Is tikka t3x stainless really stainless?
- Thread starter Jeffwz
- Start date
it is stainless but you need maintenance ... i have seen few stainless rifles that got rust because of the same belief ...ruger, sako, tikka name it ...
i do think the only stainless that will not rust is the kind using by surgeons for their tools but i doubt you will see a barrel or an action done in that kind of stainless steel ...
i do think the only stainless that will not rust is the kind using by surgeons for their tools but i doubt you will see a barrel or an action done in that kind of stainless steel ...
- Location
- Steel Town
I once had a Ruger 10/22 stainless that rusted in my locker full of high end blued rifles! I would assume there are different grades and all need some maintenance regardless.
I'm pretty sure the general rule for Stainless steel is :
If a magnet stick to it, then it can rust.
And correct me if I'm wrong but the non-magnetic Stainless steel grades isn't strong enough for this *kind of use*.
If a magnet stick to it, then it can rust.
And correct me if I'm wrong but the non-magnetic Stainless steel grades isn't strong enough for this *kind of use*.
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- Location
- Saskatoon Saskatchewan
Haven't you heard of rostfrei?
What do you mean by “low grade”?
coyoteshooter
CGN Regular
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
i have 3 tikka t3 rifles in ss.they all will show a little rust in the corners of the hidden parts under your stock if one is not in the habit of a once in a while strip down ....be not concerned with a little self inflicted idea that no mater how you put it away it will be ok cuz its stainless just fix it and enjoy THE BEST OUT OF THE BOX SHOOTIN IRON YOU CAN BUY....cheers
BattleRife
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- of No Fixed Address
The stainless used in firearms is typically 410, or its close cousin 416. 410 is a fairly plain, low carbon steel with about 12-13% chromium. The absolute minimum Cr content to make a steel "stainless" is 11.5%. 416 is 410 with extra sulphur and manganese in it to make more machineable.
So yes, these grades barely clear the bar to be considered stainless, and they don't have the corrosion resistance of some of the higher alloys. But the other alloys usually have lower strength, and are harder to machine to close tolerances. Guns are precision-made items, so that is an important consideration.
Shotgun chokes are usually 17-4PH stainless, I have sometimes wondered how a barrel made from that would perform.
So yes, these grades barely clear the bar to be considered stainless, and they don't have the corrosion resistance of some of the higher alloys. But the other alloys usually have lower strength, and are harder to machine to close tolerances. Guns are precision-made items, so that is an important consideration.
Shotgun chokes are usually 17-4PH stainless, I have sometimes wondered how a barrel made from that would perform.
300/400 low grade series SS, same stuff your cheap pots and pans bought from Walmart.
Aftermarket use better grades, hell I've still got some aftermarket in the white carbon barrels that have been sitting for years for projects with no rust.
Jimmy2fingers
Member
- Location
- Edmonton, Alberta
Real world experience: I have hunted for 20 years with a Tikka T3 SS. This rifle has been ridden hard and put away wet many times.
It used to get a very thin layer of minuscule surface rust, in areas that can't be dried without disassembly. Kind of like a tarnish.
I did strip the rifle down 6 years ago and polish it with 3M Marine polish. The rifle cleaned up easily and has not developed any rust since. I use the same 3M polish on all my crome and nickel plated revolvers, inside and out. It work great, and makes cleaning a breeze!
It used to get a very thin layer of minuscule surface rust, in areas that can't be dried without disassembly. Kind of like a tarnish.
I did strip the rifle down 6 years ago and polish it with 3M Marine polish. The rifle cleaned up easily and has not developed any rust since. I use the same 3M polish on all my crome and nickel plated revolvers, inside and out. It work great, and makes cleaning a breeze!
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Most manufacturers not all, coat the stainless barrel in nickel for the final finish. I have a Browning A Bolt II nickel coated stainless I bought new in 1996. Has been used in the worst weather imaginable over the years and have not had any issues with rust even in a few spots where the nickel coating has been scratched or rubbed off. My new T3X Stainless on the other hand has shown a few tiny spots of rust already and it was used on only one hunting trip this past fall. Tikka's barrel finish ( no pun intended) is not quite as good as other manufacturers it appears. The blueing on their barrels also seems cheap and inadequate as experienced by a buddy of mine that I hunt with who has had to deal with rust all over the barrel and action right from new.
Yes. And?
the trigger group is the weak point on your rifle ...
