Located aVery Rare H&R Ultra bolt rifle Imported by Sako

[Hammer It]

Hello I Recently picked up a Very Rare Bird Indeed. I was in one of our local guns shops the day before yesterday and spotted a neat Mauser action rifle and asked to see it, as the owner had just traded it in. My suspicions were spot on, as it was Indeed a Rare H&R rifle Imported by Sako. It was wearing a very early Leupold 3-9 scope that was produced prior to the Vari-X series and showed it's age by the Plum color of the scope tube, but the optics of it's Duplex recticle were crystal clear. These rifles were made in the early 1960's time span and sent to H&R The trigger and actions are made by Sako and the barrels were made by Douglas custom barrels. The stocks were Fagen and checkered at the H&R Factory by some in house older woman there. The Trigger assembly is fully adjstable for creep and pull and is stamped Made in Finland. There were very, very few of these made and in my 35 Plus years of gun shows from the East to West coast and after going though hundred's of Gun shops I have only seen one other like this stamped by H&R. This one is chambered in .308 Winchester and it is a pure tack driver as shown with the sight in Target I shot at the 100 Yard line yesterday with it. The final hits were Four in the Ten ring smaller than an actual dime using some Basic Federal Power shock factory ammo. I can't wait to start hand loading for this after seeing what it would do with just factory ammo. I will be taking it afield this weekend for our opener of Our Gun Deer Season. Regards, Hammer It

 

[taylorce1]

Nice rifle but that isn't the Sako version that is an FN Mauser action imported by H&R. Very good quality action and a very fine rifle. Anyway I have a JC Higgins rifle that is made by FN as well.

 

[Hammer It]

Nice rifle but that isn't the Sako version that is an FN Mauser action imported by H&R. Very good quality action and a very fine rifle. Anyway I have a JC Higgins rifle that is made by FN as well.

Well I wasn't told that. It sure Is Certainly Is not stamped FN anywhere on the action but I did Recently have contact with a former sales agent for H&R that worked there when these were made and sold and here is what he shared with me, and I would say someone that sold them and distributed them when they were made should know what they were and where they came from, or who made them. Regards, Hammer It







Sir, Your Ultra Bolt rifle sounds like it was one of the rifles built on a Sako (Made in Finland - push feed) action. H&R bought the actions, used Fajen stocks (farmed out checkering to a couple of local ladies) and they had Douglas custom pencil style sporter barrels on them. I had a Sako Ultra Mannlicher-stocked 7 mm Remington Magnum on loan from the factory. Handsome gun if you like the extreme stock styling. Dumb chambering - gun was a 20" carbine. Loud as hell! Shortly before I started working for them, the deal with Sako for the actions fell through in the Late 1960's time span, and H&R started using the Yugoslavian Zavasta Mauser ( true '98 actions.) Your gun is far superior, at least as far as the action is concencerned. All these guns were virtually custom made at H&R, and total production of all Ultras was very low. They were built in small batches and usually sat in inventory until an order came in. Personally never cared for the styling of the wood, and in 1980 - I think - they came out with an additional "Classic" model. These guns didn't last long because H&R went belly up in the early 80's. Hope this is of some help.

 

[mapsjanhere]

Well, as your action clearly says "made in Belgium" and looks like a post-war FN commercial Mauser action the Finish connection is a bit weak...

 

[taylorce1]

Sir, Your Ultra Bolt rifle sounds like it was one of the rifles built on a Sako (Made in Finland - push feed) action.

Well first I'd take these pictures and send them back to your H&R expert since it sounds like you never sent him any. That action is obviously a Fabrique Nationale action made in Belgium not a Sako made in Finland. Second your rifle has a claw extractor and is a controlled round feed not a push feed. Plus if you compare your rifle to this rifle H&R Ultra Wildcat you'll notice some obvious differences between the two rifles the first one is the quality of wood used and the bolt release on the LH side of the action.

Certainly Is not stamped FN anywhere on the action

Here is a picture of your FN stamp that is on the left side of your action right next to "ACTION-MADE IN BELGIUM".

I'm not trying to detract from your rifle which is a very fine and desirable rifle. I'd be very proud to own that rifle as well and you should enjoy your purchase. Its just that rifle isn't the Sako version of the H&R Ultra.

 

[natman]

It's a very nice rifle, but that is definitely an FN commercial Mauser action made in Belgium, not a Sako made in Finland.

 

[HiBC]

Nice rifle!!I have run across a few of the H+R rifles.I talked a friend who was looking for a rifle into buying one many years ago.

The pictures show me an FN Mauser Supreme action.While I also think the Sako is a very fine action,in a hunting rifle,I do not think the FN Supreme takes a back seat to a Sako.

If I recall correctly,the H+R I talked my friend into had a roto-forged barrel,and they left the pattern of the roto=forging in trhe barrel's finish.

In any case,its a quality Keeper!!thanks.

 

[Jim Watson]

H&R did have a line of "Ultras"* on Sako actions but only the short "Vixen" A I size for .223 and 17-.223 that I have ever seen.

Bigger calibers were on FN Mausers which is what is shown here.
The trigger housing is marked "Made in Finland" because the TRIGGER was made in Finland by Sako. FN used Sako triggers on a number of Mauser sporting actions sold under various brand names until they could tool up for their own. The action was made in Belgium just like it says right on the gun.

Blue Book lists some other combinations but they seem less common than those two.

*H&R has been using the "Ultra" trademark for a long time. There was the Ultra Sportsman top break .22 of the 1930s and the Ultra Sidekick hand ejector .22 of the 1960s. Then they used it on their line of nicely finished centerfire rifles as seen here.