Furious over my Tikka T3 !!!

[ncbowhnter]

So I have my Tikka all set up in a Whiskey 3, with a Vortex Viper HS-T with TPS rings. It has the spigot mount, harris bipod with LaRue QD, Threaded barrel, Accushot monopod, Custom bolt knob, 5 and 10 round AICS mags, VTAC sling. Hell, I even modified the cheek piece to where it is extremely comfortable.
I finally got a chance to shoot it and get it all sighted in and was really happy with the way it felt and shot. So after I got it sighted in, I noticed I only have about 2 more rotations on the elevation knob before it maxes out, so I figured not a problem, I'll just get a 20 MOA rail....And this is where the problem comes in.....
I have no idea where these guys came up with the idea to put flat head screws in the holes to hold the rail on the receiver, and then they apparently used super glue or something to lock them in to place.
I found a screwdriver that fit the screws really tightly and realized this was not going to be easy. I used a hair dryer to heat them up and was able to get 3 of them out somehow but the last one was a complete and total fail.
Completely stripped the last one! I then tried on of those little grabbit things to try to remove it which finshed off the head to where nothing that I have will work to get it out.
I was able to pry the front of the rail off the reciever and I tried turning it to the left (counter clockwise) thinking this may help in loosening the last screw at the back.....And snap! broke the head right off the damn screw. Now the stock rail is off, but I have one hole that I cannot use to attach the new rail! It broke off completely flush with the receiver.
So, Is there anywhere I can send this to or should I just use the 3 screws to hold down the new rail?
I am so pissed about this. I love this rifle and I want it to be perfect again but I don't have any more money at the time to dump into it.

 

[JRM83]

Try calling customer support first and see what they can do for you. Failing that find a competent smith and have them fix it for you.

 

[Shini]

That sucks, the screws on the rail with my T3 Super varmint were not difficult to remove, the pins that also hold the rail were a different story mind you. When I took the screws out there was what looked like blue Loctite on the bottom of the screws but that shouldn't be so hard to remove that it strips the screw heads, the screws on my rail were torx heads so you must have really been giving it some to strip those assuming it was the correct size tool.

As for removing the screw now, any competent gunsmith will be able to help you. There are tools around that you can try to use yourself to remove it but they are very small screws and you don't want to damage the threads so professional help is probably your best bet.

Sorry to hear it all went pear shaped and I hope its sorted quickly and cheaply for you.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

This is the third vortex viper report I've seen in the last couple of weeks that didn't have much elevation left after zero. There's a good chance the rifle isn't the issue. I would have bought a better scope with more travel first.

 

[ncbowhnter]

Anybody know of a good gunsmith near Sanford NC? Or maybe I would ship it somewhere to get it fixed assuming it doesn't cost an arm and a leg

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Dave Tooley is in Gastonia. Bit of a hike for you though. I'd ship it to him, it will cost you $20 or so for UPS ground with insurance and he can ship it right back to your door.

 

[BoilerUP]

Two revolutions of the HS-T elevation knob is 10 mils...given that the 4-16x is a 21 mil optic, I'd say that's pretty decent for elevation remaining on a 100yd zero using a 0 MOA mount.

 

[ncbowhnter]

Two revolutions of the HS-T elevation knob is 10 mils...given that the 4-16x is a 21 mil optic, I'd say that's pretty decent for elevation remaining on a 100yd zero using a 0 MOA mount.

It probably would have been plenty for what I'm going to do with it but I figured what could it hurt to upgrade the rail to a 20moa rail. Wish I never would have done it but its too late now. I have to got to get this screw out or its gonna drive me crazy. If anyone can give me contact info for a really good gunsmith, I would appreciate it.
Also what would you think the chances would be that it may have to be drilled out and re-tapped? (if I'm even saying that right?,, Will another hole have to be drilled and have new threads on the inside of it?)

 

[.50 Cal Cow]

Went through very similar frustration removing a factory rail on a TRG. Whatever you do make sure whichever smith you send it too knows the difference between standard and metric threading. the hillbilly I thought knew what he was doing persisted to try and force a standard tap to clean the thread despite me telling him not to touch it until I could confirm the right metric threading. Fortunately the threads were pretty close and I was able to repair the thread back to the right metric size.

