Remington Firearms

[Responsible_Shooter1]

The Remington Model 700 is well-known for many reasons and has a reputation as a fantastic gun. However, Remington seemed to disappear from the market for a few years due to controversies surrounding their questionable safeties, among other issues. The question is, have they made a comeback? Would any of you consider buying a new Remington? Specifically, how do the more premium models compare to the classic and infamous Model 700 rifles? I'm eager to hear your thoughts.

Personally, I've been a Tikka fan for a few years, but I've had the opportunity to borrow and shoot many rounds through a Model 700 22-250. In my opinion, it's one of the best rifles I've ever shot. I'm curious if the quality and performance of the newer Remington models can match up to the legendary status of the Model 700.

Feel free to share your experiences and opinions about Remington's resurgence and the quality of their premium models.

[Wyliecoyote]

The best thing about Remington is that their actions were the basis for accurate rifles for decades. Some years back when 700 clones came about, the cost of buying a 700 action and then having it trued exceeded the cost of a good custom action. Now that the clones are getting hard to get and are expensive, the Rem 700 actions may make a comeback. I just did a series A 700 action where i single point cut the threads, faced off the action, squared the lugs and bushed the firing pin hole back to 60 thou and then fitted a 7 twist barrel chambered in 223 for a rifle to be used in the popular production class of Fclass. The work done apart from the firing pin bushing was really just a check as the action was so true it really was good to go as it was. This action was built over 50 years ago. Current actions are nowhere near as good.

My advice would be if thinking of buying a Rem 700 of more recent years as a hunting gun, buy a Tikka or Sako. But if you are looking to get into an accurate build and can't get or won't spend the dollars on a custom clone, buy as old an action as you can find. "A" series are very hard to get and 60s ones get big money in the US, but an early B series is what i would suggest. The best late series actions are any of those used to build the 5R rifles. Beyond that, best of luck.

[No1Mk3]

Triggers in the 700 do not like being lightened too far, causes sears to slip. First thing Quantico do is change them out. Current rifles are good working guns, and priced to meet the market competition. But like the Win M70 earlier rifles were better finished.

[bigpete]

Never had an inaccurate Remington, including my 7600. Loved my SPS 223,not sure why I sold it

[Jorlcrin]

I bought a Rem700 VSF in .308Win in 2012, and it has been a fantastic rifle.
Varmint Stainless Fluted, with a 26" barrel.

Bought it on recommendation of mates who were distance-shooting at the time; they were mostly shooting Rem700's when I first got to know them.
Within 2 years of that, most of those shooters had migrated to Tikka T3's.

Comment made to me by most, was that I seemed to have lucked out on a good 700, but many had run into poor factory QC when trying to squeeze the best results from their rifles.
Ironic that I'm using mine only for hunting.

Some of the stories from these guys, indeed suggested that Remington QC was in dire straits.
Many of them were much happier with the Tikka's, and of the 7 of them, I think I'm the only one who kept his Rem 700.

This rifle was one of the recalled ones, due to trigger issues.
Remington sent a new trigger to my dealer, and we swapped it out ourselves.
New trigger seems better than original, though the old one wasnt misbehaving.

I couldnt fault my Rem 700, but I heard plenty of people express regret at buying a late-model 700.
Would I buy another?
Probbly not; I feel I'm taking less risk buying a Tikka.
[And Tikka arent problem-free, by any stretch..]

[Billo]

Bergara make the rifles Remington should have made.

