New Sako A7 Rifle from Beretta

Beretta USA announced they are offering for the first time a Sako rifle with a sub-$1000 list price.  (Ed. note: scroll to the bottom of the page for the latest information on the Sako A7 rifles.)

The Sako A7 offers same “five shot, one inch group at 100 yards” guarantee that comes with all Sako rifles, along with the requisite fit, finish, and craftsmanship the Sako name has come to represent.

Chris Klass, the marketing manager for Beretta, said this Sako was designed “specifically for the average American hunter.” Klass, while speaking to Tom Gresham on Gun Talk, said that modern production techniques have allowed Beretta to produce this high quality rifle at a very affordable price.

The A7 will be offered in 12 calibers, in both short and medium actions, and will hit the dealer shelves in June of 2008.

Ed. note:  At the time of this update, March 2013, this rifle is missing from the Beretta USA website.  An A7 is still listed on the company’s site called the Sako A7 Tecomate.

The A7 mentioned at the top of this article is still in production, according to Sako’s Finnish website. It simply appears that Beretta is not importing them into the US.  There could be a variety of reasons for this, but I suspect that the inexpensive hunting rifle market is already cornered by offerings from Remington, Marlin, Savage and Mossberg.  In recent years, these domestic companies have brought some very good hunting rifles to market that are exceptional values.  Take a look at the new Remington 783 and I think you’ll see what I mean.

It is very possible that the A7 simply wasn’t selling in the numbers that Beretta hoped for in the United States.  So, it would seem that the budget Sako rifles will stay in Europe, but the higher priced ones will still be available in the USA.

Th A7 Tecomate is more expensive version of the A7 with an MSRP of $1375.  It is not offered in nearly as many calibers; it is only available in .270 WSM and .300 WSM, but it is for sale in the US.  The .270 WSM model has a 24 3/8″ barrel and a 1:10 twist.  The .300 WSM has a 24 3/8″ barrel and a 1:11 twist.  The barrels on both models are stainless steel with a stainless finish.

The A7 Tecomate is still the least expensive Sako in the Beretta rifle line up.  It is not, however, the cheapest rifle Beretta sells.  Several Tikka rifles are less expensive, starting at about $625 retail.