Tikka T3x TAC A1 Magazine "Last Round Weirdness"

[rustyinbend]

Lovin' my new Tikka (6.5-CM) ... it's a nail-driver ... but struggling with the last one (and sometimes two) rounds in the factory magazine stopping the bolt, and requiring the mag to be dropped and the cartridge moved rearward in order to enable pickup by the bolt. When the bolt locks back, actually it can't move forward, I drop the mag and the last round (or next to last round) has walked too far forward for the action to work properly. Push 'em back, reseat the mag, and "BANG". Happens about 50% of the time ... maybe more.

Ammo I'm using is factory Hornady American Eagle 140gr. Good stuff ... works flawlessly in two other 6.5's I own.

Is it just me, or is this a known problem with these magazines / rifles ???

 

[stello1001]

Hornady American eagle?

Do you mean hornady ELDM 140?

 

[rustyinbend]

Sorry ... Hornady American Gunner 140gr.

 

[stello1001]

I had a similar issue with that same type of ammo. Although I can't confirm that my problem was ONLY with that ammo as I did not have other types to try. For me, it was with an AI style accurate mag. I switched to PMAG and it solved my issue. With yours being a Tikka, you're not gonna be able to switch mags.

 

[rustyinbend]

I had a similar issue with that same type of ammo. Although I can't confirm that my problem was ONLY with that ammo as I did not have other types to try. For me, it was with an AI style accurate mag. I switched to PMAG and it solved my issue. With yours being a Tikka, you're not gonna be able to switch mags.

That doesn't sound too hopeful. Might try some other ammo and see if it still happens.

 

[stello1001]

I want to say my situation had to do with the mag itself, maybe I had to do some tweaking to it but I did not. I simply tried a PMAG and that worked good for me. Hopefully you can find the culprit to your problem.

 

[Ranger Bob]

There is an issue that some have with their Tikka mags where the last round or two tend to sit nose down and don't strip into the chamber but instead plow into the inlet. I've not had this problem but, I've seen shown a couple times here on the forums how to disassemble the mag and adjust the bend in the follower spring so the problem is eliminated. You should be able to find it easy enough with a search.

Bob

 

[wade2big]

Make your spring look like this. All your problems will go away. Use pliers and it takes 60 seconds. These pics are from another member here.

 

[rustyinbend]

Shot my Tikka yesterday, and experienced this again on a couple of the mags ... so just took them apart to do this. Honestly ... the assembly on all four of my mags looks pretty much "exactly" like both those photos when it comes out of the casing. That said, and assuming that the problem is insufficient pressure on the follower, I stretched them out a bit to increase that pressure. Let's see what happens the next time I use this rifle.

 

[wade2big]

Shot my Tikka yesterday, and experienced this again on a couple of the mags ... so just took them apart to do this. Honestly ... the assembly on all four of my mags looks pretty much "exactly" like both those photos when it comes out of the casing. That said, and assuming that the problem is insufficient pressure on the follower, I stretched them out a bit to increase that pressure. Let's see what happens the next time I use this rifle.

Post a picture of yours. I have never seen them look like the picture. Its not necessarily a pressure thing in itself. The stock bend does not put pressure in the correct way.

if they are bent like the photo I posted, they will work without fail.

 

[rustyinbend]

Post a picture of yours. I have never seen them look like the picture.

Wait. What? Aren't you the guy that said "Make 'em look like the picture" ??? When the springs came out, they matched the photo almost exactly. I stretched them out a bit and reassembled. Back in the safe now, so no photos, but I'll share results next time I shoot (maybe tomorrow). Just visualize exactly like the photos above ... just stretched out a bit further to increase follower pressure.

Are you saying that "prior to fixing", you've never seen them look like the picture? If so, are they more compressed, or more stretched out?

 

[wade2big]

Wait. What? Aren't you the guy that said "Make 'em look like the picture" ??? When the springs came out, they matched the photo almost exactly. I stretched them out a bit and reassembled. Back in the safe now, so no photos, but I'll share results next time I shoot (maybe tomorrow). Just visualize exactly like the photos above ... just stretched out a bit further to increase follower pressure.

Are you saying that "prior to fixing", you've never seen them look like the picture? If so, are they more compressed, or more stretched out?

The bottom leaf and the follower need to be parallel to each other like the picture. All the mags I had, the follower was tilted at an angle not in relation to the bottom leaf. Needle nose Pliers make the adjustments easy. Pulling on the spring probably wont get it done.

if you have 2 minutes you could always open the safe and snap a picture so we can figure it out for you.

 

[rustyinbend]

Thanks ... just not that big a deal (yet). Let's see if expanding the spring a bit and adding follower pressure solves this. If not, I'll share all the gory details of my miserable failure (including photos).

 

[rustyinbend]

SOLVED ... took the mags apart, used pliers to spread the spring joints to make it longer (more pressure on the follower) ... made sure the end result had base and follower parallel ... and it has totally cured that "last round weirdness" in all four of my Tikka mags. Thanks for the help guys !!!

 

[wade2big]

SOLVED ... took the mags apart, used pliers to spread the spring joints to make it longer (more pressure on the follower) ... and it has totally cured that "last round weirdness" in all four of my Tikka mags. Thanks for the help guys !!!

Good deal. I have yet have one go back to not working.
?

 

[rustyinbend]

It's just a shame how so many mags (in my experience) need "tuning" to work properly. You'd think the manufacturers would exercise a little better testing and quality control to avoid this ... but like my daughters say ... "WHATEVER !!!"

 

[wade2big]

It's just a shame how so many mags (in my experience) need "tuning" to work properly. You'd think the manufacturers would exercise a little better testing and quality control to avoid this ... but like my daughters say ... "WHATEVER !!!"

I can see it when a universal mag like the AI mags needs a little fiddling to work in the 100’s of different action, chassis, and bottom metal configurations. Mags that ship with a rifle should work. We agree.

 

[rustyinbend]

Worst example was my Ruger Mark IV 22LR pistol, where anyone using the mags had to Dremmel, polish, and grease the mags to get them to feed reliably. It should not work that way on a dedicated magazine.