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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ส.ค. 2024
- Lakelander rifles are a great addition to any gun collection. Rifles with the name Varberger or Kongsberg are also very worth keeping an eye out for. Join me for a close look at these great rifles and learn what to look for next time you are shopping around those used gun racks. Also, please consider supporting my efforts on You Tube by making a donation or pledge using the following links for Patreon and Paypal. You can also now follow me on Instagram for other great gun "tidbits".
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Hi. Thanks for charing. I was the last person who built Varberger In Sweden. We stop making them because they were to expensive to produce. Many of the tools that making magazine and trigger was worn out. It was to expensive to make new tools. It took four hour to get a trigger function well. The man who constructed them was named Lars Andersson. It can be another person to. I have here'd divergent storys. That vas Lakelander and produces as you say in Finland by "Tampereen Asepaja OY". Varberger when I make them in the begining of 2000 has 6 bolt lugs. In 2004 we tried to blast a Varberger. We did it on the Norma factory in Åmotfors Sweden. We filled a 30-06 case whit Norma R1 powder (pistol powder) and put a 11 gram Norma Vulcan bullet in the case. Then we hammered one more 11 gram Vulkan 10" in the barrel and fired the gun.(Whit a rope o corse). The case melted and the pressure went the right way to the evacuation hole and down to the magazine. The action, bolt and barrel survived. It was a little "bump" in the barrel. I filmed it but I lost the film. But I have picture of it I you are intressed.
wow! really insteresting story, thank you guys for making such beautiful rifle
Really great to hear your tale. History about varberger is hard to come by, so thanks for sharing!
PS. I just bought myself a varberger, a beautiful rifle indeed.
I always learn something new from your video content. Thank you Sir.
My privilege Stephen
Always appreciate you sharing your collection. You give the world wide group of us 'wood and steel' folks who gather 'round your channel the opportunity to see and learn about guns we may not have ever heard of otherwise. Many thanks, Mr. Mike.
Thank you Paul!
The Lakelanders were originally made in the seventies by Tampereen Asepaja Oy, "Tampere Gunsmiths Ltd.", or TAP. Tampere is one of the larger cities in Finland. The designers were Torsti Laaksonen and Jali Timari, then the majority shareholder and ceo, who later designed the JaTiMatic sumachine gun. Laaksonen was a partner and technical director. Both were talented gunsmiths, and TAP had a reputation for quality. Timari passed on a long while ago, in the nineties I think. Laaksonen is still involved in the industry, see lynxrifles.fi/about/ for his current work and history, including some words on the lakelanders. There apparently were some efforts to restart the production of finnish lakelanders in recent years, I assume by whoever currently owns the trademarks. Local and EU efforts to kill the firearms market probably have doomed any start ups, though.
Thank you stereomike111! Much appreciated. I am trying to get a Lynx - no luck yet. The EU should stop the move to no guns. Not that long ago there were tanks and chaos from different countries in all kinds of European cities. People from America with guns restored some kind of order. Tanks can roll anytime again - and people ought to be able to do something. Even if there is gun crime - nothing compares with the loss of freedom. IMHO.
I own a Kongsberg 393 in 6.5 swede. Norwegian made. Pros are very good accuracy, dovetail joint action, deluxe stock and three point safety. Cons are a somewhat conspicuous, if not random, build quality. We have three in the family, differently built. Mine tends to squeeze big lapua projectiles if rounds are not placed in the rear end of magazine. Great rifles though, and another great video.
Thank you for a very nice video!
My father bought a new Lakelander 375 308w in 1983.. I was 6 years old.. I can still remember when he steped out of the car, with his new rifle! ☺
Great memory...
Thank you again for the nice video!
All the best from Sweden.
David Karlsson.
Hi David! So few viewers heard of the Lakelander - hope the rifle still goes hunting! Thanks for the kind words.
Hey it’s me again Mike! I just found this now 4 year old video of yours. Another great one. I have never heard of the Lake Lander or any of the other iterations you showed and will probably never have one. However you did include one of my favorite things with your table decorations. Both volumes 1 and 2 of the Fourth Edition “HORNADY HANDBOOK OF CARTRIDGE RELOADING” from 1991. I got mine a few years ago in perfect condition for $5.00 USC from a gentleman who was selling off excess shooting related items. One of the best $5.00 I ever spent. I know they are outdated and I have the newest Hornady reloading manual but I still use some of the loads in the 1991 edition, particularly for 250-3000 in my 1951 Savage model 99EG. Happy hunting!
