One of the big changes that really pissed me off about the M700's (I don't know exact years), but somewhere by the late 1980's, early 1990's they really started to cheapen out on stuff like the bottom 'metal'.
I have a few M700's kicking around here.
Today I hit the range (-28C what the heck was I thinking!?), with a circa 1980 ADL .30-06, which has been glass bedded in a Wildcat Composite stock by K&S Arms, Edmonton.
Along with that, I took my 1996 production M700 Sendero, in .270Win. It has the 26" heavy barrel, weighs around 13 pounds with ammo... yes, it's a tank to carry.
Anyway, that Sendero is an absolute tack driver, but the trigger needed work.
A month ago, I did a trigger job on the .30-06, and the difference between them today was glaring!
So tonight I did a trigger job on the .270. Easy, simple, nothing to the trigger job.
But holy crap!! When I went to re-assemble that .270, what a ####ing ordeal!! It has a piece of #### PLASTIC bottom 'metal'!! Just brutal trying to put that thing together without the magazine box popping out!
I was getting to the point of doing stupid violent things... like I wanted to throw the goddamn thing!!
When I finally got it to stay together, I went immediately to Brownell's website, to order a proper floorplate assembly... naturally they are sold out...
But just sitting there, cycling the actions of the 1980 vs the 1996 rifle, there is a crazy difference in how smooth the action is. Hands down the 1980 .30-06 is just way smoother, totally different feel. They don't even sound the same.
Next: Anybody recall the 'so-called' Classics? Of course... I have a .300H&H which I think was 1988(?)
But I also had a 2004 8x57... that rifle was terribly flawed! The screws on the receiver, for scope mounting were misaligned with the receiver. If you had tried to use anything other than a 2 piece base (which I used a Leupold 2-pc), you couldn't properly align the scope with the center of the receiver!
But due to the 2-piece Leupy base, I could shove the rear mount over enough to compensate for the misaligned screws.
And on top of that, the screws were actually drilled right through the top of the receiver, so they would actually interfere with the bolt cycle.
There must be other people here that remember that? Cuz I had a friend that also bought on of those 2004 'Classics' in 8x57, and he had the exact same problems with his. That was terrible manufacturing.
I sold that rifle, wish I still had it.
But that's an example of #### Remington did that began to downgrade the M700.
But they are great shooters, and likely the strongest action ever built.
Oh yeah, of all the M700's I have owned, only 1 was a BDL. Still have it. A .338Win Mag, I think around 1987 production year. But it got the BDL stock tossed and is in a Wildcat Composite stock, same as the old .30-06.
