New Tikka produced by Colt Canada

[JWR075]

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2...nfield-rifles/

Seems like a major upgrade from the Lee Enfields they were using.

The search for a new rifle fit for the Canadian Rangers has ended, and the replacement is surprising. Colt Canada was selected in late 2014 to provide rifles to replace the Rangers’ venerable No. 4 Lee-Enfields, which many assumed meant the next rifle would be a .223/5.56mm caliber AR-15 derivative, from the company’s lineup. Not so! While the new rifle will be made by Colt Canada, it has been derived from the Sako T3 CTR, and will be chambered in .308 Winchester:

[misfit47]

That's interesting. Wonder why they are using colt instead of just buying the rifles from sako?

[Tx_Aggie]

I'm not crazy about the red laminate stock, but I like the rest of that rifle a lot. I wonder if these will be for sale to the public here in the US at some point.

[Greg Bell]

I sure hope they import it here. A nice .308 bolt with iron sights is hard to find.

[mark5pt56]

If one could source the bottom metal and sights a good smith could make one. I do like it, modernized version of rifles used long ago

[yellowfin]

Ooh, does this mean those Enfields will hit the surplus market?

[misfit47]

Ooh, does this mean those Enfields will hit the surplus market?

Doubt it. Scrap heap I bet.

[MountainRaven]

That's interesting. Wonder why they are using colt instead of just buying the rifles from sako?

I'm going to guess that Canada has a legal requirement for where the rifles are manufactured.

Whether it's that they have to be made in Canada or made in an allied or NATO-allied country - for which Finland does not qualify - I couldn't begin to guess.

Doubt it. Scrap heap I bet.

I would bet that they get sold on the Canadian surplus market. Whether we see any here, I do not know. But from talking with Canadians, it does sound like it's much easier to get a surplus Lee-Enfield in Canada than in the US (and most of them are, I believe, Canadian manufacture, too).

[RONK]

Thanks for posting this.At one time they were looking at the Ruger Gunsite.Any clue to why their using the laminate stock on the Tikka?I read elsewhere,there are no current plans to market the rifle in the U.S.I also read,there was also a Ruger rifle in 30-06,14" barrel,folding stock produced for a Canadian SAR unit.Neat stuff.

[Lost River]

In regards to the laminate stock, a reasonable guess would be the extreme sub zero temps of the Arctic region, and the remoteness of the AO. Using the rifles for subsistence hunting and having a plastic stock crack/shatter in the cold could be a critical issue. Laminate makes sense for their role.

Awesome looking configuration. Very practical.