Hi Mike - those are great books! The amount of information is fantastic! The 250-3000 remains a superb performer - and stable velocities and superb accuracy. I like the 22-250 for similar reasons. Thanks Mike
I've been waiting for this video for over 2 years now, this is a good day, thank you!
You're a patient man - sorry for taking so long.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns No worries, it was well worth the wait :D
I have a Varberger Swedish made 6 lug rifle in .270 Win but the stock has been re cut & upgraded to a classic English sporting stock with a small cheek piece which doesn’t raise the comb height, and a rose wood tip & base to the pistol grip.
I keep thinking of swapping it for a new Tikka in camo & stainless / synthetic stock, but get stopped every time by the fact that it looks gorgeous & shoots far better than I can now with 63 year old eyes. My cousin’s son who is in his 30’s & is a good shot tried it, looked at the clover leaf group & said keep it & leave it to me in your’ will.
I may do just that, but I hope he’ at least my age before he gets it!
You have a superb rifle, as you know. They don't build rifles like yours anymore. A keeper.
Couldn’t be presented in a more simplistic manner. Keep up the good work USOG !
I have a Kongsberg 393 in 9,3 62. With a KKC stock. Very accurate,and in exellent condition.
Good video, I have a Varberger 717 30-06 in walnut finish, I just love it. The accuracy is amazing 👍
I probably have the only Lakelander 375 in 7mm remington magnum in Australia. Love the rifle, made in Sweden and in excellent condition. I love your channel and appreciate your in depth technical information on our beautiful timber and blued barrel rifles. So much classic class. Great videos, thank you. Dennis McCann
A couple of weeks ago I bought myself a used left handed Kongsberg 393 in 9,3x64, a bit larger caliber than I was planning on, but the price was good and I might change the barrel to a 308 later. The stock also has some small cracks that are not a problem, but I might get a KKC stock. Only downside is that the left handed version of the stock is only available in blanks.
Thanks USOG for bringing these videos, they are highly informational and I wouldn't have concidered "old" guns if I hadn't watched your videos. As a Norwegian myself I also like the idea of buying Norwegian weapons.
My main hunting rifle is a Swedish-made Varberger 777 Lyx (luxury) in 338 win mag. Excellent rifle and very smooth action.
I never heard of any of these rifles the one thing I hate more than the Devil is a Monte Carlo stock they always bit my cheek when I purchased a Remington 700 BDL years ago in came with a classic stock also the Ruger M77 , thanks for showing us part of your collection.
I know what you mean Bob - the 77 is a classic and the stock is as well.
Thankfully the monte carlo isn't trendy any more... it is completely useless, and does not level the comb as it is thought to do. What it does is to lower the buttplate.
Yes indeed, another thanks for your videos, you're the best...Thanks for the Ruger 77 video too!
Thanks Brian!
Lakelander M389 was remarkable rifle with pretty high performance and outstading accuracy in mid 1970's. The rifle designer's grandson tried to make a production. But by some reason,he couldn't make it. On my knowledge,it is the forgotten legend in gun world.
Varberger, Lakelander and Kongsberg are pretty much the same guns. I own a Varberger 777 Lyx. If you ever get your hands on a Varberger Super Light Kevlar, please review it. I have been after one for years and can't seem to find one here in Sweden, even though the rifles used to be made here when they were in production. I have found a few in Italy, but not a single one here.
There is a gunsmith here in Sweden, P-O Stenmark, he purchased Varberger's entire inventory after the company went bankrupt. He still makes some custom Varberger rifles.
Some Varberger rifles have a problem (i think it is the rifles with more than 4 numbers in the serial number, atleast that what i have been told and read.) with the bolt release button, it breaks and the bolt does not stay in the receiver.
Thanks for writing. I have one with exactly that problem. Please let me know how to reach the gunsmith is Sweden. Also, I could use a new stock. Thanks for your help in advance. I'll watch out for the Super Light - I didn't know they exist. Cheers.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns This is the gunsmiths website. www.kolvmakeri.se/index.php?page&id=5
The page i linked is his contact page. In "Namn", write your name, "E-mail", says itself, and finally "Meddelande" is your message.
You can also try to reach him on the email directly from your gmail or what ever you might use! Here is the email in case the website is not working properly " po@kolvmakeri.se ".
Nice timing with this video. Just found a left-handed Lakelander sporter in .308 for 700 euro, picking it up next week. Shiny bore, very slick.
Left-handed is just about impossible to find - good work and spotting. I think you'll find it an exceptional rifle.
My grandpa was 100 percent danish. Im going to need to add a lakelander to my collection. Thats a sweet action.
