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

[gbflyer]

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.

I’m with you. Doesn’t make sense to sell that stock to the layman rifle owner if it requires additional bedding, then take a run-out powder when it goes bad. They should require that they be the one to bed it, set up authorized gunsmiths to bed it, or produce a stock that will work adequately as a drop - in. Regardless of what we see written on forums, proper bedding isn’t just a matter of some clay, paste wax, and some JB Weld or the like.

There might be a failure to communicate on the manufacturers part here. Would be nice to hear from them. I’m in the market for a lefty Tikka stock. I am competent at stock bedding but I’ve made my share of mistakes also.

 

[fatbacks]

Epilogue - just got a call from Dennis @ Alterra. They want the stock back to check it out and fix my crappy bedding job if I didn't get it right. Stoked about this because this is my best fitting stock - went on my Brooks Range sheep hunt last year and it appears it will ride again and go this fall as well.

Again, I would like to reiterate that I did not bed the stock correctly in the first place. If I could've done it all over I would have had Alterra bed it in the first place. Every bedding job I have seen done by them is phenomenal.

 

[204guy]

Not to pile on here and it's a little tough to tell from the pictures but, how would putting a bunch of bedding compound in front of the recoil lug have solved this issue? It looks like they drilled two big holes in front of where the lug would sit?

Unfortunate it took this thread to get them to fix it.

 

[sndmn11]

Great result! Hopefully they can turn this into an example of great customer service and why they deserve people's business.

 

[Shooter71]

Looks like once the lug stopped taking the rear load it was transferred to the pillar, either from screw contact or friction, and acted as a wedge behind the pillar. If it’s just soft foam filler around the lug and pillar it’s a serious design flaw. In my opinion none of these tikka stocks should come with the pillar glued in. The relationship between the lug and action is critical due to the small contact patch. Often they’re glued in at a slight angle which reduces contact to one side or the other. If you try to bed it you get a wafer thin layer that flakes off anyway, or the action doesnt seat fully into the lug during bedding, reducing contact. If that was my stock I’d mill out all the foam around the front pillar and lug and replace with glass filled epoxy.

 

[madcalfe]

And this is why I just got a smith to weld a stainless lug onto the action.

 

[260madman]

Epilogue - just got a call from Dennis @ Alterra. They want the stock back to check it out and fix my crappy bedding job if I didn't get it right. Stoked about this because this is my best fitting stock - went on my Brooks Range sheep hunt last year and it appears it will ride again and go this fall as well.

Again, I would like to reiterate that I did not bed the stock correctly in the first place. If I could've done it all over I would have had Alterra bed it in the first place. Every bedding job I have seen done by them is phenomenal.

View attachment 275953

What happened for them to call you? Someone tip them off to this thread?

 

[homers]

Will be interesting on the follow up report once Allterra gets the stock. My guess is they'll fix it or give you a new one just to counter some of the negative press they got on this post alone.

 

[Wrench]

And this is why I just got a smith to weld a stainless lug onto the action.View attachment 276000

Prefixes are important. Next time go to a GUNSMITH and not a BLACKSMITH. A GUNSMITH would spin a recoil lug to be pinched by the barrel. The BLACKSMITH gob part of a horse shoe on the action.

Classy photo. I'll save that for discussion.

 

[madcalfe]

Prefixes are important. Next time go to a GUNSMITH and not a BLACKSMITH. A GUNSMITH would spin a recoil lug to be pinched by the barrel. The BLACKSMITH gob part of a horse shoe on the action.

Classy photo. I'll save that for discussion.

it was taken to a "GUNSMITH" he does it to quite a few tikkas and all have shot very well.

 

[204guy]

And this is why I just got a smith to weld a stainless lug onto the action.View attachment 276000

Right wrong or otherwise how would this help the OP problem?

 

[madcalfe]

it doesn't but the person previous to my post was saying maybe the lug stopped taking the impact of the recoil and it transferred to the rear pillars. or the lug didn't seat into the action properly after the bedding.
tikkas are known to mash out their stock lugs after a while from the recoil.
this is what i got done to fix their shitty floating lug design.

 

[Oldffemt]

Prefixes are important. Next time go to a GUNSMITH and not a BLACKSMITH. A GUNSMITH would spin a recoil lug to be pinched by the barrel. The BLACKSMITH gob part of a horse shoe on the action.

Classy photo. I'll save that for discussion.

Putting a recoil lug between the action and barrel on a tikka would change the location and eliminate the ability to use a stock inletted for a “standard” tikka right? Seems like that route would create as many issues as it might fix but I’m not a gunsmith or a blacksmith. I do kinda like the idea of welding the recoil lug to the action. Seams like bedding would be easier and you’d never have to wonder if you got the lug fully seated. Please explain if there’s a reason this wouldn’t work.

 

[Oldffemt]

Also, wouldn’t a recoil lug between action and barrel totally change headspacing?

 

[Wrench]

Research heat affected zone and shrinkage.

Would adding a recoil lug change headspace?

No. The action taper gets faced off or the tennon gets lengthend, but the bolt face does not change.
Look at the tennon shoulder....the shoulder does not exist until you make it.

As for inlet, a .250" slot would be in the capabilities of most.

 

[eLightfoot]

I’m not an engineer but I have bedded a few stocks. I cannot fathom how a bedding job is going to effectively absorb the energy from high recoil over time. Bedding is paper thin an meant to create a perfect fit from stock to action. Not hold the inlet of the stock together. If you are bedding the lug into foam...... that just don’t make sense to me, especially on a $600 stock.

 

[Oldffemt]

Research heat affected zone and shrinkage.

Would adding a recoil lug change headspace?

No. The action taper gets faced off or the tennon gets lengthend, but the bolt face does not change.
Look at the tennon shoulder....the shoulder does not exist until you make it.

As for inlet, a .250" slot would be in the capabilities of most.

View attachment 276410

Not sure if I would be excited about an extra .25”“notch” in a $600 carbon stock but maybe I’m missing something. I guess maybe you could order without the lug inlet? Thanks for sharing your process. It interests the hell outa me.