Sako 85 free float barrel way off center in stock - is this a problem?

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BadRonald

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After firing it for the first time (40 rounds) I noticed that the barrel on my new Sako 85 is way off center in the stock. Pictures are below. There is no contact between the barrel and the stock, but there is just barely enough room to slide a piece of paper between them on the one side. The rifle shoots very well, accuracy appears to be fine. Is this a problem that needs to be addressed, or is it a non-issue? Is there anything I can do to re-position the barrel? The rifle is brand new - should I send it in to Stoeger? Any insight greatly appreciated.

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If the stock has warped and is tourqing the receiver than it could affect accuracy and consistency. At the least it's a fairly bad fit and finish flaw.
 
I don't like that on on a $1800+ rifle.....



My Tikka is like that with a Boyds Prairie hunter stock....But it is also free floating and seems to shoot even better than the synthetic stock....
 
Might be able to correct it by bedding. If new I would not accept it as is. Not on an 1800$ rifle. Lets see the whole gun!!

Is the stock twisted or warped or is the gap along the entire length? I had McMillan stock like that, I had to hog out the action area and tape around the barrel to center in the bbl channel then bed it to correct. Shot really good but looked like crap, needed to bed anyway so no big deal.
 
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My 85 is the same - slightly off centre. Had my smithy look at it but there's nothing that can be done short of going at the wood on the tight side. Doesn't make a lick of difference as the gun is still plenty accurate and pretty however for this reason I give the nod to Cooper for better fit and finish.
 
I love my Sako 85s, but all of their stocks are garbage. The Sako synthetic stocks are very cheap and the wood models are nothing special. I have yet to put my hands on an 85 wood stock that isn't off centre like yours.

Good luck if you try contacting Stoeger. They do not have a good rep for returning correspondence. I have been trying to order some parts for a couple years now. Emails and telephone messages have so far gone without a response.
 
juanvaldez said:
Might be able to correct it by bedding. If new I would not accept it as is. Not on an 1800$ rifle. Lets see the whole gun!!

Is the stock twisted or warped or is the gap along the entire length? I had McMillan stock like that, I had to hog out the action area and tape around the barrel to center in the bbl channel then bed it to correct. Shot really good but looked like crap, needed to bed anyway so no big deal.
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The gap is unequal the entire length of the barrel, although it is most pronounced closest to the forend. It shoots fine now, but my concern is that if it warps even a little bit more over time there will be contact between barrel and stock. I have contacted Stoeger, waiting on a response from them. It is a real shame to see this kind of fitment issue on what is supposed to be a quality rifle. None of my "lesser" rifles have this issue. I expected better from Sako.

I am otherwise very happy with how it looks:

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west250 said:
My 85 is the same - slightly off centre. Had my smithy look at it but there's nothing that can be done short of going at the wood on the tight side. Doesn't make a lick of difference as the gun is still plenty accurate and pretty however for this reason I give the nod to Cooper for better fit and finish.
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Ever since Beretta USA bought out Sako, IMO the quality and fit/finish of Sako rifles as went down.

LOVE my m75's !!!
 
You have to determine if the stock forend has warped.

Maybe the recoil lug cavity needs work.

Maybe the action screws holes were misplaced.

If the forend is straight, a proper bedding will put everything square and ad precision.

If that is a BNIB rifle, ask the dealer to exchange it.

I won' t accept that rifle in my safe as is.

Mush
 
Got a response from Stoeger today. They said it is a simple matter of backing out the action screws, repositioning the stock and tightening it back down:

"You are able to adjust the side to side difference on either side of the barrel to your preference by hand. Simply back off the action retaining screws located on the front and the rear of the trigger guard and move the barreled action by hand until you have it in a position that you are happy with."

Is it really just that simple? Why wouldn't they have just done this at the factory if it were so easy?
 
I am hesitant to try repositioning the action as the rifle is shooting well right now and I don't want to create new problems. At the same time, if there is a real issue such as warping or misplaced screw holes, I'd like to identify this while the gun is still new. Anyone have an idea how likely it is that Stoeger's suggestion will resolve the issue? It seems to me that there is only one way the screws can go into the holes. Or is there sufficient tolerance in the holes through the stock to allow me to reposition the action and maintain the new position after tightening it down?
 
BadRonald said:
Got a response from Stoeger today. They said it is a simple matter of backing out the action screws, repositioning the stock and tightening it back down:

"You are able to adjust the side to side difference on either side of the barrel to your preference by hand. Simply back off the action retaining screws located on the front and the rear of the trigger guard and move the barreled action by hand until you have it in a position that you are happy with."

Is it really just that simple? Why wouldn't they have just done this at the factory if it were so easy?
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If I got that answer I'd make a special trip down to kick him in the nuts.
 
Remove the metal from the wood... inspect the forend to see if there is a pressure point the barrel is supposed to contact. On the majority of stocks that are not free floating, this pressure point is what holds the barrel centered in the stock.

If there is no pressure point, then assemble holding the metal off to the other side and see if it tightens up centered.

When the metal is so close on one side it will contact for sure when shooting and the best accuracy will not be achieved.

A knowledgeable 'smith' can fix this problem with a little glass bedding.
 
Dogleg said:
If I got that answer I'd make a special trip down to kick him in the nuts.
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To be fair I should mention they did offer to do the adjustment for me if I am not comfortable doing it myself. They said if I bring it in they can do it while I wait. It seems simple enough but I will probably have them do it anyway. That way if their simple fix doesn't solve the issue we will be able to start exploring other solutions on the spot.
 
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