Many countries used the L461 in winter biathlon Olympic competition and it has an almost mythical status among aficionados.
The L461 has been very popular in Finland and Sweden, especially chambered for the. The L46 was later re-designated the L461 Vixen. The Sako model L46 chambered in 7x33 is considered extremely rare in the United States although more common in Europe. This cartridge was designed for and well suited to Capercaille and black grouse hunting, a popular sport in Finland, Sweden and Norway. Sako developed the 7x33 cartridge based on the 9x19 pistol cartridge, by making a longer case and 'necking' the case down to 7mm calibre (7.21mm bullet diameter). The first civilian rifle bearing the Sako name was the L42 Luodikko rifle model 1942, chambered for the 7x33mm Sako cartridge, prototyped in 1942, and commercial production started after WWII as model number L46.
Background and history of the Sako commercial rifle:
