Germany · 1972–1994

Sauer Model 90

Out of production

Specifications

Maker: Sauer
Type: Rifle
Action: Bolt action
Era: Modern (1946–1999)
Produced: 1972–1994
Magazine: 4 rounds
Swedish class: 1, 2

Chambered in

.243 Winchester
.270 Winchester
.30-06 Springfield
.300 Winchester Magnum

Stock

Wood

What it is worth

Value unknown

No published price was found for this model. Rather than estimate one from a comparable gun, the compendium leaves it blank.

Chapter 01

Overview

The Sauer 90 is the 1982 update of the Sauer 80, a bolt rifle designed in 1970 and on sale from 1972 — in the United States as the Colt Sauer. The 90 and its successor the 92 were sold only in Europe and were built until 2006.

Chapter 02

How it works

The bolt does not rotate: turning the handle down spreads three flap-type lugs at the rear against matching recesses in the action, which gives a short, smooth stroke and a 60° lift that clears a scope. The barrel is threaded but headspaced with a separate hex key, so it can be changed with hand tools — a forerunner of the 200 and 202 — and the receiver came in short, medium, magnum and safari-magnum lengths, each with its own single-stack magazine.

Chapter 03

Variants

In Sweden the 80 became the Carl Gustaf 3000, assembled with Sauer receivers, Carl Gustaf barrels and Swedish Monte Carlo stocks, while its Lux edition was built entirely by Sauer in Eckernförde. Browning sold a special model with steel panels from 1979 to 1984, and the sniper version is the SIG Sauer SSG 2000.

Chapter 04

In the field

Known for precision but heavy for a hunting rifle, it asks for care: the roller trigger is sensitive to dirt, the bolt recesses want regular cleaning, and rear locking makes accuracy unusually sensitive to oil or water in the chamber. The thin wood at the tang, where the safety sits, is a known weak spot if the rifle falls.

Sources

Written from: Sauer 90 — Wikipedia — read 2026-10-29

Cross-reference