Quality !

Sako will become Remington will become Howa will become Ruger will become Savage…until it all comes to be the same!

Then , I will grin a huge grin as I reach for one of my old , beat up, but extremely accurate , functional and beautiful Sako’s

Old Hippie

Hey Hippie!
I guess I’ll work backwards from your post. I like older things in general. No I like older items specifically. I have purchased many of my tools, equipment sporting goods new, but these days buying older items that were built here (USA) of better materials & design makes more sense.

The only firearm I own purchased new was my Browning BPS 12 gauge. Every other item I own was purchased secondhand. Every item I want new is older.
Just like a custom made Hot Rod made specifically for you is way cool, so too a custom made rifle built and fitted for you is a privilege to carry and use in the field.
There are new rifles available from most manufacturers built in their “Custom Shop”. I know Sako, Remington,Winchester all offer this service. Others too. Obviously at a higher cost.
They use to do this as a matter of course. Sako’s rifles from say late 50’s to the start of the Garcia days is illustrative of the high quality and hand made craftsmanship available in the day. Hand fitting components, hand inletting and finished, and glass bedding stocks. A palm swell. Hand checkering and hand engraving of metal components. These are the rifles most of us love and collect here on this forum. The reason is obvious. There is little comparison to a custom made rifle( by a craftsman with skills) and one that comes from an assembly line.
As with the Sako, the pre-64 Winchester comes to mind. As some of you may know, much better than I, the earlier Winchesters came hand-made with better components. This about sums it up:
”The post 64's were a HUGE change for the worse. The shooting public and outdoor writers revolted. The changes were, stamped checkering, poorer wood and finish, plastic buttplates instead of hand fitted steel widow's peak buttplates etc. The Mauser style action so loved at the time(and still are) were changed to a simpler cheaper style push feed. They basically changed from being hand built, hand fitted, hand lapped barreled guns to being regular production guns just like the CHEAPER Remington model 700 introduced in 1962.

It didn't take too long after the backlash in 1964 for Winchester to improve the quality but the reputation stuck and the quality really never got back to the hand built guns of the 40's and 50's. If you ever get to handle a model 70 from the 40's or 50's you'll see and feel the difference.” Sound familiar?
The poor reputation of the post 64's is sometimes undeserved According to Jim Carmichael. His actual experience was post 64’s were more accurate and IIRC lighter than the predecessor. Go figure. But he preferred the fit and finish of the earlier ones.
And I’ll tell you why. Just like Jack O’Connor took many of his rifles to Al Biesen, many people back then would purchase a new rifle, and then have a gunsmith customize, and blueprint a rifle making it shoot better, fit better, and look better. Jim Carmichael use to do it hisself. That’s how he got through college. According to him.

Now hippie as to the videos, the documentary is just that! It documents all the talent they had developed through the years making their product. In B&W! Now just like I said about a custom hot rod, it doesn’t mean new cars are crap. They are not. Neither are new rifles. It’s just not as desirable as one that had skilled hands upon it produced by a craftsman. Nothing can replace this.
 
....The poor reputation of the post 64's is sometimes undeserved According to Jim Carmichael. His actual experience was post 64’s were more accurate and IIRC lighter than the predecessor. Go figure. But he preferred the fit and finish of the earlier ones.
And I’ll tell you why. Just like Jack O’Connor took many of his rifles to Al Biesen, many people back then would purchase a new rifle, and then have a gunsmith customize, and blueprint a rifle making it shoot better, fit better, and look better.....

....Now just like I said about a custom hot rod, it doesn’t mean new cars are crap. They are not. Neither are new rifles. It’s just not as desirable as one that had skilled hands upon it produced by a craftsman. Nothing can replace this.

I agree fully. As a matter of fact, I just looked through my gun log and less than 20% were made after 1975. To me, the fit and finish of the old guns is better, they are more appealing, and I do have pride in the skilled hand craftsman work that went into them. But times changed, inflation hit, the craftsmen demanded and got more money. Affordable guns went from hand influenced quality to machine made. To stay in business, the manufacturers redesigned to save money. High end guns either went away or cost went out of sight to maintain the hand made quality. A Midas grade Browning Superposed went from $1,000 in 1970 to $14,000 in 1980. By 1990 they were about $24,000 and all the Browning collectors I know had lost interest in new high end Brownings. They were only buying the pre 75 guns. Price a custom shop Sako, they're not cheap.

