To Sako owners - trouble
 

I picked up a brand new Sako in 300 wsm on Saturday. I always wanted one, finally I got it and what a big disappointment!
I went to the range on Sunday morning to break in the barrel and sight in the scope, but I couldn't get a group better than 3", mostly 4-5". I haven't fire a rifle in 3 years, but I can't be that bad....
I thought my scope is loose - it was installed in the store - , but the screws were tight.
As I was holding the rifle I was wiggled the barrel, and there it was, clunk - clunk, so I thought, OK, the receiver screws must be loose. Checked them, both were tight! WT???
The barrel was loose, it was about 2-3 thread out of the receiver!!
I could easily turn it out of the receiver.
I called the shop today and told them what's going on. They contacted Stroeger and here is what they said: " just use some red lock tight and hand-tight the barrel back to the action." (note, there was no lock tight on the thread at all, it was actually greasy)
I have to say that I have no confidence of doing this.
I had barrel changed on one of my Rem. 700 and my gunsmith had a hard time to remove it with the special tools he had.
In my opinion a rifle's barrel should not be removed by hands.

I called a gunsmith in the next town and told him what happened and what advice I got from Sako's customer service. He was extremely helpful. His suggestion was to return the entire rifle and ask for a replacement.
He also said to safely secure or remove a rifle barrel would take a special tool and most manufacturer won't even use thread lock, the barrels secured by high torque, and that's it.
Anyway, he will also contact Sako and see what he can do.
I guess if it comes to an exchange it won't be done in few days, the store had only one in stock, and actually it was hard to find this caliber with the laminated stock.

What would you do?

Attempt to repair it and see what will happen?
Return it to Sako and demand a quick replacement due to the middle of the hunting season?
Return it to the store, get my money back and buy something else?
Anyone had the same or similar problem before?
How Stoeger / Sako handled the problem?

Thanks!

Hunter

Send it back and get a new one.

+1

Agree. Send it back. If u can get things all settled with sako u will be happy with rifle. I love mine.

WOW SEND It back you like sakos get another one .

I like whinchester never had a problem good luck .:)

Number one would be your safety. The barrel is threaded for a reason HEAD SPACE. Could post pictures of the shells that you did fire and show us how they were blowen out and they should be. Second the shop that you purchased your firearm from should have completed a check of your firearm before it left their store. There should also be an inspection number in the box of who pasted the inspection from the factory. Take all kinds of pictures and return it to the shop that sold it to you with a letter and demand that they give you brand new rifle and a few other things to make things right. You should also send an email with the pictures of the firearm to the head person of stoger. You very lucky that is all that happened to you. Glad your ok!

I am horrified. Send her back.

One of those instances where a well made product has one fall through the craks - obviously not a design fault.
Every fire arms manufacturer has had problems in the past, and even the custm guys get stuf that sneaks pout of the shop somehow that is not right.
Send it back, get another, and be happy!:)
Cat

x2

I had a sako years ago that had issues. Same kind of BS from Stoeger then too. That was early 90's. Sorry for your luck. A trip to the gunsmith would be easier and safer.

Lol ya ok

I have never had this issue with any if my Sako rifles. As mentioned, return and exchange it for another. Dont take nothing less.

Who sold it to you? I've dealt with Stoeger Canada several times as a store sending away repair rifles. They want everything sent back so their gunsmith can look at it. I've had guns that looked to me like it was just a cleaning issue and they say "nope send it here so we can look at it." I can't see them just saying "slap some locktit on and all will be well." Perhaps your dealer spoke to the wrong person?

Agreed take it back and demand a new one. Just curious, which model of Sako is it?

Interesting that we are so tolerant and forgiving about shoddy workmanship and poor quality, in what has come to be regarded as a high grade rifle. :D Even more so, that the manufacturer has the same attitude. There is no excuse for this. Matter of safety and one has to assume, given the European requirements, this thing was Proof tested. Now, where's the guy that was knocking Enfields. :lol:

Grizz

Maybe its a QC issue (and stuff happens) but it seems to be happening more now that Sako was bought out by Beretta couple years ago.

I still love my sako m75 rifles...no issues!!

I have two 85's and not an issue with either....things happen to all makes. Just take a look over on 24hourcampfire where a guy had a lug on the bolt of his Browning A-bolt II break right off....chit happens

Get a gunsmith to tighten the barrel back up, check the headspace and you should be good to go. Thats all Stoeger is going to do.

Agreed .... I bet you bought this rifle to enjoy this season and if you send it back to stoger you won't see it back in time. I would contact them with two options ..... New gun ASAP or foot the bill for the gunsmith!

It's a model 85.

Here is an update.

I'd like to name the store in Grande Prairie, store manager and the gunsmith, but I'm not sure if the forum's policy allows it. I was extremely happy with their customer service, they have a client for life now.

