Tikka Nitriding

[bpitcher]

@bpitcher I’m curious on the cost to nitride the three of you wouldn’t mind sharing (if allowed)? What smith in the area pulled the barrels for you and cost of that too please if you can?

Their batch fee is $300 for up to 100lbs. So it was $340 out the door.

I pulled the all barrels myself.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

Just had three actions and two factory barrels done by Nitretex in Houston.

I have a little bit of data on the factory barrels, so it'll be interesting to see the difference in accuracy (if any).

View attachment 1032364

Curious to hear.

 

[rollshifter]

If the hope is that it smooths out in time to feel OEM, then i consider that a fail. I was expecting it to go from glass (OEM) to buttered glass, but instead got sandpaper.

If you look at custom action makers like Defiance, they use chromoly bolts and stainless actions. Knowing this I ordered a custom chromoly bolt from PR Precision Rifles in Canada that are nitrided and 2 thousandth larger in diameter. I then had H&M do my stainless action body and the results are god like. Never felt a smoother action ever.

 

[rollshifter]

I would nitrided the action, but not the bolt. Having one surface be harder than another is more likely to be smooth than making both surfaces the same.

Nitriding stainless can actually reduce its corrosion resistance. I forget all the details on why and how though.

You are kind of right. Nitriding adds carbon into the surface of the steel. When done it looks gray. Then they back oxide the steel to protect it from rusting. Thats why some people have it cerakoted for the ultimate protection.

 

[rollshifter]

I'm getting ready to pull a 308 lite barrel after I shoot a few more boxes. I have a prefit ordered.

Do we have a goto shop for action nitriding services?

Do you completely strip the bolt of every little pin, spring, lugs, extractor, etc?

I use H&M South. Call customer service and talk to Adam Ritt. He will answer all your questions about how they want your parts. They don’t want to disassemble much, but if its a thread protector or something like that then it’s fine. Just remember they are not gunsmiths.

 

[Marbles]

You are kind of right. Nitriding adds carbon into the surface of the steel. When done it looks gray. Then they back oxide the steel to protect it from rusting. Thats why some people have it cerakoted for the ultimate protection.

No, nitride adds nitrogen to the steel. Nitriding is a form of case hardening. But, case hardening by adding carbon is carburizing and a different process.

You are correct about the black coating being an iron oxide done after the actual nitriding though, and I learned something new as I didn't know that.

 

[rollshifter]

No, nitride adds nitrogen to the steel. Nitriding is a form of case hardening. But, case hardening by adding carbon is carburizing and a different process.

You are correct about the black coating being an iron oxide done after the actual nitriding though, and I learned something new as I didn't know that.

Yes, I was thinking nitrocarburizing. Different process. My bad.

 

[rollshifter]

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.

The best cerakote will do that. With nitriding you will notice that some of the black oxide will ware away at the high ware areas but the nitriding will not. The nitrided steel is grayish. But we are talking a long time before this happens. It doesn’t look bad like when cerakote wares though. No it just adds a bit of character.