If you want a slick accurate package then try and grab a Premier HMR, leaves a Tikka/Sako for dead

[Blr243]

Few yrs bac I had a SPS in 300 aac. It was very accurate

[bigrich]

I ordered a brand new Remington 700 in 270win a couple of years ago. It had a big “line” from when the stock was stained at the factory. The bolt face had a “half moon “ wear mark after shooting it for a bit. Indicates chamber wasn’t square to the bolt face in my opinion. Wasn’t very accurate either. I’ve had a “A” series 222 from 1980 built with a madco barrel and a timney trigger. Pillar bedded , lapped bolt. Shoots amazing, and balances offhand great. The bolt is going back to the smith for a sako extractor conversion as it doesn’t eject at times. I love this rifle and have another in the build in 250 savage. By comparison I bought a T3 in 223 , put it in a bell and Carlson stock, with handloaded shooting. .3’s . The tikkas have their quirks too. Some cals are long throated but mag length is restrictive. Talking new factory rifles I’d go with a tikka over new Remington

[bigrich]

Bergara make the rifles Remington should have made.

If you want a slick accurate package then try and grab a Premier HMR, leaves a Tikka/Sako for dead

I’ve been hearing good things about bergara. Do you have any more to add ?

[Wyliecoyote]

I ordered a brand new Remington 700 in 270win a couple of years ago. It had a big “line” from when the stock was stained at the factory. The bolt face had a “half moon “ wear mark after shooting it for a bit. Indicates chamber wasn’t square to the bolt face in my opinion. Wasn’t very accurate either. I’ve had a “A” series 222 from 1980 built with a madco barrel and a timney trigger. Pillar bedded , lapped bolt. Shoots amazing, and balances offhand great. The bolt is going back to the smith for a sako extractor conversion as it doesn’t eject at times. I love this rifle and have another in the build in 250 savage. By comparison I bought a T3 in 223 , put it in a bell and Carlson stock, with handloaded shooting. .3’s . The tikkas have their quirks too. Some cals are long throated but mag length is restrictive. Talking new factory rifles I’d go with a tikka over new Remington

Here is the reason Rem 600s were highly sought after for benchrest. The rem 700 bolt is three piece, the lug section is sweated onto the bolt body and the bolt handle the same. The bolt lugs were very rarely inline giving that half moon effect rich just mentioned where the cure is a set up in a bolt jig to face the bolt face and back of the lugs. The other issue that can lead to that half moon effect is the action face is rarely square to the bolt bore line as it is a saw cut and not machined.

The Rem 600 was a two piece bolt, main bolt complete with lugs is machined from one piece of 4140 and the handle is sweated on just like the 700s. The difference here being the lugs and face were square to the main bolt body. Both actions were subject to bolt handles coming off where the cure is to clean off the silver solder, set into a jig and TIG weld the handle on.

[bigrich]

I ordered a brand new Remington 700 in 270win a couple of years ago. It had a big “line” from when the stock was stained at the factory. The bolt face had a “half moon “ wear mark after shooting it for a bit. Indicates chamber wasn’t square to the bolt face in my opinion. Wasn’t very accurate either. I’ve had a “A” series 222 from 1980 built with a madco barrel and a timney trigger. Pillar bedded , lapped bolt. Shoots amazing, and balances offhand great. The bolt is going back to the smith for a sako extractor conversion as it doesn’t eject at times. I love this rifle and have another in the build in 250 savage. By comparison I bought a T3 in 223 , put it in a bell and Carlson stock, with handloaded shooting. .3’s . The tikkas have their quirks too. Some cals are long throated but mag length is restrictive. Talking new factory rifles I’d go with a tikka over new Remington

Here is the reason Rem 600s were highly sought after for benchrest. The rem 700 bolt is three piece, the lug section is sweated onto the bolt body and the bolt handle the same. The bolt lugs were very rarely inline giving that half moon effect rich just mentioned where the cure is a set up in a bolt jig to face the bolt face and back of the lugs. The other issue that can lead to that half moon effect is the action face is rarely square to the bolt bore line as it is a saw cut and not machined.

The Rem 600 was a two piece bolt, main bolt complete with lugs is machined from one piece of 4140 and the handle is sweated on just like the 700s. The difference here being the lugs and face were square to the main bolt body. Both actions were subject to bolt handles coming off where the cure is to clean off the silver solder, set into a jig and TIG weld the handle on.

