Thread: NZ Police Sako 222

A longish question for the historians on the forum.

Way back in 1993, NZ Police disposed of their Sako 222Rem bolt action rifles, which were subsequently released to the NZ market through numerous dealers around the country.
They seem to have been supplied with both the L461 and A1 variants of the "Vixen". There may have been others.

I'm trying to gather some information on those rifles; specifically:-
what was their designated purpose,
who was the original supplier to NZ Police,
what was the quantity supplied,
what type of "iron" sight was fitted - rear of barrel blade, or receiver mounted aperture (or either-model dependant),
were any of them supplied with a telescopic sight,
if so, what make and type.

Many thanks to anybody who has the knowledge.

49er

I heard an old school mate by the name Ken Watson (ex Chch) was an armourer for Police about then. A long shot I know but if it helps.......

Thanks, it might.
Can you indicate how I might contact him?

49er

Sorry. Google etc no doubt your best bet. It would be thirty years ago

Most of them were sold through Sportways in Auckland. I remember selecting mine out of about 200 such rifles there. It has the nicest fancy walnut and was inscribed Takapuna Police. They were graded with the most expensive 795 dollars, then 695 and 595. Chris Zeisler was the man there then but I got mine from Duncan who I think now works for Cameron Sports. Perhaps you could ring him there. None had scopes but all had open sights.

Originally Posted by garyp

Most of them were sold through Sportways in Auckland. I remember selecting mine out of about 200 such rifles there. It has the nicest fancy walnut and was inscribed Takapuna Police. They were graded with the most expensive 795 dollars, then 695 and 595. Chris Zeisler was the man there then but I got mine from Duncan who I think now works for Cameron Sports. Perhaps you could ring him there. None had scopes but all had open sights.

Dunc fled Auckland and has been in Nelson (or Blenheim cannot remember which) for quite a few years. He would certainly be the guy though to fill the gaps. He is on the "other" forum as Flintlock if anyone is a member there and keen to ask him.

Thanks for the input garyp/zimmer.
I too bought some of the Sakos from Sportways (and others) when Duncan was at the 'shed. I will try and track him down to enquire if he has any other pieces of the puzzle.
The salient info' is still elusive though. It's not so much what happened to them after police divested themselves of these fine rifles, but their specifications etc. when they were originally distributed as the "issue" rifle.
The info' search continues.

49er

I have a Khales 2 1/2 power scope that I bought from Duncan at the Shed that came off a police Sako and I have seen the Police abusing scoped Sako's at the Ardmore range they appeared to have the Khales 2 1/2 scope
fitted.

Originally Posted by no1_49er

A longish question for the historians on the forum.

Way back in 1993, NZ Police disposed of their Sako 222Rem bolt action rifles, which were subsequently released to the NZ market through numerous dealers around the country.
They seem to have been supplied with both the L461 and A1 variants of the "Vixen". There may have been others.

I'm trying to gather some information on those rifles; specifically:-
what was their designated purpose,
who was the original supplier to NZ Police,
what was the quantity supplied,
what type of "iron" sight was fitted - rear of barrel blade, or receiver mounted aperture (or either-model dependant),
were any of them supplied with a telescopic sight,
if so, what make and type.

Many thanks to anybody who has the knowledge.

49er

The purpose of the rifles was just general Police isse and they replaced the No4 .303 rifles. The original supplier would have been Allan G Mitchell Ltd who were the Sako agents. Quantity I do not know but sufficient to supply every police station in NZ, with multiple rifes in the bigger stations. The sights were the barrel -mounted tangent ramp rear sight and square blade ramp-mounted front sight with a detachable hood. The AOS may have had some with telescopic sights but I have no specific info on them.

Thanks for the info' about sights and the original supplier. Gives me a few more lines of enquiry to pursue.

Maybe I should expand on the reason for the quite specific original enquiry.
I spend quite a bit of my time working in Australia where I continue to enjoy competitive marksmanship.
One of the disciplines that I indulge in is "Service Rifle". The ozzies are a bit touchy about anything that they perceive as being not quite within the "spirit of the rules". Lee Enfields, Swedish Mausers, Mosins etc. are all OK, but a Sako?
Set the cat amongst the pigeons, so to say! So now the "powers that be" set up a series of hoops to jump through; hence the original question.
I have been able to establish in the affirmative that the Sakos of that model were indeed NZ Police issue, but the specifics of sights, in particular, has drawn a vexed question as to what precisely they were issued with. Some may have been scoped and others just iron sights. Getting documentation to that effect is proving somewhat difficult. I'm not sure that Allan G Mitchell, or its successor, exists or whether documentation could be provided. Anecdotal evidence doesn't quite cut it.
And I really don't want to back off in the quest to have another legitimate, authenticated, "service rifle" approved for use within the Australian rules.
Isn't that what evolution is about?

Go to the police mate , a lot of there armourers have been there for ever so that's where I would start and you would get a response with a official police letterhead it would be pretty hard to argue against that.

Thanks for the replies, folks.

I'll try to contact one of the police armourers. Hopefully they're not averse to supplying "official" information.

49er