Cerekoted vs Stainless Tikka

[Castmaster]

I’m going to buy a new Tikka T3x and can’t decide if I should go with stainless or get a standard blued and get it Cerekoted. I’ve never owned a stainless Tikka so I’m not sure how corrosion resistant it will be compared to Cerekote and if I will have to worry about rust constantly considering where I hunt can be very wet and humid.

 

[wind gypsy]

You don’t want cerakote on the parts where corrosion matters most (bore, little parts inside action), so stainless.

 

[Shortschaf]

Rifle stainless steels are not as corrosion resistant as cerekote

But coatings fail, and stainless steel will never stop being stainless steel. So get the superior metal

 

[plebe]

There are a number of Tikka models that are stainless with a cerekote finish as well.

 

[crich]

I vote get both. Buy the stainless and have it coated. Not necessary as the corrosion resistance of the tikka stainless is pretty good.

 

[Castmaster]

Or maybe I could do nitride .

 

[JohnJohnson]

Or maybe I could do nitride .

Generally nitride is only better than Cerakote on things like the inside of the action where metal is moving against metal. At least that's the impression I'm under. Get the stainless Tikka and if you want to Cerakote it at a later date then you can.

 

[Castmaster]

It’s a Tikka not a Ferrari so I’ll probably just get stainless and roll with it, the pattern I’m going to get a Rokstok in would look really good with stainless.

 

[Castmaster]

Generally nitride is only better than Cerakote on things like the inside of the action where metal is moving against metal. At least that's the impression I'm under. Get the stainless Tikka and if you want to Cerakote it at a later date then you can.

Nitride is superior to Cerekote in every way imo you only get 1 color option though unlike Cerekote you have hundreds.

 

[Sundodger]

I am getting a new barrel spun up for my Tikka which will be stainless and have PVD coating to barrel, bolt, and action.

 

[Tahoe1305]

My buddy did a full cerakote on the SS action and it lost a lot of its smoothness. Barrel and exterior maybe all day long but be cautious in internals. One data point.

 

[bojangles808]

My buddy did a full cerakote on the SS action and it lost a lot of its smoothness. Barrel and exterior maybe all day long but be cautious in internals. One data point.

I also cerakoted a bolt and it and it was not a smart idea. Looks sweet but i do not recommend

 

[Sundodger]

My buddy did a full cerakote on the SS action and it lost a lot of its smoothness. Barrel and exterior maybe all day long but be cautious in internals. One data point.

I also cerakoted a bolt and it and it was not a smart idea. Looks sweet but i do not recommend

I have a factory cerakoted Savage (bolt and all), and being such a sloppy mess of an action I think it helps eat up some of the slop a bit, but would never do that to a tikka.

 

[Shortschaf]

To whom it may concern

Cerekote is just good paint. It will add measurable thickness on top of the steel (0.25 to 3MILs according to one source) Do not put it on any interfacing surfaces like threads, raceways, bolt lugs, etc.

As mentioned above, its thickness can eat up tight clearances, and it's not a smooth coating, which both lead to binding.

Surprised so many folks have done it to bolts. Not judging, but also not surprised to hear the negative reviews about it

 

[menhaden_man]

My stainless t3x holds up pretty well where I live now (50" of rain annually). Also have another rifle that is cerekote, also holds up well but I don't use it as much here vs. WY.

 

[Vern400]

I'm a stainless and cerakote guy. Already wasted one chrome moly steel barrel hunting saltwater marshes. Bore pitted. And yes I oiled the barrel inside and out regularly. Im going all stainless.

 

[Marbles]

I had LRI cerekote two Tikka actions. They were a little less smooth for a few hundred cycles of the bolt, but smooth back up fine. Both were stainless.

Cerekote will chip and were, a few thousand rounds in and you can see were the case hits the action on ejection. If you ever shoot steel case ammo (I had some laying around) it will ding it up pretty bad.

Personally, I would just get stainless and don't think I would bother with cerekoting again unless I had money to burn and was chasing looks. I will probably rattle can my stainless barrels at some point.

Nitride is a good option, especially on chromoly, but you are looking at about $350. You can nitride, then sand blast, then cerekote. The black color from nitriding that adds slickness is not actually what gives corrosion protections.

Cerekote gives better corrosion protection than nitride, but nitride will protect everything including the bore. If nitriding, you should have all machine work you want done before hand as nitride is hard enough it needs special cutters to machine.

 

[Castmaster]

If you really want a Tikka bolt to feel like glass dlc would be a great option too besides nitride.

 

[Marbles]

If you really want a Tikka bolt to feel like glass dlc would be and awesome option, don’t the ctr’s come with dlc bolts?

I think a nitride action would be pretty smooth. Had a factory nitride Sako 85 and it was impossible to bind the bolt, even when I tried. However, stainless Sako 85s I have handled in stores would bind with heavy lateral force. My inclination would be to only coat either the action or the bolt to insure one is softer than the other. DLC will wear off as it is a surface coating, nitride is a surface treatment and will not wear off.

That said, this is all splitting straws.

 

[Castmaster]

I think a nitride action would be pretty smooth. Had a factory nitride Sako 85 and it was impossible to bind the bolt, even when I tried. However, stainless Sako 85s I have handled in stores would bind with heavy lateral force. My inclination would be to only coat either the action or the bolt to insure one is softer than the other. DLC will wear off as it is a surface coating, nitride is a surface treatment and will not wear off.

That said, this is all splitting straws.

Volvquartsen DLC’s their 10/22 and 22/45 bolts and I have never seen one of them wear off after 10s of thousands of rounds I guess it could eventually wear off but I think it would take an eternity.