Or you can save all that stuffing around and just buy a tikka and put it in a good stock. lol.
Saw a guy a few years back shooting a tikka in 6.5 Swede in a chassis stock. .4’s at 200 . I kid you not, saw him do it. REM 700’s are like small block Chevy, empty everything out of it and remachine everything and fit good aftermarket parts. lol.
My rem 222 has really grown on me but….

[wrenchman]

the new ones are not made the same and come with timney triggers from whet I have read I have not had a chance to look one over

[bigrich]

the new ones are not made the same and come with timney triggers from whet I have read I have not had a chance to look one over

The dodgy Remington I had was a new production rifle from the new manufacturers. That’s the only reason I bought it was because they had good reviews. I wouldn’t buy another.

[deye243]

[quote=]

Or you can save all that stuffing around and just buy a tikka and put it in a good stock. lol.
.

If you could put up with that s**ty MAG they have tikka need there arse kicked for not having a floor plate MAG on a hunting rifle

[bigrich]

[quote=]

Or you can save all that stuffing around and just buy a tikka and put it in a good stock. lol.
.

If you could put up with that s**ty MAG they have tikka need there arse kicked for not having a floor plate MAG on a hunting rifle

yeah, i agree on that point . i prefer top feed internal mags with a floorplate myself . but i've found the tikka mag system to be very practical in the field. i can swap out a fresh mag in the dark easily by feel , and keep a fresh mag in my pocket for quick reloads . yeah the tikka mags are s**ty plastic , and not as classy as my FN actioned musgrave 98 . but they work . never had a feed issue with a T3 tikka . COL has p!ssed me off in a 7-08 tikka i had. couldn't get the 3" M+ mags at the time which would've solved my issues . i prefer classic blued/walnut rifles , but a stainless tikka in a quality stock is a reliable accurate tool and if it rains , i'm not concerned in the slightest . horses for courses

back on topic, from my experience i was very disappointed with the new remington i bought . especially for the money i paid . i would've possibly bought a new model 70 CRF if they'd been available . sako 85 ejection issues burned me on those . beautiful qaulity, well made , accurate rifles, but having to turn my scope 90 degrees to the left so the case didn't hit the scope turret was a joke on a rifle of that value . they shoulda just refined the L61 series action , but no , three lugs MUST be better wish i had've kept my sako 85 grizzly in 9.3x62 , beautiful heavy walnut stock . projectiles for medium bores have gotten expensive but
all in all , they don't make any of them like they used to . which is why my rifle collection is mostly older all steel rifles or builds on old actions

[Bello]

Hi
When I looked at restocking my meager gun safe, after the kids had grown up, I looked around at different rifle brands. Remington, Savage, Browning, Winchester, Ruger, Marlin, Begara, Howa, Lithgow, Tikka and Sako to name just a few.

Most American sites I visited online, seemed to love their USA made rifles, they raved about them. As I delved deeper, I seemed to find, in MY view, they had a love affair with these rifle because they grew up with one brand or another, or their Mates uncles dads best friends cat gave them one that had been in the family since Adam was a boy.

To cut my ramblings short, my research led me to Howa, Tikka and Sako. As I'm no longer a spring chicken and I have saved my pennies, I decided to treat myself and bought Sako.

The Sako rifles aren't perfect, but they have served me well. I have several versions, and they perform wonderfully.
My Sako laminated stainless 223 has been my main stay. Hand loaded with 55gr V-max, it has taken Rabbit, fox, Grass hoppers, small pig and deer, all within reasonable distances.

So what can YOU take form the above ramblings, buy the best you can afford, put a GOOD scope and rings on it and enjoy it.
My2c

[Responsible_Shooter1]

I have currently two T3X's and a Howa already, but the old school allure of the Remington certainly still appeals to me. It's a damn shame they have fallen from grace; their safety placement and feel, generally, for me is excellent. I'd be keen to see another release from them in due course and see if they can make a bit of a resurgence. However, when it comes to other options out there, I guess you are all right, there are better options. Thank you all for your detailed replies and the great discussions being had.

