Do you like your Sauer 80/90 Colt Sauer?

[Adam in WI]

So I have an affinity for oddball and lesser known guns. Bonus points if they have neat engineering. This has brought me to look hard at the Sauer 80/90 rifle design. For those that have one, how do you like it? I know the usual arguments against rear locking actions, but this one just seems really neat in the way it was executed. Can you successfully reload for them without splitting cases after 2-3 firings? How's the accuracy? Have you needed to replace broken or worn parts?

 

[jackson1]

I have a Colt Saurer in 270 Winchester. Call it my 2- shot rifle. It will fire 2 shots touching, with the third about 1/2" out. Never hunted with it because it is just to pretty.

 

[Adam in WI]

Well that still sounds pretty good

 

[TC260]

I have a Colt Sauer in 25-06. Bought it at a pawn shop and was a gamble because it was rather beat up but didn't look abused. Perfect for me because the collectors value is gone so I don't mind hunting with it. The barrel had been free floated by the previous owner and it shoots pretty good. Haven't hunted with it in a long time because where I hunt these days it's heavier than I want to carry. The smoothness of the action spoils you.

 

[Truckbed]

Got my first deer with a Colt Sauer 25-06! It is about the smoothest action I’ve ever felt. Deep gorgeous blue!

 

[Paul Hilgedick]

I have one I bought with a broken stock. I have had the stock reproduced and getting ready to bed it. It's in 7 mag so I dont think I will be shooting it alot.

Paul H

 

[nakneker]

Neat rifles, I owned a couple of them before I started reloading so I can’t answer the question about split cases but the accuracy was good, that bluing was beautiful and the two I had wore beautiful wood stocks. They certainly have their fan base.

 

[Truckbed]

My brother has a 7mag; it has the dreaded and apparently fairly common crack at the tang. I’m going to hunt with the 25-ought this fall for old times sake, think I’ll load up some 100 gr Sierras.maybe get an accuracy check, which I didn’t really do in the late 70’s

 

[Tesoro]

Another gem to find is a Sauer 200/202 switch barrel. I had one in 30-06 and 270 and was the best lightweight and balanced rifle I have shouldered. Butter action and their hammer forged barrels shoot same spot cold or smoking hot. With my handloads I actually shot a 5x .25 group at 100. The one possible weak spot is the forearm piece which can warp so inspect carefully.

 

[Will Henry]

The action does stretch brass a bit. Hot loads will separate cases pretty quickly, While the locking strut system is strong enough, it is not rigid, is complex, and is a bit fragile. In the event of a case failure, the little loaded chamber indicator will disappear. Extraction camming isn't great. The trigger is an unnecessary re-invention of the wheel. A re-invention where they decided to try an octagonal wheel. The barrels were excellent and workmanship was fine. Accuracy was usually very good.
I considered them long on shine but short on substance.
The 200 is an entirely different matter. I liked them. WH

 

[Adam in WI]

While the locking strut system is strong enough, it is not rigid, is complex, and is a bit fragile.

This is getting into the meat and potatoes of what I'd like to know. Have you dealt with any issues pertaining to the locking system?

 

[Will Henry]

Yes, I have. In both cases the little camming ring which actuated the struts, broke when a load which was too hot stuck the bolt. In one case the high pressure was the result of a 7x57 fired in a 270, so there is that. Still, the exact same scenario in a Savage 110 and in a 98 Mauser had no effect whatsoever. The Colt was repairable (at some expense), but other rifles needed no repair. A bolt action hunting rifle should be rugged and reliable, even under adverse conditions. WH

 

[TC260]

A bolt action hunting rifle should be rugged and reliable, even under adverse conditions. WH

True but with rifles like that I try to accept what they are use them as such. It’s like hunting with a lever action or in my case TC Contenders. Yes they can be damaged but overly hot loads or loading the wrong ammo. You can’t pound on the bolt with a hammer to free a stuck case but used within their limitations they’re plenty adequate for average hunting conditions.

 

[deltaoutdoorsman]

I have experience with the Colt sauer and sauer 90 supreme both in 30-06. They were very accurate with factory ammo. Some of the most accurate unmodified older rifles I’ve owned.
I can’t answer the reloading question since I didn’t mess with loading for it at the time due to the issues you mentioned.
I can also say it’s the smoothest bolt I’ve ever ran. And it gets a lot of attention at deer camp.