Tikka t3x stainless vs blued. Pros/Cons for each.

[TexasHTR]

Hi. I’ve found a decently priced blued t3x lite. My question is should I just pony up for the stainless version? In other words, what am I missing out by going blued vs stainless? I know stainless is supposed to be better at corrosion but I’ve heard the tikka stainless is prone to rust anyway. Are there other benefits stainless brings to the table? I plan on using this as my main big game rifle and will use it backcountry hunts etc. I will chop the barrel to 20 in. for a suppressor and will upgrade the stock down the road. Thanks!

 

[General RE LEE]

I just ordered a blued Tikka T3X 6.5 CM off Euro Optic for $650. This rifle will be for my 15 year old.

I own a blued Tikka T3 308 that is over 10 years old. Zero rust and is a tack driver. I wipe my rifles blued or stainless down frequently with a Hoppes silicone cloth. If my rifles get wet I dry them out and wipe them down. Zero issues here in Tennessee.

 

[BradD20]

I’ve got a couple guns with each material. I’ve had the stainless stain, but never rust. I have had instances where bluing has rubbed then rusted in that spot.


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[thinhorn_AK]

My t1x is blued, I found some surface rust on it already. I wish it was stainless.

 

[General RE LEE]

My t1x is blued, I found some surface rust on it already. I wish it was stainless.

Are you in a salty environment? Do you wipe your guns down and store them in a low humidity area?

 

[Nosferatu]

Get a small microfiber towel, spray it down with Ballistol and keep it in a ziploc bag. Wipe down the rifle with it when needed. Refresh the rag with Ballistol when necessary.

I do this with my stainless guns as well.

 

[Sled]

I have both and would take either based on the price. The SS version looks better in terms of finish work. The chromoly is easy to wipe off but it holds moisture longer due to the textured appearance. Tikka cm barrels always look like they've been on a lathe compared to your old school blued rifles that still look smooth. Either way, I typically cerakote my cm barrels so I don't have to worry much about a week in the woods with no good way to dry off the gun.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

No cons for stainless for me.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Are you in a salty environment? Do you wipe your guns down and store them in a low humidity area?

It’s not very salty here but it’s moist. I wipe them down here and there but that t1x is not a very hard use gun so far.

 

[z987k]

Blue is slightly cheaper. That is it's only advantage.

 

[Tod osier]

Hi. I’ve found a decently priced blued t3x lite. My question is should I just pony up for the stainless version? In other words, what am I missing out by going blued vs stainless? I know stainless is supposed to be better at corrosion but I’ve heard the tikka stainless is prone to rust anyway. Are there other benefits stainless brings to the table? I plan on using this as my main big game rifle and will use it backcountry hunts etc. I will chop the barrel to 20 in. for a suppressor and will upgrade the stock down the road. Thanks!

I'll never buy a non-stainless rifle, that is just one of those decisions that I've made for ease of use. Don't need to worry about leaving it dirty and wonder what is going on in the bore, don't have to baby it on a multi day trip. I know what it is to have guns rust, I duck hunt on the coast, but there aren't any viable to me options in a stainless shotgun. I took a blued rifle to Alaska on a float trip and what a pita. Couple hundred bucks to not have to worry not to have to dry and oil a rifle in the dark in a tent.

Tikka stainless will surface stain rust wise, but I've never seen it deeper than that - no pitting if left like a blued rifle.

 

[Steve300xcw]

I have both. Seem to buy alot more blued rifles though. They wear, have a couple that have some freckles, one took a bit of scrubbing to get cleaned up. Not a big deal IMO

 

[Fishermen0105]

My preference is stainless but I’ve never had a blued rifle rust. I always wipe them down before I put them away. If in the backcountry I’ve gone over a week with snow with my blues tikka with no rust. Never been in a salty environment, however.

 

[General RE LEE]

My Tikka T3 .308 has sat through a few rains and never rusted. Dried off when I got home and then Hoppes gun cloth afterwards including running cloth between barrel and stock.

 

[freddyG]

Did tikka ever make a t3x with a blued action/stainless barrel. I found a t3x hunter in a gun store that appears to have that combo, and can’t tell if the action is ceracoated stainless(black color), or blued.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Did tikka ever make a t3x with a blued action/stainless barrel. I found a t3x hunter in a gun store that appears to have that combo, and can’t tell if the action is ceracoated stainless(black color), or blued.

It could just be that it isn't the original barrel on there, even if its a tikka barrel someone could have bought a take off factor barrel and spun it on.

 

[freddyG]

I was thinking that, but wanted to confirm. People are also parting these guns out like crazy, to get the actions.

 

[Macintosh]

There is a massive difference in how different types of bluing do with rust. Old-school slow rust bluing vs various types of hot bluing solutions, etc, to say nothing of different steels. My impression is that tikka bluing is decent—pretty good, but maybe not “great”—at rust prevention compared to other blued guns Ive owned. Its a LOT better than many though. The only rust spot Ive ever had on one was from a blood spot—the salty blood acts like salt water. I dont live near the coast, but stuff mildews around here during the summer if you arent careful, and I never had any other issue with the 2 blued tikkas I’ve owned. I’m down to one blued and one stainless, but given reasonable care Im not sure it matters that much unless you are in a coastal/rainforest type of place. If the money isnt prohibitive theres no down-side to it that Im aware of and you’ll likely get most of it back if you sell. But if the right deal walked by I wouldn't hesitate to buy a blued one.