Cerekoted vs Stainless Tikka

Marbles

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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.
My only experience with it has been the bezel on my Fenix7 watch and a bolt handle, in both cases it has work of the corners.
 

PistolPete

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Was that for a whole rifle? Inside and out? Did you do anything about the screws to resist corrosion? Those things always rust on me.

Look into the nitride option. I just got one done from unknown and it’s super smooth. Costs $150 so about the same as cerekote
 

Fireflyfishing

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Stainless is my vote. Where I hunt in western MT, the season usually starts with rain and then turns to snow. And I truck around in it all day in pursuit of my quarry. Stainless always gets the job done for me.
 

hoytboy

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Can’t go wrong with stainless. I have a 24 year old Tikka stainless that has seen lots of use, and has stood up extremely well.
 

Sadler

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Was that for a whole rifle? Inside and out? Did you do anything about the screws to resist corrosion? Those things always rust on me.
Just the action and yes inside and out. The screws are just the standard ones that come with it. I’m sure you could buy some stainless ones from mountain tactical and unknown would nitride those as well.
 
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In regards to nitriding - I've heard people say that knowing the existing hardness or other attributes of an action steel is important to make sure nitride treatment is completed appropriately such that it doesn't compromise the integrity of the metal.

Anyone know anything about that and if the properties of the tikka receiver/bolt steel are known for nitriding?
 
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You don’t want cerakote on the parts where corrosion matters most (bore, little parts inside action), so stainless.
This is exactly what I thought when I read the thread, you are absolutely correct

If I were to cerakote a rifle, it would still need to be stainless. I can’t have blued guns
 
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Castmaster

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This is exactly what I thought when I read the thread, you are absolutely correct

If I were to cerakote a rifle, it would still need to be stainless. I can’t have blued guns
I said the same after the last rifle I bought, a Bergara bmr carbon 22lr. I took it out for one squirrel hunt on a sunny day set it in the corner picked it up 3 days later to use it again and already had minor pitting on the barrel bands and surface rust covering the entire action.
 

sdupontjr

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Either would be fine as long as you take care of it. Just because its stainless doesn't mean that It doesn't require cleaning. A lot of folks think that way. I have a Blued 1994 Browning abolt 2 7 mag that I have hunted with to this date. Other than the bolt knob and a spot on the hinged floor plate where the blueing is slightly rubbing off for use, it looks damn near like the day I bought it way back then. And the area I hunted with it is mud, swamp and hard on things. Don't hunt there anymore, but that rifle has been through hell with no coating other than being blued.
 

NSI

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Having a hard time trying to figure out if this Tikka T3x Roughtech GREEN is cerokote of stainless or cerokote of regular steel? No information is on the website including Tikka about the barrel material.....sportstman employees state they are not sure. thank you.
I don’t believe Tikka applies Cerakote to blued rifles. For example, the veil series are cerakoted stainless. You should be good. I could be wrong.

-J
 
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Castmaster

Castmaster

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In regards to nitriding - I've heard people say that knowing the existing hardness or other attributes of an action steel is important to make sure nitride treatment is completed appropriately such that it doesn't compromise the integrity of the metal.

Anyone know anything about that and if the properties of the tikka receiver/bolt steel are known for nitriding?
I’m not sure I couldn’t find anything about it but I’m sure it’s fine since UM does it to some of their modded Tikka actions. I decided to get a stainless Tikka and get the bolt and bolt handle nitrided.
 
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Stainless.

Owning both carbon steel and stainless Tikka barrels, the stainless cleans up so much more quickly I'll never buy anything carbon again.
 

Vern400

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I'll never buy another Chrome moly barrel again.
Not if I have a choice.
I thought my rifle was taken care of it good, but it pitted to death anyway on the inside. Not a single spot of rust or blemish outside the gun.
 

TheM1DoesMyTalking

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Stainless steel all the way. Tikka needs to introduce stainless models with 16-18" threaded barrels in .223, 6ARC and 6CM.
 
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Spray paint baw! Set it and forget it. Nothing to cry about when you beat it up. I'm sure SS barrel holds up fine as is but I despise shiny guns so I rattle can everything that goes in the field. Has worked for me in humid south Florida for more than a decade.
 
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