Tikkas Stainless Steel

Well I can tell you that my couple of stainless Salvages will still get tiny rust spots if I neglect them for extended periods of time. My 1 Tikka and couple of Sakos (if I understand correctly they are supposed to be the same barrels) don't. Can't speak to barrel life / round count as they are all just hunting rifles and will most likely never see enough rounds to get shot out.
 
Seen rust pit marks on Tikkas and sako 85 stainless rifles. Not sure if it was ding marks that rusted or what as it wasn't mine.

I look after all mine but I have seen slight orange on a white rag before.
 
I have seen them(Sako and Tikka) rust with deep pits and all .Takes a lot of neglect but the can rust .I believe it to be electrolysis ,could be the type of stainless they use.
 
Never had trouble with my 2 stainless Tikka's but I don't abuse them. I wipe em down after a day at the range or in the field. I like the finish. Not too matte, and not too shiny
 
I have a tikka stainless 223 I think it has around 2500 rounds and the throat looks like my carbon steel 243 700 after 250 rounds very good I think it is durable steel. I wouldn’t worry about rust. My oldest stainless is a Winchester push feed it has some freckles on it nothing to worry about
 
We get some beauties every now and then. Some say the 75's had better steel but I don't believe that. These 75 & 85 are from guys that shoot all year round fox & deer often in wet conditions.
I have a few stainless Tikkas and never had rust, then again I spray them down with WD40 or 85 after a rainy outing. They seem to get better with time. Chrome oxide layer?

YLgCate.jpg


BXw5ONK.jpg


sUSBJ9L.jpg



edi
 
Stainless rifles will rust given an adequate amount of neglect. I've only noticed a small rust stain on the exterior of a T3 barrel... not sure how it got there except maybe condensation in storage? I don't put guns away wet even stainless, inclement weather models but they are sturdy and resistant rifles. I do not have much experience with most other brands as I'm a wood/blued guy but I expect the old saying of "you get what you pay for" applies.... it does with modern screws and fasteners anyway: cheap chinesium "stainless" will rust only slightly slower than the cheap chinesium steel counterpart.
 
Man that does not look good !
Leavenworth
We get some beauties every now and then. Some say the 75's had better steel but I don't believe that. These 75 & 85 are from guys that shoot all year round fox & deer often in wet conditions.
I have a few stainless Tikkas and never had rust, then again I spray them down with WD40 or 85 after a rainy outing. They seem to get better with time. Chrome oxide layer?

YLgCate.jpg


BXw5ONK.jpg


sUSBJ9L.jpg



edi
 
Most stainless steels used in rifles is 416. This stainless is easier to machine, but less resistant to corrosion/rust
than are some other, difficult to machine, stainless alloys.
Neglect will result in rust. Shooting them until the barrel is very "hot" will accelerate throat erosion, just as it will
with chrome-moly [4140] Dave.
 
More knowledge gained ! Thank You !
Leavenworth
Most stainless steels used in rifles is 416. This stainless is easier to machine, but less resistant to corrosion/rust
than are some other, difficult to machine, stainless alloys.
Neglect will result in rust. Shooting them until the barrel is very "hot" will accelerate throat erosion, just as it will
with chrome-moly [4140] Dave.
 
I’ve seen many stainless guns with “rust” developing, (Remington, Sako, savage, howa, tikka) typically it can be cleaned off without issue, but the worst one I’ve personally seen was a savage muzzleloader (it had never seen blackpowder). If I think back the only brand I have personally never seen rust is Ruger. But as seen below it too can/will if conditions allow.

A little google image search:

Montana rifle

Kimber

Smith and Wesson

Ruger

Colt
 
I switched from the standard oily rag treatment, and various different sprays, and tried out some renaissance wax, the results have been good, I think it certainly lasts longer than just an oily wipe down, helps out with extra neglect time between thorough cleanings
 
Matte Finished Stainless tends to rust easier then highly polished stainless.

The older polished Ruger MKII were more resistant to rust then most, no fine pits in the finish to hold moisture.

Any matte finished firearm blued or stainless can be made more resistant by warming the metal and wiping on a good coating of gun oil. Warming the metal seems to allow the metal to absorb more of the oil.
 
Back
Top Bottom