Newbie question - Halfbolt added to Tikka T3 Lite - was it done wrong?

Hi guys,

I'm a real hunting and shooting newbie, but something doesn't seem right...

I got a Tikka T3 Lite as I'm a lefthander. My first gun. I have not yet fired a round through it.
Anyway, I got Gunworks to get it suppressed, and the trigger-lightened. My cousin suggested that I get a half-bolt added as well, so I asked for that as well.

I got the gun back, and everything is fine, but the half-bolt seems wrong.
When I have the half-bolt on, and pull the trigger, the gun appears to "fire". The bolt will go all the way down, and the indicator dot on the end of the gun shows that it has "fired".

Pulling the trigger with safety on and half-bolt on will do nothing, but I suspect that this is the safety doing it's job.

I thought that pulling the trigger when the half-bolt was on should do nothing.
am I wrong here?


Cheers,
Scott.

I suggest you talk to Robbie or Amanda at Gunworks. They know their stuff. Very happy with trigger/suppressor work they did to mine.

I'm pretty sure thats normal. my .22 does it when put into half cock pull trigger it snaps shut never done it with a round in to see if it would fire but it would expose the firing pin so its possible. just not sure if it hit hard enough.

The T3 isn't designed to be used with a half bolt and adding a half-assed one isn't a great idea. Use the safety. Don't pull the trigger when you don't intend to fire the rifle.

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Originally Posted by gimp

The T3 isn't designed to be used with a half bolt and adding a half-assed one isn't a great idea. Use the safety. Don't pull the trigger when you don't intend to fire the rifle.

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Cheers - the more I know I guess.
I'll give Gunworks a call and see what they say.

I contacted Gunworks and Sheree told me that pulling the trigger when the half-bolt is on will drop the bolt down, but the gun will not fire as the firing pin is moving at an extremely low speed.
All answered :)

Thanks for the advice.

Do not trust that. Only takes one moment of complacency

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

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Originally Posted by Kumoe

I contacted Gunworks and Sheree told me that pulling the trigger when the half-bolt is on will drop the bolt down, but the gun will not fire as the firing pin is moving at an extremely low speed.
All answered :)

Thanks for the advice.

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Thats crap advice from gunworks, wouldnt trust that at all. Some models of firearms when on half cocked pulling the trigger the bolt will shut and it will go off. Som,e models pulling the trigger and nothing will happen. If its closing the bolt assume its going to go off, safety first, so use the safety or another method

Here is the gunworks video on it

Tikka T3 rifle Half Cock conversion demo bolt handle drop - YouTube

Hmm. I am not going to take any risks with a gun. The video only needs to be wrong once...
I will always use the safety as well, not trust in the half-cock alone.

The video only needs to be wrong once...

Leaving aside the whole halfbolt (glad you called it that and not halfcock) debate, that video does not really prove anything.

For me to prove that it is safe, I would like to see the other side of the test as well, i.e. full cycle of action, bolt down, actually fire the primed case. The other test would be bumping the stock butt on a hard surface with halfbolt on and safety off.

If your close enough to warrant one up the spout you will be holding in two hands any way. OPEN bolt with hand on handle or closed on pre tested safety.
Simple really :)

Use the safety, that is what it is for on a T3 and any other modern firearm.

Adding a halfbolt position because grand dad used one on his .303 and told you never to trust a safety is a hard legacy to rid this country of.

.303 doesn't have a half bolt does it. It has a half cock?

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Originally Posted by Toby

.303 doesn't have a half bolt does it. It has a half cock?

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You know what I mean.

Yes Toby.

Some but not many moderish rifles have a solid half bolt position,some can be modified to be a bit better.
What if any advantage is there over a open bolt, you still have to close it.
If your bolt is open it could slide back and eject a round but this could never happen because you will only chamber a round when a shot is imminent right? So it will be in both hands ready to silently close the bolt, raise the rifle,aim and fire in one fluid movement.
If you stalk round all day with one up the spout and on half bolt best case is you will lose a bit of ammo.

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Originally Posted by veitnamcam

Yes Toby.

Some but not many moderish rifles have a solid half bolt position,some can be modified to be a bit better.
What if any advantage is there over a open bolt, you still have to close it.
If your bolt is open it could slide back and eject a round but this could never happen because you will only chamber a round when a shot is imminent right? So it will be in both hands ready to silently close the bolt, raise the rifle,aim and fire in one fluid movement.
If you stalk round all day with one up the spout and on half bolt best case is you will lose a bit of ammo.