Cars followed the same path. My old 55 and then a 57 chevy were tough as nails, meaning you could sit on the hood and not dent it in. Get on top of your new Lexus and see what happens. By the way, I didn't keep those old cars. They were not collectible when I got rid of them. The old cars were tough but you had to carry a tool box and spare hoses and belts because they were always breaking down on the road. By 75000 miles they required a quart of oil every time you filled up. And if you drove slowly around town for a month and then needed to make a road trip, they wouldn't hardly run at highway speed because they hadn't been blown out. They were a pain in the axx. New cars are foolproof.

I'm just hoping there's still an interest in old guns when I get ready to sell.
 
I agree fully. As a matter of fact, I just looked through my gun log and less than 20% were made after 1975. To me, the fit and finish of the old guns is better, they are more appealing, and I do have pride in the skilled hand craftsman work that went into them. But times changed, inflation hit, the craftsmen demanded and got more money. Affordable guns went from hand influenced quality to machine made. To stay in business, the manufacturers redesigned to save money. High end guns either went away or cost went out of sight to maintain the hand made quality. A Midas grade Browning Superposed went from $1,000 in 1970 to $14,000 in 1980. By 1990 they were about $24,000 and all the Browning collectors I know had lost interest in new high end Brownings. They were only buying the pre 75 guns. Price a custom shop Sako, they're not cheap.

Cars followed the same path. My old 55 and then a 57 chevy were tough as nails, meaning you could sit on the hood and not dent it in. Get on top of your new Lexus and see what happens. By the way, I didn't keep those old cars. They were not collectible when I got rid of them. The old cars were tough but you had to carry a tool box and spare hoses and belts because they were always breaking down on the road. By 75000 miles they required a quart of oil every time you filled up. And if you drove slowly around town for a month and then needed to make a road trip, they wouldn't hardly run at highway speed because they hadn't been blown out. They were a pain in the axx. New cars are foolproof.

I'm just hoping there's still an interest in old guns when I get ready to sell.
Hello Douglas. Thank you for the response. Sorry for the delay in my response. What is the gun log “ I just looked through my gun log and less than 20% were made after 1975”? In regards to that ‘57 Chevy. Wouldn’t you like to have four Supercharged parked in your garage right now? Remember, comparing 1950’s vehicles to a new one is like Apples to Oranges. There is a YUGE interest in those black guns, and handguns yes. There will always be an interest in older guns because of nostalgia, collectibility, scarcity, and quality. Kind of what makes most items collectible.
PS: New vehicles problems are much more complex to resolve. Even for Dealerships. And now there will be this mad push for Electric vehicles. A YUGE mistake. It will cost the Big Three. Maybe in the fallout we will get back Studebaker, Hudson, Duesenbergs, Pierce Arrow. To name a few. All collectible,BTW.
 
And now there will be this mad push for Electric vehicles. A YUGE mistake.
Well, the basic mechanics of electric automobiles is much simpler than that of internal combustion powered autos. The only advantage IC autos have is that it is easier to make their "gas tank" big enough to take them a long way (and refill it quickly when it runs dry), whereas the "gas tank" of electrics is limited in size and refills rather slowly. Otherwise, electrics have the potential to be cheaper, simpler, and much longer-lasting. Just gotta solve the capacity problem with their "gas tanks". Certainly electrics will have plenty of complicated solid state chips to malfunction, but probably less so than today's gas vehicles, thousands of which are sitting on manufacturers' lots waiting for the chips they have to have before they will run.

In terms of firearms, I'd compare the switch from black powder to smokeless powder to the gas/electric move going on today. That changeover wasn't quick or readily accepted by everyone, and it had its technical problems which had to be ironed out over a period of years. But no one wants to go back to using black powder, other than for purposes of sport and nostalgia.
 
