Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Might buy a new Remington 700 - what to look out for

Found a few Remington 700 ADL's in stock locally for a good price and am considering picking one up. With Remington's reputation being what it is, and with warranty service being sort of up in the air for the time being, I'm a little hesitant. If I choose to buy one, what should are some things to be on the lookout for? What are the common problems with newer production Remington rifles and how can I check for them?

Thanks.

My main complaints are:

1. The plastic internals (trigger especially) seem pretty flimsy.

2. The bluing is bottom of the barrel. My last Rem would rust if you looked at it hard enough.

Try cycling the bolt. I looked at one a couple of years ago and it felt like there was sand in it. Never seen any rifle any time that had a rougher feeling bolt. I told them thanks but no thanks. I have 3 700s built in the 80s that are very nice rifles. I am not a Remington hater.

I don't know that there are any common problems that could be detected with a cursory examination. If the shop will let you cycle some ammo, that could help a little. It seems fairly common, among a number of manufacturers, for there to be chambering, extraction and ejection issues. 3 of my last three rifles had such problems.

With all those reservations in your mind, why are you considering them? I’m over buying stuff I don’t really want just to get a good price. Unless I just needed a rifle, any rifle, I’d think a bit more, just not so long as to miss the boat.

I doubt anyone will let you load a rifle with real ammo to check function. They may have snap caps that fit you could use, even if you have to buy them, not a hardship if you’re set on a cartridge as they are handy to have.

Winner winner

I've used model 700s from the 80s until recent production. My experience is that the newer ones are more accurate. However, the finish is much better on the ones from the 80s. The "gritty" finish on the SPS/ADLs of recent can be worn in on the bolt by cycling several hundred times. They'll never feel as good as a Tikka but they are usable. They've all had timing issues with regards to camming. Also, most of them have had oversized firing pin holes in the bolt causing cratering. The stainless factory barrels tend to foul much less than the blued models.

I'd look for one that has M-70 and New Haven, Connecticut on the barrel

What is a good price?

What calibers are available?

why would anyone buy a Remington?

Prolly 379 at wallyworld.

I have or have had about 30 Model 700s since the 80s. Never had an extractor problem, accuracy was normal for factory rifles, bolts moved freely, triggers were never a problem but I don't try to adjust them down to 2oz. Some I sold because I got bored with the round they were chambered for, others because I was trying to raise money for another gun. Bottom line: A lot of people here like to hate on Remington, don't believe everything you read.

Have you had a brand new one? The fit and finish of the Portugal models with CRF is outstanding. No reason to backtrack unless you specifically don't want CRF... certainly not for a brand loyalty thing... Winchester hasn't been that Winchester in a very long time...

I would buy every $379 WalMart ADL I came across if I have a place to store them. The quality is just fine, and make great actions to build off of.

I wouldn’t count on a shop letting you cycle ammo, I know I wouldn’t.

Now, if you brought in some dummy rounds, that may work. Those aren’t that hard to find on line.

DF

My local walmart has a rack full of $379 700's in 243. I was surprised to see them there, when most gun stores in town are nearly empty. With all the issues mentioned here, however, even $379 seems like a steep price for a product with so many potential problems when there are other alternatives.

Remington are sweet once you sink another $500 in them for a new trigger, side bolt release, reinforced bolt handle, bushed firing pin....

Or..don't buy the bullshit, and shoot them as is. A trigger is always a good investment, but other than that the rest is just fluff.

I bought a Model 700 ADL Package Rifle in 308 about a couple of years ago. After I swapped the scope and mounts, it shot MOA with several cheap factory loads. The Barnes TTSX 150-grain load took the cake with a consistent 0.6 MOA and 2,886 fps. The best handload so far is (no surprise) 46 grains of Varget and a 165-grain Nosler Partition, which does 2,700 fps at the muzzle and stays sub-MOA beyond 300 yards. I had the barrel cut to 22" and had it bedded into an HS Precision stock. Neither was necessary but I like the results.

I bought one in 30-06 just after Christmas. I haven't shot it enough to have an opinion on it yet. I swapped out the scope and mounts but I'll probably leave it stock otherwise.


Okie John

I've purchased two new production 700 BDLs, one in .30-06 and one in .270, in the last few months. My only complaint was with the .270. The floorplate was very tight to close. I worked on the inletting in that area a little and now it's fine. In terms of fit, finish and function, they are perfect. No complaints at all. My only concern is that OEM parts have pretty much dried up. Until Remington gets up and running again, that could be an issue. I've never, for instance, had an extractor problem with a 700, but it's nice to know they're available if you need one, and they aren't. AFAIK, no one makes an aftermarket 700 extractor. Unless Remington gets up and running and starts producing spare parts, the only option would be to have an M16 or Sako style extractor installed if one breaks.