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Thread: Top-Loading Tikka T3x

  1. #21
    Site Supporter 1911Nut's Avatar
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    Steyr Scout rifles are magazine fed and a have a detent that allows the magazine to be dropped far enough to manually feed single rounds into the top of the open action port, then the magazine can be quickly snapped up to resume feeding from the magazine. The stock on these rifles also contains a port that holds a loaded spare magazine.

  2. #22
    Member JonInWA's Avatar
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    Other than price and low availability, I have several qualms about the Tikka T3X/C19:

    1. Inability to load with chargers from a top bridge on the receiver; although it probably flies in the face of conventional wisdom, I think there's a lot to be said for a magazine fed rifle that's jointly capable of being reloaded with either interchangeable magazines en bloc or via charger.s. The charger clip reloads are lighter and less bulky, and probably easier on magazines, especially the feed lips.

    2. The sights, according to one video report on the C19/T3X are really pretty specifically calibrated to one .308 bullet, I believe 180 grain.

    3. Additional magazine are expensive, at about $100 a wack. Yeah, periodic sales are nice, but not necessarily something I can count on the availability or timing of.

    So far, I've simply chosen to remain with my Lee Enfield No 4 Mk 1. Yeah, it shoots an arguably obsolescent cartridge, the .303 rimmed; think ".308 lite, with a potentially quirky rim to deal with when reloading (particularly with chargers)" Yeah, good replacement magazines are 1) Expensive, 2) Relatively made of unobtanium, and 3) pretty much require gunsmith fitting and tweaking to function reliably in a given rifle. And longer-term magazine loading should probably be orientated to 5 rounds as opposed to 10, to prevent stress on feed lips, something I doubt is i=an issue with the modern Tikka magazines.

    The main reason the Canadian Rangers moved away from the Lee Enfield (and the .303 cartridge) had to do more with logistics; the most wearable/breakage prone components on their Lee Enfields were the magazines (which they relied more on using interchangeable magazines for reloading than charger clips) and the rear sights, which, when opened up to utilize the vernier knob for adjustments is significantly more damage prone then when used down relying on the fixed battle sight aperture.

    I'm very comfortable with the charger clips, and frankly prefer them to magazine reloading on the Lee Enfield. And I'm also comfortable with both aspects of the rear sight, and am aware of the exposed fragility of the adjustable aspect of the sight when used upright, and take it into account with my handling and use; the fixed aperture actually is eminently usable on its own, at least for most of my uses.

    The ability to reload cartridges either with 5 round charger clips or by hand individually gives me reloading options which I prefer. The Enfield magazine is a bit bulky and the release isn't the most ergonomic for en bloc magazine reloads, in my opinion and experience.

    And the .303 cartridge is obsolescent, but by no means obselete. It's effective, with good factory cartridges still very much available. And I'm aware of the vicissitudes and techniques to deal with the loading of rimmed cartridges into the rifle.

    Best, Jon
    Sponsored by Check-Mate Industries and BH Spring Solutions
    Certified Glock Armorer

  3. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rack View Post
    Is it possible to top-load a T3x, as with a M70 or M700?

    Also, is the magazine a single stack mag, or staggered?

    Bonus question - what about the Sako C19?

    Thanks!
    Yes, but I don't recommend it. The Ruger Gunsite Scout rifle uses AICS single stack magazines. You can't do it with the metal magazines, but the polymer mags have enough give in the feed lips to push a round down from the top. Some have even modified the front of the receiver to clear the bullet nose so you can use a stripper clip. I have tried it, and you can manually load one round at a time from the top, but with 7 or 8 rounds, it is slow and not super easy. Because it is a single feed magazine, it isn't like pushing a round into a double feed mag (like the standard staggered fixed internal magazine. You are pushing directly down on the top round. Easy to start stripping off part of your thumbnail, but it can be done. I haven't, and won't try to load a 10th round on top of 9 rds in the mag.

  4. #24
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    Tikka's wont single feed very easily...especially due to the small ejection port. The Steyr Scout has the detent and the Springfield O3A3's which have an on/off switch on the left side of the receiver are the only relatively modern rifles I know of that have a provision for it.

  5. #25
    I Demand Pie Lex Luthier's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by secondstoryguy View Post
    Tikka's wont single feed very easily...especially due to the small ejection port. The Steyr Scout has the detent and the Springfield O3A3's which have an on/off switch on the left side of the receiver are the only relatively modern rifles I know of that have a provision for it.
    Any Lee Enfield Mk III (and some of the Mk III* variants) will have a mechanical magazine cutoff or provision in the action body to fit one. These were eliminated in the Mk III* variants but the magazines are unchanged; the mags also fit the No 4 Mk 1 and 2.

    I do not know if the Indian Ishapore-made Enfield rifles ever featured a magazine cutoff, but you can get them in 7.62 NATO. I seem to recall that these can be topped off as well.
    "If I ever needed to hunt in a tuxedo, then this would be the rifle I'd take." - okie john

    "Not being able to govern events, I govern myself." - Michel De Montaigne

  6. #26
    Member JonInWA's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lex Luthier View Post
    Any Lee Enfield Mk III (and some of the Mk III* variants) will have a mechanical magazine cutoff or provision in the action body to fit one. These were eliminated in the Mk III* variants but the magazines are unchanged; the mags also fit the No 4 Mk 1 and 2.

    I do not know if the Indian Ishapore-made Enfield rifles ever featured a magazine cutoff, but you can get them in 7.62 NATO. I seem to recall that these can be topped off as well.
    I'm pretty sure that Mk III (and earlier) Lee Enfield magazines are not interchangeable with No 4 Lee Enfields; the locking lugs on the magazine spines are different.

    https://thefiringline.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=483208

    Best, Jon
    Sponsored by Check-Mate Industries and BH Spring Solutions
    Certified Glock Armorer

  7. #27
    I Demand Pie Lex Luthier's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JonInWA View Post
    I'm pretty sure that Mk III (and earlier) Lee Enfield magazines are not interchangeable with No 4 Lee Enfields; the locking lugs on the magazine spines are different.

    https://thefiringline.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=483208

    Best, Jon
    You are correct @JonInWA, I made a mistake there.
    "If I ever needed to hunt in a tuxedo, then this would be the rifle I'd take." - okie john

    "Not being able to govern events, I govern myself." - Michel De Montaigne

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