Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Rem 700 ADL vs SPS vs BDL

I know this may be shocking to some folks but I've never owned a 700 rifle. Having said that, I realize that the 700 receivers are sought after by custom gun builders and bench rest shooter so they obviously are high quality.

Question: What are the major differences between the different vintage receivers? Are the early 2000 ADL receivers a good quality product to start a build from?

Thanks for your time and consideration.

they're all just fine. by the time a decent gunsmith does his magic it honestly doesn't matter what year or model. so many people believe that stuff. it's like thinking the guns at walmart are somehow different than the ones for cabelas.

don't sweat it, get the best price and go for it.

When I built my Creedmoor I looked till I found a good older 700. I found a safe queen 1981 ADL blind floor plate, high luster blue in .308 so bolt face was good. I wanted 70-80's rifle thinking they were the best JMO. Put the action and older ADL stock to good use!!!

Thanks guys.

What about the triggers? I read the older ADL's triggers aren't adjustable but the new X-Marks obviously are. I'm kind of a gunsmith wha-na-be. Can you tune the ADL triggers?

Older 700 triggers can be adjusted.

Type "Remington trigger adjustment" into that google thingy.

Actions are the same. The only difference is the ADL has a blind magazine where all the rest have either a floor plate, or in some cases detachable magazines.

Personally I'd just as soon have the ADL. A simpler design which is lighter, less expensive and theoretically more accurate since there is no cutout in the stock. I've never felt any handicap unloading a blind mag gun. Takes about 5 seconds longer than a gun with a floor plate.

On pre 1982 rifles the bolt locked down when on safe. To unload the chamber you have to move the safety to the fire position in order to open the bolt. The pre-82 rifles also had the best out of the box trigger. But after a flurry of lawsuits in the 1970's because of guns firing with no trigger pull Remington redesigned the safety and made the trigger pulls much heavier. Post 82 guns allow you to unload the chamber with the safety still in the safe position. This greatly reduced the number of incidents, but did not address the true problem.

Most incidents happened when owners moved the safety to unload the rifles. The trigger connector will in extremely rare cases disengage the sear as the gun is being handled. The safety is then the only thing holding back the firing pin. When the safety is moved to the fire position, the gun fires. The flawed trigger design was replaced in October 2006.

Personally, I like the pre-82 guns, with an aftermarket trigger. I like the bolt being locked down. I've not fooled around much with the guns with the new trigger, but understand it isn't very good and needs replacing too.

There is currently a recall on guns with the new trigger. Not that it is defective, but during assembly glue may have gotten into the internals and cause problems.

The best thing you can do with any of them is replace them with a Jewell or Timney

Well...

One might argue that if the Remy receiver is such a "quality" piece as it comes from the factory, why does it need to be fixed by an army of custom gun builders who are more than happy to fix them for you for a price?

If you really want a Remy profile action that is done "right", I think it's better to start out with a high quality custom Remy profile action, available from several makers, that actually is high-quality out-of-the-box.

If you are a Remy fan, a stock stainless ADL in your chosen caliber can be a good shooter with some minor tuning, maybe a new stock, and ending up with a decent rifle for not much money.

But then there is also the Tikka for $600 that generally doesn't need anything other than good glass.

Depending what you want to accomplish, there are a lot of good choices out there to consider.

Great info gang! THANKS!

I've been a Tikka fan for a while now. Never had one that wouldn't shoot really well right out of the box. Most of the barrels could use another 1" or two IMHO.

Others that I've grown found of are CZ's and Browning's (both A-bolts & X-bolts).

Just thought it might be time to spread my wings and try a Remy. There's definitely lots more aftermarket options available for them (for whatever look might trip your trigger)!

Thanks again,
Flur

Not trying to hijack, but I have an older 700 ADL that is about to become a 6.5-06AI. It does not have the typical 700 bolt handle though. It is not "flat" with very fine checkering like most every other 700 bolt handle I have seen.

It is round and smooth with no checkering. It is more like a Win 70 bolt handle without the checkering ring.

Does anyone know if this is a special model or anything? I think it is factory, but am not totally sure. I was going to put an oversized knob on it, but don't want to screw it up if it is something on the rare side.

Dog bought my M700ADL 270 at a box store in 87 no checkering on the bolt knob but it did have iron sights some of the other ADL's in different calibers did not have irons and were not drilled and tapped for them either. It was a Pamida store. I don't believe the model 78 Sportsman's were checkered either. Magnum Man

Interesting...I forgot about the model 87. I googled a few pics and sure enough, it looks identical. My rifle is clearly marker model 700 though, plus it has the standard checkered stock just like the 700s, unlike the standard 87s.

I must have bought a semi custom.

Oh well. It will be a 6.5-06AI before too long.

Thanks!

Dog after Remington dumped the 788 they came up with the Sportsman 78 which was a plain Jane 700 ADL in a hardwood stock ,they made them in a SA and LA for a few years trying to keep a market share against Savage 110E's etc. At the same time Remington brought out the Sportsman 12 for 3 yrs or so. It was a plainer model 870 with hard wood stocks, still polished and bright blue, missing the matted flat on top the receiver. The first 2 yrs with a fixed choke and the last year with Rem-Chokes. After that they evolved into the 870 Express models with no polishing and matt finish. Like the Sportsman 78 the intent was to compete with the lower dollar Winchester 1200 Ranger guns and Mossberg offerings. The cost savings worked with the 870 Expresses but failed with the Sportsman 78 rifles and of course they were replaced with all the 710,720,and 770 series disposable rifles.
My 700 ADL from 1987 is B prefix 700 and their are no flies on it accuracy wise. Remington struggled to come up with cost cutting ideas that saved them production time and money too stay competitive ,some like the uncheckered bolt knob didn't survive. The smooth knob was the least of their transgressions, remember the years they put roll stamped chicken scratching on the receivers of the 700's and their pumps and autos? Regardless sounds like a cool custom you have planned. Magnum Man ps you from Baggs?

Thanks for the info MM. I am almost positive it is a Rem 78. I probably should be shot for messing with it, as it is stupidly accurate as is. I killed 3 antelope, 2 elk and a mule deer buck with it last year alone, plus a few coyotes and such.

I got a McMillan ready for it, a Rock Creek 6.5 barrel, Timney trigger set at 2#, talley lows and a Leupy 6X42 ready for it. It's going to be a pretty kick ass rifle, even if it is a long action.

I am in Rock Springs, not Baggs. Baggs is a dive too.

Sorry to the OP for hijacking.

In the end, it all comes down to barrel and chambering/fitting. Many factory rifles already outshoot the person behind the trigger.
Choose any 700 you want.