[animalpest]

I have 3 Remington rifles and all have been terrific. Accurate and reliable which is what I need.

None are less 10yo so maybe I have older better ones.

Tikkas (4) are terrific, highly accurate but jeez their factory magazines can be a pain.

[Responsible_Shooter1]

After some further research into the matter, the newer 'Post-bankruptcy' Remington's are indeed not too bad. Pretty much the reviewers' sentiments are the same as all of yours, with a theme of 'Not bad out of the box, made great with modification(s)'. However, the period leading up to and a few years before the bankruptcy event really left a bad taste in people's mouths and tarnished their name. I can see they are working hard to bring back their reputation by collaborating with Timney and others directly, but not everyone is a fan of Timney either. Anyway, good guns, not great guns. It's a shame; it might be time to try to pick up a really old one purely for personal benefit and the sake of like what they "used" to be.

[bigrich]

After some further research into the matter, the newer 'Post-bankruptcy' Remington's are indeed not too bad. Pretty much the reviewers' sentiments are the same as all of yours, with a theme of 'Not bad out of the box, made great with modification(s)'. However, the period leading up to and a few years before the bankruptcy event really left a bad taste in people's mouths and tarnished their name. I can see they are working hard to bring back their reputation by collaborating with Timney and others directly, but not everyone is a fan of Timney either. Anyway, good guns, not great guns. It's a shame; it might be time to try to pick up a really old one purely for personal benefit and the sake of like what they "used" to be.

my two i have built are 1980 and 81 vintage . pretty slick bits of gear . one had feed issues, turned the mag spring around and problem solved. common thing apparently

[Responsible_Shooter1]

After some further research into the matter, the newer 'Post-bankruptcy' Remington's are indeed not too bad. Pretty much the reviewers' sentiments are the same as all of yours, with a theme of 'Not bad out of the box, made great with modification(s)'. However, the period leading up to and a few years before the bankruptcy event really left a bad taste in people's mouths and tarnished their name. I can see they are working hard to bring back their reputation by collaborating with Timney and others directly, but not everyone is a fan of Timney either. Anyway, good guns, not great guns. It's a shame; it might be time to try to pick up a really old one purely for personal benefit and the sake of like what they "used" to be.

my two i have built are 1980 and 81 vintage . pretty slick bits of gear . one had feed issues, turned the mag spring around and problem solved. common thing apparently

Did yours have to get the unsafe trigger issue resolved, Rich? What was that process like?

[deye243]

Nothing wrong with a walker trigger for Australian conditions it was only a problem in freezing conditions

[bigrich]

After some further research into the matter, the newer 'Post-bankruptcy' Remington's are indeed not too bad. Pretty much the reviewers' sentiments are the same as all of yours, with a theme of 'Not bad out of the box, made great with modification(s)'. However, the period leading up to and a few years before the bankruptcy event really left a bad taste in people's mouths and tarnished their name. I can see they are working hard to bring back their reputation by collaborating with Timney and others directly, but not everyone is a fan of Timney either. Anyway, good guns, not great guns. It's a shame; it might be time to try to pick up a really old one purely for personal benefit and the sake of like what they "used" to be.

my two i have built are 1980 and 81 vintage . pretty slick bits of gear . one had feed issues, turned the mag spring around and problem solved. common thing apparently

Did yours have to get the unsafe trigger issue resolved, Rich? What was that process like?

Rather than muck around with the factory rem trigger I just fitted a timney in both of mine. The factory trigger can be tuned into a nice trigger, but if not done correctly can be dangerous. That’s something I can say about tikkas and sako. Beyond adjustment, great triggers. Only other factory trigger I liked with a little tuning is on push feed model 70 Winchester. No creep and crisp as on the break.