 

[thejeep]

Long live the torx. Sorry about your troubles.

 

[ncbowhnter]

Thanks for the heads up. I would much rather ship this somewhere to someone who really knows what they are doing versus driving it somewhere to get a half-ass job. Money is tight but this is my baby. Its not the nicest set up out there by far but I am proud of it. I just need it to be fixed and I want it done right.

 

[Asperly Aimless]

Any machine shops around? You don't have to have a gunsmith remove it.

 

[ncbowhnter]

Any machine shops around? You don't have to have a gunsmith remove it.

There are. I wasn't sure if that was a route I needed to consider or not.

 

[Asperly Aimless]

A good machine shop will be able to remove the screw. No idea what the price would be, but I'd ask the machinist/s what their favorite beer is...

 

[JB02]

I would call Tikka CS first and see if they will assist you. If they won't, give Dave Tooley a call from Tooley Custom Rifles (Gastonia NC). He is an expert gunsmith.

I recommend you contact Vortex about the scope and let them know your issue.

 

[cal50]

If loctite was applied you need a temperature of 500 degrees Fahrenheit to break the bond. Once heated it should be easy to remove using the proper fitting tool.

I am not sure a blow dryer will get the job done for you but would suggest a heat gun or propane torch / heat wrench.

 

[Winny94]

I would call Tikka CS first and see if they will assist you. If they won't, give Dave Tooley a call from Tooley Custom Rifles (Gastonia NC). He is an expert gunsmith.

I recommend you get a 30mm scope, which has more travel.

The viper HS-T is a 30mm tube.

 

[crowsniper1]

Try a left twist drill bit.

 

[Shoottothrill]

Did you use a Gunsmith screwdriver or did you just use a regular screw driver? If you didn't use a Gunsmith screw driver that could be part of your problem. A regular screw driver only contacts the screw head very little and often is the cause of stripped screws used on firearms.

 

[Cobracutter]

So I have my Tikka all set up in a Whiskey 3, with a Vortex Viper HS-T with TPS rings. It has the spigot mount, harris bipod with LaRue QD, Threaded barrel, Accushot monopod, Custom bolt knob, 5 and 10 round AICS mags, VTAC sling. Hell, I even modified the cheek piece to where it is extremely comfortable.
I finally got a chance to shoot it and get it all sighted in and was really happy with the way it felt and shot. So after I got it sighted in, I noticed I only have about 2 more rotations on the elevation knob before it maxes out, so I figured not a problem, I'll just get a 20 MOA rail....And this is where the problem comes in.....
I have no idea where these guys came up with the idea to put flat head screws in the holes to hold the rail on the receiver, and then they apparently used super glue or something to lock them in to place.
I found a screwdriver that fit the screws really tightly and realized this was not going to be easy. I used a hair dryer to heat them up and was able to get 3 of them out somehow but the last one was a complete and total fail.
Completely stripped the last one! I then tried on of those little grabbit things to try to remove it which finshed off the head to where nothing that I have will work to get it out.
I was able to pry the front of the rail off the reciever and I tried turning it to the left (counter clockwise) thinking this may help in loosening the last screw at the back.....And snap! broke the head right off the damn screw. Now the stock rail is off, but I have one hole that I cannot use to attach the new rail! It broke off completely flush with the receiver.
So, Is there anywhere I can send this to or should I just use the 3 screws to hold down the new rail?
I am so pissed about this. I love this rifle and I want it to be perfect again but I don't have any more money at the time to dump into it.

What Rail and what model Tikka? Who installed the rail and what rail was used?

The only T3 that comes with a rail is the TAC and CTR.

Your scope is most likely the problem.

 

[Graywolf.260]

The only T3 that comes with a rail is the TAC and CTR.

Your scope is most likely the problem.[/QUOTE]

yea it doesn't make sense to try to have tikka fix the problem if its an aftermarket rail. You can get this 20 moa rail (link below) that comes with 4 torx screws and a lug pin, it will not go anywhere even with only three screws, but like others said you can get the stripped screw removed at any machine shop, if necessary re-drilled and tapped.
https://tikkaperformance.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=445

 

[ncbowhnter]

It is a T3 Scout. It came from the factory with the rail installed. And I'm only concerned with getting the screw out of the hole at this point. Mabye later on down the road I will upgrade the scope but I like the one I have for now.
I was taking the factory rail off when the screw broke. I'll try to find a machine shop today that will do it.

