Truing Rem 700 Action.

An action spider is a lot cheaper and you can make it yourself.

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I am not a machinist but looking at this I think I know why some guys (like Kenny Jarrett) just starting making their own actions. I think by the time you've bought a Remington action and screwed around with stripping the bolt and ensured all the screws are aligned and opened up to 8x40 etc etc ... and then all of this .. you might as well make it yourself and pocket more of the money ...
 
The 8 x 40 thread conversion isn't really needed even with the heaviest of scopes... money wasted as far as I am concerned...
 
Yes, a custom action is nice, but more money than a trued Remington.
Depends what your end game is.
With Rem actions you get a ton of aftermarket stuff and lots of bargains on the EE.
Customs actions limit you on aftermarket unless they copy the Rem 700 footprint. :)
 
AP said:
more surface area for loctite! I would prefer integral rail!
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X2.
If I was ever partial to Rem 700 action (I am not) then accurizing it would make sense.
It is such a flexible action so instead sleeving it (odd looking combo) I wonder why nobody would consider to soft solder (supported with four 8-40 screws) solid steel rail onto the action to stiffen it?
This plus liberal epoxy support (say 2" long) under the chamber would address the problem.
Once the controversial trigger is changed and bolt handle tig welded solid I might accept it after all....wait!
Wouldn't that "new Rem 700" action cost me as much as new custom one?
 
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lejarretnoir said:
Why would you ever consider a Rem 700 action when it sounds like you want a Benchrest action?
No need to stiffen it for hunting and varmints. What's your end game here?
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The thread is about "truing Rem 700 action".
Of course hunting rifle action doesn't need accurising at all.
Target and varmint rifles need one IMHO if somebody insist on the procedure.
If so, why not to accurise the action to the full extent possible?
My end game?
To show the fact that when utmost accuracy is needed I am better off with custom action to start with.
GR8 2c worth....
 
Make up a tight fitting mandrel that is inserted through the front receiver ring and tighten it into place.

There are a couple of ways to do this but the one I like works well.

Make up a mandrel in one set up to keep it true. The end that fits through the receiver to the chuck should be long enough to be clamped into a 4 jaw or more chuck, or be fitted to a center and held in place by a dog leg. Each end needs a center divot to accept a center from the driven and rest end. This will give the mandrel control of center of axis. The threads duplicating those of the receiver will be cut on that same axis. If it will not fit into the receiver, make sure your measurements are correct. If all looks well, the receiver threads are either not true to center or somehow miscut. Usually, If it is only a very slight bind, I just carry on. If it is something more serious, I will reject the receiver outright and assemble it into a working rifle with a factory barrel, test for acceptable accuracy and sell it. Once the receiver is in place, turn the face of the receiver true to the center of axis which is mandated by the mandrel.

This method isn't perfect but it fixes the biggest problem with receivers that aren't true, no matter which manufacturer. It squares off the lock up shoulder between the shoulder of the barrel and receiver. If one or both of those are out of true, it will have adverse effects on accuracy. That's why I like to cut the tenon threads and square off the shoulder between centers or only hold the very end tip of the barrel in the chuck when doing this job. It isn't difficult, it just takes time and patience to make sure it is all true the first time.

Newly manufactured actions are so true, since being machined on CNC equipment that can "almost" be considered as match grade.
 
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gunrunner8 said:
The thread is about "truing Rem 700 action".
Of course hunting rifle action doesn't need accurising at all.
Target and varmint rifles need one IMHO if somebody insist on the procedure.
If so, why not to accurise the action to the full extent possible?
My end game?
To show the fact that when utmost accuracy is needed I am better off with custom action to start with.
GR8 2c worth....
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Yes its still putting lipstick on a pig .. I think the tenon face area and "loose" recoil "washer" sitting between the barrel and the action face can be improved and also the tenon length wouldn't offend me if its was longer if only for more bedding area.
 
How many people have every knocked a rail off with 6-48 screws on a 700? I would be more concerned about my expensive scope sitting on top should enough force be applied to effect the base.
Didn't watch the vids but there are lots of tools available now to do a quicker job of truig a 700 action than the older single point method. This has also brought the prices down.
If your going to get crazy and start sleeving bolts, drilling and tapping mount holes etc than a custom would be the way to go IME
 
Duck_Hunter said:
How many people have every knocked a rail off with 6-48 screws on a 700? I would be more concerned about my expensive scope sitting on top should enough force be applied to effect the base.
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Probably not many .. and with a one piece base with lots of contact with the action - may be even tougher.

But as scopes get bigger - and even enormous for some guys who want to be "snipers" ... then there is a lot more going on: inertia is greater with the larger scope and the heavier propellant loads like to move the platform that's under it with a little more "snap" so that puts that much more stress on the screws. And smaller screws have a tendency to back out with vibration .. check your laptop base screws after you've been on an aircraft (or worse - a helicopter) ... that's why so many are pre-coated with a locking compound.

I dont think anyone on this thread is being critical of the 700 action per se .. Mr Walker designed a very fine/simple/cost effective action that has many excellent features. For hunting and varmint use it is great right out of the box. But some folks want to "tart" it up a little and see how much better it can be. And one of the early steps some guys like to take is "blueprinting" their action (per the videos that started the thread) -- what I am inclined to think (and I "think" Gunrunner8 believes as well?) is that these days there are so many reasonably priced custom actions that already have the precision (courtesy of careful CNC machining) that it probably doesn't make sense to start down the road of accurizing a 700 by blueprinting when in the end it will still be absent features that many folks find desirable in a target rifle.

I know that a good machinist has to get compensated properly for his time; jobs that don't compensate well will inevitably get moved back as they should. When I watched the videos - it was apparent that properly blueprinting a 700 action is a time consuming (ergo costly if done properly) activity. And If I understood what Bearhunter wrote correctly - it appears that some 700's cannot be properly "trued" - my conclusion is given the cost of the action/the gunsmiths time/the element of "risk" (even if small) why would anyone bother to go down this road when there are adequate 'custom action' options.
 
I have seen a huge rail with accessories on each side and a large scope on top on a 308 heavy barrel.. all screwed on using the four original 6x48 factory screw holes... and it was shot often with no problems.

I have measured bolt tolerances on a 'custom' action that was no better than many factory 700's. Just because it is 'custom' does not guarantee anything except a hefty price and good looks...and if it is a two lug action without the original style 700 extractor it is not as safe and strong as a factory 700.

Truing 700 actions can be done several ways. Fairly inexpensive and very expensive. If you end up with the shoulder, thread joint and locking lug recesses all square to the bolt throw, and the bolt face and lug surfaces square to the bolt throw, it doesn't matter what method was used. With the back of the bolt 'bumped', it will shoot as well as many 'custom' actions of the same size providing the barrels and installs are equal.

A custom action cost considerably more, looks better and will retain a higher value due to costing more to start with...
 
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