Advice on Sauer 202

Hi guys.

My apologies in advance if this is not the appropriate forum to raise the question (I will gladly correct / remove / move the post if need be).

I have come across a Sauer 202 Classic in .243 Win recently and I am very interested in buying the rifle. The rifle was bought in 2014 by the current owner and has seen 500 rounds.

My questions:
- What would be a fair price?
- What barrel life could one expect?
- Are there still barrels available for this gun (I was made aware that the gun has been discontinued)?

I am also considering a new Sauer 101 as an alternative. Any opinions on how the rifles differ i.t.o build quality and accuracy?

Thanks in advance!

General rule of thumb is 3500 accurate shots from a 243.

A new barrel can usually be made to fit a certain action.

Sauer is top notch; even their cheap line should be good.

So you have +/- 3000 accurate shots to go...
What is the price difference?
If not much I would go 202.


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Thanks for the advice guys. The price difference is R7 000, the one is new - the other second hand.

At a well know GS here in Jhb and Pta the difference between new 101 and new 202 is R8,600



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Thanks for the input BandK. The price on the new 101 is R17 000 (sold by a private individual who has never mounted a scope or fired a shot through one he has bought) and R24 000 for the 202, secondhand, including silencer and scope mounts.

Fafa - if the 202 seller is serious in selling and confident that his rifle is in good shape he will let you have a couple of shots on the range.
I would go for the 202, they are nice rifles. I trust that the guy did not put crappy mounts on a fairly high end rifle.


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Do yourself a favour - go to a gunshop and put a 101 next to a 202 - both will do the same job, the experience and touch while doing the job is different. PS - I prefer the Cheek Piece on the standard 202 stock to that on the wooden stock of a 101


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I agree BandK - this is good advice, thank you. I have compared both side-to-side and I sincerely agree - the 202 feels better. I am 2m tall, as such the 202 (which seems to have a slightly larger stock) feels better. As you say, it's like drag-racing a Nissan GTR vs a Ferrari - same speed, different experience. This has been my opinion from what I have garnered in my research.

Another factor seems to be the barrels. As the 101 has it's barrel "crimped" on, it can't be replaced by any gunsmith in SA (so I am told), Whereas the 202 has an interchangeable barrel (I just wonder if they are still available - thus my question above).

I also enjoy the safety on the 202, which is a little hard to operate on the 101. Indeed, the 202 currently has a Swarovski mounted, the seller is obviously concerned with quality. One just always wonders why someone would sell, I suppose this is the risk you take with second-hand guns.

Who says a "crimped in" barrel can't be replaced? The old Steyr SSG had a crimped in barrel. To replace it, the gunsmith cuts off the old barrel right in front of the action, then drills out the old barrel stub from the action. Next he cuts a thread in the action and chambers, headspaces and screws in a new barrel.

Not sure of the metal thickness on the Sauer 101 action, but a similar procedure should be possible.

If original Sauer 202 barrels are not available, any half-decent gunsmith should be able to fit a normal profiled barrel to your rifle. Will likely cost you less than the factory original too.

Barrel life on a 243 depends on various factors. Around 2000 - 2500 shots seems to be the norm from my experience.