Not my Tikka! Fired engaging safety

[The Guide]

I’ve done the same for mine. I feel like ft lbs is a better unit of measurement for how tight I get it.

10-12 ft/lb is on the low end of accuracy for a ft/lb torque wrench and 130 to 135 in/lb is on the high end of in/lb torque wrench accuracy. Therefore, ughadugah's and thwack's aren't appropriate either. Best I can do is 2 whacks with my daughter's purse.

Jay

Just make it tight. It is a fairly substantial bolt in a solidly threaded piece.

 

[Tahoe1305]

I got back and took a look first thing.

It was loose, just a bit. Enough for a small wiggle.

Using forms post above (133 in lbs) I took it apart. I applied torque like I have been with my Harbor Frieght Allen wrench (short handle torque but all I could muster).

Then I used a normal ft lb torque wrench to 11 ft lbs (plus a smidge). It turned at least another 1/4 turn. (Note: this is a smaller 3/8 wrench with a smaller torque range)

BL: I don’t think I’ve been using the full 133 spec’d torque. And guessing those without a wrench or something other than a maxed out Allen key are getting it either. But I’ve been wrong before. Guessing I was closer to 80-90 in lbs using just the Allen wrench.

Time to check the tikka family for similar.

It was a good lesson to learn and no one got hurt, so counting it as a win.

Appreciate the replies.

 

[rickyw]

@Tahoe1305
Thanks for posting

 

[HuntHarder]

Glad you got it figured out. It's amazing how important that bolt is. Turns a great gun, into an unsafe gun real quick.

 

[Marbles]

Well, sounds like I'll be redoing my trigger bolts.

Might be time to order a 140 in.lb torque limiter from Fix It Sticks as I don't think my Borka goes over 90.

I think the top end of torque spec for the 12.9 class bolt Tikka uses is 159 in.lb. So 133 in.lb still gives a nice safety margin. Might just torque to 90, then go 1/4 turn tighter.

 

[nm.otter]

FWIW, 15 Nm is the recommended torque for (plain, unlubricated) Class 10.9 M6 coarse thread screws.

 

[TaperPin]

This was a self induced problem and not a factory issue. If you take things apart and reassemble them improperly, the only one to blame is the person who took it apart. *Rolls eyes*

Jay

View attachment 993895

I just sent a group text to them offering to let them borrow an old Remington if their rifles need time to be checked. I’m glad to help them out.

 

[Boreal]

Me heading to the garage with my torque wrench


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[The Guide]

I just sent a group text to them offering to let them borrow an old Remington if their rifles need time to be checked. I’m glad to help them out.

I'm sure you didn't.

Jay

 

[K9kodi]

so we can chalk this up to user error? No bag on you, at all, but for the sake ofnoeople
And the world wide interwebs who
Would bash tikka, is this a mechanical malfunction or user not checking their shit?

 

[TaperPin]

I'm sure you didn't.

Jay

It takes a village. Makes my heart warm to be able to lend a hand.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I think it's fair for this to be looked at as a negative in some regards as it's clearly prone to people having issues with it if they break loose the way it was set at the factory. I've had a tikka trigger get loose on me after a flight and noticed while shooting with @swavescatter before knowing how hard they had to be cranked down.

Personally i like the simplicity and know to crank the shit out of them. Not everyone is privy though and even Mountain Tactical's trigger install instruction video tells customers to tighten it "just a little more than hand tight" which is crazy. Triggers coming loose like this isn't something that I've heard of happening with 2 pins like in m700 designs.

I’ve never heard or seen of one “breskingt loose the way it was set at factory.”

Is this something I’ve missed?

The only instances I’ve personally seen or heard of is when that screw is messed with.

 

[K9kodi]

My tikka has been transported many times, in a case in the bed of a truck, in the cab of a truck, dropped from my f250 w 8” lift in pelican case, into the woods in a rifle rack on an atv

 

[mtnbound]

That’s exactly what happens when screw loosen. It takes time.


Tikka trigger bolt torque has been addressed ad nauseam.

I agree it's been talked about a lot, and I am surprised it still happens, but I am amazed it took so long to loosen up. I figured it would take only a few shots, or a truck ride on a mountain road, to start loosening. Are there any other signs/symptoms that would show before the safety manipulation caused discharge?

 

[wind gypsy]

I’ve never heard or seen of one “breskingt loose the way it was set at factory.”

Is this something I’ve missed?

The only instances I’ve personally seen or heard of is when that screw is messed with.

Any time it’s put in a stock or chassis that doesn’t use factory style bottom metal so you have to remove the retaining clip sandwiched between the trigger and receiver. So basically any time someone puts one in a chassis.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Any time it’s put in a stock or chassis that doesn’t use factory style bottom metal that doesn’t utilize that retaining clip. So basically any time someone puts one in a chassis.

So, messed with. 10-4.

 

[wind gypsy]

So, messed with. 10-4.

By breaking loose, yes I meant loosening the factory torque on the trigger retention screw.

Edit: sorry @mxgsfmdpx, posting while also talking with wife and I missed the “messed with” part of your post the first time..

 

[Marbles]

I agree it's been talked about a lot, and I am surprised it still happens, but I am amazed it took so long to loosen up. I figured it would take only a few shots, or a truck ride on a mountain road, to start loosening. Are there any other signs/symptoms that would show before the safety manipulation caused discharge?

Probably not, other than pulling the rifle from the stock to check the torque.

Until now the consensus has been for 80ish in.lbs, so not surprising it still happens.

Also not surprising it took a while given he torqued it to 80-90 in.lbs originally, it takes time for that to work down enough to be loose. If you used rocksett, I bet 15 in.lbs would work just fine (not saying do that, I certainly wouldn't try it).

 

[Tahoe1305]

so we can chalk this up to user error? No bag on you, at all, but for the sake ofnoeople
And the world wide interwebs who
Would bash tikka, is this a mechanical malfunction or user not checking their shit?

Yes. I don’t think I had a full 133 in lbs.

Like many I remove the OEM springs to put in chassis and whatnot. I’ve always used the “just get it as tight as you can” method. Wasn’t enough I guess in my case. Torque wrench clearly applied more torque in my case.

I wasn’t aware this was a “common” issue. I’m pretty active on the forum and have been for some time (8 years I’m guessing) but first I’ve seen anyway.

If nothing else it’s another thread that may help some folks in similar position. I know for a fact some folks are going to check tension on em.

 

[feanor]

Glad you got it figured out and everybody was safe. That’s a good reminder for me on the safety end of things.