Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters John Haviland's Remington 799 Review in Rifle Magazine

Re: John Haviland's Remington 799 Review in Rifle Magazine

John,

Now, that's what I call a review! The good and not-so-good, all put together into a package that we can use to get a real feel for a rifle without having to buy it. I don't expect every rifle to come out of the box perfect in every way, but I do like to know where I'll have to spend my money for upgrades - before I order one. This review accomplished that, with references (paraphrased, as I don't have the magazine in front of me now) to a bit too much stock in places, lower than expected velocity, and stock-barrel gap for hiding spiders. FWIW, I believe such observations significantly improve my belief in the rifle's observed positives.

I haven't been a fan of Rifle's marketing direction for the last couple of years - a bit too basic for my taste - but this issue shows that Wolfe hasn't (completely) abandoned its more experienced readership. Thanks. I'll thank Dave Scovill separately.

Jaywalker

Never been disappointed with John's writing.

What a great review! Sticky bolt, poor accuracy, poorly designed stock, lousy trigger, etc. I couldn't believe what he wrote. That the 799 is a POS. Good job John, and congratulations for having the nads to do an honest review.

Super funny. I have to look no further than the campfire to see why all the news/media is so negative and nobody highlights the good in the world. People don't want to hear it. They really only want to hear the bad stuff and even more depressing, only seem to believe the negative.

-Lou

All you have to do is look at one. I can't see why anyone in their right mind would pay more for that clunky monstrosity than you can for a sweet little CZ 527.

I thought the article on the Handi-Rifle was good, too. I didn't peruse the 799 article yet, mainly because I'm very unlikely to buy one even before reading the article, which apparently shows warts and all.

But the Handi Rifle...that's another rifle I'll probably never buy, but one I've been interested in for a while now. The idea of a cheap and fairly accurate rifle capable of having multiple barrels is appealing. It's the poor man's Encore, seems like.

A few days ago there was an article about converting SxS shotguns to rifle calibers. I thought of that when I looked at the article...the chambers on those Handi-Rifles are heavy and thick. Imagine putting two on a shotgun frame, and you've got a 12-pound rifle or maybe 14, which is about what those professional hunter rifles weigh as well.

Gotta agree with you Cossatotjoe. Looks rough as a corn cob, tool marks galore.

Why anyone would buy a 798 or 799 over a Ruger that's less money??? Remington has had a major lapse in judgement.

I kind of think that Remington, in typical Remington fashion, has gone and screwed up a good thing. The 799s and the 798s were pretty good deals when Charles Daly was offering them for $200 less than what Remington is now selling them at. But, now...I don't think so.

Exactly. Having Remington take over the importation was a big mistake. They aren't even offering them in LH version like Chuck Daly was.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on two in-the-white LH standard actions that I'm going to build into rifles.
I can't see anything wrong with them as they are.

Other than for the 870 social worker shotguns, I can't stand Remington products.

I can't figure the market that Remington is going for with them. It isn't the bargain market, because Remington's own SPS is at least $100.00 cheaper. It isn't the high end, or even mid-range market because the stocks are really ugly and just a rehash of the old ADL stock which was one of my all time least favorite stocks.

In short there is nothing to make a person want to buy one of them instead of some other rifle. If someone is a controlled feed guy or a Mauser guy, then the Ruger and the CZ 550 are better options for less money. Most riflemen sophisticated enough to actually want a real Mauser, will probably get one that is a little more nicely finished and in something besides the 'plain-Jane' calibers offered by Remington. I predict a massive flop and in a year or two, Charles Daly or someone will be selling them again.

I didn't think I beat up the 799 too badly in my article.

It had some nice features and I mentioned them. For a skinny barreled rifle, it shot pretty well.

I don't think you beat it up either. Seemed to me you were pretty objective about your evaluatiion, and told it like you saw it.

Now I know the positive/negative to "look out" for, thanks!

I agree, too. It was an excellent review - neither a puff piece nor a slam, but a balanced review of the good and not-so-good.

Jaywalker

It is amazing that Remington did not engineer and polish out this tendency of the Mni-Mauser to have a rough and binding bolt travel.

This would seem to be the third brand name to just pass this very real problem through from factory to the purchaser; i.e., Interarms, Charles Daly and now Remington.

I used to own one of the first Interarms versions way back and the bolt cycling was like was dragging sandpaper sideways across gravel. This was made smoother with a bit of very careful lapping; still the bolt had a tendency to bind with the least little bit of applied side pressure. The fundamental reason is that the bolt body had way too much clearance in its raceway. Maybe a guide rib or slot would take some of the slop out.

Mine was in 223 and was bought because it was cute as Hell and handled like a baton - and with a better looking stock than the 799. It shot only okay after a lot of alternative glass-bedding techniques and fooling around with various loads.

Mine is long gone. When I saw Haviland's review, my first thought was did they fix that blasted bolt problem? I was not surprised that the Europeans did not, just puzzled as to why Remington would accept, and sell, them with such an obvious manufacturing defect.

Please don't forget to get out and vote for the Constitutional Right that insures all others. It is near the top of the list for very good reason.

I agree, too. It was an excellent review - neither a puff piece nor a slam, but a balanced review of the good and not-so-good.


Yep. We all knew when Remington pushed out Charles Daily the price would go up and we'd be lucky if quality stayed the same. Guess Big Green wanted in the CRF bussiness with Winchester gone. Do we really appear so dumb?

Elk,if you are Mr.H ... thank you for a straight up article.