Tikka hard bolt lift after dry firing. WTF

[Maverick1]

While dry firing today it developed an extremely hard bolt lift. After you cycle the action it is fine, smooth as always. You dry fire and you almost need two hands to lift the bolt handle up.

I took the bolt from my other Tikka and it runs in the gun just fine. I put the problem bolt in the other gun same thing so I assume it has to be something with the bolt I just can’t see what the hell it is.

I don’t know if I can attach a video but I’ll send it to whoever thinks they can help.

I do not dry fire my rifles. But I have noticed the exact same thing when I use practice round “snap caps” in my Tikkas. The bolt just becomes stiff and harder to operate. I’ve never really given it much thought, though. Just thought I would share that I have three Tikkas that all have the same stiffness to the bolt operation when using the snap caps. Good luck!

 

[Needbacon]

I'm fairly new to tinkering on my own rigs, so take this with a grain of salt. But i had the same issue - shot fine when i got it, no dry firing issues and then the bolt just started sticking BAD to where i thought it was completely locked at one point after dry firing.

I don't know how it happened for sure (I have my suspiscions), but my firing pin had a small bend in it near the cocking piece. The collar/bushing between the rearward end of the spring and the safety indicator was getting hung up on that bend each time I cocked it. I couldnt actually see the bend until after disassembling the firing pin assembly, all I could tell is that bushing was all but ceased up.

For all practical purposes, you might as well just fork out the $130 for a new firing pin assembly if you have traced the issue to a completely boogered firing pin. But I decided to take it as a chance to learn a little more about the firing pin assembly. I figured I might as well pull it apart if I'm gonna trash it. Got it apart using a quarter inch socket to depress the spring away from the c clamp and used a precision screwdriver to work off the c clamp. And like i said I found that bend once i pulled off the spring and bushings.

I went ahead and eyeballed it and bent it back straight, gave it a good polish and reassembled. Works a hundred times better, but still slightly stiffer than my other Tikka. Firing pin seems to find its way out of the bushing for a primer strike just fine when it's cocked and triggered. Real test to see how the repair holds up will be the next couple hundred rounds or so.

Just thought I'd share. Let me know your thoughts

 

[rclouse79]

The people on this thread have a lot more gun knowledge than me. I remember being told early on to not dry fire a gun so I never did. I bought some of the snap caps to practice pulling the trigger. I am not trying to be a smart ass, but wonder why dry fire your gun if it is causing issues?

 

[Needbacon]

The people on this thread have a lot more gun knowledge than me. I remember being told early on to not dry fire a gun so I never did. I bought some of the snap caps to practice pulling the trigger. I am not trying to be a smart ass, but wonder why dry fire your gun if it is causing issues?

Fair point. Although, just to clarify, this wasnt only an issue while dry firing. It was any time the bolt was loaded and the trigger was depressed. Didn't matter if i was firing a live round or dry firing. You never know, the issue could have originated from dry firing. Although, my other Tikka was dry fired every bit of 500 times without causing any firing pin issues.

 

[Formidilosus]

but wonder why dry fire your gun if it is causing issues?

Dryfiring does not in any way harm modern rifles.

 

[BjornF16]

@Glockster26 Did you ever determine what the issue was causing hard bolt lift after dry firing?

 

[RyanT26]

@Glockster26 Did you ever determine what the issue was causing hard bolt lift after dry firing?

Not really. I stripped it down and cleaned it well, so far so good.
I never saw anything debris or broken pieces but I am guessing that what it was. It’s been fine since then.

 

[dingle]

I would bet a metal shaving got in there from when it was fluted.

