Tikka T3 feeding problem

Varminter1974 · Post by **Varminter1974** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 12:22 am

My most-used and probably favourite rifle is my Tikka T3 .22-250 stainless steel heavy barrelled varminter bought new in November 2006. It has been used for hunting trips perhaps 6-10 times a year on average and has fired a good few hundred rounds. I have done some very good shooting with it and have been very happy with it, but...

sometimes it doesn't feed properly. It seems to try and pick up two rounds and chamber them at the same time. This might happen two out of every 40 times, but the times it does are usually when there are things there waiting to be shot - and they soon give up and leave in frustration at my swearing and associated antics. I have had a look at it while chambering a round and it looks like the round to be chambered is sitting quite low in the magazine when compared to the chamber - and yet more often than not it chambers properly. I have often made the mistake (?) of putting a loaded mag away in the ammo safe and I wonder whether this has stuffed the spring in the mag. Hard or soft closing of the bolt does not seem to make a difference either. Any ideas or suggestions? Do I need a need mag?

The Raven · Post by **The Raven** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 12:52 am

I wouldn't worry about loaded magazines causing soft springs. If that was the case, there'd be a lot of dead clocks, engines, and rifles about...think about it.

Ask Sako 22-250 about it, he's obviously got a Sako rather than a T3 but they should be close enough. Can't recall him ever missing a shot due to a double feed....

Con · Post by **Con** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 6:36 am

New magazine.
Cheers...
Con

Branxhunter · Post by **Branxhunter** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 7:09 am

What Con said ^^^^^. Will fix the problem, and if you eventually find out what the issue is you will then have a spare.

Marcus

billsshed · Post by **billsshed** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 7:55 am

Agree with the magazine probably being the issue. It does not take much of a fault for it not to work properly. I have made several magazines for older rifles now and sometimes it is just a slight angle change of one component that makes a huge difference.

Good luck
Bill

Con · Post by **Con** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 8:13 am

My recollection is the magazine lips control the rising of cartridges and feeding, and they're plastic. I'll have a look tonight at my magazines, but I'll bet on wear on the lips of the magazine box. If that's the case, I'd put it to Beretta Australia the magazine is faulty whether in warranty period or not. The 223Rem boxes went steel lipped...
Cheers...
Con

lowndsie · Post by **lowndsie** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 9:11 am

If you need a new mag have a look at getting some bottom metal to accept AI mags. They're a much better setup and it doesn't work out that much more cost wise.

My 308 tikka mag is working fine so I've left it as is but I was having problems with the metal lipped 223 mag so I ended up getting an Atlaxworks DBM and MDT 10 shot mag for it. I'll pick up a 5 shot mag eventually but at the moment I'm pretty happy with the 10 shot one.

Biggest let down on the Tikkas is the mag.. If only they had addressed the issue on the T3X

Sako 22-250 · Post by **Sako 22-250** » Sat Jun 25, 2016 11:35 pm

Hi V74
I have a T3 varmint in 308 ( from memory it's the same mag as the 22-250 ) haven't had a problem with the feed
Hasn't had the use yours has though ...as its a single stack it's odd that it picks up 2 rounds
Shoot me a pm I am in Melbourne as well ..more than welcome to compare it with my mag
Cheers Mark

New to 223 · Post by **New to 223** » Sun Jun 26, 2016 6:04 am

Don't lucky 13 do a replacement ?

I think Ozzie reviews has reviewed it, I could be wrong though.

trevort · Post by **trevort** » Sun Jun 26, 2016 9:53 am

almost guaranteed your feed lips are wearing and a new mag will sort it.

sooty_10 · Post by **sooty_10** » Sun Jun 26, 2016 5:34 pm

I know the sako A7 has metal feed lips on the mag. And they look damn similar to a tikka mag, maybe compatible? May be not too....

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Post by **MISSED** » Sun Jun 26, 2016 6:33 pm

Well most would know my reply and so I will not.

Varminter1974 · Post by **Varminter1974** » Tue Jun 28, 2016 1:51 am

Thanks very much for the advice. I have thought that the magazine is the most likely culprit and something worth replacing, and the suggestion that at least I will have a spare mag is also a good one.

Does anyone know the best source of a new mag? It would be ideal to get one before the end of next week when it will be needed.

I took some photos of the mag and also of a round sitting in the top of the mag in the gun, showing its position to the chamber, but I get error messages telling me the file is too large for this email. Any advice on how I can share the images?

Thanks again fellas.

Camel · Post by **Camel** » Tue Jun 28, 2016 7:45 am

Cant help with the spare magazine, though you should be able to get a spare from any gun shop, they would have to get it from Beretta Aust, they are the importers.

Do you have a resize program in your computer, if you open your photo, then right click your mouse it should be in there, just click resize and either medium or large.

trevort · Post by **trevort** » Tue Jun 28, 2016 7:50 am

Cleavers had some on special

Listed in the 'found in the warehouse' section though pretty hot price so lucky if it's still there

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