They really are fine rifles - hope you find one.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns working on it!
What a fantastic rifle design, and it just goes to show that there is a world of rifles beyond the usual suspects that first come to mind. For myself, one of the great things about your channel is how you bring to the fore rifles that generally aren't well known here in the U.S.A.
Thanks for the vid. Love the h&r nef buffalo classic behind you.
Me too - an incredibly fine single shot.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns For the money they were a bargain, with such character and soooo fun to shoot with black powder cartridges. Shame they're gone. NEF was part of that old Connecticut river valley of firearms makers in a way.
Thank you very much for the great vids!
You are indeed amazing, Sir. I came across a Kongsberg Lakelander today and wanted to make some research and...your video was the first to turn up! The one I saw is in 243 Win, quite good condition. I got intrigued with its unconventional mechanics. You know that we like to stamp and date everything here in Europe, and this one had 1993 on it, not sure if its manufacture date or import date or proof date. Thank you for your informative video. I had not made the connection to the Schönauer rifle, though - so thanks for that, too.
Hi Jon - I'm glad my video was helpful. The .243 is rare in the Lakelander - hope you bought it. They're such fine rifles - I shoot my 6PPC regularly - which is scarce as well.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns unfortunately, it was in an auction and the price rocketed further than what I was budgeting spend. But I’ll keep eyes peeled in future.
They produced Kongsberg 393 from 1993 to 2009 in Kongsberg smal arms.
Fantastic quality rifles.
Fantastic - I agree!
again thank you, never even knew these rifles existed.
Thanks Red
Nice video thanks for uploading, I recently ordered a Varbeger 717 left 6.5x55 in great condition, intended for targetshooting.
After having talked to various dealers and other people in the business here in Sweden I decided to go for this particular Varberger in my search of a decent longrange rifle as they seem more accurate than other brands available used for lefthand shooters!
Great decision - the rifle won't disappoint. They should never have stopped making them!
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns Thanks for your input here, it remains to be seen but I guess it is a pretty decent rifle to start with as a testing for long-range shooting considered, have bought me all the necessary stuff to compliment for the task ;-)
I've got a Finnish Lakelander 30-06 hunting rifle and a Norwegian heavy barrel Kongsberg 393 target rifle in 308. Both are great rifles. I thought it was interesting that my 308 has the same length action as the 30-06, with just a spacer to keep the shorter cartridges at the back of the magazine. My brother has a pair of Swedish made rifles in 6.5x55, one is marked as a Lakelander, and the other is marked as a Varberger. It seems that quite a few of the Finnish and Swedish made versions have been imported to Canada in recent years, and they can be had for less than a new Savage.
Nice. Never heard of them before. Gotta look into them now.
Hope you find one. : )
Did not know those rifles existed. Excellent info! :-). I will be on the look out for them in my travels.
Hi Rick - unique and slick - they knew what they were doing. Hope you get one.
Just ordered a used Kongsberg Lakelander 389 in 30-06 from a gunshop here in Norway. Too bad these rifle is no longer in production. Seems to be good hunting and target rifles.
Hello Fun - Those Kongsbergs are fantastic - mine were accurate and very well made - and interesting! Glad you've got one on the way to you.
Nice looking rifles my friend, it's not uncommon to see interesting firearms on your channel that I have never seen anywhere else. God Bless you Sir.
The Lakelander is scarce for sure - God Bless
Good stuff
Beautiful rifles. Always thought these were excellent guns.
You're one of the few that knows of them. I agree.
I love long barrels
Can't go wrong with them.
The 9 lugs were pressed to the barrel under high pressure giving them a 100% contact. This also means that changing bolt or barrel should result in a degradation of contact, at least in theory.
The process of mating the bolt to the barrel was expensive and complicated, they failed at making this process cost-effective and it became a big bottleneck. This is why later models tried to reduce the number of lugs.
Basically, this rifle was ahead of its time.
(do note that this is info I've found on blogs and forum posts so take it with a grain of salt)
Very good research - thank you - I like the press contact method; unfortunate that manufacturing methods couldn't make viable an excellent design. I guess these things happen though. Thanks again.
Wonderful video 🇨🇦🤙🏼
Thank you Keith.
Really Cool Rifle 😳😮😮😀😊Never Heard Of It My Brother Lived in Helsinki Finland for 2 Years He Never Saw One Either 😎👍🏼
Hi Chris - they sort of came and went...yet were among the best. People are telling me some kind of corporate challenges made things difficult.
