Thread: Sako A1 Open Sights?

A query for all you Sako gurus out there: did the A1 (222 Rem cal) come from the factory with open sights? My A1 and the other well preserved ones I have seen (likely ex NZ Police issue) have no open sights. Which is interesting as it’s predecessor the L461 is typically found with open sights I think. I’m wondering if open sights were by special order only for the A1, at least in NZ?

From the large amount of Sako L461 & A1 I have had, you will find all sorts of open sights set ups, most of the NZ Police Sakos had open sights from the ones I had & a few which were from the US (Stoeger engraved on them) & I believe were for the AOS had clean barrels, this could be a hold over from the days of bad parallax in scopes & only the rifle issued to a officer & sighted in by him was scoped & the ones in the armoury rack that could be drawn on had open sights as all would shoot the same ?

There are two types of open sights found on Sako's either the Express/open sights where both front and rear sights are barrel mounted or an aperture rear which mounts to the rear bridge on the Sako dovetails. I would sugguest trying to source the latter if you only have a blade mounted to the barrel.

I did a wee writeup on the L461 with the aperture rear, here: https://sakocollectors.com/forum/thr...-has-it.16426/

Mine had open sights till it was rebarreled

I went totally old school on my A1 for a bit before I sold it. Really nice to carry without a scope.