Firing pin fall / travel on a Tikka T3x

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Canuck65

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I previously posted about light strikes /F2F on a Tikka after I installed a Bix n Andy trigger. Well I think I might be on the right track here. Just measured the firing pin fall (should have done that a long time ago), and it's only .201. Checked on a few other bolt rifles I've got and they're all between .240 and .250. (Tikka may be engineered differently of course)

There's no hangar on a Tikka, so if it is short, I might have to order a different sear from Bix (or buy a much heavier spring).


So, my question now is: What should the pin travel be on a Tikka T3x. I can't find this information anywhere online.

Thanks.
 
My T3 with a factory trigger has about .260" of firing pin fall. Your best bet would be a new sear if available. A heavier firing pin spring won't address the actual problem.

If you know anyone else with a t3/t3x, you could try sticking their firing pin assembly in your bolt to rule out your cocking piece being part of the problem.
 
Back in the day, when building match rifles on 98 Mauser actions, which retained their original triggers with the double stage pull "hump" ground off, the sear surfaces were also ground to eliminate "creep" and decrease the length of firing pin strike time.

This was done by grinding and honing the engaging face back to appx half of the forward lug on the face of the cocking piece.

This also decreased the weight on the firing pin very slightly but it also decreased spring tension and subsequent impact force at the primer as well as decreasing "lock time" which is time to primer impact after the trigger is pulled and releases the striker.

You don't mention the type of primers you're using. They may not be suitable for your present setup.

If you don't want to change anything, such as primers, you may want to get a stronger firing pin spring for your bolt.

I don't know if Wolf Springs still ships to Canada but I believe Gary Eakin at Bighorn Sales, 250 845 2201, in Houston BC can get them for you.
 
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I use CCI br primers (I know - but I have thousands of them). I might try another spring just to see what happens. Waiting to hear back from Bix about the sear.

Thanks.
 
Canuck65 said:
I use CCI br primers (I know - but I have thousands of them). I might try another spring just to see what happens. Waiting to hear back from Bix about the sear.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

I use CCI BR primers as well for my Tikka T3. I like them for their consistency, but my rifle is stock, other than it has had it's trigger tuned to a two pound let off.

I don't believe it's your primers.

If you go to a softer primer, you could end up with pierced primers, depending on how hot your pressures are.

I believe your striker travel isn't generating enough force to consistently ignite your primers.

A stiffer spring should fix it, but that will also very likely mean you will have to re-adjust the trigger let off to get the desired weight again.
 
Agreed. Since I can’t move the sear backward, and I can’t easily make the cocking piece bigger, a spring seems to be the only practical solution. I’m going to borrow a firing pin assembly and just be 100% sure, but that seems to be where I’m at.
 
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