. for other uses see sako disambiguation . sako limited type subsidiary industry defense founded 1921 headquarters riihim ki finland products firearms weapon revenue unknown parent beretta holding website www.sako.fi sako limited suojeluskuntain ase ja konepaja oy civil guard gun and machiningworks ltd is a finnish firearm manufacturer located in riihim ki . it is now owned by the italian firearms holding company beretta holding . contents 1 origins 2 post world war ii production 3 current production 4 sako model history europe 4.1 models 5 notes 6 external links origins edit in 1919 two years after finland declared independence from the russian empire the suojeluskuntain yliesikunnan asepaja civil guard supreme staff gun works opened in a former helsinki brewery to repair private arms and recondition russian military rifles for finnish service . the rifle repair shop became financially independent of the civil guard in 1921 . the suojeluskuntain yliesikunnan asepaja moved from helsinki to an ammunition factory in riihim ki on 1 june 1927 and reorganized as sako in the 1930s . sako started exporting pistol cartridges to sweden in the 1930s and continued manufacturing submachinegun cartridges through world war ii . 1 the firearms manufacturer tikkakoski which owned the tikka brand was merged into sako in 1983 . the valtion kiv ritehdas vkt opened at tourula jyv skyl in 1925 had become a part of valmet in the 1950s and in 1987 the state owned valmet and sako fused into sako valmet with ownership split evenly between nokia and valmet . after several organizational shifts in state ownership the sako name remained for the privately owned gun and cartridge producing company located in the cities of riihim ki and jyv skyl former valmet factory in tourula which was later closed . the company now is owned by beretta holdings . post world war ii production edit the first civilian rifle bearing the sako name was the l42 luodikko rifle model 1942 chambered for the 7 33mm sako cartridge prototyped in 1942 and commercial production started after world war ii . sako developed the 7 33mm cartridge based on the 9 19mm parabellum pistol cartridge by making a longer case and necking the case down to 7 mm calibre 7.21 mm bullet diameter . this cartridge was designed for and well suited to capercaille and black grouse hunting a popular sport in finland sweden and norway . the l46 was later denoted l461 vixen . the l461 has been very popular in finland and sweden especially chambered for the .222 remington cartridge and has an almost mythical status among aficionados . citation needed in 1957 sako launched a longer action the l57 subsequently renamed l579 forester . this is a medium action intended for the .308 winchester and similar cartridges . in 1961 sako introduced the l61r finnbear for the long cartridges like the .30 06 6.5 55mm and similar . for a short while between 1959 and 1974 sako produced a lever action gun the sako finnwolf in .243 winchester and .308 winchester . sako has also produced a number of rimfire rifles among those are the p72 finnscout the m78 the finnfire and the quad . the m78 was also chambered for the .22 hornet and the .22 wmr in addition to the .22 lr . during the 1980s 1987 sako started using the ai aii av designations previously used for models imported to the us for the three action lengths in europe . the complete rifles were still designated l461 l579 l61 . the bolt was given a slight cosmetic makeover with the hammer covered by a conical shell . this visual design was also used on the later models m4 5 691 m75 m85 . the l579 could be delivered with detachable magazine although the default was a hinged floorplate . from 1987 to 1992 a version of the short vixen action was produced for the .22 ppc and 6mm ppc cartridges when sako introduced these former wildcat cartridges as commercial cartridges denoted .22 ppc usa and 6mm ppc usa to avoid confusion with the specialized bench rest cartridges which required a tight neck chamber . these actions are the same external dimensions and have the same bolt diameter as the 222 remington 222 rem . magnum 223 rem . cartridge actions . only the bolt face recess was enlarged to suit the ppc case . in 1992 the first of the newer sakos the 591 was introduced as a replacement for the l579 . shortly after the 491 and the 691 were launched . these rifles 491 591 691 are not as highly regarded as the l461 l579 l61r and according to folklore the quality of the workmanship is slightly inferior for the 491 591 691 . they featured a separate recoil lug also found on the 75 and a tikka trigger assembly . however these rifles were available in left hand configuration both as a medium action 591 and long action 691 in 1997 sako launched the m75 named for sako s 75th anniversary . the 75 was externally similar to previous sako models but the construction was radically different featuring three symmetrical locking lugs and a detachable magazine . before the 75 sako hunting rifles except the l46 and the l579 did not have detachable magazines but a hinged floorplate with the lock placed on the front of the trigger guard . sako s latest and current model the m85 was introduced in 2006 . current production edit sako 85 centerfire rifle . this is a premium hunting rifle available