# Tikka T3 Lite Rust Issue



## Mark Steinmann (Jan 28, 2014)

Ok guys, I bought my Tikka Stainless in May of 2015 and it has been on 2 predator hunts and 1 elk hunt. The only time the gun was wet was on the elk hunt this past weekend. It went through two rain storms lasting about 15 minutes a piece and then it was dry the rest of the time. As soon as I got home from the hunt all guns got a VERY detailed cleaning and the Tikka was the only gun that had rust spots that didn't come out. The other guns were a Rock River Arms AR-10, Kimber 45 ACP, and a Springfield XDS 45.

I'm about ready to just take it back in to Sportsman's Warehouse to have them send it back to Beretta.

Ideas?!

No flash:









With flash on camera:









Different angle:









Mark

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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

It makes me think that it was rubbed up against something steel. Carbon rubs off and infects the stainless (which has a carbon deficiency) .


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

never had that issue with my TIKKA T3,and its stainless


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Too much bouncing around in the truck box, it was the only stainless firearm which would be easier to notice. Offshore steel!!!


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## aaron86 (Jan 21, 2015)

I would try a stainless cleaner on it first rather than wait on tikka it may come right off then just be a matter of keeping it well oiled

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## knapper (Feb 5, 2010)

What ever you do don't use steel wool on it. I agree with YD on it touching regular steel and getting some on it.


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## Mark Steinmann (Jan 28, 2014)

aaron86 said:


> I would try a stainless cleaner on it first rather than wait on tikka it may come right off then just be a matter of keeping it well oiled
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


Yeah I think I will do that before sending it in. It's worth a shot at least!

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## Mark Steinmann (Jan 28, 2014)

youngdon said:


> It makes me think that it was rubbed up against something steel. Carbon rubs off and infects the stainless (which has a carbon deficiency) .


I know that I have rested it on a few fences as I crossed them...but I made sure that it didn't jostle at all. That's about the only steel it has touched. When it was in the bed of my truck it was always in its soft case.

Mark

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## Mark Steinmann (Jan 28, 2014)

I couldn't get the rust back so I had the shop send it in. About a month later I got a call that it was back in, good as new. They refinished the barrel and shipped it back at no cost. Back to shooting quarters at 200 yards!

Mark

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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Good !


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## glenway (Mar 27, 2011)

Geez. And, to think we buy stainless so we don't have such issues with rust. At least customer service came through.

Does anyone do anything special to protect their stainless firearms or was this an anomaly - possibly inferior mix of metals?

Anyone ever try Motorkote on firearms?


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## Jonbnks (Jan 21, 2012)

I had this same kind of problem with my Ruger M77 All Weather stainless steel. I always had little rust spots showing up on the barrel no matter how much I cleaned it. I end up winning a contest for free work from a gunsmith. I gave him the rifle and he sand blasted it, then ceracoated it in Faded Dark Earth. No more problems with that rifle now. I should have thought about sending it back to Ruger when I first noticed the problem, but oh well.


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## finstr (Jan 6, 2013)

There are many different stainless alloys for different jobs. Firearms are generally made from 416 stainless which is much stronger than the 304 that your kitchen sink is made from. Unfortunately a 416 can and will rust under certain conditions. For instance do not leave your stainless rifle in a wet gun case for too long or it will definitely be rusted when you take it out!

The 316 as used in the food industry for machinery etc., takes many years to become rusty if at all under the right conditions.

No matter what stainless the firearm is made with it will never be as strong as the chrome molly that a blued rifle is made from.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

As a reminder "IT'S STAINLESS NOT STAINFREE"


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## chief33 (Jan 17, 2015)

Often a new gun needs a thorough cleaning where machine dust from manufacturing and assembly settles on them before taking out in the field cause metallic dust sets on stainless and moisture and humidity will cause it to rust and stain the stainless components


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