As he promised, Mr. Gunsmith called Stroeger and talked to the person who is responsible for any warranty claims, he got the same information (probably the same person), thread lock it and turn it back. Mr. Gunsmith said he would not accept this for various reasons and the rifle should be throughly inspected with a bore scope and check head space, thread, etc..

I was also able to reach my old gunsmith in the US, he pretty much said the same that Mr. Gunsmith #1, and added that if there is just the slightest issue which could make the rifle unsafe, Sako would get it back and most of the time they exchange it.
He said over there they would never-ever suggest a similar repair to a gun owner. I guess they try to prevent $$$$$ lawsuits and keep the good image of Sako.

Anyway, I called the store and told them about my concern, which Mr. Store Manager accepted and he called Stroeger again in my behalf.
They authorized the exchange, but the problem was that they didn't have another Grey Wolf in 300 wsm in inventory and could not tell when it will be available.
Mr. Store Manager was very helpful and offered me a solution. Return the rifle via DHL (they pay for it), and since they have 2 other brand new model 85 in synthetic/SS they can just change the stock, make sure the barrel is tight and send it to me right away. He said he will deal with Stroeger later, the most important thing is now to get me a new rifle. I was very happy with this offer and of course I agreed.
Looks like I won't miss much hunting. :sHa_shakeshout:
I almost forget, Mr. Store Manager also said I'll receive a Burris bino for the "pain and suffering". This is very cool, I feel a lot better now.

I hope no one else will have a similar problem with his/her Sako, but if you purchased one recently, just make sure the barrel is tightly seated.
BTW, the serial number of this one is: 989xx

Thank you for all of your time and input. I'll update you with MOAs after I received the replacement rifle and have a chance to go to the range. :)

I also need to thank to Dennis Hazen, an active member of the local shooter's community and firearm instructor to hook me up with a great gunsmith. He also offered a loaner rifle just in case Stroeger takes his time to take care of this issue.
He also told me that Mr. Store Manager is actually a supporter/sponsor of the High Prairie gun club. Don't you love when there are good people around you??

Hun-ter

Dennis is a great guy and very knowlegable about firearms. I'm glad it work out for you, there are some nice whitetails in that country, it would be a shame if you counldn't hunt this fall. Your choice of gun is excellent(I have an 85 greywolf in 300wsm too:sHa_shakeshout:).

Maybe, you should be glad. You have one of the rare take down versions of this particular model. :lol: See if you can get some extra barrels, in various calibers and you will have what is truly an all around rifle. No three gun battery necessary here. :D

Grizz

A most excellent resolution.

To the best of my knowledge (after talking to the folks at Stoeger), the "Gray Wolf" has been discontinued, with the "Hunter Laminate" being the replacement. The Gray Wolf no longer appears on Sako's website. From the photos I've seen, I prefer the Gray Wolf stock (though they're supposed to be virtually identical). The Hunter stock looks too brown to me.

I would sell my first born to get a Gray Wolf in 25-06, but as he's 18 he's not worth a whole lot on the black market (;)). I've been looking for one (on and off) four three months and can't dig one up.

Way to go, all is good. It was great of them to through in some extras for you.

Glad everything worked out for you. I bought an 85 Finnlight in 7mm RM 2 months ago and it was very good right out of the box. By round 25 (included rifle break in shooting) at the range mine was shooting 3 shot groups at 100 yds you could put a quarter over. I really suspect you ended up with the rare "chit happens" rifle as others have suggested.

Thanks for posting your Sako problem and telling us how things turned out to this point


Thanks again

The Greywolf was called Hunter Stainless I believe in the USA, then Beretta bought Sako. I may be wrong.

I love my Sako m75 Greywolf rifles. Had a new one in 25-06 and made my 338-06 Ackley Improved out of it.

Glad to hear everything turned out

Oddly I had the same thing happen with a Sako Model 85 Finnlight in 300 WSM about two years ago.
It took me a while to figure out what was happening. After doing my best to experiment with loads to find something that would work, nothing made any difference. I was waiting in the truck for an evening hunt one day and was playing with the gun and noticed the play in the barrel. I spoke with my selling dealer and he suggested taking it to a nearby gunsmith for a tighten, which I did. Since the Finnlights have fluted barrels, the tightening caused the flutes to not be properly aligned with the stock for aesthetic appearance so I brought it back for a complete replacement which took a while to get at the time too.
Though somewhat skeptical at the time as well, I do enjoy my Sako now and wouldn't trade it for too many other brands out there.

Please Don Not Reload that Brass
 

Any of the brass that was fired in that rifle should be crushed so that no one will try and reload it. It's probably too stretched anyway, but there is a real possibility of catastrophic failure if someone tries to reload any of that brass. It will be stretched well beyond spec.

X100, you spend your hard earned money to purchase I gun you wanted for a long time and it's not assembled to manufacture’s specs.....I would return or exchange it 100%, if something else "might" go wrong they could go back to the gunsmith and say it his fault for future issues with the rifle.