Sniper rifle SAKO TRG-21 / TRG-41
The history of the creation of the SAKO TRG began in 1992, when, by order of the Ministries of Defense and Internal Affairs of Finland, the famous Finnish arms company Sako created the SAKO TRG 21 . SAKO TRG 41 model was introduced chambered for the more powerful .300 Win Mag (7.62×67 mm) cartridge and the well-known .338 Lapua Magnum (8.6×70 mm).
Externally, the rifles differed little from each other except for the thickness/length of the barrel and small parts. Both models of weapons were initially created to meet the strict demands of the military and police, and only in the mid-90s they entered the market of high-precision civilian weapons, where they gained well-deserved popularity due to the highest quality of workmanship, high accuracy and accuracy of fire.
Sniper rifle SAKO TRG-21
Sniper rifle SAKO TRG-41
Tactical and technical characteristics of the SAKO TRG-21 / TRG-41 sniper rifle
| Model: | TRG-21 | TRG-41 |
| Year of development | 1989-1992 | 1992-1993 |
| Years of production | 1992-2001 | 1993-2001 |
| Length, mm | 1150 | 1200 |
| Barrel length, mm | 660 | 690 |
| Number of barrel rifling, pcs. | 4 right-hand | |
| Caliber, mm | 7.62x51 mm | 7.62×67 mm; 8.6x70mm |
| Ammunition | .308Win cartridge | .300 WinMag cartridge; .338LM |
| Ammunition supply, detachable box magazine on | 10 rounds | 7; 5 rounds |
| Effective sighting range, m | 800 | 1000 |
| Accuracy. MOA | no more than 0.5 | |
| Weight without sight and loaded magazine, kg | 4,7 | 5,1 |
The operation of both models was based on the classic design of a longitudinally sliding butterfly valve. In 2001, the rifles were removed from service with the Finnish army and police and replaced by more advanced models - TRG-22 and TRG-42.
Options
- TRG-21:
(1989) The Sako TRG-21 is chambered for the .308 Winchester or 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge. - TRG-22:
(1999) The Sako TRG-22 is a modernized and improved variant of the TRG-21 with a new stock design and a maximum cartridge length of 75 mm (2.95 in). Supplier American Sako also ordered a special limited production run of the TRG-22 chambered in .260 Remington cartridge. - TRG-22 A1:
(2018) Sako TRG-22 A1 is a modernized and improved variant of TRG-22 with a new warehouse design. - TRG-41:
(1989) The Sako TRG-41 is designed to chamber either the 0.338 Lapua Magnum or 0.300 Winchester Magnum cartridge. - TRG-42:
(1999) The Sako TRG-42 is a modernized and improved variant of the TRG-41 with a new stock design and a maximum cartridge length of 95 mm (3.74 in). - Beretta TRG-42:
In October 2008, the Beretta TRG-42 was presented by Sako (importer of Beretta USA) at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition as a possible platform to carry the US military .338 caliber Precision Sniper Rifle (PSR) petition. It is essentially a TRG-42 with a shorter barrel, folding and an integrated extended rail system. - TRG-42 A1:
(2018) Sako TRG-42 A1 is a modernized and improved variant of TRG-42 with a new warehouse design.
Sniper rifle SAKO TRG-22 / TRG-42
By 2001, based on the TRG-21 and TRG-41 rifle models, TRG-22 and TRG-42 rifles with a more ergonomic design and minor changes in design were developed and, after all the necessary tests, were adopted by the Finnish Armed Forces and Police.
Tactical and technical characteristics of the SAKO TRG-22 / TRG-42 sniper rifle
| Model | TRG-22 | TRG-42 | ||||
| Caliber | 6.5 Creedmoor | .260Rem/.308Win | 300WM | .338LM | 300WM | .338LM |
| Length, mm | 1153 | 1000 | 1024 | 1024 | 1020 | 1020 |
| Barrel length, mm | 660 | 510 | 690 | 690 | 510 | 510 |
| Number of rifling of the barrel bore, pcs. | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Twist, inches | 8 | 8 / 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 11 |
| Magazine capacity | 10 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 7 |
| Weight, kg | 5,7 | 5,3 | 6 | 6 | 5,3 | 5,3 |
Sniper rifles SAKO TRG-22 / TRG-42 (early versions)
SAKO TRG-42 sniper rifle on bipod without muzzle brake and tactical silencer
SAKO TRG-42 sniper rifle on bipod without muzzle brake and tactical silencer
Sniper rifle SAKO TRG-42
Basic information
Both models of rifles are made according to a modular design; if necessary, they can be easily disassembled into main parts and components. Absolutely all weapon parts are made directly in Finland at the factories of the developer and manufacturer - SAKO LTD, the weapon itself is assembled there.
The barrel is made of a special steel alloy by cold forging, which provides it with greater wear resistance and additional strength. The barrel hangs freely relative to the stock; the bore has four right-hand rifling with a pitch of 12 inches (305 mm). On the outer muzzle of the barrel, a thread is cut for installing a tactical silencer or a muzzle brake-recoil compensator; if neither of these devices is installed, then a special coupling is screwed onto the barrel, protecting the thread from mechanical damage.
The receiver is milled from solid steel for maximum rigidity and mounted to an aluminum rail, eliminating a number of the known problems associated with the accurate fit of the receiver on the stock of conventional rifles.
The bolt has three lugs; the barrel is locked inside the receiver by turning the bolt handle 60°.
The extractor ensures reliable ejection of the spent cartridge case. The shutter can be disassembled without additional tools, that is, manually.
