Tikka Nitriding

[Formidilosus]

What did they do?


Also... does anyone that has a nitrided action see the nitride getting worn on the high-friction components?

I had a Tikka action and bolt cerakoted, and the more I'm running the bolt, the more that the cerakote is starting to wear through. It was done by one of the most reputable guys in the industry, so I know it was done right. I'm just wondering if I should get it nitrided instead.

Nitride doesn’t wear though. It changes that metal.

 

[BBob]

see the nitride getting worn on the high-friction components?

Absolutely. If you use it enough the black will wear away. The hardness properties of the nitride won’t but the surface black eventually will.

 

[Sundodger]

Guys, keep in mind nitriding is a case hardening technique. Generally it only changes the material properties of the parent material a few thou deep depending on the process.

Yes, if you wore away 0.004” from your tikka action raceways that would be impressive and you would probably be mad how your tikka now feels like a savage.

 

[HuntHarder]

Nitride doesn’t wear though. It changes that metal.

I asked a guy here in the valley who has experience in nitriding and he said it absolutely wears. Nitriding really only affects the surface typically, not the core of the metal. It is very wear resistant but he says it does wear. Does this sound right to you?

 

[BBob]

I asked a guy here in the valley who has experience in nitriding and he said it absolutely wears. Nitriding really only affects the surface typically, not the core of the metal. It is very wear resistant but he says it does wear. Does this sound right to you?

Nitride hardening goes several thousands deep so you're likely not going to wear it off. The depth depends on the alloy that is treated and how it is treated. Typically it'll go .002-.004" to mby .008" or more deep. The black is more on the surface and will wear. The black has not much to do with the hardening properties, it's just a cosmetic feature of the process.

You are correct in that it is more of a surface hardening (case hardening) and doesn't affect the core but it is as I stated above. You're not wearing it off anytime soon other than the black surface.

 

[swavescatter]

1/10th of a thou for stainless? That could wear potentially.

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[TxAg]

I asked a guy here in the valley who has experience in nitriding and he said it absolutely wears. Nitriding really only affects the surface typically, not the core of the metal. It is very wear resistant but he says it does wear. Does this sound right to you?

No, it alters the properties of the metal. You'd have to remove enough of the surface to get below the case depth.

 

[Formidilosus]

I asked a guy here in the valley who has experience in nitriding and he said it absolutely wears. Nitriding really only affects the surface typically, not the core of the metal. It is very wear resistant but he says it does wear. Does this sound right to you?

No, that is not correct. You are not wearing through the metal to that depth in use.

 

[swavescatter]

No, that is not correct. You are not wearing through the metal to that depth in use.

I think there's a whole lot of information you'd need to make a statement that authoritative. Who knows how this shopt nitrided (temp/duration/base material/etc.) Even diamonds cut diamonds...

 

[Formidilosus]

I think there's a whole lot of information you'd need to make a statement that authoritative. Who knows how this shopt nitrided (temp/duration/base material/etc.) Even diamonds cut diamonds...

Ok. Well in almost 30 years of using nitride, Melonite, etc extremely heavily- including multiple pistols with more than 150,000 rounds on them that spent a considerable amount of time in salt water; actions with 20,000 plus rounds on them, etc, etc.; and also seeing a lot of others have the same use on nitrided guns- none of them has the nitride “worn through”.

It absolutely will lose its black color, but Nitriding done by any reputable shop isn’t “wearing through” in use on firearms.

 

[HuntHarder]

Maybe the guy was thinking more industrial vs. Gun finishes. I just read up on nitriding from a few sites and they all say it wears. I guess from a shooting stand point, the average guy or above average guy, would never shoot enough to cause wear to happen.

 

[Nine Banger]

How does it feel cycling the bolt now? More smooth than before the nitride, or just the same?

I'll reply with an opinion when I get it assembled. All I did so far is shove it into the action and then wash it. It drops right thru now though.

Now that it has around 300 rounds thru it it's definitely smoother than a factory action.

When I first got it going it seemed same-same-little-better and I got used to it and forgot about it.

I shot with another Rokslider last week and he had an "oh man" type reaction when he shot it for a few rounds.

 

[khuber84]

I have a few nitride coated actions, prob 9k plus rounds on em, the bolts have lost their nitride in places. So yes, nitride does wear off.

 

[Axlrod]

I have a few nitride coated actions, prob 9k plus rounds on em, the bolts have lost their nitride in places. So yes, nitride does wear off.

Nitride hardens the steel beyond the surface. So even when the black color wears off, it doesn't loose the effectiveness of nitriding.

 

[Stocky]

Nitride hardens the steel beyond the surface. So even when the black color wears off, it doesn't loose the effectiveness of nitriding.

It hardens a thin surface layer (our tooling around 0.8mms deep. Id assume less on a rifle action). But yes the black is an oxide coating not the nitriding. We nitride tolling for rollform machine that run miles of rodding iron etc. After a few months the black is gone but the tools last decades that wouldn't be the case of the hardness had gone. We used to just nitride without the black oxide but our new suppliers only does it with black oxide to help batch things.

There are also nitride coating but its not the same thing.

 

[khuber84]

Nitride hardens the steel beyond the surface. So even when the black color wears off, it doesn't loose the effectiveness of nitriding.

Correct, the depth of penetration varies from many factors, but it's def below surface. The external surface coating is def subject to wear patterns. People often(myself included) comment on the feel of a nitride action VS raw stainless or cerakote. This is a byproduct of the surface finish. Idk if that smoothness ever degrades or not, as my actions that are well worn, still run as smooth(or smoother) than when new.