Tikka Action bluing wearing off

[kravi]

So I have a blued Tikka action which was previously spray painted. I'm not saying I'm the one who spray painted it, nor am I saying that I am not the one who spray painted it. In my infinite wisdom I removed the spray pain with mineral spirits and a soft buffing bit for a dremel. Worked like a treat, except that some of the bluing is wearing off and I can see streaks. Over the next x months / years, I'm going to be building a new precision rifle for PRS off of this action, but would like to avoid rust (and ugliness, for that matter).

What would be the recommended way forward? There is (as of now) no rust of corrosion, the action is great. I'm hesitant to have it cerakoted due to concerns about QC and having a truly flat surface at the top for a rail. I could also just get one of those bluing kits, I suppose - haven't done that before, but I'm guessing it would take it back up to factory standards?

Thoughts are appreciated!

P.S. I've heard Tikka say that all of their actions are SS and I've also heard otherwise. Would this have an effect on the bluing process? If there are a couple of materials possible in my action, how can I tell which I have?

 

[oldrifleman]

I would be really, really surprised if the action was not Stainless steel. And if it is that is not blueing but rather a cerro-coat or other coating. Blueing is a controlled corrosion finish that is very difficult to accomplish with Stainless steel, It fundamentally changes the surface finish and makes it more Rust resistant

 

[KnowNothing256]

I’d expect you could have the action nitrided or DLC’d. Nitriding is a high-temp process, and some makers advise against it because with certain heat treats or other metallurgical situations it can weaken the steel; unless Tikka told me I could nitride it, I’d get a DLC coating inside and out (me personally).

But I hate rust on my guns with a fiery passion, a true visceral hate. My Bergara would have cosmetic rust dusting after an evening hunting deer in California, and I was pretty over it. Stainless (preferably with a hard, slick, corrosion-resistant coating) for me now, bluing is gorgeous but pretty hard to maintain.

 

[kravi]

Yeah, I think Nitriding is out for me. I am an amateur knife maker and am very aware of what over tempering or even ruining the temper can do to steel. I don't want to mess with the action on that level. That is kinda why I was leaning towards bluing it, but not sure if it would actually help the action resist corrosion. DLC is an option, but it sounds like it is cheaper to buy a new action than pay for it to be DLCed....

 

[HMRamateur]

I don't think it's stainless steel, otherwise I couldn't see the point of Tikka having a stainless version of their rifles either, which is more expensive.

You could cerakote it with the rail on it? Then nothing gets sprayed on the mating surfaces. I have a nitrided origin that also got cerakoted with the rail on it. No worries about QC in that regard.

 

[kravi]

I'm not sure. Tikka said all their actions are SS according to a youtube video I saw from Mountain Tactical (I think). The Tikka SS generally refers to the barrels (vs their coated barrels that some people think shoot slower than the SS barrels, but whatever). I could be wrong. Hence my confusion.

 

[Wannashootit]

BROWNELLS OXPHO-BLUE® | Brownells

Check out BROWNELLS OXPHO-BLUE® | Brownells available Online at Brownells Today and many more Metal Bluing products are available in our Tools & Cleaning Department.

www.brownells.com

 

[Baron23]

If it’s SS, then as said it’s highly doubtful it’s actually “blued” as that really an oxidation (read as rust) process.

And that cold bluing is, IMO, for touching up little mars or very small bits.

I’d have that sucker bead blasted and DLC’d, personally.

And I do have a Defiance action that Altus sent out for nitriding after it was manf and there is no negative impact at all. Prob depends on who you send it to for nitriding.

 

[kravi]

If it’s SS, then as said it’s highly doubtful it’s actually “blued” as that really an oxidation (read as rust) process.

And that cold bluing is, IMO, for touching up little mars or very small bits.

I’d have that sucker bead blasted and DLC’d, personally.

And I do have a Defiance action that Altus sent out for nitriding after it was manf and there is no negative impact at all. Prob depends on who you send it to for nitriding.

The challenge is that nitriding requires 600 degrees Fahrenheit, unless I'm mistaken. That will absolutely mess up tempering and change the steel. If you are extending the tempering too long (say 300 - 400 depending on the steel) it gets softer (lower Rockwell hardness) but more flexible. If you go above the proper tempering temp, it just ruins tempering. But the steel "looks" the same afterwards, but it is more brittle. Not something I'm going to mess with.

EDIT: granted, DLC looks more achievable, but is pretty expensive. Almost cheaper to get a new action...

 

[oldrifleman]

Honestly I would just sand blast or whatever and shoot it with cerrokote

 

[kravi]

Honestly I would just sand blast or whatever and shoot it with cerrokote

I thought about that, but I'm nervous about cerakote. Too easy to mess up the shape of the top of hte action giving me issues with mounting the rail (or maybe issues with a properly centered scope attached to the rail that is off kilter).

I might leave it as is and make sure to coat the outside with CLP whenever I take it out, but... I'd rather have a good finish that doesn't mess with geometry.

 

[oldrifleman]

I thought about that, but I'm nervous about cerakote. Too easy to mess up the shape of the top of hte action giving me issues with mounting the rail (or maybe issues with a properly centered scope attached to the rail that is off kilter).

I might leave it as is and make sure to coat the outside with CLP whenever I take it out, but... I'd rather have a good finish that doesn't mess with geometry.

Put the rail on it and then shoot it

 

[Sum Ting Wong]

Have a professional cerakote it, it’s normally around .001” thick.

 

[oldrifleman]

Yesh there are a ton of coated actions out there. It pays to have a pro shoot it

 

[Hunt]

Birdsong

 

[Terry Cross]

I thought about that, but I'm nervous about cerakote. Too easy to mess up the shape of the top of hte action giving me issues with mounting the rail (or maybe issues with a properly centered scope attached to the rail that is off kilter).

I might leave it as is and make sure to coat the outside with CLP whenever I take it out, but... I'd rather have a good finish that doesn't mess with geometry.

If anyone is causing a dimensional or shape change by coating, they must be blasting half inch steel ball bearings at 500 psi. Unless somebody is using some type of abrasive wheel or belt against the part surface, you should not have an issue.

Typical coating thickness for my H-series is around 0.001" and for the E-series about 0.0008". Some of the lighter colors seem to be slightly thicker but I don't use those anyway.

You should have a wide selection of commercial applicators that can properly handle CeraKote should you ever need that service.

 

[Caba]

I think all of the tikka ceracoated action are stainless steel, the blue actions are carbon steel.