Seems like a major upgrade from the Lee Enfields they were using.
The search for a new rifle fit for the Canadian Rangers has ended, and the replacement is surprising. Colt Canada was selected in late 2014 to provide rifles to replace the Rangers’ venerable No. 4 Lee-Enfields, which many assumed meant the next rifle would be a .223/5.56mm caliber AR-15 derivative, from the company’s lineup. Not so! While the new rifle will be made by Colt Canada, it has been derived from the Sako T3 CTR, and will be chambered in .308 Winchester:
I’m not crazy about the red laminate stock, but I like the rest of that rifle a lot. I wonder if these will be for sale to the public here in the US at some point.
I’m going to guess that Canada has a legal requirement for where the rifles are manufactured.
Whether it’s that they have to be made in Canada or made in an allied or NATO-allied country - for which Finland does not qualify - I couldn’t begin to guess.
I would bet that they get sold on the Canadian surplus market. Whether we see any here, I do not know. But from talking with Canadians, it does sound like it’s much easier to get a surplus Lee-Enfield in Canada than in the US (and most of them are, I believe, Canadian manufacture, too).
Thanks for posting this.At one time they were looking at the Ruger Gunsite.Any clue to why their using the laminate stock on the Tikka?I read elsewhere,there are no current plans to market the rifle in the U.S.I also read,there was also a Ruger rifle in 30-06,14" barrel,folding stock produced for a Canadian SAR unit.Neat stuff.
In regards to the laminate stock, a reasonable guess would be the extreme sub zero temps of the Arctic region, and the remoteness of the AO. Using the rifles for subsistence hunting and having a plastic stock crack/shatter in the cold could be a critical issue. Laminate makes sense for their role.
If I was still buying factory guns for hunting that rifle would be on the list. A solid practical knock around rifle. Hopefully colt Canada can maintain the accuracy of the t3.
I just can’t fathom buying a Sako rifle that’s built by Colt . . .
The replacement rifle is based on the SAKO T3 CTR (Compact Tactical Rifle). SAKO Ltd is based in Riihimaki, Finland. The Canadian supplier is Stoeger Canada from Whitby, Ontario. Colt Canada will produce the barrel, bolt and receiver under licence from Sako.
For those interested in obtaining one of these rifles, Sako has said that they will be bringing this rifle to the U.S. Looks like I’ll have to start setting aside so cash.
The reason the Ruger Scout was dropped was because of the fact that they would have to be built by Colt Canada, they wanted the TDP and Ruger said hell no.
You have a source for that? Because having owned both… The Ruger Scout doesn’t hold a candle to the Tikka CTR.
It’s not even close. So if a Canadian contract came up and they had access to a range of firearms… It seems very unlikely the Ruger Scout was going to be chosen regardless of stipulations.
I can tell you that there was definitely a lot of talk about the Scout at various points in this program.
And a lot of manufacturers hate the idea of giving their TDP to Colt Canada.
I can’t tell you whether that was the specific reason that it broke this exact way, but any manufacturer that wouldn’t give the TDP to Colt Canada was immediately excluded.
I’ve been wanting something similar (but more modern) than a lee enfield and nobody really makes it. This comes close.
I think I’m going to end up getting a Win 70 extreme weather in 30-06 and cutting/threading the barrel, installing iron sights and installing bottom metal.
