NCJ Number
217757
Journal
Tactical Response Volume: 5 Issue: 1 Dated: January/February 2007 Pages: 72-75
Date Published
January 2007
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes the features and operation of Beretta's Tikka T3 tactical rifle, which is comparable to an upgraded Remington 700P, the most popular precision rifle in American law enforcement arsenals.
Abstract
The Tikka T3 is a modified version of Tikka's popular hunting rifles. It has a 20-inch, hammer-forged, heavy barrel. It is threaded for either a flash hider or sound suppressor and is coated in a nonreflective manganese phosphate finish. The two-stage trigger is adjustable for weight of pull, and the rifle without scope weighs approximately 9 pounds. The T3 uses a five-shot, single-column magazine, and the stock has an adjustable cheek-piece, a beavertail-type forend, and is made of a synthetic fiberglass reinforced copolymer polypropylene material. The stock is adjustable for length of pull, and it comes equipped with a Picatinny rail that accepts most scope bases and accessories. There are sling swivels at the front and rear that allow the attachment of a bipod on the forend. In testing, the rounds stripped out of the single-column magazine with ease compared to the staggered column feed found in most rifles. Loading and ejection seemed to the testers to be smoother than comparable rifles, and the trigger pull was assessed as superb. Accuracy was outstanding at 100 yards. The illumination feature can be turned on and adjusted for brightness. Since it has been recently introduced to the U.S. law enforcement market this year, there is no "track record" of performance and durability for the T3, but this article advises that it should fare well, given the historic quality of Tikka rifles. With some redesign of the stock, the T3 should be well-received by law enforcement precision riflemen.