in many configurations and calibers from 204 ruger through 416 rem mag . sako quad rimfire rifle . this rifle is available in a variety of configurations and has interchangeable barrels in calibers .17 hm2 .17 hmr .22 long rifle and .22 wmr . sako trg centerfire rifle . this is a long range sniper rifle geared toward law enforcement and military use . sako a7 centerfire rifle . this is sako s mid price range hunting rifle filling the gap between their premium line of sako 85 hunting rifles and their value line of tikka t3 hunting rifles . the a7 combines different features from the sako 85 and the tikka t3 along with a unique in line detachable magazine design and is currently 2010 available only with a synthetic stock in combination with either a blued chromoly or stainless steel barrelled action . sako model history europe edit introduced model chambered for comments 1942 l42 7 33mm sako 1946 l46 5.6 35mmr .22 hornet .218 bee .222 rem .222 rem mag .25 20 win 7 33mm sako .32 20 win detachable magazine 1954 p54 p54t .22 lr 195 m98 .270 win .30 06 .300 h & h 8 60mm 9.3 62mm .375 h & h fn m98 action sako stock and barrel 1957 l57 .243 win .244 rem .308 win fixed magazine 1959 l579 forester .22 250 .243 win .308 win fixed magazine later in production detachable as option 1961 l461 vixen .17 rem .222 rem .222 rem mag .223 rem 7 33mm sako fixed magazine 1961 l61r finnbear .264 win .270 win 30 06 three locking lugs two in front and one on the rear end of the bolt 1961 l61r finnbear magnum 7mm rem mag .300 win mag .300 h & h .338 win mag .375 h & h three locking lugs two in front and one on the rear end of the bolt 1963 vl63 finnwolf .243 win .244 rem .308 win .358 win lever action 1972 l61r finnbear .25 06 rem 6.5 55mm .270 win 7 64mm .30 06 9.3 62mm two locking lugs in front 1972 l61r finnbear magnum 7mm rem mag .300 win mag .338 win mag .375 h & h two locking lugs in front 1972 p72 finnscout .22 lr .22 wmr 1974 sako m74 super .222 rem .223 rem .22 250 .243 win .308 win .25 06 .270 win .30 06 .264 mag 7mm rem mag .300 win mag .300 h & h .338 win mag .375 h & h 1975 p75 .22 hornet 1978 m78 finnscout .22 lr .22 wmr .22 hornet 1979 80 ai l461 .17 rem .222 rem .223 rem also available as single shot action 1987 ai l461 ppc .22 ppc usa 6mm ppc usa also available as single shot action 1979 80 aii l579 .22 250 rem .243 win 7mm 08 .308 win also available as single shot action 1979 80 aiii early version of the av short tang 1979 80 aiv 1979 80 av l61r .25 06 rem 6.5 55 .270 win 7 64 .30 06 9.3 62mm long tang 1979 80 av mag l61r magnum 7mm rem mag .300 win mag .300 wby .338 win mag .375 h & h .416 rem mag .458 win mag has been produced on special order 1982 vl63 finnwolf sako collectors association .243 win .308 win lever action 1988 m579 sm super match .308 win 1989 trg 21 .308 win three locking lugs in front detachable magazine 1989 trg 41 .300 win mag .338 lapua mag three locking lugs in front detachable magazine 1992 m591 left hand .22 250 .243 win 7mm 08 rem .308 win 1993 s491 .17 rem .222 rem .223 rem .22 ppc usa 6mm ppc usa 1993 m591 .22 250 .243 win 7mm 08 rem .308 wi n 1993 l691 .25 06 6.5 55mm .270 win 7 64 .280 rem .30 06 9.3 62mm 1993 l691 mag .270 wby 7mm rem mag 7mm wby .300 win mag .300 wby .338 win mag .340 wby .375 h & h .416 rem mag 1995 m995 trg s .25 06 6.5 55mm .270 win .280 rem 7 64mm .308 win .30 06 9.3 62mm three locking lugs in front detachable magazine 1995 m995 trg s magnum .270 wby 7mm rem mag 7mm wby 7mm stw 7.21 mm firebird .300 win mag .300 wby 7.82 mm warbird .30 378 wby .338 win mag .340 wby .338 lapua mag .375 h & h .416 rem mag three locking lugs in front detachable magazine 1997 sako m75 i .222 rem .223 rem three locking lugs in front detachable magazine 1997 sako m75 ii .22 ppc usa 6mm ppc usa three locking lugs in front detachable magazine 1997 sako m75 iii .22 250 .243 win .260 rem 7mm 08 rem .308 win three locking lugs in front detachable magazine 1997 sako m75 sm .270 wsm .300 wsm three locking lugs in front detachable magazine 1997 sako m75 iv .25 06 6.5 55mm .270 win 7 64mm .30 06 9.3 62 9.3 66mm sako three locking lugs in front detachable magazine 1997 sako m75 v 7mm rem mag .300 win mag .375 h & h .416 rem mag three locking lugs in front detachable magazine 1999 trg 22 .260 rem as of 2011 .308 win three locking lugs in front detachable magazine 1999 trg 42 .300 win mag .338 lapua mag three locking lugs in front detachable magazine 2001 sako m75 v safari anniversary model .375 h & h three locking lugs in front detachable magazine 2001 sako finnfire p94s .22 lr 2006 sako quad .17 mach 2 .17 hmr .22 lr .22 wmr interchangeable barrels 2006 sako m85 xs .204 ruger .222 remington .223 remington three locking lugs in front detachable magazine 2006 sako m85 s .22 250 .243 win .260 rem 7mm 08 rem .308 win .338 federal three locking lugs in front detachable magazine 2006 sako m85 sm .270 wsm 7mm wsm .300 wsm three locking lugs in front detachable magazine 2006 sako m85 m .25 06 6.5 55mm .270 win 7 64mm .30 06 9.3 62mm 9.3 66mm sako three locking lugs in front detachable magazine 2006 sako m85 l 7mm rem mag .300 win mag .338 win mag .375 h & h mag three locking lugs in front detachable magazine 2011 sako trg m10 .308 win .300 win mag .338 lapua mag user configurable multi caliber modular sniper