Tikka T3x TAC A1 Bolt and Firing Pin Assembly Reassembly Challenge

[thegazelle]

Sometimes I should just leave things alone.

Thought I would clean my brand new Tikka T3x TAC A1 Bolt. How hard could it be right? Watched a couple of YouTube videos before attempting this. First time I tried this, I turned it the wrong way and the thing got caught in that "detent" part of the rear end of the bolt. Thankfully there was the plastic tool piece in the box with which I could use to turn the bolt so I could remove everything.

Removed everything, cleaned it and then that's where the challenge started. In watching the video I got everything back together until I had to put the bolt shroud back on (it was the last step) and then all videos said to tighten it towards you and it should click and stay in place. Mine wouldn't come towards me - instead I turned it away from me and it clicked but then the shroud fell off.

Been trying to figure this out now for an hour and this is when I realized having no handy skills is not great. But the problem now is that the firing pin and spring no longer moves up and down. Not sure what I did but it looks like it is in some "cocked" position. See photos. There is supposed to be a gap in between the grey part and the black part for me to put in an allan key but as you can see, my gap is gone and the whole springiness of everything is gone. I tried holding the grey piece and turning the black piece but nothing is causing the spring to pop back up. As a result when I put it back into the bolt assembly, the grey piece doesn't quite align with the cut out there, so I can't even put the bolt handle back on in order to keep it in place so I can use an allen key to turn it (I can't get the allen key in anywhere as the hole is no longer there).

I guess I am trying to figure out how to decompress the firing pin spring here so I can start over again.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

EDIT: So it looks like the problem here is that grey collar thing is not moving up and down - whatsoever...in this video someone is pushing it down, compressing the spring to get the handle on. I don't have a vise but even in using a flat head screwdriver to try to move it, it's not budging at all.

https://www.facebook.com/Gunworks-1...ng-pin-remove-from-bolt-body/1929651367049926

You can see below on mine the problem. Most Youtube videos indicate to put an allen key in that hole/gap before turning the shroud. The first turn keeps the allen key tightly locked as it is the only thing holding that spring from decompressing.

Man I so regret taking this apart. I only shot 100 shots out of the rifle so far.








Here's the video I used for the take apart...you can see where you are supposed to use the allen key:

[youtube]tueO_VECyno[/youtube]

This guy here - he took the bolt and firing pin out and you can see him moving the collar up and down with the spring (watch from about the 2:45 mark to about the 3:45 mark). Mine doesn't do that - it doesn't move at all.

[youtube]-1v1nGMTNBo&t=152s[/youtube]

 

[thegazelle]

So it looks like I figured this out...that spring is under immense pressure...I found this out by using the bolt handle to push down the grey notch on the upper to middle part of the bolt. That grey collar piece moved. So based on this, I just used a series of flat head screwdrivers to slowly create more and more of a gap (had to put a allen key held by my mouth as I had to use one hand to hold the bolt vertically while the other was pushing down with a flat head screwdriver. Once the gap was large enough I moved the key into the gap with my mouth (I wish I had my kids here this weekend - would have made this so much easier). Once the allen key was in there, I was able to insert the bolt handle and then use the allen key to move everything to where it should be to decompress the firing pin. Once the gap remained I removed the allen key and put the shroud on. that was when I realized my original problem was that the shroud has a circular ring inside that caught onto the collar notch. Originally when I did this, I had the collar notch not in the right orientation so whenever I put the shroud on and turned it, the shroud came off as it wasn't captured by the grey notch in the ring. Once I aligned it right and then did the turn, the shroud stayed in place and the bolt was fully assembled.

So basic bottom line - don't remove the allen key until the gap is fully open and there is enough space. And if one were to turn it again, put the allen key back in place. My problem was I put the shroud on without the allen key in and turned it the wrong way, compressing the spring.

 

[45C]

So is it recommended to clean your bolt ,after a certain amount of rnds? I never read the warranty book,so just inquiring.I’m at about 280 on my T3x , it still functions fine.

 

[mildot]

I added the Sterk bolt handle and it made it very "AI-ish" definitely a worthwhile upgrade.

