Thread: Tikka 1980s rifles-anygood?

My #1 gun is my Tikka M55 in .243 that I bought new in 1978, it's now on it's third barrel, a Sako this time. I wouldn't part with for all the tea in China. To put my 40 years of experience with that gun to good use - for you of course, I would faithfully recommend that you get it sent to me so I can check out it's dodgy recoil setup and determine if I think you should be burdened by it's excessive weight, something I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. Anyway I'm happy to provide you with a comprehensive report on it's condition and likely effect on your physical being, and if it so happens that I conclude that it's not in your best interests to be encumbered by it I will endeavour to find some way to dispose of it without additional cost or distress to you. In all seriousness the M55's are a very good gun, beautiful action, dovetailed reciever, externally adjustable trigger, the smoothest bolt in the business, solid 1/2 cock, drop mag, all steel, no junk, manufacturing ceased because it's just not economical to make a gun utilising those materials and processes anymore, not if you want to sell Sakos under the same banner as a superior product anyway. Stocks are nicely shaped and chequered too, some have very nice wood, depends on the grade as there were two levels, I had both. M65 - the long action version, I don't have the same affinity with as the long action is just not as slick, but maybe it's for you. M55's are not heavy, M590 (M690) and M595 (M695) that superseded them are a different story, I don't know what they were thinking because they added more wood and more steel and then some plastic, still a good gun but not in the same category as the M55 when it comes to mixing it with the New Zealand backcountry.