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49 posts to go VC double them all up:thumbsup:

I tryed to delete it but this POS PC had a hissy

3rd time lucky

You would have been better off to grab some 800+ wet and dry and do up your bolt and chamber races.The good thing about a half cock is that I never hunt with anyone who uses it.

I use the half bolt method but with the safety engaged also, I tried the bolt down safety on method but had a scary moment when I slipped and dropped the rifle and found the safety had come off and also a mate has done the same but it went off. If you think you can hunt in the bush and only load when you see something well you must be a shitload faster or quieter than me.

The Blaser R93 is probably the only safety I'd ever solely rely on.

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Originally Posted by Tahr-Bound

I use the half bolt method but with the safety engaged also, I tried the bolt down safety on method but had a scary moment when I slipped and dropped the rifle and found the safety had come off and also a mate has done the same but it went off. If you think you can hunt in the bush and only load when you see something well you must be a shitload faster or quieter than me.

The Blaser R93 is probably the only safety I'd ever solely rely on.

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IN THE BUSH
Getting into a "hot" zone or closing in on a roaring stag I will chamber a round close bolt and open fully again,hand around bolt handel other hand on fore end.
I have NEVER missed out on a deer closing the bolt an extra 15 degrees or whatever.
Iv missed out on more than a few that saw me before I saw them and unloaded/ open bolt/ half bolt/ half cock/closed bolt safty /closed bolt no safty would have made no difference.

I have no problem with closed bolt on a tested safety as long as your not walking round all day like that,assume a state of semi rediness when an opportunity is imminent or presents itself, opportunity gone extract round put back in mag.

I use an open bolt because that is how i was trained and is natural to me, started on 303 and cock on closing/open bolt is way safer/quicker/quieter than half cock especially on worn or modified(dicked around with) 303s.

With my modern rifles I trust my tested safety absolutely but still use an open bolt, Why? because with my hand on the bolt handle I can feel exactly where it is without looking, I have to find a safety with my thumb and then flick off then on to check.

Old school maybe but no less safe,in fact for me personally its more safe.

OPEN COUNTRY

Sight game chamber a round and fire or get closer chamber a round and fire.

$0.02

I have a Tikka T3 Lite .308 that has had the half bolt stop improved by a local gunsmith and it will not drop down as in the video when the trigger is pulled.It stays nice and firm in its notch which is what I expect it to do.

Sorry VC I was meaning along the lines of people hunting with empty chamber and chambering a round when game is sighted. Very few deer will stand about for that in thick bush country. Open tops I do the same as you, empty chamber until ready for the shot.
Your method of closing then opening sounds good, but for me as soon as I've left the road/track I'm in the hot zone and the bolt does slide back if it's left all the way open as sometimes I need my hands elsewhere to balance etc. Having the bolt at the first notch just means one less thing to worry about and it's just as safe on my rifle.

I have a round chambered but hold trigger while closing bolt so firing pin is forward. Seems a shit load safer than half cock and all you need to do is lift and drop bolt handle to cock the rifle, quick and quiet.

I'm not sure why half cock is so popular in NZ

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Originally Posted by Savage1

I have a round chambered but hold trigger while closing bolt so firing pin is forward. Seems a shit load safer than half cock and all you need to do is lift and drop bolt handle to cock the rifle, quick and quiet.

I'm not sure why half cock is so popular in NZ

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Aaargh.

:huh:

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Originally Posted by Kumoe

The video only needs to be wrong once...

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I watched the vidieo 47 times,it hasn't got it wrong yet:yarr:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Savage1

I have a round chambered but hold trigger while closing bolt so firing pin is forward. Seems a shit load safer than half cock and all you need to do is lift and drop bolt handle to cock the rifle, quick and quiet.

I'm not sure why half cock is so popular in NZ

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Slip...wack on rifles butt...BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Originally Posted by kimjon

Slip...wack on rifles butt...BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Have you tried it? I have and couldn't get it to fire when I slammed the butt down, and there was no way I would slam the but down that hard when tripping. Seems safer than half cock where all you need to do is close the bolt and it's live, not to mention a fully tensioned firing pin behind the primer.

I only do this when a shot is imminent, I don't walk around all day with one up the spout.

Depends if you use the safety as well as half bolt. Having a firing pin against the primer is hardly safer. Half bolt with safety on needs the bolt to go down, safety to come off THEN the trigger pulled in that order to go off.

Ok, so now I am pretty confused.
I like what John.m mentioned about having a local gunsmith improve it.

I just flat out don't like how it is working at the moment.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Toby

.303 doesn't have a half bolt does it. It has a half cock?

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Thats right Toby. The half cock position on a 303 Enfield is about as dangerous as a rifle can be.