Sako trigger / safety

Like.358s · Member Joined: May 07, 2019 Posts: 25 Location: Texas

Acquired a custom bolt action rifle built on a Sako mid-1970s? L61R? (30/06 length) action. Original barrel long gone, along with original Sako markings. Do have the S/N, but it doesn't appear in the list available on the Sako support site, thus the question marks. The trigger looks to be original and it has some suspicious cracks in its body. The only replacement trigger I could find is the Timney for Sako type A. It's close, but not perfect. Both original and Timney are 2 position on/off slide safeties. Have been able to modify the new trigger to fit and function except for one thing. The little metal tab that blocks the bolt from opening with the safety on, is just a tad short.

I always thought it was screwy that you had to take the safety off to open the bolt (take safety off to unload a gun?). (It's that way also on my 98 Mausers. They have firing pin blocking swing safeties.) But, a little research and I see that the reason for this is to keep the bolt from accidentally getting bumped open, which could prevent the gun from firing when needed. Since the original design was for military I can understand that being important then and also if hunting dangerous game. I've tested my gun with this new trigger and the bolt would have to be lifted almost totally open before it doesn't drop the firing pin, so could see where the bolt locking lugs could be partially disengaged when the gun fires; although, it takes considerable effort to bump the bolt open. One has to lift it just like the beginning of a bolt cycling, and it naturally wants to drop back into it's normal locking lugs fully engaged position. I would rarely carry a rifle with one in the chamber anyway, especially since this type safety only blocks the trigger and sear, it doesn't block the firing pin. So the bolt would normally get full cycled, then safety on, usually just prior to firing.

Extending the little tab on that safety is going to be a little involved. Looks like I may have to braze an extension onto it and then reshape it all to function. So trying to decide do I go thru all that or just live with it as is and get in the habit of checking the bolt position when I am ready to fire? Any Sako experts out there? Anybody got an old trigger without cracks spare?

PaulS · Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2019 3:34 pm Post subject: Re: Sako trigger / safety

Like 358s,
I would never recommend that someone remove a safety device I will say that the best and most trustworthy safety is the one between your ears. As it is the safety works... it just doesn't keep the bolt closed so if it were mine I would leave it as is. Remember that I rarely use a guns safety as I prefer the one that has never failed me.

slimjim · Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2019 2:31 am Post subject: Re: Sako trigger / safety

"Leave well enough alone"

My Tikka is on/off bolt locked. Since I elk hunt out West from a guide's vehicle 90% of the time, the gun is configured chamber empty, safety off until we exit the vehicle.

I would follow the old saying but cannot figure out if it applies to your original trigger or the new one. Is the crack that significant to stop the gun from functioning?

Like.358s · Member Joined: May 07, 2019 Posts: 25 Location: Texas

slimjim wrote:

"Leave well enough alone"

My Tikka is on/off bolt locked. Since I elk hunt out West from a guide's vehicle 90% of the time, the gun is configured chamber empty, safety off until we exit the vehicle.

I would follow the old saying but cannot figure out if it applies to your original trigger or the new one. Is the crack that significant to stop the gun from functioning?

If indeed they are cracks, then yeah, the entire trigger could have a come-apart. Would let the firing pin drop (hopefully not when the barrel is pointed at something/somebody important) and make the gun unusable. Although; I'm not 100% sure they are cracks. They could be just some weird flashing/shrinkage showing around a cold joint in the original metal cast piece. I would have to do a complete disassembly of the trigger and grind/bluff the areas to see for sure. Not willing to do that until I've decided for sure that I have a satisfactory replacement trigger, in case I can't put the old one back together properly. It might turn into a case of destructive investigation. You can see in the picture where I've shined it up some to see, but didn't tell me the truth yet.

Maybe I need to check around for another gunsmith and get their opinion. The first one I tried wasn't helpful. Said he didn't want to mess with a gun that had been previously customized. I think he didn't like working on a gun that was older than he was!

Gil Martin · Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2019 4:07 pm Post subject: Re: Sako trigger / safety

Sounds like a competent gunsmith is required to give a valid opinion and course of action. Just the idle thoughts of an idle fellow. All the best...
Gil

dhc4ever · Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2019 4:38 pm Post subject: Re: Sako trigger / safety

Destructive inspection? No.
Non destructive inspection, Yes.
A jewelers loop or a usb microscope will give you a good enough view to make the call.
Also there are dye penetrant kits available to determine if its a crack or not. Google and youtube have lots of ideas.
I cant make much out from your photo, but that is a really strange spot for a crack to propergate from. The only thing that might cause a crack if thats what it is, is the adjustment screw hanging out the front.
Bear in mind that it takes movement and continued stress to grow a crack, there doesnt look to be any load on that housing, it might grow slowly due to recoil if the trigger housing continually hits something during recoil.
A crack from that area is unlikely to cause a total trigger failure, worse case is it opens up sufficiently for the adjustment screw to back out or fall out effecting sear engagement.
That is as about as likely as me bedding Mrs Trump.
To prevent any screw movement a small drop of loctite 290 wickin on it will prevent it moving, it is a low strength loctite so future adjustment can be easily made if required.
Find a good magnifying glass and a bright light, find the end of the crack and mark it.
Go to the range put 50 or so rounds into your favorite target, dissassemble and check to see if anything has changed.
Do that every 100 rounds or so for piece of mind if it worrys you.
Am I a non destructive inspection specialist? No, but I spent over 30 years looking for cracks in aircraft and helping ndi techs when we couldnt determine what we were looking at. So I do have a slightly better idea than the average bear how cracks work.
If you follow my advice and it works, send beer, if it doesnt send beer anyway.
Good luck with it.

PaulS · Posted: Sat Jun 08, 2019 7:29 pm Post subject: Re: Sako trigger / safety

As has been mentioned there are dyes that can be used to look for cracks and there is also small magnaflux kits too.
If that trigger is like the Remington that I had the housing is either zinc or aluminum - either way they become a problem with age.
I replaced the trigger in my 581 22 RF with a Timney trigger for the 788. I had to rework it a bit but I made it work. I tried twice to fix the one in it but it would stop returning to battery after about ten shots. It would warp and bind the trigger. I did everything I could and finally had the choice of building a new one or replacing it to make the 788 trigger work.I chose the new trigger because it was adjustable and I knew I could make it work.