What year did Rem 700 quality begin to decline?
- Thread starter cdncowboy
- Start date
- Location
- Whitehorse, Yukon
Not attempting to start a "pis...n" contest.
With the advent of CNC machining Remingtons have never been better built than now.
Just my two cents worth.
RC
With the advent of CNC machining Remingtons have never been better built than now.
Just my two cents worth.
RC
Tolerances are tighter than ever before due to technology. No technology in the world can help if a dull reamer is used or poor QC standards are in place. Not to mention the level of finish.
Generally they are still great firearms, they just have a higher lemon rate, and the fit and finish is a little less than previous years.
I have had issues with 4 out of the 6 remington rifles I have owned. Accuracy problems on 2 of them, one that would fire whenever it wanted,(remington 700ml that are not supposed to be affected like the m 700) and 1 kept jamming (yes a bolt action) I had given up on remington after number 4 but found a great pair in 223 and 22-250, so they were brought home. The 223 could not keep a 3 inch group nomater what. It was sent back to remington, and they said it had stock issues that had been repaired. They also test fired and said it meets spec. Well, got it back and I guess 2 inch groups is within spec.
That was my last 2 remington rifles I have had.
That was my last 2 remington rifles I have had.
I have not had a 'bad' 700 with accuracy. I have pulled many old ones and many new ones apart... as far as machining and tolerances I have seen both pretty good and poor in both old and new 700's. I think the exterior finish is nicer on the old ones and they did not make the poorly finished SPS's long ago.
The .308 Win VTR (700 action) I bought a few years ago with the triangular shaped barrel was a piece of junk.
The stock was thin and crappy.
Another useless gimmick-gun like a lot of the stuff Big Green is manufacturing.
I chopped that phony muzzle brake off, re-crowned the barrel and pillar bedded the action.
Now it shoots pretty decent groups with 165 grain NPs and Varget powder.
The 700s have been slipping for a few years.
The stock was thin and crappy.
Another useless gimmick-gun like a lot of the stuff Big Green is manufacturing.
I chopped that phony muzzle brake off, re-crowned the barrel and pillar bedded the action.
Now it shoots pretty decent groups with 165 grain NPs and Varget powder.
The 700s have been slipping for a few years.
I continue to buy 700 Remingtons, and I have yet to experience the accuracy issues and other problems that others gripe about.
Not saying it doesn't happen, just hasn't happened to me.
My latest acquisition [a 300 Win Mag CDL] turned in several sub-moa groups with the first loads I tried in it.
I do not care for the "blued" [black?] SPS models with the rough finish, but the basic barrel/action is the same.
Many of my most accurate factory rifles are 700 Remingtons.
The Tikka T3, so highly regarded by many, is definitely not my favorite rifle. Had a 338 and a 223 that were 1.5-2 moa rifles at best.
Huntable, but certainly not as gratifying as a 1moa rifle.
I'm sure that many of the complaints are legit, but Big Green certainly has no exclusive corner on QC issues.
Considering all the millions of 700's built, there is surely going to be a lemon or two. [Take a look at Chrysler products, or GM or Ford, etc, etc]
Regards, Eagleye.
Not saying it doesn't happen, just hasn't happened to me.
My latest acquisition [a 300 Win Mag CDL] turned in several sub-moa groups with the first loads I tried in it.
I do not care for the "blued" [black?] SPS models with the rough finish, but the basic barrel/action is the same.
Many of my most accurate factory rifles are 700 Remingtons.
The Tikka T3, so highly regarded by many, is definitely not my favorite rifle. Had a 338 and a 223 that were 1.5-2 moa rifles at best.
Huntable, but certainly not as gratifying as a 1moa rifle.
I'm sure that many of the complaints are legit, but Big Green certainly has no exclusive corner on QC issues.
Considering all the millions of 700's built, there is surely going to be a lemon or two. [Take a look at Chrysler products, or GM or Ford, etc, etc]
Regards, Eagleye.
I had a new remington model 700 go off next to my head while hunting... Ruined a 7-8 hour stalk... buddy was adjusting his jacket with his hand on the forend when it popped off... rifle was only fired enough to break it in and sight it in. No work done to it... He took it back to the store, and gave them a mountain of #### over it... They took it back, and I think he bought a XCR....
He was stalking an animal while holding the rifle only by the forend?
No, we were laying down, and he was only holding the rifle by its forend while adjusting his jacket at his shoulder with his trigger hand... Butt was resting on the ground...
It is all the buyers' fault. There are good CRF rifles out there like the one I bought (Zastava M70 FS) from Elwood Epps at good price of a little over $700. So you can not buy remington then "smear" remington.