Stonecreek, interesting analysis out that in addition to upping the fire hazard in charging an electric vehicle in your garage and your house burning down, charging batteries is not free. Hotels are charging based on the minute, charges will vary on time of day (peak hours are higher), etc. GM issued an advisory to not park certain models within 50 feet of other vehicles as a hazard of multiple vehicles being involved in an incineration. It will happen in our lifetime but it will be a mess for awhile so keep them away from your Sako's (need to relate to thread). However, I still am in love with my 1957 Chevy Nomad and wood stocked rifles even if partially for nostalgia sake.
 
Yep, flaming Teslas are a real thing, and GM never gets new technology right the first couple of tries. But plenty of guys blew guns apart in the early years trying to figure out how to tame and regulate the mixture of nitrocellulose and nitroglycerine which make up smokeless powders.

You can still blow up a gun with smokeless powders, and I'm sure you'll be able to set an electric car on fire a dozen years from now, but even without artificial incentives or policies unrelated to auto propulsion itself, it looks like the electric vehicle will very quickly take over the bulk of the market. Ford has even figured out that they can make a great big Yeti cooler out of the former engine compartment of their electric F-150. Woo-hoo! A magnet for rednecks!
 
Stone .. a true redneck can create his own Frunk by simply shortening the drive shaft and moving the engine back between the seats…not a new thing really.

bloo
 
I still am in love with my 1957 Chevy Nomad
I've always thought that a restored and modernized '57 Nomad would be a perfect vehicle for a road trip for two. Plenty of room for gear, you can sleep in the back if necessary, and it would be the coolest thing on the road. However, the current collector value of a two-door Nomad is such that only a very wealthy person could afford to buy one, and to take it on a trip would be putting at risk a collectible with the value of a small house. I'm envious.
 
I'll admit that a '57 Chevy of any type is cool, and a Nomad is probably close to the Holy Grail. My first car was a '57 Buick Roadmaster Coupe, yep, the big "four-holer" (had four "Cruiserline Ventiports" as the late humorist Art Buchwald named the three or four dashes on the front fenders of vintage Buicks). But I also remember having to change the spark plugs every 20,000 miles as well as get a new set of tires -- if they lasted that long. Getting the brakes turned was a biennial affair, as was replacing the rotor and condenser. And you didn't dare go anywhere without a set of jumper cables and a full set of tools lest you find yourself stranded with a recalcitrant engine that wouldn't turn over. You didn't want to drive too fast in the rain because if you stepped on the accelerator the vacuum windshield wipers would stop. I have plenty of criticism for today's autos, but, like in my Sakos, I don't want to return to black powder, either.
 
Mine was a ‘67 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme , White with black vinyl top. 330 Rocket , Quadra-jet 4 bbl, 2 speed Automatic! Drive and low…huge back seat!
Tool boxes and spare tires were mandatory back in those days, no need for code readers and YouTube videos. Craig 8 track tape player and a CB radio were the top accessories!
Dad bought that car used for $2700 in 1973…you can’t touch one now in that condition for less than $300oo.
I can still remember hearing those lifters floating! Scared the hell out of me.

bloo
 
Icebear/Stonecreek, when I bought my Nomad way north of 30 years ago it was not a collectible "classic" and bought off of a newspaper ad in Milwaukee while I was on a road trip , garaged and original and drove it often. To solve the perennial Power glide tranny oil burping all over the garage, brake issues and aged/dried electric wiring it was time to upgrade to make it road trip worthy as it will hold a pair of Sako's (relative to thread...). After rebuilding the 283 I decided I needed a high gear ratio for the highway, overdrive and more HP to make it work but look all original and use a 57 dual quad intake I had with dual 57 dated carbs (Trade stuff on road trips) but added 57 Corvette valve covers. So put 283 and tranny on stand, disguised a blue printed 4-bolt 350 with a GM 200 3-speed plus overdrive, aluminum exhaust dumps to open for irritating others when appropriate, disc brakes, better insulated wiring (LED), suspension and vintage A/C.
Purpose to drive it and pass those new mustangs at high speeds, on the highway by a 64 year old sleeper station wagon on road trips. All origs saved but need use it and enjoy it, kinda like classic Sako's Nomad 283.jpg Nomad 350 2x4 (2).jpg Nomad 350 2x4.JPG
 
To solve the perennial Power glide tranny oil burping all over the garage
Oh, yeah, I forgot about the transmission oil. I always carried a quart of transmission oil with me for the Buick's Dynaflow. If I took a long trip I'd take two quarts. Once, returning from the Trans-Pecos with a mule deer strapped across the trunk deck just aft of the rear windshield and held there with ropes attached to the coupe's door handles, I had to stop at a service station to ask the attendant to put a quart of transmission oil in for me as I sat "roped" in the driver's seat. He was a young city guy who cast a very leery eye toward my passenger lying across the trunk deck.

