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  4. Sako Launches New AR line in 5.56 & 7.62, Piston and DI

 

Sako, Finland's go-to firearms maker, has unleashed a new line of rifles developed in conjunction with Scandinavian armies. 

The new Sako Arctic Rifle Generation, or ARG, is pitched as a select-fire military rifle system developed in close collaboration with the militaries of Finland and Sweden, both recently joined NATO members. The ARG has been in development for the past decade, which came to a head in a 2023 initiative to develop a common rifle system to be used by the two countries after the company's TRG M10 bolt-action precision rifle became the staple sniper rifle in the region.

The rifles are offered in both a suppressor-friendly short-stroke gas piston or a more traditional direct gas impingement format. There will also be models in both 5.56 and 7.62 NATO. All feature true ambidextrous controls, a match-grade trigger pack, cold-hammer forged chrome-lined barrels, and lots of Picatinny, M-LOK, and AR compatibility with STANAG mags. 

Ian McCollum managed to get his hands on an early semi-auto variant (an ARG S 40) at this year's Finnish Brutality, because he is Ian McCollum. 
 

 

The Sako ARG family includes three different models:

  • Sako ARG 40 GP (Gas Piston) 5.56 NATO
  • Sako ARG 40 DI (Direct Impingement) 5.56 NATO
  • Sako ARG 50 GP chambered in 7.62 NATO 
     
Sako ARG 40 GP in 5.56
The Sako ARG 40 GP in 5.56 runs a 16-inch barrel, while its piston system, billed as "more robust in arctic, undersea, and muddy environments," also has less gas blowback into the user's face. (Photos: Sako)
The Sako ARG 40 DI
The Sako ARG 40 DI series in 5.56 will be available in several barrel lengths from 11.5 through 16 inches. 

The Sako ARG 50 GP series

 The Sako ARG 50 GP series is a 7.62 NATO piston gun that runs a 16-inch barrel.

"Whether you're in a frozen tundra or a dense urban environment, the ARG adapts without compromise," says Sako. 


"The ARG has been tested far beyond standard requirements," said Miikka Tamminen, R&D Director at Sako. "In addition to rigorous NATO D14 environmental and durability testing, we push our rifles to failure in-house to understand their true limits. These insights are not just data – they’re design tools that help us build a stronger, more resilient system."

A video of some of that testing, including dragging an ARG behind a truck, just because: 
 

 

While the U.S. consumer market isn't likely to see the full-flavored select-fire models of the ARG any time soon, semi-auto sporter models, with the company's famed reputation for high quality and extreme accuracy, could make these a very cool import. 

Sako dates back to 1921, formed originally to refurbish and service firearms for the Civil Guard in Finland. It has been part of Beretta since 2000. 

Also – and I have to point out the extreme coincidence of this – but the trailer for "Sisu II" just dropped this week as well. Related?
 

 

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