Rebarreling a Tikka T3

[Crumster]

This question was asked previously with no real responses. Has anyone done this with a T3 or T3X? Specifically it would be a 22-250.

 

[Doug Beach]

Two things:
1. Factory Tikka barrels tend to be installed rather… tightly. Doesn’t mean they won’t come off, but you might have to work at it.
2. The tapered front of the receiver means you may have to turn your barrel shank down, or face off the receiver to remove the taper. Otherwise you’ll end up with an unattractive joint between the barrel and receiver. Won’t hurt anything other than your eyeballs.

 

[Crumster]

Thanks Doug. Now all I have to do is find someone with a BIG wrench, a lathe and some smarts.

 

[Phys86]

Thanks Doug. Now all I have to do is find someone with a BIG wrench, a lathe and some smarts.

PVA sells an inside action wrench for Tikkas so that you can attach it to a torque wrench. But you should use an outside wrench for removal of the factory barrel.

 

[Danley]

If the factory barrel isn’t of any importance, make a relief cut just in front of the face of the action. This will be a big help (time saver) when removing a stubborn Tikka barrel.

 

[Phys86]

Depending on chamber and ss vs blues, they'll sell for $125-$300. I wouldn't relief cut it if it were me. But that's me.

 

[Crumster]

If the factory barrel isn’t of any importance, make a relief cut just in front of the face of the action. This will be a big help (time saver) when removing a stubborn Tikka barrel.

Are you a gunsmith? I'm in the market!

 

[Crumster]

I don't own a barrel vise, or any of the other implements. I have read about the X caliber pre-fit T3 barrels.
I'm old and tired and really unanxious (new word) to tackle any of this myself. Suggestions with that in mind??

 

[rebs]

does the Tikka receiver need to be trued up

 

[FeMan]

We do a lot of these. Like Doug Beach said though, they are on very tight and typically require a relief cut to remove the old one. If you are up for the extra stock work, I like to face the reiver and add a "tombstone" Rem style recoil lug to them. I did this on both my Tikkas.

 

[Crumster]

does the Tikka receiver need to be trued up

No, I want accuracy, as in sub moa, but I think I can get that without truing. We'll see I guess. Thanks.

 

[Crumster]

We do a lot of these. Like Doug Beach said though, they are on very tight and typically require a relief cut to remove the old one. If you are up for the extra stock work, I like to face the reiver and add a "tombstone" Rem style recoil lug to them. I did this on both my Tikkas.

I'll be in touch with you George.

 

[Bc'z]

Are you a gunsmith? I'm in the market!

A good 1 know for sure.

 

[Crumster]

A good 1 know for sure.

Referring to Danley?

 

[Bc'z]

Referring to Danley?

Just answered your question is all, I'd talk with both and go the path that fits your needs.

 

[cb186]

Tikkas are my preferred action(I shoot them for match rifles). An outside action wrench is the correct tooling for removing factory barrels.
Facing off the front of the action removes the radius and gives increased action to barrel contact(ie: rigidity).
I can do this work and spin up a barrel for you.
Chad@BakkeneServices.com

 

[Dimner]

I have rebarreled two tikkas in the past 24 months. Original formats a T3 in 308 and T3x in 270. No amount of shock, cheater bars or weight would break those barrels free. I tried both the bugholes inside action wrench and the outside parallel jaw type wrench. With heat and without.

So I drove to lansing and Pierce removed the 308 barrel using a relief cut. They wanted to charge me 25 bucks. But they turned it around in 3 days, so I gave them $60. I screwed on a 7x57 McGowan prefit on this one. Shoots great. The best I have done is 0.4moa at 100. This is with speer hunting bullets. Consistently I shoot .6moa. 5 shot group. However, it looks like mcgowan chambered the barrel a bit off center because it will shave the slightest bit of brass off the case when resizing. It's hard to explain how little this shaves off. When I resize a batch of 100 pieces of brass. I'll have to wipe of the sizing die buildup. But for 1 piece it's not noticeable.

The T3X was shipped to Douglas Barrels. I got a 30-06 put on it. Shoots better than the mcgowan, again speer hunting bullets. It's rare to have a long hunting shot in Northern MI unless you are on private property farms. Douglas turned it around in 4-5 weeks I think. Crazy fast.

Neither action was altered. Both barrels have something around a 3B type profile. Shouldered, no barrel nut. If I could keep finding cheap tikka actions, I would do it over and over again

 

[dakor]

You wont need to true a tikka. I have built many rifles on them and never have seen a one that was worth truing. Factory recoil lug also works just fine.

As for getting the barrel off some of the older blued ones can be tough to get off for sure. The newer rifles I see they are now using thread locker and that seems to help with taking them off.

 

[kendog]

Rebarreled many Tikkas. While he factory barrels are on tight, I have never had one fail to unscrew with a proper beefy outside wrench and stout barrel vise.

 

[Crumster]

Seems like a LOT of Tikkas being rebarreled. Is a survey in order? I'd like to hear if there is a common denominator...throat erosion, pitting, tendency to collect gilding metals, etc.