Gunsmithing Sako L-579 action

[krw]

How would one of the older Sako L-579 action be for a custom build? What is the pros and cons? I have always understood they were great actions but you hardly ever see a custom with a Sako action.

 

[Straight Shooter]

Re: Sako L-579 action

I'm about to find out. I have two brand new M591's on the shelf waiting on barrels. They seem very solid and I like the flat bedding surface. They weigh in almost a pound heavier than a comparable Rem 700. One is going to be a 7mm-08 Ackley Improved and the other is still undecided. I'm anxious to try my new bedding system on them. We will not be using the bolt on lug they come with.

Oops, I just saw you were doing an L579. I was excited to see Sako and went off. I don't know anything about those. They might be similar.

 

[Advokaten]

Re: Sako L-579 action

Neither action has a integeral recoil lug, its a separate piece and does need bedding,

other than that great trigger, great bolt action, smooth feeding and ejection.

They are straight from the shop and will make for better than average rifles,

MCM will make you a stock for these actions and I have seen a few made up with edge stocks, those were 579, and for the 591nes I have seen a few made up with Sako varmint stocks, ie a clone to the M40 stock.

/Chris

 

[Frank Green]

Re: Sako L-579 action

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Swedish guy</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Neither action has a integeral recoil lug, its a separate piece and does need bedding,

other than that great trigger, great bolt action, smooth feeding and ejection.

They are straight from the shop and will make for better than average rifles,

MCM will make you a stock for these actions and I have seen a few made up with edge stocks, those were 579, and for the 591nes I have seen a few made up with Sako varmint stocks, ie a clone to the M40 stock.

/Chris

</div></div>

The older Sako's the recoil lug was machined as part of the action. My older Sako L579 that I rebuilt for my wife in .260Rem. has the lug machined as part of the receiver.

Later, Frank
Bartlein Barrels

 

[Advokaten]

Re: Sako L-579 action

http://www.sako.fi/pdf/manuals/Sako591_691.pdf

Check page 28/48 and part nr 33/12

That is for the 591/691 actions

a L-579

http://www.sako.fi/pdf/manuals/Forester.pdf

does quite corretly have a recoil log integral to the action.

Intersting for me, I thought i knew the Sako actions.

/Chris

 

[mikegaiz]

Re: Sako L-579 action

I think they are great, good bedding surface, built in lug, were true from factory. I have two 243, and 308 both have shot 10 in group at 1000 yds. Burris bases are little better than Leupold. both work fine. Stock trigger can be reworked for better pull weight. I don't think you will be sorry.

 

[sako.308]

Re: Sako L-579 action

the L579 action is a great acion to build on. the action is prob one of the truest for a factory action you can buy. They never worried about selling a bizzilion of them at the time that action was in production. I have a L579 myself and after some LONG load development i found one that will shoot .5" (better if i do my part) ALL DAY hot or cold.

Although i must say to you as a sako collector i would rather see you not use a vintage L579 action for a build. Keep it origanal if still is. They are only going up in value if in great shape


PRO's:

VERY square bolt face
sako excrators
very true actions


CON's:

hard to find parts(factory L579)
some smiths wont work with metric threading
hard to find drop in parts
factory parts are pricey
can hurt the collector value

 

[buffybuster]

Re: Sako L-579 action

BTW the Howa M1500 is quite similar to these older SAKO actions, except without the the bolt guide. I don't know if dimensionally they interchangeable (unlikely) but design-wise they are very similar.

 

[sako.308]

Re: Sako L-579 action

really plz inlighten me. i have found very little simalarties

 

[buffybuster]

Re: Sako L-579 action

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sako.308</div><div class="ubbcode-body">really plz inlighten me. i have found very little simalarties </div></div>

SAKO L579 striker: very similar to a Howa M1500
assembly, same turn to fieldstrip lug

SAKO L579 action, Left Side: Howa is very similar except for bolt release, both integral recoil lug, flat bottom, etc

SAKO L579 Right Side: Same primary extraction as Howa, though Howa does not have the bolt guide.

Are Howa M1500 and SAKO L579 identical?; No they are not. But it is obvious the M1500 carried over many design features of the SAKO L579. I don't have any pictures of the Howa but I have compared the two.

 

[matchking]

Re: Sako L-579 action

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: krw</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> I have always understood they were great actions but you hardly ever see a custom with a Sako action.</div></div>
I have seen many custom rifles built on Sako actions and would not hesitate to build on one myself. I have a L61R that I may one day have rebarreled/restocked - IF it ever stops shooting great. It is my "go to" hunting rifle and if I was forced to own only one rifle, it would be a strong candidate.

 

[sako.308]

Re: Sako L-579 action

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: buffybuster</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sako.308</div><div class="ubbcode-body">really plz inlighten me. i have found very little simalarties </div></div>

</div></div>

this is a AII sorry not trying to pick but it is from a AII not L579

but the main diff being howa is cast shit metal. that should be only argument sorry

 

[Northman]

Re: Sako L-579 action

Howa is not cast... Its forged. Then machined.