The easier way is to ignore, forget and dump remington.
I won't compliant about the QC of remington, because I will never own one, touch one.
The easier way is to ignore, forget and dump remington.
I won't compliant about the QC of remington, because I will never own one, touch one.
gunrunner8
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Kamloops, B.C.
Me neither.
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Was the safety on?...............I personally never remove the rifle from safe until it's time to slip my finger in the trigger guard and touch off, with the critter in my crosshairs. Too easy for a trigger to get touched, bumped, hooked by a button, whatever. I honestly wonder how many mech failure discharges are actually some jacka$$ who refuses to admit he screwed up, so let's blame Remington 'cause everybody knows all Remingtons go off just stored in the safe!!
Remington did have an issue a while back with triggers disengaging when the safety was flipped from "on safe" to "fire" positions, I have experienced this with 2 Rems after I adjusted the triggers a touch too fine. Both were in the shop while testing and were then readjusted, never happened to me in the field.
I realize not all hunters are experienced riflemen, but isn't a full wring out of equipment, at the range, a mandatory prerequisite before going affield? It's like taking off in your plane and running out of fuel 20 mins out and blaming the refueller who was supposed to have fuelled the plane. Standard proceedures dictates it's the pilots responsibility to check fuel before take off. Is it not the same onus of responsibility for the hunter/rifleman to check his equipment before heading affield?
Buying a namebrand rifle does not preclude it from having flaws, these firearms are made by people just like me and you, and I don't know about you, but I make mistakes as do quality control people at Remington, Winchester, Ruger, Tikka etc...etc...etc...I may be the only person who thinks this way, but I believe the final responsibility for ALL my equipment lies with me, and any flaws or failures should have been wrung out long before going affield. What about a 10 year old rifle that develops a malfunction, is that still the manufacturers fault?
I have spent literally thousands of days affield with many different Remington rifles and have harvested thousands of head of large and small game with Remington rifles and not ONCE has my equipment misbehaved or failed on me. One would think if this stuff happens with the frequency alluded to by some people, it certainly should have happened several times to me.............
Then there's the whole issue of unsafe gun handling, which I believe personally, happens with much greater frequency than true equipment failures............
I hunted for many years with my 700 in 300 Wby with a Canjar trigger without a safety, a shell never went in the chamber until I was in position with full focus on my quarry........never had an AD with this set-up either and that trigger was 12 oz let off. I think we all need to take more responsibility for our gun handling and less blaming the manufacturers. After all it isn't the manufacturers who put a cartridge in the chamber and wander about the forests.............so who is responsible for that firearm at that point.
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I've owned Remington bolt actions for as long as I was old enough to own guns starting with a Remington Mod. 30 which I still have, 721s in 300 H&H, 308 Norma, countless 700s old and new, as well as a nice 40X and I have yet to have an issue with any or I'd be the first to complain.
For that matter, my Remingtons have been far more reliable than the other brands of rifles in my safes.
When it comes to putting meat in the freezer I can rely on them to do the job...
For that matter, my Remingtons have been far more reliable than the other brands of rifles in my safes.
When it comes to putting meat in the freezer I can rely on them to do the job...
Good post.
It seems weird to me that people with demonstrated long term experience with Rem. rifles have not had problems. But all kinds of other folks have.
I truly believe that carelessness has caused many ADs. Many people don't like to be accountable for things that go wrong so they find a scapegoat...
westcoaster
CGN Regular
- Location
- Central BC
Having watched the pain my hunting partner went through to get his brand new 700 in 300 RUM shoot a few years ago I've been cool on the new 700's since he went through that ordeal.
I just got back from the range a little while ago with my new Zastavia in 9.3x62. My neighbor came out with his brand new Remington 700 5-R in .308Win. - have not seen one of these before. Had it rigged up with a nice Vortex scope. Kind of a short (20 inch), thick barreled rig with a different trigger than I have usually seen on 700's.
This thing shoots stupid good! Trigger is nice, a little heavy but it breaks clean. Off a rest this thing is shooting ragged holes at 100 and under a quarter at 200. I'm thinking I got to have a look at one of these for paper punching.
I just got back from the range a little while ago with my new Zastavia in 9.3x62. My neighbor came out with his brand new Remington 700 5-R in .308Win. - have not seen one of these before. Had it rigged up with a nice Vortex scope. Kind of a short (20 inch), thick barreled rig with a different trigger than I have usually seen on 700's.
This thing shoots stupid good! Trigger is nice, a little heavy but it breaks clean. Off a rest this thing is shooting ragged holes at 100 and under a quarter at 200. I'm thinking I got to have a look at one of these for paper punching.
