Got a brand new T3X set up recently. When function testing today, bolt was tough to close with several brands of factory ammo and left the pictured ejector marks. Never been fired. One brand of factory chambered normally, two did not. Anyone know an easier fix than sending back to Tikka? Soak the chamber in solvent and bore brush it out? Polish the locking lugs? Thanks for any input.
Tikka T3X- Tight Chamber
- Thread starter oxn939
- Start date
BackofBeyond
Well-known member
Cleaning the chamber as much as possible would be a start, just to rule out gunk from machining. If that doesn’t fix contact Tikka and get them to fix in their dime.
Yeah that's the first thing that comes to mind. Never had a rifle that didn't chamber factory ammo straight out of the box...
belshawelk
Well-known member
I had one do it ( not tikka). sent it back and they took care of
EastTNHunter
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2018
- Messages
- 1,596
I’ve had 2. Both were ARs of different mfg. One mfg swapped the barrel out quick, the other took FOREVER.
Boarmaster
Well-known member
I would send it back asap if it was me.
Tikka06
Well-known member
I’ve seen this in Tikka’s before. I have a superlite 06 that shoots the Nosler 165 Accubond factory load exceeding well. The same round will not chamber in my uncle’s 06 T3X. It shoots other stuff well so he doesn’t mess with it. I would probably send it back.
Walkathon
Well-known member
I'd send it back to have it looked at. I have a Tikka that wouldn't chamber any of my factory ammo (Winchester / Hornady / Nosler) new, out of the box . Bolt would not close. I took it back to Cabela's and spent about 15 minutes trying to explain the situation to the person behind the gun counter. The guy looked at me like I was an idiot. Cabela's sent the gun back and the head spacing was corrected. Unfortunately, it's now my least accurate Tikka. Hope you have a better outcome.
Wildabeest
Well-known member
Had an issue with my son’s 65 manbun Tikka not liking Nosler ammo. I’d bought two boxes and couldn’t even get the bolt closed on any of them. But it shot several other brands fine. So I contacted Nosler and swapped them out for new ones (took almost a year to come in), and the new cartridges worked fine. They said it had something to do with European vs US specs. Mine seemed to be more of a headspace issue than tightness though.
Update on this, got it back yesterday with a note saying "we shot one variety of factory ammo here and it was fine." I'll see if that exposure to pressure may have cleaned the chamber out or something, but there was no mention in their not about actually checking the headspace...
Sheltowee
Well-known member
Got a local gunsmith? Might be worth having one throw in go/no go gauges.
Bowmannate2000
Well-known member
Sounds like they didn't really check your issue
. That's pretty disappointing.
bholt
Member
I had the same issue contacted Tikka and they fixed it in a snap.
MinnesotaHunter
Well-known member
On the rounds you had a hard time closing the bolt on, did the rifling imprint on the bullet?Sounds like they didn't really check your issue
VikingsGuy
Well-known member
Did you torque down the action screws? I have seen them end up a tiny bit "proud" in the chamber and cause a similar issue.
Necromancing this thread as I just got back into town and have come up with the free time and willpower to give this another shot.
Bullets do not have rifling imprints- appears to be an issue with the shoulder of the case. I retorqued action screws to spec and tried four different brands of factory ammo, and of them, three got the pictured ejector marks. In the below picture are one round of Remington factory stuff, one of Federal, and one piece of brass I full length sized and trimmed, chamfered and deburred to ensure it wasn't too long or deformed in any way.
So. Brand new rifle from which I *still* have yet to fire a round, that still very much has this problem, and Tikka customer service says there is no issue. What's you guys' next play? Take it to a smith? Badger CS again? Scrub the hell out of the chamber? Take it to a range and see if a few cycles of pressure breaks it in? Thought Tikkas were supposed to be the easy button...
VikingsGuy
Well-known member
Just to clarify my remark - it was not to re-torque the action screws but to use some type of light and bore scope to see if the screws are protruding ever so slightly into the action when properly torqued. If so then the solution is to grind them down a bit with a grinding wheel.
If not that - then I would rent go/no-go gauges (only $20 or so) - or take to local smith as others have suggested.
If not that - then I would rent go/no-go gauges (only $20 or so) - or take to local smith as others have suggested.
