I've been wanting a fast twist, lightweight 223 for a while now. I was looking at a Stevens 200, but I decided to try out a t3 lite after hearing so many rave reviews here on CGN. I've handled t3's before, and haven't exactly been blown away. The decision has always come down to 'the t3's a good rifle, but I can get just as much for less with a Savage.'
So, my initial impressions of my new rifle. Pro's first.
I like the detachable mag, and the integral 19mm rail. The bolt rides very smoothly, and the trigger is very good and crisp. It IS very lightweight, and I like the little metal crosspiece in the stock that the recoil lug mates with. The lightweight stock creates some weird balance feel, but that disappeared once I stuck a scope on top. The stock is quite comfortable.
Cons:
The action, bolt and mag are waaaay too long for a 223. This is the same action used by all t3's including the magnums. As such, it's way too big and clunky for a 223. The mag has the last inch and a quarter blocked off - I may actually look at modifying this so that I can feed longer cartridges through it. I HATE the fugly shiny plastic stock with its moulding lines, hollowness, and silly texturing that actually offers fairly little grip. There is a lot of plastic on this gun, but the only plastic that actually bothers me is the silly bolt shroud. The bluing on the barrel is really half-assed; the Stevens even have better finish. The overall fit and finish seems somewhat slack on this gun all over. The bolt shroud is loose and wobbles, and the butt pad doesn't have a precise fit. For a plastic injection moulded mag box, these fuggers sure are expensive. The factory trigger - while very nice - is a very complex unit with limited adjustments available, basically only pull weight and even that doesn't adjust down particularly light. There's very little surface underneath the action to bed to the stock, and the factory bedding seems exceptionally poor with big open air gaps in the plastic in the only spaces that really offer an opportunity for a good action/stock contact. The only contact areas as it stands now are small bits where the action bolts go through, and the recoil lug. The stock isn't pillar bedded either. The recoil lug is TINY, but should be sufficient for a 223.
Overall, I don't see this as much of an upgrade over a Stevens 200 or Savage 1x series, yet is nearly twice the price. I find myself forced to agree with Chuck Hawks - this rifle just screams 'cheap.' But that's not necessarily bad, much can be forgiven if it shoots. We'll see just how well it shoots next weekend
So, my initial impressions of my new rifle. Pro's first.
I like the detachable mag, and the integral 19mm rail. The bolt rides very smoothly, and the trigger is very good and crisp. It IS very lightweight, and I like the little metal crosspiece in the stock that the recoil lug mates with. The lightweight stock creates some weird balance feel, but that disappeared once I stuck a scope on top. The stock is quite comfortable.
Cons:
The action, bolt and mag are waaaay too long for a 223. This is the same action used by all t3's including the magnums. As such, it's way too big and clunky for a 223. The mag has the last inch and a quarter blocked off - I may actually look at modifying this so that I can feed longer cartridges through it. I HATE the fugly shiny plastic stock with its moulding lines, hollowness, and silly texturing that actually offers fairly little grip. There is a lot of plastic on this gun, but the only plastic that actually bothers me is the silly bolt shroud. The bluing on the barrel is really half-assed; the Stevens even have better finish. The overall fit and finish seems somewhat slack on this gun all over. The bolt shroud is loose and wobbles, and the butt pad doesn't have a precise fit. For a plastic injection moulded mag box, these fuggers sure are expensive. The factory trigger - while very nice - is a very complex unit with limited adjustments available, basically only pull weight and even that doesn't adjust down particularly light. There's very little surface underneath the action to bed to the stock, and the factory bedding seems exceptionally poor with big open air gaps in the plastic in the only spaces that really offer an opportunity for a good action/stock contact. The only contact areas as it stands now are small bits where the action bolts go through, and the recoil lug. The stock isn't pillar bedded either. The recoil lug is TINY, but should be sufficient for a 223.
Overall, I don't see this as much of an upgrade over a Stevens 200 or Savage 1x series, yet is nearly twice the price. I find myself forced to agree with Chuck Hawks - this rifle just screams 'cheap.' But that's not necessarily bad, much can be forgiven if it shoots. We'll see just how well it shoots next weekend
drives me nuts. A great big action and I can't mag feed my 75 Amax loads. T3s don't single feed all that great either. I looked at making one of the longer mags work but, predictably, the mag lips aren't the right size.
