Sako Riihimaki
- Thread starter danny
- Start date
br1111
Silver $$ Contributor
Sako vintage rifles are good quality but, If you ever need parts they are like hens teeth to find.
dgeesaman
Gold $$ Contributor
And if you have a spare magazine it’ll cover a car payment in a pinch
I have one, its a fine 1950's rifle. Magazine capacity of 3 kinda sucks
and depending on when it was made the barrel twist is too slow for bullets heavier than 45gr in a 222.
The stock makes full contact with the barrel and will change the point of impact depending on the weather.
In my opinion the bolt is a horrible design where they use a external hook to connect the bolt shroud to the bolt.
I do have a smile on my face when I shoot it.
and depending on when it was made the barrel twist is too slow for bullets heavier than 45gr in a 222.
The stock makes full contact with the barrel and will change the point of impact depending on the weather.
In my opinion the bolt is a horrible design where they use a external hook to connect the bolt shroud to the bolt.
I do have a smile on my face when I shoot it.
Infrequent Shooter
Gold $$ Contributor
I have owned one. the later ones made in the 70s and 80s I think are better rifles. A1 is real nice, and the one before that i think is called the l461. the standard 'vixen' with exposed bolt is high quality. a real clean 700 in 222 is about the same IMO. vixen is probably higher finish, but the early 700s in 222 are super nice, but prices are now higher than vixens. I have a vixen l461 in 222mag that is slick as a gut.
Infrequent Shooter
Gold $$ Contributor
gunbroker listing w pic of l461. solid rifle. pretty heavy, which I like.
danny
Silver $$ Contributor
AlNyhus
Silver $$ Contributor
It's likely that the one you're looking at is a Model L46, or possibly an L469. Not all Model 469's are stamped 'Riihimaki', though. Both models have the toggle style safety. -Al
I had a Riihimaki in .222, bought it back around 2002. It was made in the 1950s and it had a 1-in-16" rate of twist. Best accuracy was with using 45 grain spitizers & IMR-4198 powder.
Pyscodog
Gold $$ Contributor
I have a Vixen and just recently bought a Riihimaki in 222. Its a heavy barrel with the beavertail fore-end stock. If I am correct its a 1955 model with the slooow twist barrel. I know it didn't like 52-55 grain bullets but really shines with a 40 grain Berger. Its a Sako, what's not to like?
Attachments
joshb
Gold $$ Contributor
Yup! I tried three different combos of powder and 50-53 grain bullets in my 222 Riihimaki and found no joy. Testing 40-45 next.
Rocky Mt High
Silver $$ Contributor
Interesting that you guys aren’t having luck with 50 grain bullets,
isn’t that the .222 standard weight going way back?
isn’t that the .222 standard weight going way back?
joshb
Gold $$ Contributor
That’s what I heard, which is why I started with them. Sierras usually work.
Pyscodog
Gold $$ Contributor
Some of the early Riihimaki's had the 16 twist. They prefer the light bullets. I bought a bunch of factory 50 grain loaded ammo at a gun show. My rifle hates them. It shoots patterns not groups. I went to the 40 grain Bergers and its a little tack driver now. I just shoot the factory stuff for the brass now. It would do in a pinch or just for plinking.
danny
Silver $$ Contributor
The one I came across looked more like this, at least the action/receiver. The stock is not original.
Danny
SAKO RIIHIMAKI 222 REM - Griffin & Howe
This Sako rifle, marked only Riihimaki for the city where it was made, is in fact a Sako L46 in .222 Rem. The overall condition of this finely crafted Finnish sporting rifle is very good, with only the light handling marks associated with age. The internal workings of this rifle…
griffinhowe.com
Danny
danny
Silver $$ Contributor
The action/receiver on the one I saw looks like this:
SAKO RIIHIMAKI 222 REM - Griffin & Howe
This Sako rifle, marked only Riihimaki for the city where it was made, is in fact a Sako L46 in .222 Rem. The overall condition of this finely crafted Finnish sporting rifle is very good, with only the light handling marks associated with age. The internal workings of this rifle…
griffinhowe.com
Danny
Rocky Mt High
Silver $$ Contributor
That action looks like a L461 to me.
Looks like a L46 in middle pics.
Looks like a L46 in middle pics.
That's the correct picture of an L46 in the Griffen and Howe site. The determining feature for the L46 it has a flat piece on the bolt shroud with a rocker style safety and is box magazine fed. The pic of the one on Gunbroker is a L461. It's determining feature is the exposed or open bolt shroud and no box magazine. Later the shroud and bolt were redesigned with a red cocking indicator to satisfy US export restrictions, hence the A1. The A1 was a CNC machined receiver.
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