Swedish made Lakelander 375 ????

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vmax204

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I just purchased a Lakelander model 375 in 6.5x55 from Tradeex and was hoping someone may have one of these rifles that can provide me with some information. I would like to know what 2 piece bases are available for this gun and any comments on accuracy, reloading, or general information regarding the rifle. There is very little to be found on the internet and what I could find is confusing with the use of language in translation.
It is a very unique piece with a beautiful smooth bolt, 9 locking lugs, very nice adjustable crisp trigger, and a heavy barrel fitted with an audio director which looks like a compensator but apparently is supposed to direct 60% of the noise away from the shooter. I am quite anxious to get a scope mounted and try it out. Working up another load in my favourite calibre will be the icing on the cake.
Hopefully someone here will have some knowledge they are willing to share.


https://s20.postimg.org/rtv6u0wj1/mount.jpg
https://s20.postimg.org/56fxnvgz1/lakelander.jpg
https://s20.postimg.org/v4jjtwmgd/receiver.jpg
https://s20.postimg.org/k68abpxv1/bolt.jpg
https://s20.postimg.org/flqpaj3jh/muzzle.jpg
 
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I had one in 6.5x55 as well. Great rifle, solid & well built. For the life of me I can't remember which bases I had on it. You can also google Varberger & Kongsberg as they are the same
Rifle pretty much with slight variations on number of lugs etc. I ordered a blued steel trigger guard from
Sweden as mine had the plastic one.

You forgot to post pics!

Here's mine that I stupidly got rid of:

 
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I think the receiver is modeled after a K98 and bases may be the same. Baribal would chime in here...

Does it say "Made in Sweden"?

Last post here gives the bases: https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1291870-Lakelander-375?highlight=Lakelander

TAP375 said:
The bases on mine are Weaver #11 and #35 (.147 thick, 1.290 diameter, hole spacing .504 and .860, respectively.) The original 4x Scopechief had a long tube and it was mounted with low Weaver rings; I changed over to a variable a few years ago, and had to use medium height offset rings because the scope tube is shorter. These work well, making it easier to load rounds into the internal mag.
Click to expand...
 
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Here you go for the history.

Baribal said:
Well, in bold, that's the story behind those rifles;

The rifle was designed about 1974 by Lars Andersson as the Lakelander TAP 174 and used 12 locking lugs.
About 1976 it was renamed Lakelander TAP-375 and now had 9 lugs. Both of these rifles were fabricated by Tampere Asepaja OY (hence the name TAP).
Then, the companies who owned the rights for the Lakelander went through a serie of bankruptcy and ugly corruption stories and that's why it's a complicated story.
Anyways, around 1980-81 the production was made in Sweden and the rifle lost it's "TAP" surname, and were stamped Lakelander 375.

The rights changed hands a couple of times again, and around 1985-86 ended up in the hands of Landtec Swedish Rifle Inc and production was set in the city of Varberg, Sweden, another trial and the rights ended up in Varberger Precision hands in 1989, the rifle now being called Varberger..
The Varberger 757 was changed for a 6 bolt lugs configuration. The barrels came from Belgium. The model 717 was also introduced as a cheap alternative and used three locking lugs.
In 1997, they instroduced another model, the 777 while keeping the 717 as the low end model, but it was now using 6 lugs, like the 777.
It went bankrupt in 1998, with a total of 6300 rifles sold, most (+/- 75%) being the lower grade 717. About 1000 rifles were sold abroad.

In 1998, another Swedish company bought the right, namely Kalix Precision AB and they started assembling rifles from leftover parts. It didn't go that well, and they soon folded.
The company was sold several times again, while trying to unsuccesfully supply rifles, but in very small quantity.

In the meantime, the Lakelander name was took to Norway by the designer son, Don Andersson, to Kongsberg and the Lakelander 389 then appeared in 1989, with three locking lugs.
The sales started in 1990. The Kongsberg 393 appeared in 1993 in several configurations.

The reason why no one is interested in importing these fine rifles is the cost and the possible selling price, which will bring it in the upper price range. Since this market is already somewhat crowded, no one wants to get into it.

https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/for...93-The-Unicorns-of-Norway?highlight=varberger
Click to expand...

As for the bases, Waever # 11 and # 35 is right.
 
Actually,the Finnish made rifles tend to be more utilitarian than those made in Sweden. You can even find bech stocks on the Finnish models when say, the Varberger and Kongsberg have use fancy planks....
 
Well, there were so many manufacturers involved, no wonder they're not consistent... the TAP 375 are the more consistent ones, though.
 
I just ordered the Lakelander TAP 375 in 30-06 that Tradex had, should be interesting. Thanks for the write-up on these rifles Baribal, there isn't much info on these rifles on the internet, at least not in English, and the translations from Finnish aren't very good.
Kristian
 
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