I know exactly what you mean about the target model. There is one for sale here in Canada, looking to be in excellent shape, but perhaps a little pricey. There are also quite a few Varberger's about, and many seem to get scooped-up by the folks in Yukon and such. That speaks very highly of their dependability.
I do find it interesting that lugs remind me of the 788, but locking in the front, not the rear. Given the timing, I'd say Mr Andersson might have been a little bit inspired by the 788's simplicity before "He was awarded a gold medal for his design at the inventor fair Eurika in Brussels in 1976." It is great that Google can translate.
Oh, North61 has a Varberger in 358 Norma Mag. Check out his channel on it... impressive.
And now I am the proud owner of a 30-06 TAP-375. Looking forward to it's arrival. :)
Amazing - no idea how you find one so fast. Congrats - I think you'll find the rifle excellent. I have messages from a number of people looking for them. Hard to find.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns Happy to share that in Canada, Trade Ex is the importer to look at. And yes, there is one one of those Sporter models in 6.5x55 right now. A little too dear for my budget, since a 284 Win Model 88 is tempting me.
Man, very impressive collection!
What ever happened to that LakeLander with the Lubrigold finish on everything and all the advanced features that made its way around the gun magazine circles back in the early '90s?
I expected it to become a common rifle.
Hello! I wonder as well. Too bad the Lakelander didn't last - such fine rifles.
I own 2 Finnish ones in almost perfect condition they were my fathers.
Hard to find - people used these rifles and most are in hunting shape. Nice that you have exceptions : )
I love mine so much ever since I got it steel pillar bedded by a gunsmith. Does .6-.8 MOA with 123gr handloads, very comfortable and reliable. Left handed with a heavy target stock and large ball bolt handle. I'm not the best shot with such a crisp trigger, though. What's the lightest you can safely adjust a trigger on one of these? What are the functions of the two screws?
Hi - Great that you have the Lakelander - the 2 screws are usually take-up and overtravel; some have a screw for sear engagement but lawyers don't like those as many people adjust their triggers to an impractical weight. My Lake is at about 4 pounds and that's fine for me. Take care.
hi sir, this is awesome video! it was adventure to watch your videos. i just bought my lakelander from a small retailer. its in bad shape, trigger guard in 2 pieces, missing sights, but the action and design made me pay the bill. So my question is, does rem 700 trigger guard fit in the rifle?
Hello! Thank you! I had to use the Dremel but the Remington ADL trigger guard looks perfect. I think I had to glue in a small block of wood on the inside of the Varberger I have and then 1 wood screw in the front ADl trigger guard and everything was 100%. Glad you bought the rifle - I buy those wounded ones just about every time.
A while back, I picked up a TAP-375, chambered in .308Win. Unfortunately, it needs a new barrel. Do you happen to know the tenon size, or possibly where I could find the specs? Thanks in advance. Your channel is great!
I asked a guy who worked there for many years
He said Factory is still open, no complete rifles offered ,but lot of parts availble
Lakelander 375 Sweden 9 Locking lugs , Lakelander Sweden 6 Lugs
Lakelander 389 Norway 3 Locking Lugs ,Varberg Sweden 6 locki g lugs ,,
Kongsberg 389 lock lugs , Varberg 3 Lugs
Hello MrPh30 - this is so helpful. If possible and convenient, pease ask the fellow if they have any trigger complete assemblies and bolt stops. Or maybe it is simpler if he gives you contact information and I can approach them myself. I have a Lakelander that needs those parts. Any assistance would be much appreciated. Also, any stocks they might have, Many thanks!
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns I will ask him about it.
Thank you!
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns Hi from Sweden! Great channel! "P-O:s kolvmakeri" bought the whole
bankrupt's estate after Varberger in 2008. They have spare parts for Lakelander/Varberger. www.kolvmakeri.se/
Very nice rifle. Anyone know what weaver/picatiny mount fits it?
I have a lake lander 270 made in sweden
Fantastic rifle
Seems to me like Scandinavian countries have a better grasp on how the human hand naturally forms around anything from gunstocks to knife, axe and hatchet handles. If you ever grip a wooden axe or hatchet handle made over there you'll never want to use anything else.
I agree - must be the Northern forests and sensibilities.
Please note that Finnland is not part of Scandinavia. The term 'Scandi knife' is a bit unfair to them, since they are the most influential country in the 'Scandi knife' segment. 'Nordic knife' would be a better term.
Not enough young folks these days appreciate a good hunting or target rifle. Heck, I've built my share of ARs and carry a plastic fantastic pistol daily, but there's always room in the safe for another bit of walnut and blued steel artistry. There's just something intimate about a good bolt action
Poetic words Tangero - "something intimate...." well put. There is a qualitative difference between wine and pop - although both have their places.
