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So the other day I bought a new T3x in .270 for hunting. I wasnt allowed to put the bolt in the rifle at the store but everything else on the rifle looked up to par. Once I got home and unpackaged the rifle, I noticed a noise coming from the bolt head when I was locking the bolt that sounded like there was was grit against the lugs. After a thorough clean and lube the noise was still present. While trying to diagnose the noise I then I noticed the head stamp was still on the barrel. Could this be the cause of the sound? And is there any safety concern with this?
edit: just checked a buddies tikka and it has the headstamp too but no noise. The noise almost sounds like a squeegee and 500ish cycles on the action and it hasnt gotten better at all Cheers, Braeden
Maybe. Tikka firing pin spring is monstrously strong, which is why you won't find instructions for taking it off the pin. I learned this when I was having light-strike issues on CCI 450 primers with a T3X Varmint I used to have (issue was square, not round, firing pin tip) and called the Tikka performance shop. The gentleman I spoke with said they took a spring off a pin one time, and would never do it again.
With all that said- I had several hundred rounds on the Varmint when I pulled the pin/spring assembly from the bolt body. The coils on the spring are pretty tight and mine was well lubed. Neither of the T3X rifles I had made this kind of noise, but the spring hypothesis seems reasonable.
I'd look for wear or shiny spots on the front of the bolt where the sound is coming from. I'd also use a little small dab of high pressure grease on the back of the lugs and cocking ramp. The back of the locking lugs mates up pretty good on my tikkas, like 90% good. if it's a little dry or just light oil, it may be causing the noise. I'll bet the noise may be from one of those areas.
Thanks for all the responses guys, I actually got the shop to exhange it today after the smith there agreed with me that something was definitely wrong. The smith found that the machining in the channel for the lugs was quite rough