Thread: Accidental new project.

Didn't mean to do it, but I did, bought an M55 Tikka Trapper in .308. Stuff to be done includes getting rid of the black paint a previous owner plastered on the wood, suggestions for that job welcomed. Am going to range test it and if the barrel shoots as it looks, will be blueing the barrel, action and rings.

A real lightweight for it's day, rifle, rings, sling and scope at 7.4 lbs. Will not be a safe queen, it is going to go hunting!

Black bloody paint!

Pictures or you aint got it ☺

@257weatherby

Check out Coopers Strip Club.

Enough said.

https://coopersstripclub.com/?gclid=...KWCBoC7NLw_wcB

Cheers
Pete

Don't forget the before and after photos.

Originally Posted by P38

@257weatherby

Check out Coopers Strip Club.

Enough said.

https://coopersstripclub.com/?gclid=...KWCBoC7NLw_wcB

Cheers
Pete

Ahh, I thought I'd see strippers!

Originally Posted by Shearer

Don't forget the before and after photos.

Will try to remember to take a pic tomorrow, nor-west seems quite keen too, the M55 Trapper must be one of the first ever examples of factory fluting. 1/12 twist, it should be good with the 168Amax. Got Black Hills to burn so that will be up first.

The M55 Tikka Trapper revealed.



Over 40yrs old, factory fluting and a bolt that is nearly as small in diameter as a Forbes bolt, nothing new under the sun! and unlike the clanky/ rattly/ bindy Forbes, the bolt is slick and you can feel the engineering in the thing. (have handled two forbes rifles and it put me off, felt like tonka toy engineering) - (zzzzzzz goes the reel in a minute!)

Originally Posted by 257weatherby

The M55 Tikka Trapper revealed.
Attachment 65716
Attachment 65717
Attachment 65718
Over 40yrs old, factory fluting and a bolt that is nearly as small in diameter as a Forbes bolt, nothing new under the sun! and unlike the clanky/ rattly/ bindy Forbes, the bolt is slick and you can feel the engineering in the thing. (have handled two forbes rifles and it put me off, felt like tonka toy engineering) - (zzzzzzz goes the reel in a minute!)

Thats because its a Tikka ;-) My M595 has a lovely slick smooth action too. They know how to make rifles.

From the range

Thought the 1/12 twist would support the 165/168gn projectiles, (my favorite weight in 308) but this rifle hates them, 2"-3" at 110yds, just happened to have three rounds from another 308 in the kit, in 155Amax and then it got a whole lot better, looks like load development is going to be around the 150gn range and maybe the 110/130 TTSX.

Maybe the Speer 150 Hotcor out to 300dys in tandem with the Nosler 150 BT or 155Amax out further.
Stupid pic fell on it's side.

that's a restoration job don't touch it a part from that I hate people that buy classic rifles I guess tikka's arnt quite classics yet although lsa55's are getting close) and tear them apart when there's nothing wrong with them if the barrel is fucked fair enough
this one looks like it shoots great

so strip the paint and refinish the wood re blue and your done leave it alone in 10 or 20 years a good condition factory tikka will be worth a fair amount I rekon

Nice!

I just got a LSA55 in 22-250 and the last 4" of the barrel are pitted as f**k.

Shot a 20mm 5 shot group though with factory Hornady 55 grain.

Best trigger on a factory rifle ever I reckon...

Hi guys, have you noticed how the magazine cut in the bottom of the action is off centered?
That was to increase the thickness of the right wall and therefore increase the rigidity of the whole action.
All the actions coming from tikka have always involved that extra degree in rigidity to contribute to accuracy.
Be it this one or the 590/595 or the T3.

So hard to find any of the old Tikka's now, I think people realise just how good they are and hold onto them. Looking forward to seeing how this one turns out. I'm not a 308 fan but would buy one in an older Tikka action, keep the pictures coming please.

Originally Posted by nor-west

So hard to find any of the old Tikka's now, I think people realise just how good they are and hold onto them. Looking forward to seeing how this one turns out. I'm not a 308 fan but would buy one in an older Tikka action, keep the pictures coming please.

Stole it from a gunshop, to them it was just an old shitter of a Tikka they were selling on behalf, (maybe they just wanted it out of their rack ) it owes me $750, was $895 on the rack- some will think that was too much, some will think I got it cheap, it will cost me very little to blue it, and the stock restoration won't cost much, because I will do the thing myself, would have liked it in .260 rather than .308 but .260 wasn't a thing back then. Love the steel mag, seems to be Tikka have allways done the single stack 3 shot thing.

Anybody got stock checkering tools they want to loan me? I think the paint is going to be painful in there!

Paint stripper & a toothbrush should clear the checkering without too much drama.