Love your videos, very informative. I picked up a Lakelander TAP-375 last year, had a question about bases. It came with weavers, but they were mis matched, threw the scope off elevation. I have since found a pair that seem to work, 46 front and 54 rear, however I have seen 35 used for front bases (mine came with 35 and 54), do you know what the matching base to the 35 would be on the TAP-375? I have number 0339 (made in Finland) btw. Thank you!
Hi Joshua - I use the 35 and 54 - in order to bring everything into level I place emery cloth on the top of the receiver - then I run the base back and forth on the emery cloth which transfers receiver shape and height perfectly - so long as one doesn't tip the base when moving back and forth. The Weaver aluminum bases are very strong but emery cloth makes quick work of them. I use a level to level the rifle in a vice and then I use a level running across the top of both bases to make sure they are level as well. I've used this system for decades on many rifles with hard to find or not available bases and screw positions. Hope this helps and good luck!
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns Wow, that's a great idea! I'll try that! In the meantime I searched weaver pairs for a mate to the #35, and it looks like #79 works with the Ruger 77 round tops, so I'll see if the holes match up with the rear of my TAP-375. Thanks so much for getting back to me! Keep up the great content!
Thanks for another great video! Before finding your channel about a year ago, I had little interest in or appreciation for the different designs and mechanisms of various sporting rifles but thanks to your work here, I'm beginning to. Out of curiosity, what is the meaning of your channel name "USOG"?
United States of Guns. Even though he's in Canada he explains the meaning of the name in another video.
Perfect
Have you bedded a stock with the original recoil lug piece in place? I've got a nice stock I need to bed, and am a little confused as to how I should go about it. I reckon I should bed the lug to the stock with release agent applied? What about bedding the lug to the action?
Sorry I'm so slow - I epoxy the lug to the action - and I make the lug larger out of any steel I happen to have around. Hope this helps.
would you know where to get a extractor for varberger model 717 6 locking lugs 308 thanks
hello any one have phone number for varberger parts please
Lakelander "TAP 375" made in Finland ? Lakelander made in Sweeden ?
Nice info , is there a North American company for parts
Try Numrich Gun Parts in New York.
Thanks , I’ve tried them . I think I’ll try to repair the trigger guard epoxy and a bit of acraglas
The Lake Lander reminds me of Weatherby, I might be confused?
For sure the styling is similar - but other than that - they are quite different. The rotary mag on the Lakelander is superb.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns I was thinking the multi lug bolt?
🙂👏👏👍👍
Thank you!
Thank you 😊👍👍
Kongsberg made them still has parts for it ,limited production.
Originally Finnish development of them. Than came to Sweden, and the sad history of Varberger as it was called then.
Thanks for this - I think they are among the best and well ahead of their time.
I have shot a few of them,never owned one,butnthey are great rifles and well sought after. Komgsberg even made some very few single shot actions also.
Are you doing ok? You look really shaky and either sick or in pain.
Thanks for noticing - I explained in a couple of videos I suffer from tremor - no pain though. They thought I had Parkinsons and so did I. After many tests of different kinds I was relieved to be diagnosed with tremor - which worsens from time to time. It is not based on stress - as I rarely feel stress or anxiety. Sorry if it is distracting. A couple of years ago it was so bad I could hardly hold a gun or pen - which was funny for me to watch as it seemed as if my hands belonged to someone else. Anyway, I have medication now which helps somewhat - but I'm not perfect for sure. No worries - I'm alive : )
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns I'm glad it's something fairly benign rather than being something like parkinson's. I know what it's like to have to deal with a chronic condition. I have chronic testicular pain from an accident 25 years ago when I was 15, and rheumatoid arthritis. I think it makes me a little more sensitive to other people's medical conditions. Have a great day and keep making these awesome videos!
I wish you the very best my friend and as my Cree friend says : "I send healing winds to you." - that your pain be eased and you return to full health. It will come.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns Thanks! I hope the same for you too.
Usog I am half saulteaux and sioux. I live in Saskatchewan. hmmmm. Do you live in canada? Im just wondering. Thanks for the videos.
I wish you were my neighbor
Thank you my friend.
They infringed on others patents and could not pay up, so gone the are. Lars Andersson was i god Weapon designer by what i read though.
Thanks Pjotr - I wonder which patents were infringed. Lars must have been or is an intelligent and creative arms designer though - the Lakelander includes excellent features. Patent battles can be dragged on for decades - they should have waited. I like these rifles a lot.