Tikka 91/30

Calfed · January 25, 2009, 11:10 AM

Recently picked this Tikka barreled 91/30 up from the auction house. Looks unissued, both metal and wood.

Bolt and barrel matching and the barrel is "plum" like some of the "B" barrel M39's are.

ksstargazer · January 25, 2009, 10:24 PM

Absolutely beautiful!
The Tikka's are among my favorite rifles.
Many that I see are in similar conditions. Yours is among the best.

Ricklin · January 25, 2009, 11:05 PM

Sweeeeeet

dcobler · January 25, 2009, 11:43 PM

Beautiful +2!

DoctorXring · January 26, 2009, 02:33 PM

.

Awesome score CalFed !

Great stock on that one.

.

Calfed · January 27, 2009, 12:02 AM

Thanks for the kind comments, guys.

Reading all the comments about the stock, I realized that I hadn't looked that closely at it. Took a close look at the other side and the handguard area.

I realize now why the back of the stock and the front are so different. You can see that the difference occurs where the piece used for the front of the stock joins the piece used for the rear. I had kinda forgotten that the Finn 91/30 stocks were two piece affairs. A shame that they couldn't find a piece for the front that matched the back.

Milspec · January 27, 2009, 04:58 PM

Congratulations on your find...

Strangely, I just picked up a Tikka M91 at a local gun shop. It's got a 1926 barrel, an 1895 receiver, a two piece stock, and cost a whole $25. It's covered in hardened cosmoline (hence the low price)...but I think it'll clean up ok...

Milspec

Calfed · January 27, 2009, 06:56 PM

Quote:

I just picked up a Tikka M91 at a local gun shop. It's got a 1926 barrel, an 1895 receiver, a two piece stock, and cost a whole $25

Bravo, Milspec. Outstanding deal. I love a great deal on a milsurp.

Let us know how it cleans up. Pics are a plus.

Calfed · February 6, 2009, 10:58 AM

Finally got to the range and fired the Tikka 91/30. That is Wolf Gold 180 grain SP's @ 100 yards. Will have to try the lighter bullets.

backwoodschemist · February 6, 2009, 12:16 PM

Hi Calfed,

That looks like vertical stringing to me. (shooter error, probably not a gun problem)

I assume you shot that with the stock iron sights? If so, you have a great shooter. I can't get below two - three inches at 100 yards with iron sights, yet with a good scope and gun I can group below 0.5 inches. (1" on a bad day)

Based on your lack of side to side dispersion, that gun will shoot
2" groups as is with that ammo.

Put a 1" orange target dot in the center of that target and try again. You need to have a good aiming point and a firm bench rest to test your guns true accuracy. Make sure the gun is rock solid, watch your breathing, learn where the trigger breaks, etc....

How is the trigger pull? Mine took about 100-200 rounds for the trigger to wear in properly. It's sill a long pull, but not as heavy.

Shoot a few more groups before switching ammo. I handload for my Nagants with the Hornady .312 diameter bullets and they shoot very well. My barrels slugged out at 0.313" and 0.314" on the grooves.

Fantastic stock, and the gun looks to have the original browning (plum color) it probably is unissued, what a great find.

Have fun with it!

BWC

Cosmoline · February 6, 2009, 05:06 PM

I just snagged another one of these myself. THey're real sleepers. You have a "pot belly" stock on that one, made from two pieces of birch joined together. They're great stocks.

If you play around with different load combinations I'll bet you can get it hitting MOA. Most of the Finns from the post-Winter War era seem to be sighted in for light ball, at least in my experience. Try the Wolf 148 grainers, they've been pinging dead on for my Tikka M91s.

Milspec · February 6, 2009, 05:12 PM

To help fix vertical stringing on a Finnish 91 series you might check to be sure the brass bedding plates under the action are clean and in place. Also clean out any swelled wood that may interfere with proper seating. The barrel channel should be clean and the stock finger joint tight. Be sure the bolt is clean of cosmolene or other grunge and that you're getting consistent firing pin hits near the center of the primer. Most importantly, be sure the action screws are tightened properly. Check the rear sight to be sure the leaf's touching solidly and has enough spring tension so it isn't changing position between shots. When you shoot, place the rifle on the bags so the weight of that long heavy barrel is balanced. If these things check out ok then you prolly do just need an orange dot and maybe better ammo...

Milspec

Calfed · February 7, 2009, 10:54 AM

Thanks, guys, for the tips.

I think the first place to start is with a smaller aiming point. I was shooting at a 12" x 18" oval reactive target, 6 o"clock hold. The rounds were striking pretty much in the middle, so say 9" above my aimpoint.

What I should probably do now is place that 1" orange sticker at the bottom of the reactive target so that I'm aiming at a very small point. I'm guessing that the groups will shrink when I'm aiming at that small point every shot

January 25, 2009, 11:10 AM	#1
Calfed Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Posts: 295	Tikka 91/30 Recently picked this Tikka barreled 91/30 up from the auction house. Looks unissued, both metal and wood. Bolt and barrel matching and the barrel is "plum" like some of the "B" barrel M39's are.

