A Tikka "Cleaning" Regimen. A Little Brake Clean and Homemade Olive Oil is All You Need.

[Unckebob]

Instead of using your finger, why not use a chamber mop like Bore Tech and others offer?

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Instead of using your finger, why not use a chamber mop like Bore Tech and others offer?

Anything you can get in there to wipe out the excess. Just don't go jamming tools like I've seen folks do is all.

 

[omicron1792]

I use hoppes elite gun cleaner that comes in a spray bottle. Why would brake cleaner be better?

 

[Marbles]

I use hoppes elite gun cleaner that comes in a spray bottle. Why would brake cleaner be better?

Cost most likely.

Put 'gun' or 'archery' on a product and you can now charge triple for the cost of a lable.

 

[omicron1792]

Cost most likely.

Put 'gun' or 'archery' on a product and you can now charge triple for the cost of a lable.

I think it’s more the “cool kid” thing to do.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I use hoppes elite gun cleaner that comes in a spray bottle. Why would brake cleaner be better?

Because it’s already in the garage and works just as well.

 

[medvedyt]

olive oil and cold weather are not working well together.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

olive oil and cold weather are not working well together.

Go on…

 

[medvedyt]

The only major issues I've personally seen on Tikka firing pin assemblies is when one gets over oiled from factory and it isn't cleaned out. Or somebody greases it or oils it themselves and lets it sit for very long periods between shooting. Or in very extreme coastal environments exposed to high humid air.

Oil and grease gums up and can rust if not cleaned and ran dry in what I've seen. I've never had any of those issues on dozens of Tikkas when ran dry.

few people here tried to use the tikka t3 and t3x without proper cleaning/ de-lube and by -40c the firing pin did not work at all which led to most of yukoners to not use the tikka t3 and t3x up to the time we found out what to do properly. we of course found out as well that the rangers had no issues to use them in the cold but again it is taking few people to discover the secret of using the tikkas in the cold ... and the test made by form are helpful as well.

 

[medvedyt]

Go on…

here we can get up to -40 f or c ... not properly used your olive oil will not make your rifle to work ... i will have to wait for next year but i will do the demonstration for your own learning but i will not use californian premium olive oil only italian one ...

 

[RockAndSage]

Go on…

Go take a bottle or a cup of olive oil, and place it in the freezer overnight. It will pretty much be a solid at temps below -20F, and most types will be little more than cold honey at 0F.

 

[Marbles]

I think it’s more the “cool kid” thing to do.

Well, specific to the Hoppes Elite gun cleaner referenced above, after looking it in a pump spray bottle, break cleaner will work better.

Hoppes Blast and Clean would be similar to break cleaner. 11 oz of blast and clean is $14.99 at Sportsman's, the Lucas equivalent is $11.99 for 11 oz. 19 oz of break cleaner is $4.89.

A 19 oz bottle of electrical parts cleaner is $12.99 at Auto Zone and probably a true equivalent to the Hoppes.

However you stack it, the automotive product wins on cost and the odds of a difference in effectiveness are very low.

 

[Macintosh]

I'm not hippie enough to have olive oil in my house,

If olive oil in the house makes me a hippie, I guess Im a dirty hippie. Havent tried it on guns, nor have I tried smoking it.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Go take a bottle or a cup of olive oil, and place it in the freezer overnight. It will pretty much be a solid at temps below -20F, and most types will be little more than cold honey at 0F.

I don’t regularly hunt in -20F but 0F is quite common for some late season hunts as well as Northern Minnesota whitetail some years. I’ve never had a Tikka freeze up in 10 seasons of oiling bolts with olive oil.

 

[Stickmark]

I was in that dust blast out there.
I have never run some gun scrubber type product on the trigger. Is there ever a time you will pull the barrel and trigger and do some gun scrubber spray type of maintenance?

 

[HighUintas]

here we can get up to -40 f or c ... not properly used your olive oil will not make your rifle to work ... i will have to wait for next year but i will do the demonstration for your own learning but i will not use californian premium olive oil only italian one ...

The intent is to only use olive oil on the outside of the bolt, not the inside where the firing pin assembly is. Doing this will not cause any colder weather issues.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I was in that dust blast out there.
I have never run some gun scrubber type product on the trigger. Is there ever a time you will pull the barrel and trigger and do some gun scrubber spray type of maintenance?

When the gun is new I pull the number 4 large Allen screw that holds the trigger assembly in place. I add thread locker, or lately, oil based paint pen to the threads and reinstall to very high torque value. I’ve written instructions on this on Rokslide I can send your way.

I then thread out the smaller trigger spring adjustment Allen screw until it touches the aforementioned larger screw. I then leave the trigger alone unless something catastrophic occurs and needs maintenance (rare).

I pull barrels only when swapping a new barrel onto the action, when one is shot out of its usable life. The frequency of this is cartridge and barrel manufacturer specific.

It’s common practice for most shooters to use traditional barrel cleaning methods on their guns. This means running patches with solvents and oils down the barrel frequently. I personally have moved away from this. This “argument” has been covered and beaten until dead on this forum. If you want my personal opinion on barrel cleaning, the only cleaning that happens on my guns is mentioned in post 1. And full wipe downs and more detailed cleaning and anti seize applied when swapping to a new barrel.

You saw in real life in somewhat harsh desert conditions how the guns performed using the method I use. It’s one thing to theorize about what “could happen” on the internet and another thing to go out and shoot the guns and learn This comment is obviously not aimed at you.

For All: I don’t want to change anyone’s mind on what works for them and their guns. The point of this thread was to show what works for me with hunting bolt guns, with dozens of guns and thousands of rounds shot from each gun every year.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

The intent is to only use olive oil on the outside of the bolt, not the inside where the firing pin assembly is. Doing this will not cause any colder weather issues.

Thought I made that clear in my post but maybe not. I do suck at typing haha.

 

[Harvey_NW]

Thought I made that clear in my post but maybe not. I do suck at typing haha.

No, you did.

 

[HighUintas]

Thought I made that clear in my post but maybe not. I do suck at typing haha.

Definitely clear! I thought maybe he just missed it