 

[ejg]

Re: Sako L-579 action

We have a 308 L579 in our Family since 71. Thing never shot well. I had a Lothar Walther fitted by Roedale. Then converted one of our Howa carbon stocks to take the action and re-worked and fitted a Roedale Howa AICS mag system.
Great little action, just the upward bolt cocking stroke is quite stiff.

red deer, 420m

edi

 

[RingingSteel]

Re: Sako L-579 action

I have been shooting a L579 chambered in 6.5x47 Lapua in steel matches for about a year now. It sets in a McMillan Sako Varmint stock with a Karsten adjustable cheek rest added. During the build we did have a couple of challenges. The action face where it meets the barrel is less than 1.100" which is much smaller than a standard barrel contour. I think a palma barrel would be the easiest to turn to the proper diameter. I had a Bartline standard target weight barrel which we machined down but that created a very long shank. The other thing is that the barrel threads are only aprox 1/2" long. That just isn't much thread for a heavy weight barrel. We felt that the bedding needed to extend an 1 1/2" or so in front of the action to support the barrel weight.

Another challenge is the accessories. I purchased a 20 MOA rail from Roedale which is a fantastic product but it was about $200.00 american. The shipping just kills you if you are in the US. In a 6.5x47 the magazing holds 5 rounds and you can load 1 in the chamber which gives you 6 total. For a steel comp rifle sometimes 6 rounds just aren't enough. As of yet I haven't found a detachable magazine that can utilize AI mags for a L579. I did hone the factory trigger and adjusted it to a clean crisp and safe 1 1/2 pound break.

If you can get around those few challenges they do make a fantastic rifle. The action is more than enough to build a 1/2 MOA weapon.

 

[areaone]

Re: Sako L-579 action

I know nothing of the current Sako actions, but the older ones are superb, I have two on custom rifles and the are excellent actions. I would choose nothing else but a sako for a custom hunting rifle, solid and extremely well made. My son has current production Tikka lite in a 270, shoots less than .5 in three shot groups with speer 130 gr, out of the box accurate. My first sako was a sako rihimaki 1960's era in a 222 with a clip fed mag. and a peep sight. It would really shoot, wish I still had it, neatest little action you could ever want.

 

[Country]

Re: Sako L-579 action

I run two A11 Sakos one 308W / 243W switch barrel and the other a HB 22-250 varminter .
I tried to influence Sako to start making target accessories and addons like you can get for Rem 700 and to reintroduce a rigid single shot action but it all fell on deaf ears.
There is some Sako features in the Howa action . The reason is that an Australian company Commercial Marketing Company CMC designed a rifle called the CMC Australian Mountaineer and had it made in Japan . Which I am the proud owner of a 1 in 500 rifle which shoots very nice.From that rifle design the Japs made the Howa line of actions . The bolt body , plunger ejector and bolt face is more like a Rem 700. The extractor claw is more like an M16 but still similar to a Sako as we did not like the 700 extractor. The bolt disassembly is the same as a Sako . However it is no where near as precision made as an old Sako action . Still quite a good action .

 

[ejg]

Re: Sako L-579 action

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: RingingSteel</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have been shooting a L579 chambered in 6.5x47 Lapua in steel matches for about a year now. It sets in a McMillan Sako Varmint stock with a Karsten adjustable cheek rest added. During the build we did have a couple of challenges. The action face where it meets the barrel is less than 1.100" which is much smaller than a standard barrel contour. I think a palma barrel would be the easiest to turn to the proper diameter. I had a Bartline standard target weight barrel which we machined down but that created a very long shank. The other thing is that the barrel threads are only aprox 1/2" long. That just isn't much thread for a heavy weight barrel. We felt that the bedding needed to extend an 1 1/2" or so in front of the action to support the barrel weight.

Another challenge is the accessories. I purchased a 20 MOA rail from Roedale which is a fantastic product but it was about $200.00 american. The shipping just kills you if you are in the US. In a 6.5x47 the magazing holds 5 rounds and you can load 1 in the chamber which gives you 6 total. For a steel comp rifle sometimes 6 rounds just aren't enough. As of yet I haven't found a detachable magazine that can utilize AI mags for a L579. I did hone the factory trigger and adjusted it to a clean crisp and safe 1 1/2 pound break.

If you can get around those few challenges they do make a fantastic rifle. The action is more than enough to build a 1/2 MOA weapon. </div></div>

Did a little write up on fitting the AICS mag system to my 308 L579, that should work with 6.5x47 and 10 shot mags are available.
aics/l579
edi

 

[RingingSteel]

Re: Sako L-579 action

Thanks EDI.

I had considered that solution only with a Kimber 8400 bottom metal from CDI. I thought that the mag fitting the action would be a issue as you found.

After some careful thought I decided to jump on the band wagon and build a Rem 700 switch barrel. As a matter of fact just received the barreled action this week. The Sako will still have a safe home as a back up and varmint gun. Maybe one day when I have time I will look further into a detachable mag.