Accuracy of Sako 85 Bavarian Carbine

My Sako 85 Bavarian Fullstock Carbine 6.5X55 "slimming" project is now underway. This consists of re-carving and re-filing of stock and tang, re-checkering, re-finishing, etc. This is not home gunsmithing. I have commissioned the work to be done by a professional custom rifle maker, a member of the ACGG, and I will post the results.
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Looking forward to the results. They are beautiful rifles in factory form... a professionally refinished factory stock sounds like icing on the cake.
 
track said:
Very nice! It appears to be preformed possibly by Martin Hagn?
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Sorry, I thought I said who did it. All work, re-shaping the factory stock, re-checkering, some modification to tang and safety was by Chris Griesbach (ACGG). He worked with Ralf Martini (who recommended Chris to me for this job, so you were not far off the mark), but Chris has now returned to Central Alberta to set up his own shop near Three Hills. The photos are by Chris, telling me its ready. When I actually get the rifle, I'll take some close ups and report on shooting it. Should have it in a week or so.
 
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My bucket list includes that rifle, either in 8mm Mauser or 7mm-08. I have heard anecdotal evidence about full-stock rifles being a bit finicky. Glad to hear yours is accurate!
 
Kilo Charlie said:
I have heard anecdotal evidence about full-stock rifles being a bit finicky.
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In my experience shooting fullstock carbines, the inaccuracy myth is just that, complete nonsense. Quality fullstock rifles will shoot right along with the best half-stock hunting rifles. On the other hand, you don't see many target rifles with fullstocks, but then target rifles don't handle like hunting rifles. In general fullstock rifles are designed for shooting standing offhand and getting on target fairly quickly.
 
Rob said:
Sorry, I thought I said who did it. All work, re-shaping the factory stock, re-checkering, some modification to tang and safety was by Chris Griesbach (ACGG). He worked with Ralf Martini (who recommended Chris to me for this job, so you were not far off the mark), but Chris has now returned to Central Alberta to set up his own shop near Three Hills. The photos are by Chris, telling me its ready. When I actually get the rifle, I'll take some close ups and report on shooting it. Should have it in a week or so.
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Do you have contact info for Chris Griesbach? The only info I can find online has him in BC, but you mentioned above that he's in Albert now. PM me if you'd rather not post.
 
Rifle arrived. It feels a lot smaller, lighter and balances better than it did in its original form. Checkering is simple: four panels although LPI is much finer. The tang was contoured to follow the new line of the wrist, and the safety was repositioned to followed that. An original Sako receiver peep sight is on it right now but I also have a few scope choices: my trusty 1 inch 4x Swarovski, a new 1 inch 1-4X Nikon or a new 30mm 1-6X 20mm Meopta. My choice will depend on how they balance the rifle. All have German #4 reticle. First half-warm day ( by which I mean anything over -5 C.), I'm off to the range. Here's a few photos:

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buckbrush said:
very nice, I still prefer your Brno's.
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"Brno's"? Although I have owned quite a few in the past and not counting .22s, I now own only one centerfire Brno, a model 22F (21F?) with a "Mannlicher-type" stock . Caliber is 8x57S. It is 100% original, in minty "near new" condition, fired maybe a box of ammo, with a perfect bore, and made in 1945. It is lighter and handier than the later Brno ZG47 type. But it is also a bit of a collector's item, this example being perhaps the earliest post-war Brno rifle known, and to drill and tap it for scope (or a peep sight) would seriously lower its value, as would installing a recoil pad. Also its safety does not lock down the bolt handle (which I much prefer), and its a hell of a job to release the floorplate (although that doesn't matter to me much). It is in the wrong caliber for me these days, unnecessarily powerful and with too much recoil for me these days. I do like its (double) set trigger, but the Sako also has a (single) set trigger and the Sako is a better and more easily adjustable trigger than the Brno. Sometime I may go ahead and install scope mounts and a recoil pad on the Brno, but without them, its usefulness as a hunting rifle is compromised. So I prefer the Sako....as a useful hunting rifle.

The stock on the Brno is nice but it is still a basic factory job and is in no way comparable to the work that Chris Griesbach did on the Sako. You'd have to actually see and handle them to appreciate the difference.

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I don't have an accurate scale but the Sako 85 "Express Classic Carbine" now weighs approx. the same as my Oberndorf Mauser Type S that it is based on.
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