 

[thegazelle]

No, there is nothing in the manual that advises about cleaning the bolt at certain intervals. The problem with the manual as well as that all the instruction parts are all in text only. There are general diagrams on the back in a foldout, but I like how many manuals provide diagrams on a step by step basis for those of us who are either less handy or don't have a good visual picture of what the text is trying to describe.

The ONLY reason I took this apart was because the manual suggested cleaning the bolt before I started using it, which I didn't do (I had some time on my hands and was going to put the manual away with my other manuals when cleaning up yesterday but didn't do it until re-read it) - I did clean the barrel originally when I got it and the chamber of any possible excess grease (there wasn't any). And I have shot probably 120 rounds though it and it functions flawlessly and the performance is phenomenal. When I cleaned the bolt, it wasn't really that dirty. I should have just put the manual away without re-reading it - would have saved a LOT of hassle. BUT then again, it is a good thing as I learned something in the process.

 

[Big JD-From the hills]

you havn't ruined anything yet! its fairly strait forward/easy, as long as you get something between the cocking peice and the bolt handle retainer. remember on disasembly to remove the shrowd rotate the cocking peice away from the ramp untill it releases the shrowd. your going to need to create the gap and insert an object. your going to have to make it go together like this:

Then rotate it back to its normal cocked resting notch(not the ramp!) and its good to go.

 

[thegazelle]

Thanks very much. The problem was how strong that spring was that that collar didn't move whatsoever. I don't have proper tools nor a vise, but I managed to figure it out, but it wasn't easy. Once I got the allen key back in there by compressing that crazy spring even more (see previous post), the rest of it was straight forward, and then I figured out why after the first time that shroud never got on properly in the first place - it was that groove in the shroud that had to align with the notch on the collar.

The good news is even if a person turns it the wrong way and it ends up in that keep curved groove, Tikka provides a plastic tool in the box to move everything back to the little notch. I was wondering what that plastic piece was originally.

 

[209jones]

Not real sure how necessary it is for some shooters, but, some of the F Class competitors change that spring once a year. However, that also may be dependent on how many shots are put thru the gun, 2-3000 a year, maybe every other year,. I can see where if a person is putting a lot af shots thru it will wear and lose some tension.
I've seen it said to service the bolt once or twice a year anyway, makes sense, it'll collect gunk in there.

 

[rifleman338]

The manual flat out states to insert a certain size Allen wrench to relieve spring tension when doing the takedown.

 

[thegazelle]

The manual flat out states to insert a certain size Allen wrench to relieve spring tension when doing the takedown.

Yep, I did this the first time, but after cleaning the shroud did not go on properly. So I took it apart the second time but forgot the allen key then and so yes, my problem was self-inflicted.

 

[Crashman]

The Tikka bolt is probably the easiest to take down and clean, or swap shrouds or bolt handles. Hopefully your experienced ingrained in your memory how to do it properly in the future--not meant to be condescending, I apologize if it sounds that way!

 

[thegazelle]

The Tikka bolt is probably the easiest to take down and clean, or swap shrouds or bolt handles. Hopefully your experienced ingrained in your memory how to do it properly in the future--not meant to be condescending, I apologize if it sounds that way!

No worries - I am not technically minded, and I don't think you are wrong in that assessment anyway, so no need to apologize.

Biggest mistake was the second attempt when I turned it without the allen key in there. I only did that because I was not aware the shroud had a ridge that rides on an edge on the collar, which prevents it from coming out unless turned. All the videos didn't mention this (assumed people knew) - it looked like you slip on and turn one way (which when I did did not keep the shroud secured). Again, just a consequence of me not being handy. Good learning experience nonetheless, and no condescension taken. All good.

 

[sonichanxiao]

I have problem to disassemble the bolt following the videos online, went to see a gunsmith, apparently it is the handle part needs some hard force to knock it out for the first time. For sure it is not as easy as it shows in the video.

 

[Mik123]

my ctr was difficult as well. I think it's the coating on the bolt that increases tolerances.

I have problem to disassemble the bolt following the videos online, went to see a gunsmith, apparently it is the handle part needs some hard force to knock it out for the first time. For sure it is not as easy as it shows in the video.