RE: SAKO rifles BLOW UP!!!
 

What he said... read the words of Gale McMillan

[link]http://www.aboutguns.net/mcmillan.html[/link]

I like how he dismisses barrel break-in...get it BREAK-in..Heh
I can just picture a new gun owner sitting crosslegged on the floor in a puddle of oil & JB's lapping paste thinking..Oh it's gonna drive tacks!!... sorry off topic

RE: SAKO rifles BLOW UP!!!
 

Button rifling also creates a great deal of stress in a barrel as well, since the process displaces the steel rather than cutting it away. The way to handle this is to either heat or cryo treat the barrel after the rifling process is complete. I'm betting that Sako heat treats their barrels to relieve all the internal stresses before they are assembled. Whatever they do to them, they are genuine match-grade barrels and they are guaranteed to shoot 1MOA out of the box, so they must be doing something right.

I personally believe that this rash of defective barrels is probably a combination of a flawed batch of stainless steel aggravated by the fact that the barrels are of a light contour already, and then are deeply fluted to further reduce weight. Remember, that while there is a run of FinnLights (the only Sako's showing this problem) that are recalled, there are MANY more guns, FinnLights and standard stainless steel Model 75's that are just fine. Sako's been making safe, reliable and quality guns for a long time, and like any other company they are experiencing a serious but isolated issue with their foundry delivering them substandard barrel blanks.

I think that perhaps they have not delt with the problem as aggressively as the should have, but I also understand that a company cannot be too hasty to take the blame for a few incidents until they have all their facts straight. I can also understand their reluctance to broadcast this recall to anyone and everyone, because as we've seen here, there are many who see one incident like this and swear off buying that type of gun ever again no matter what. Sako and Berretta USA were caught between the proverbial "rock and a hard place" with this, and they haven't shirked their responsibility to right the discrepancy, they are just doing so quietly.

Oh, and I think it's also inportant to note that every other major mass producer has had their share of blown up rifles due to causes other than operator error. Yet the same people who swear off Sako will take their Remington M700 out without a second thought that MANY of them have exploded for one reason or another. Heck, I watched an M700 partially self-destruct not 6 feet from me only 6 months ago, but I'd still but an M700 if the mood struck me, because I rationally understand that that gun was an exception, not the rule.

I think everybody who's all freaked out about this needs to take a deep breath, relax, realize that this is NOT indicative of Sako rifles of the past or future, and let Sako and Berretta USA deal with this issue. If you own a FinnLight, call them and see if it's recalled. If not, enjoy your great shooting rifle. I know for sure when I finally buy my Sako 75 off layaway I won't hesitate to shoot it as much as possible.

Mike

RE: SAKO rifles BLOW UP!!!
 

If hammer forging is done correctly and the mandrels are thrown away when they are supposed to they make a beautiful barrel. Unfortunately some major manufacturers choose to use the mandrels longer then necessary since they are very expensive to make. Just so you know Sakos,Tikkas and Browning Abolts,Steyrs are completely free floated as well as Hammer Forged and I dare you to find a gun that can match them in accuracy or a barrel that is as well made with exception of a very good custom barrel. Remingtons on the other hand are button rifled and need a pressure point on their barrels to really shoot their best that has been the case with everyone I have owned unless rebarrelled. Savages have button rifled barrels but the bores I have seen are very rough and they are stress relieved by hand. With Quality barrels(Lilja,krieger,hart,shilen,pacnor) costing in the 200-300 dollar range these days how can a manufacture afford that and sell the gun for a profit? BTW that list of custom makers includes Button and Cut rifled . One could start a pissing match comparing the benchrest results of Krieger vs Hart vs Shilen vs Pacnor ad nauseam ad nauseam . Winchester barrels are hammer forged some have pressure applied to the barrel and some don't, they have extremely inconsistent barrel quality and have given me fits trying to shoot them well, some of the worst shooting guns I have seen in quite some time, for that reason I dont buy them anymore . Some actions flex more then others and therefore not good candidates for free floating. Every barrel has stress in it except a cut rifled barrel and even those from expensive barrel makers do not guarantee an absolutely smooth bore or tremendous accuracy. Now if you want to talk generalities thin barrels are better bedded and varmint barrels are better free floated but there are exceptions in every case.

RE: SAKO rifles BLOW UP!!!
 

Olkelk you sure about that. Some folks down in your neck of the woods working for big green said they hammer forge around a mandrel. Savage is the only mass producer (price less than 500) I know of with buttom rifled. I may be wrong.

All you guys worry alot. I mean alot. Keep this up, and you will be in a hospital with a camera in your gut with a pile of red stuff. Don't sweat the small stuff.

RE: SAKO rifles BLOW UP!!!
 

[link]http://www.winchesterguns.com/faq/detail.asp?ID=44[/link]

says here that Winchester buttons their S.S., but mine was $704...but worth every penny

RE: SAKO rifles BLOW UP!!!
 

BC I am pretty sure they aren't hammer forged but if they are when they are on they are a fine barrel and as straight as one would want. Ruger hammer forges their barrels as well.
Lucky--I should have said Winchester uses a combination of Hammer forged and button rifled. Doesn't matter out of the last 5 I have owned had 1 shooter the rest were nice to look at .:D And yes this blowup thing is out of control as usual people that own the brand in question have no problems with it , thank God for the internet the disinformation source. I see another Sako that is in a caliber I want none of this will matter.

RE: SAKO rifles BLOW UP!!!
 

Sorry guys, I haven't read all the posts here, but I'm a little anxious at this point. Are they recalling Tikka T3's with stainless barrels too? That's what I had read somewhere on one of these forums. I thought it was just the WSM models, but then I read a story about some 15 year who was shooting a T3 Lite/Stainless .30-06 and it blew up. That sucks, I just bought that gun a few months back. It's been shooting well for me. Who knows.

RE: SAKO rifles BLOW UP!!!
 

Great link, great info, thanks again to all.
I'll most likely just wait a bit and still get my Tikka in .270 WSM, though now the Laminated Stainless is really catching my eye...

RE: SAKO rifles BLOW UP!!!
 

I just read the whole thing. Quite interesting. No break-in then? I guess I'll just clean the crap out of it but won't use anything abrasive. That sound right?

RE: SAKO rifles BLOW UP!!!
 

Remington hammer forges their barrels, with the exception of some of their rimfire barrels that are button rifled, at any rate, the quality of their barrels isn't great by any stretch of the imagination.