Attempting to fix my failed bedding job - Tikka T3 in an Axial/Alterra

[homers]

No, they do not.

"Comes with aluminum pillars to be installed and bedded by a qualified gunsmith or by AllTerra Arms."

Because of this additional cost (needing to install and bed pillars on a supposedly premium stock), I went with McMillan. When I asked Allterra how much for them to bed my action, I was quoted $400 + shipping. It was almost like they didn't want my business.

 

[sndmn11]

No, they do not.

"Comes with aluminum pillars to be installed and bedded by a qualified gunsmith or by AllTerra Arms."

How would that fact account for the unreinforced area of the stock down-recoil from the lug? His stock didn't fail around the pillars.

 

[MuleyFever]

How would that fact account for the unreinforced area of the stock down-recoil from the lug? His stock didn't fail around the pillars.

Dont know. I quoted the comment my response was directed to, and it had nothing to do with any un-reinforced areas or failures.

 

[realunlucky]

Fatbacks don't feel to bad I saw another Tikka stock that failed at the lug also when the foam compressed.





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[sndmn11]

OP did the work. He did a poor job and Alterra should be responsible? Has anyone heard of any issues with an Alterra stock done professionally for a TIkka?

Ok, here's your other one. What I am getting at is the stock's failure was in an area that he didn't work on. Alterra didn't build in any structure to take the load of recoil, that defeats the design intent and purpose of a recoil lug.

 

[left hunter]

I’m not gonna comment on who’s at fault here but when I bed my tikka rifles i actually attach the lug to the rifle first with a tiny dab of super glue ( real freakin tiny) put bedding compound everywhere you normally would in the stock and set the barrels action in. When you remove the next day the lug will stay in the stock ( the bond in the tiny dab of super glue is nowhere near as strong as deacon) and everything will have a perfect fit.

 

[OutdoorAg]

No, they do not.

"Comes with aluminum pillars to be installed and bedded by a qualified gunsmith or by AllTerra Arms."

Lol. And how does this apply to the failure?

Comes with pillars to be installed still means it’s a bolt and go stock. Just that it’s not pillar bedded from Alterra.

 

[RyanT26]

never mind!

 

[gbflyer]

I cracked an Edge filled McMillan in the same place. They took care of it with no admonishment. It had been skim bedded with 10110 rather professionally.

 

[Dioni A]

 

[brushape]

Because of this additional cost (needing to install and bed pillars on a supposedly premium stock), I went with McMillan. When I asked Allterra how much for them to bed my action, I was quoted $400 + shipping. It was almost like they didn't want my business.

In the stock builder on their website it is $60 to have your action bedded into one of these stocks


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[homers]

In the stock builder on their website it is $60 to have your action bedded into one of these stocks


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I couldn’t find it on their site and called. Told $400+, thought I misheard so I emailed. Same response. Someone on this forum said they paid $100, then someone who ordered after that paid $190+shipping. So it does seem the price has increased over time. Give them a call.

 

[Lawnboi]

Well they are off my list, glad I didn’t invest. Happy with my mcmillan and manners inlets.

 

[OutdoorAg]

It’s always fun to watch the internet react to bad customer service. About 90% of folks recognize when a company can’t get their shiz together.

But there’s always a few that just don’t get.

Anyway, OP - if you want a new stock from Alterra, I’d get to posting your experience around the web. Even if they don’t make it right, you’ll at least be doing lots of others the service of avoiding a company with bad design and bad CS.

 

[Dioni A]

As a person who's received incredible customer service from this company I have to imagine the way you approached it played a part in the response you got. I have a custom rifle from them and one of their stocks on a muzzleloader. I could be wrong. And whoever you talked to you could have been having a bad day. But that's not the experience I've had with this company.

 

[sndmn11]

As a person who's received incredible customer service from this company I have to imagine the way you approached it played a part in the response you got. I have a custom rifle from them and one of their stocks on a muzzleloader. I could be wrong. And whoever you talked to you could have been having a bad day. But that's not the experience I've had with this company.

I don't doubt Alterra has their good days.

The neat part about this forum being publicly accessible is Alterra could surely post something in response themselves, or reach out to the OP privately after being aware of this thread and ask him to report back here. Nothing is stopping them from doing the service part of customer service. other than their own choosing. If they get that far, customer service shouldn't be a see-saw approach based on the mood of the person at the company that day. In my eyes, the biggest indicator of a healthy company that goes about their business with integrity and ethics is how they respond when there is a problem.

 

[Dioni A]

I don't doubt Alterra has their good days.

The neat part about this forum being publicly accessible is Alterra could surely post something in response themselves, or reach out to the OP privately after being aware of this thread and ask him to report back here. Nothing is stopping them from doing the service part of customer service. other than their own choosing. If they get that far, customer service shouldn't be a see-saw approach based on the mood of the person at the company that day. In my eyes, the biggest indicator of a healthy company that goes about their business with integrity and ethics is how they respond when there is a problem.

I was simply leaving room for the possibility that he wasn't treated properly with the doubt that's how it happened. Where I take issue with this is that many people are assuming his improper installation and subsequent product failure was some how their fault and responsibility to repair. Judging by the dents in the pillars it looks like that thing was allowed to move around quite a bit. My stocks that were bedded by them don't allow any movement, even without hardware.

 

[fatbacks]

Whoa, not trying to stir the hornet's nest on customer service. I've had a minor issue with a McMillan stock and their response was they might be able to fix it, but send it in and we'll see what we can do. Alterra said a gunsmith might be able to fix it but don't send it to them because they would not look at it. That's all.

I am not passing the blame here at all. I simply bedded the recoil lug and tang which is not their recommended installation. I messed up. Luckily I have a McMillan Game Scout for this rifle as well.

I love the ergonomics of this stock and I am sure if you look back at some of my posts, you'll see some very positive reviews. I would recommend that anyone getting one of these to have Alterra bed it for you. All their factory badding jobs looks fantastic.

All that said, this is the only stock I own that is prone to failure if not bedded correctly. The unreinforced area around the recoil lug makes me nervous. Bedded or not, most of your recoil lug is pushing back against the soft white foam when fired.

 

[OutdoorAg]

@fatbacks this is the part that would have me frustrated:

The unreinforced area around the recoil lug makes me nervous. Bedded or not, most of your recoil lug is pushing back against the soft white foam when fired.

Unless alterra states in print that the recoil lug area comes unfinished and requires reinforcement by the buyer of the stock...I’d be asking alterra to make this right.

It’s like a car recall. If a design flaw leads to failure, the company makes it right. On their dime.

 

[sndmn11]

I was simply leaving room for the possibility that he wasn't treated properly with the doubt that's how it happened. Where I take issue with this is that many people are assuming his improper installation and subsequent product failure was some how their fault and responsibility to repair. Judging by the dents in the pillars it looks like that thing was allowed to move around quite a bit. My stocks that were bedded by them don't allow any movement, even without hardware.

My hang up with what has been presented as to how the situation has been handled is the same as @OutdoorAg has expressed above. I couldn't be convinced that a magical bedding job would have resulted in anything different with the particular stock the OP has. Energy is still being transferred through the lug into the stock directly behind it, and that area of the stock appears to not be reinforced. Is Alterra producing $600 rifle stocks whose strength is solely reliant on end user recoil lug bedding capabilities? If there product is walking a thin line on end user skill making or breaking the success, you would think that they have an expectation for a certain amount of failures, two referenced in this thread, and have a more effective customer service response. Again, no customer service is a choice and only takes effort with a minimal amount of people skills.