 

[JB02]

The viper HS-T is a 30mm tube.

Thanks for setting me straight. I looked at the wrong model!

OP, you really should contact Vortex about the elevation travel issue. They have really good CS.

 

[BoilerUP]

Thanks for setting me straight. I looked at the wrong model!

OP, you really should contact Vortex about the elevation travel issue. They have really good CS.

His scope has a total of 21 mils of elevation, and "two revolutions" from a 100yd zero is 10 mils of elevation remaining. Given the rail was 0 MOA, I don't see there being a problem with the optic.

 

[JB02]

His scope has a total of 21 mils of elevation, and "two revolutions" from a 100yd zero is 10 mils of elevation remaining. Given the rail was 0 MOA, I don't see there being a problem with the optic.

I've always been able to get more than that with my Vortex Scopes, but I've only used the PST and Razor.

 

[.50 Cal Cow]

The only T3 that comes with a rail is the TAC and CTR.

Your scope is most likely the problem.

yea it doesn't make sense to try to have tikka fix the problem if its an aftermarket rail. You can get this 20 moa rail (link below) that comes with 4 torx screws and a lug pin, it will not go anywhere even with only three screws, but like others said you can get the stripped screw removed at any machine shop, if necessary re-drilled and tapped.
https://tikkaperformance.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=445[/QUOTE]

I'll go out on a limb and say based on the details it was a factory tikka rail. Tikka/Sakos have a reputation for using a real bitch epoxy like compound to bed there rails. Also they are the only ones that I've seen so far that use a tiny flat head screw.

Even when using the proper hollow ground flathead bit they are still tough/impossible to remove without the right amount of heat applied.

At this point though it's here not there as it sounds like the screw head sheared off and now someone with the right tooling to fix this is needed.

 

[SakoL579]

What Rail and what model Tikka? Who installed the rail and what rail was used?

The only T3 that comes with a rail is the TAC and CTR.

Your scope is most likely the problem.

My Super Varmint had a picatinny rail from the factory.

Sendt fra min GT-I9300 med Tapatalk

 

[ncbowhnter]

I'm not worried about the scope. Its fine. I'm worried about the screw stuck in the receiver. I'm taking it by a machine shop in a little bit to see if they can fix it so wish me luck. And I am going to order one of the rails from tikkaperformance pretty soon. thanks to all
Definitely not something I think Tikka would help with even though they are the ones that permanently attached the rail to the rifle in the first place.

 

[ncbowhnter]

So what is recommended to get all this glue off the receiver? It had a good bit of glue or epoxy or something between the rail and receiver also and now the top of the receiver has a bunch of dried glue looking stuff on it.

 

[.50 Cal Cow]

So what is recommended to get all this glue off the receiver? It had a good bit of glue or epoxy or something between the rail and receiver also and now the top of the receiver has a bunch of dried glue looking stuff on it.

Aircraft paint remover. Can be bought at an automotive store. Be careful with inhaling and contact thought it's pretty nasty stuff. It'll take that crap right off. Best bet is to use q-tips to apply it let it sit and it'll congeal all that stuff off.

 

[6brshooter]

If i was in ur boat i would get a tikka performance steel 20 moa rail, great quality and uses a SS pin to engage the hole as a recoil stop. Send it to a good smith or better yet Dave Tooley, and have him convert base and action holes to 8-40 screws

 

[Rancid Coolaid]

Go to a Sears hardware store and buy a set of stripped screw removing bits, they work great and will save you this aggravation next time.

Tikka rifles are a great value, their rings suck, never had a rifle show up with a rail so I don't know about that. It does seem that you should be a little more careful with your precision instruments.

Good luck.

 

[leadbullet]

drill the broken screw one size bigger and retap the hole, not that hard.

 

[hamstur]

The only way I was able to loosen screws on Sako/Tikka factory base screws myself was lay the barreled action on a flat surface and let a hot clothing iron sit on it for 20-30 minutes.

 

[ncbowhnter]

Machine shop fixed me right up! Now its time to order the rail from tikkaperformance.com