January 25, 2009, 11:05 PM	#3
Ricklin Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2008 Location: SW Washington state Posts: 2,013	Sweeeeeet __________________ ricklin Freedom is not free

January 25, 2009, 11:43 PM	#4
dcobler Senior Member Join Date: December 30, 2008 Location: Oklahoma, America Posts: 286	Beautiful +2! __________________ "Be kind, be courteous, and have a plan to kill everybody you meet."

January 27, 2009, 04:58 PM	#7
Milspec Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2008 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 117	Congratulations on your find... Strangely, I just picked up a Tikka M91 at a local gun shop. It's got a 1926 barrel, an 1895 receiver, a two piece stock, and cost a whole $25. It's covered in hardened cosmoline (hence the low price)...but I think it'll clean up ok... Milspec __________________ "...there is no second place winner in a gunfight." Colonel Bill Jordan

February 6, 2009, 05:06 PM	#11
Cosmoline Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2000 Posts: 1,080	I just snagged another one of these myself. THey're real sleepers. You have a "pot belly" stock on that one, made from two pieces of birch joined together. They're great stocks. If you play around with different load combinations I'll bet you can get it hitting MOA. Most of the Finns from the post-Winter War era seem to be sighted in for light ball, at least in my experience. Try the Wolf 148 grainers, they've been pinging dead on for my Tikka M91s. __________________ "Know that the pistol has no value, we practically don't use it. We need grenades, rifles, machine guns, and explosives." Mordechai Anielewicz, April 23, 1943

January 25, 2009, 10:24 PM	#2
ksstargazer Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2004 Location: Flint Hills of Kansas Posts: 316	Absolutely beautiful! The Tikka's are among my favorite rifles. Many that I see are in similar conditions. Yours is among the best.

January 26, 2009, 02:33 PM	#5
DoctorXring Senior Member Join Date: April 30, 2002 Location: The Republic of Texas Posts: 392	. Awesome score CalFed ! Great stock on that one. .

January 27, 2009, 12:02 AM	#6
Calfed Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Posts: 295	Thanks for the kind comments, guys. Reading all the comments about the stock, I realized that I hadn't looked that closely at it. Took a close look at the other side and the handguard area. I realize now why the back of the stock and the front are so different. You can see that the difference occurs where the piece used for the front of the stock joins the piece used for the rear. I had kinda forgotten that the Finn 91/30 stocks were two piece affairs. A shame that they couldn't find a piece for the front that matched the back.

February 6, 2009, 10:58 AM	#9
Calfed Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Posts: 295	Finally got to the range and fired the Tikka 91/30. That is Wolf Gold 180 grain SP's @ 100 yards. Will have to try the lighter bullets.

February 6, 2009, 12:16 PM	#10
backwoodschemist Junior Member Join Date: January 28, 2009 Posts: 3	Hi Calfed, That looks like vertical stringing to me. (shooter error, probably not a gun problem) I assume you shot that with the stock iron sights? If so, you have a great shooter. I can't get below two - three inches at 100 yards with iron sights, yet with a good scope and gun I can group below 0.5 inches. (1" on a bad day) Based on your lack of side to side dispersion, that gun will shoot 2" groups as is with that ammo. Put a 1" orange target dot in the center of that target and try again. You need to have a good aiming point and a firm bench rest to test your guns true accuracy. Make sure the gun is rock solid, watch your breathing, learn where the trigger breaks, etc.... How is the trigger pull? Mine took about 100-200 rounds for the trigger to wear in properly. It's sill a long pull, but not as heavy. Shoot a few more groups before switching ammo. I handload for my Nagants with the Hornady .312 diameter bullets and they shoot very well. My barrels slugged out at 0.313" and 0.314" on the grooves. Fantastic stock, and the gun looks to have the original browning (plum color) it probably is unissued, what a great find. Have fun with it! BWC

February 6, 2009, 05:12 PM	#12
Milspec Senior Member Join Date: July 19, 2008 Location: Central Ohio Posts: 117	To help fix vertical stringing on a Finnish 91 series you might check to be sure the brass bedding plates under the action are clean and in place. Also clean out any swelled wood that may interfere with proper seating. The barrel channel should be clean and the stock finger joint tight. Be sure the bolt is clean of cosmolene or other grunge and that you're getting consistent firing pin hits near the center of the primer. Most importantly, be sure the action screws are tightened properly. Check the rear sight to be sure the leaf's touching solidly and has enough spring tension so it isn't changing position between shots. When you shoot, place the rifle on the bags so the weight of that long heavy barrel is balanced. If these things check out ok then you prolly do just need an orange dot and maybe better ammo... Milspec __________________ "...there is no second place winner in a gunfight." Colonel Bill Jordan

February 7, 2009, 10:54 AM	#13
Calfed Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Posts: 295	Thanks, guys, for the tips. I think the first place to start is with a smaller aiming point. I was shooting at a 12" x 18" oval reactive target, 6 o"clock hold. The rounds were striking pretty much in the middle, so say 9" above my aimpoint. What I should probably do now is place that 1" orange sticker at the bottom of the reactive target so that I'm aiming at a very small point. I'm guessing that the groups will shrink when I'm aiming at that small point every shot