Staying on subject, the mule deer was shot with my Finnbear .264.
 
Icebear/Stonecreek, when I bought my Nomad way north of 30 years ago it was not a collectible "classic" and bought off of a newspaper ad in Milwaukee while I was on a road trip , garaged and original and drove it often. To solve the perennial Power glide tranny oil burping all over the garage, brake issues and aged/dried electric wiring it was time to upgrade to make it road trip worthy as it will hold a pair of Sako's (relative to thread...). After rebuilding the 283 I decided I needed a high gear ratio for the highway, overdrive and more HP to make it work but look all original and use a 57 dual quad intake I had with dual 57 dated carbs (Trade stuff on road trips) but added 57 Corvette valve covers. So put 283 and tranny on stand, disguised a blue printed 4-bolt 350 with a GM 200 3-speed plus overdrive, aluminum exhaust dumps to open for irritating others when appropriate, disc brakes, better insulated wiring (LED), suspension and vintage A/C.
Purpose to drive it and pass those new mustangs at high speeds, on the highway by a 64 year old sleeper station wagon on road trips. All origs saved but need use it and enjoy it, kinda like classic Sako'sView attachment 24234 View attachment 24235 View attachment 24236
Very cool - but I bet that dual-quad setup got horrible gas mileage. I had a '59 Vette with the 2x4 on it and sold it after a few months, in part because of the gas mileage. Replaced it with a '64 327/300.

Let's see a photo of the whole car!
 
Stone, I also hauled my deer on the back of the car way back then, otherwise, I had to haul it inside the car. This 65 Chevelle Malibu SS was my go to vehicle for hunting and fishing trips while in college. In this photo, I'm camped about a mile off the road fly fishing for Browns. Traded the Chevelle in 1968 for a 69 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ with HO 428. It would run. Took 3 friends on a road trip from Amarillo, TX to Vegas and only drove less than 100 while in Texas and most of New Mexico. In most of Arizona and Nevada speed was not posted and I drove between 120 and 130 all the time, even when passing highway patrol. The plain chevy was my first company car as a construction manager. Times were good then and we were allowed to use our company car for personal use. All I can say about the chevy is that it would go most any place a jeep would. Amazing how well a 2 wheel drive will keep up with a 4x4 when someone else bought it and is paying for all gas and repairs. I shot the mulie on the back of the Chevy with my GA on it's first hunt.

Cars, deer & Sako.jpg
 
Stone, I also hauled my deer on the back of the car way back then, otherwise, I had to haul it inside the car. This 65 Chevelle Malibu SS was my go to vehicle for hunting and fishing trips while in college. In this photo, I'm camped about a mile off the road fly fishing for Browns. Traded the Chevelle in 1968 for a 69 Pontiac Grand Prix SJ with HO 428. It would run. Took 3 friends on a road trip from Amarillo, TX to Vegas and only drove less than 100 while in Texas and most of New Mexico. In most of Arizona and Nevada speed was not posted and I drove between 120 and 130 all the time, even when passing highway patrol. The plain chevy was my first company car as a construction manager. Times were good then and we were allowed to use our company car for personal use. All I can say about the chevy is that it would go most any place a jeep would. Amazing how well a 2 wheel drive will keep up with a 4x4 when someone else bought it and is paying for all gas and repairs. I shot the mulie on the back of the Chevy with my GA on it's first hunt.

View attachment 24237
Amazing and incredible photos and details! Cars, nice buck, hunting camp, vintage Coleman products and of course the written documentation with the Sako rifle. Doesn’t get much better in my opinion.
 
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