If it's of any use, I had metal shavings cause the same problem that manifested as a heavy bolt lift. When swapping out a bolt shroud, I used an apparently junky hex key to keep the firing pin cocked and a chunk or two of that key sheared off without me noticing. This shaving or two landed in a spot somewhere up near the shroud that made dry firing do some nasty edge grinding (thankfully not on the inside of the bolt body) and cause a progressively heavier bolt lift. I thought it was caused only by the aftermarket bolt shroud, so after I sent the bolt to the boys at Mountain Tactical they ended up diagnosing the problem. They fished out the metal shavings and replaced the firing pin assembly, and both a factory and MT shroud behave the same. All butter and no heavy lift since.

 

[Jimbee]

I just had the same issue as OP. My bolt all of a sudden kept getting harder and harder to open after dry fire. I put a bit of grease on the lugs after it seemed a bit rough while shooting yesterday. A differentbolt worked fine. I took the bolt apart and blasted it with brake cleaner it cycles fine now with zero lube. Seems weird, nothing obvious like a metal shaving or anything.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I just had the same issue as OP. My bolt all of a sudden kept getting harder and harder to open after dry fire. I put a bit of grease on the lugs after it seemed a bit rough while shooting yesterday. A differentbolt worked fine. I took the bolt apart and blasted it with brake cleaner it cycles fine now with zero lube. Seems weird, nothing obvious like a metal shaving or anything.

When I was having issues with mine cocking hard after nitriding it was friction in the cocking notch specifically and it needed lube. That isn't an area I've had to specifically lube previously but it is what it is.

 

[Lawnboi]

I just had the same issue as OP. My bolt all of a sudden kept getting harder and harder to open after dry fire. I put a bit of grease on the lugs after it seemed a bit rough while shooting yesterday. A differentbolt worked fine. I took the bolt apart and blasted it with brake cleaner it cycles fine now with zero lube. Seems weird, nothing obvious like a metal shaving or anything.

I’d reccomend a small dab of grease on the back of the bolt lugs and an even smaller amount on the cocking ramp of the bolt body.
I put a dab on the area the bolt handle contacts the cam as well, but that’s probably not necessary.

Had a cocking tank become rough and gall a bit from running dirty. Suppressed shooting, you end up with some carbon down in the bolt face/ firing pin channel semi often.

Even if I wasn’t going to clean my barrel ever, I’d still at a minimum wipe down my bolt, grease the lugs/ramp, and give the chamber a wipe down.

 

[littlebigtine]

When I was having issues with mine cocking hard after nitriding it was friction in the cocking notch specifically and it needed lube. That isn't an area I've had to specifically lube previously but it is what it is.

Im having heavy bolt lift after nitride as well. Ive cleaned the bolt numerous times to no avail. What do you think is going on exactly? I thought nitride was supposed to smooth out the action not make it run rough.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Im having heavy bolt lift after nitride as well. Ive cleaned the bolt numerous times to no avail. What do you think is going on exactly? I thought nitride was supposed to smooth out the action not make it run rough.

One thought I had is the hot salt bath bakes out any oil in the metal pores we take for granted from the factory? And/or it needs a little break in. Mine has settled in though now.

Lube the back of the bolt lugs, cocking notch on the back of the bolt and I also noticed on mine there was a little resistance between the firing pin rod and the black bushing piece it rides in at the back so I worked in a little lube there too.

 

[ljalberta]

Im having heavy bolt lift after nitride as well. Ive cleaned the bolt numerous times to no avail. What do you think is going on exactly? I thought nitride was supposed to smooth out the action not make it run rough.

Is the cocking ramp greased? If it’s run dry, I would check for galling. I had to replace the firing pin assembly on a Tikka and buff up the ramp after it became galled from running it too dry.

 

[id_jon]

I was having this issue recently too, greasing the cocking ramp solved it.

 

[littlebigtine]

What exactly is the cocking ramp?

 

[BBob]

What exactly is the cocking ramp?

 

[littlebigtine]

That thing?

 

[Ac338]

That thing?View attachment 804628

Yes what you have circled is the cocking ramp. The silver piece is the cocking piece.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

That thing?View attachment 804628

Did it resolve / improve your issue getting some oil in there?