Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Rem 700 - Trigger Peculiarity

Been working to get an older Rem 700 in 30-06 of mine getting it up to snuff, bought it back in the 80's and have only shot it a few times on the range. (Military and new fancy dancy European rifles kept me busy all these years, lol)

Got a good scope on it, working up loads, just generally checking it all out and getting it up to par.

Gotta be a lotta folks here that have used them plenty and are intimately familiar with them. I've noticed an oddity with mine. The trigger is heavy, though it works just fine and I've never been able to jimmy the safety or pull trigger, safety off, safety on, and ever get it to fire. But it is over 5.5 lbs pull.

So I pulled it apart and adjusted it to what I feel is a reasonable 3 to 3.5 pounds pull. Played with it a bunch, checked 20+ times, bumped it hard, etc, all the things you do to try and get it to fire. Called it good and put it back together.

Now the oddity, It will remain consistent all day long at between 3 and 3.5 pounds pull checked with an RCBS Premium Trigger Pull Scale . . . until you put the Safety on and take the Safety off, then miraculously it adds about a pound to the trigger pull, remaining consistent at 4.5 pounds pull, and you can do this all day long, not just a one time fluke. If you do not put the Safety on, it will register 3 to 3.5 pounds trigger pull. Put that Safety on one time or more, and back to 4.5. I don't like that at all, so yes, got a Timney on the way. Just thought if I could get this Remy Trigger to work "ok" I'd leave it in there, no dice.

Have any others noticed this? Or do I got a unique Safety on that 700?

You’ll love the Timney

X mark pro trigger?

He said older 700 bought in the 80s.

Ah. Missed that. I asked because that's exactly what my x mark pro models did too

Yes, I know I will because I already got a couple of 'em in Sako's. Have had good luck with them, though these Timney's are also 20+ years old so hope they kept up the QC on them.

Hmmmm, so we could be on to something here. What did you do? Replace it?

Triggertech has a BF going on now.

No I did not replace them yet. Got 3 of em still. They break cleanly and only one had this issue and I think I ended up trading that one if I remember correctly

It sounds as though the safety lever is scraping the sear engagement and/or trigger when moving it.

Did you mess with sear engagement?

Have you thoroughly cleaned it?--I mean remove the trigger assembly, disassemble the safety lever, and drop the TA and safety lever parts into solvent for a day or more, then gently blow it out with compressed air.

I have a 700 that does that. I figure it is changing the sear engagement. Doesn't add much but on a pull guage, it shows. It is my house coyote gun so never gets loaded until outside right before I shoot. The safety is rarely applied. Still, I may put a Trigger Tech in it.

Timney is a great choice but look at TriggerTech also.


https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...254/gonew/1/timney-vs-triggertech#UNREAD

DING!!

I have owned several 700's in the past and I noticed the same thing on each of them. I think it has something to do with the safety blocking the sear.

This. ^^^

Thanks for all the info and replies. No I didn't clean it, wasn't dirty, like new yet.

I checked out Triggertech but for the price I couldn't beat Timney so one is on the way. This rifle is no where near my main hunting rifle, I just want it to work and shoot without issues.

I see that I'm not the only one that noticed this, as others have attested. I also think it must be somehow grazing the sear when you put the safety on and take it off.

I had thought of taking it to a gunsmith, as this is above my comfort zone tearing apart a trigger (especially a Remington, lol), but figured for the price I would be better off just installing a Timney.