The trigger module is made of solid aluminum billet.
The trigger mechanism has a warning and has an adjustable trigger force from 0.9 to 1.8 kg.
The safety is located in front of the trigger; in the “on” position, it locks both the trigger mechanism and the bolt of the weapon.
The stock of both models is made of especially durable weapon-grade plastic and consists of two parts, which are interconnected and mounted on a supporting aluminum rail.
The handguard of the weapon is ergonomic and wide, making it easy to hold for a shooter with any hand size. At its bottom there is a rail for attaching a belt or additional accessories.
magazine is a double-row box with a single-row cartridge feeding into the chamber.
The pistol grip is made of gun-grade plastic and is integral with the fully adjustable buttstock , convenient for both right-handed and left-handed people.
Double-support telescopic bipod with supports adjustable both in length (from 215 to 335 mm) and in the rifle mounting angle - 10° in each direction (see photo above).
There are no open sights. To install a standard optical sight, a dovetail rail is installed on the receiver cover, but it is also possible to mount a universal Picatinny rail for installing the most optical sights of various types.
Each weapon is equipped with a standard optical sight of variable magnification, a support bipod, a tactical silencer, a belt, one additional magazine and a box of accessories for caring for the weapon. All this fits into a special weapons case for comfortable transportation.
Sniper rifle TRG-22 disassembled in a weapon case
Currently, the SAKO TRG-22 and SAKO TRG-42 are in service with the army and police of Finland and a number of other European countries, including army and police special forces, where the weapon has received the highest rating from professional snipers. It is no less popular on the civilian weapons market among sports shooters and hunters.
Updated sniper rifles SAKO TRG-22 / TRG-42 model 2013.
In 2013, SAKO LTD modernized both models of sniper rifles, which affected the trigger mechanism, bolt handle and butt.
Sniper rifle SAKO TRG-42 model 2013
The butt of the rifle is equipped with new butt plates that combine several layers of new shock-absorbing materials that significantly reduce recoil when fired even with fairly powerful .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges.
Updated stock of the SAKO TRG-42 rifle, model 2013
The two-stage trigger mechanism is now fully adjustable and updated, the trigger guard is made of high-quality aluminum alloy, and the magazine fits into the receiver window more smoothly. The bolt handle has been redesigned and is more firmly attached to the bolt itself for increased durability.
Fragment of the bolt group of the SAKO TRG-42 rifle, model 2013
The bolt has a double ejector (reflector) plunger, which provides more reliable ejection of the heavy .338 Lapua Magnum cartridges after firing. And the newest design of the bolt itself ensures its increased wear resistance during frequent and intense shooting from a weapon.
The bolt head of the SAKO TRG-42 rifle, model 2013
TRG M10 derivative
Sako TRG M10 System Sniper weapon.
The Sako TRG M10 Sniper System weapon was unveiled by Sako in October 2011. It was designed as a user-configurable multi-caliber modular system and does not share its receiver and other technical characteristics with the Sako TRG line. It can switch between .308 Winchester or 7.62×51mm NATO, .300 Winchester Magnum and .338 Lapua Magnum chamberings by changing bolts, magazines, handguards and barrels to adapt to different requirements in the field. When it was first introduced, it was marketed to "military and law enforcement use only."
It was introduced as a contender for the Precision Sniper Rifle program by the United States Special Operations Command to replace all existing sniper action rifles in the use of US Special Operations snipers with a single bolt action rifle chambered in large caliber magnum chambering. The contract was awarded to Remington Arms for their Modular Sniper Rifle victory against the TRG M10 in 2013.
The TRG M10 is a manually operated sniper rifle that uses a pivot bolt with three radial locking cams at the front. It has a steel receiver, Picatinny rails on the top of its receiver for mounting various optical sights and on the stock day for bipod mounting. The barrel is a free-floating barrel that can be equipped with special muzzle brakes that have a mounting interface for quick removable suppressors. Available in a variety of barrel lengths: 16-, 20-, and 26-inch (.308 Winchester or 7.62×51mm NATO), 23.5- and 27-inch (.300 Winchester Magnum), and 20- and 27-inch (.338 Lapua Magnum). Feeding ammunition to it is a double stack box magazine that is marked with a corresponding number of large dots that are embossed into the sides of the polymer base plate and holds 11 rounds (.308 Winchester or 7.62×51mm NATO), 7 (.300 Winchester Magnum rounds) or 8 rounds (0.338 Lapua Magnum). Alternatively, cartridges can be loaded individually directly into the camera.
The TRG M10 features a side-folding and fully adjustable stock, ambidextrous controls, a manual safety located inside the trigger guard that is located at the front of the trigger, and a unique tactical indicator design that helps identify the various modular components for different calibers, where each caliber is calibre-specific components are marked so users can recognize the caliber of each part visually or by touch. For example, for the .308 Winchester the barrel and bolt are marked with one annual grove, while for the .300 Winchester Magnum there are two groves marked and three for the .338 Lapua Magnum. Another unique feature of the rifle is that all the tools that are needed to change the caliber are built into each of the bolt handles; A small Torx key is built into the center of the bolt handle and the barrel key is built into the base of the bolt handle. An additional set of Torx keys, stored in a small removable polymer forend, are necessary to completely disassemble the pistol.
Sako claims that factory acceptance testing of the TRG M10 with high quality match ammunition is accurate to 1 (0.291 mil) for the .338 Lapua Magnum and .300 Winchester Magnum chambered models and ⅔ MOA (0.194 mil) for the .308 Winchester chambered models.
