Remington Quality

[RiverRider]

Over the last several years, I have noticed quite a few people knocking Remington rifles for various kinds of quality issues. I haven't bought a new Remington centerfire since my Y2K Classic came out so I don't have any experience with this myself over the last decade.

A friend at work told me he had examined a pair of 700s in the recent past, one belonging to his bro-in-law and another to an acquaintance who I happen to know also. He said there was what appeared to be residual material from bluing salts oozing from between the barrel and the action near the lug recesses where it won't be seen by the casual observer.

This got me to thinking that maybe there really ARE some problems at Remington. Is anyone else seeing anything or hearing complaints from reliable informants?

 

[SJB358]

RR, I bought a M700 CDL 25-06 BRAND NEW in 2010. It was identical to my 2005 M700 35 Whelen. I figured it would be cool to having a matching pair. Plus, I really like the stock design on the M700 CDL's. Really fit me well and the weight is really handy as well.

Well, out of the box, I couldn't get it to put three shots closer than 12" to one another with about 3 to 4 different combos. Same thing with Remington 100 grain Factory loads. I then pulled it apart and noted a HUGE amount of forend pressure on the barrel. I went through and pillared and bedded the rifle, floated the barrel and it got to be pretty decent, but I wasn't happy with it, overall. The finish seemed really crappy, easily chipped and the recoil pad was ridiculous to my eyes. On the outside, the rifle looked pretty danged nice, but unbolted and taken it apart, it looked like it was inletted by Ray Charles and a dull chisel.

I sold it off and decided to stick with Winchesters. I still have the Whelen and will likely never part with it, and my son has a M700 Youth 243, those are the last two NEW Remington's I would ever want. Some of their older stuff is awesome, great blueing and excellent wood, but I am not liking what they put out nowadays.

Even that X-Mark trigger makes me a little mad. When the screw is lightened on the trigger, it protrudes enough that you can feel it. I know, that is picky, but it just annoys me.

I actually really like the Classic's like Jim and others have, and their line of BDL's as they look like rifles of a better time, but to me, Winchester is building a better rifle for less money than Remington. The M700 CDL ran me about 750 or so, from the PX, brand new. A new 300WSM Featherweight ran me about 650 from a local dealer and even still, if I paid 750 for it, I would have still felt I got my money's worth, with decent bedding and a better trigger group.

Sorry for the long rant, I really wanted that M700 25-06 to be a fun rifle for alot of hunting, but it just wasn't meant to be.

 

[DrMike]

Since Cerberus Capital Management took over Remington (April 2007), the quality has suffered greatly. Cerberus also holds DPMS Panther, Bushmaster, Dakota Arms, Barnes Bullets, under the umbrella of the Freedom Group. H&R Firearms, Marlin, PARA, Parker and a number of others.

 

[FOTIS]

This got me to thinking that maybe there really ARE some problems at Remington. Is anyone else seeing anything or hearing complaints from reliable informants?

A lot more than just maybe buddy! Ask the Marlin guys about the new Remlins.

 

[CMBTshooter]

I bought an SPS .308 and an XCR II .300 Win Mag last year. The SPS is a sub-MOA shooter once the horrible plastic stock was replaced with a B&C Alaskan II. The XCR II is really smooth but I haven't gotten around to replacing the stock. The plastic stocks are so bad that the torque from the bullet going down the barrel bends the forend.

 

[CatskillCrawler]

I have yet to experience any drop-off in quality of their Model 700s other than the junk tupperware stocks but have heard too many complaints to not believe its true. I have some experience with the 710/770 to comfortably say that they're garbage.

My experience with recent production 700s had been with a Dick's Sporting Goods Special Edition Model 700 with laminate stock and BDL features. It shoots three commercial ammo types under an inch. The other is with a LSS Mounain rifle. It shoots MOA at 100 yds but only if you're patient. Finish work and inletting is excellent on both though I'm not fully appreciative of the black parkerizing or blue they're using.

YMMV

 

[Rem Jim]

I have a 2011 Rem M700 XRC 11 375 H&H and all is well with it - shoots good - functions fine - i am happy with it - killed 2 bears this spring with it ! :grin: $800.00 rifle up here in Canada !

Cheers RJ

 

[taylorce1]

I have a buddy that has a new SPS .375 H&H that consistantly puts three under .5" all day long. I love shooting that thing at the range when he brings it out. All he did was swap it out the synthetic stock for a Boyd's laminate, and have it properly bedded.

 

[billbam]

I used to be a remington guy but I'm not impressed with their quality on any of the products under any of the parent companys. I think its hit or miss right now and they need to square things up. I had purchased a number of new shotguns and rifles which had to be addressed by either sending them back or getting new parts. I hope they fix things

 

[RiverRider]

Interesting.

Has anyone else found bluing salts residue inside the action where it mates to the barrel?

 

[Kodiak]

My last 700 came sealed in the box, as an SPS 7MM Mag. Upon opening the box, I found it to be an XCR. Or maybe it just had an XCR stock on it. Groups 5 into an inch @ 100 with 160 gr. ABs. Loaned it to a buddy and he took 3 deer with it, all at over 300 yds.
What can I say,

 

[Woodycreek]

I have no complaints with the accuracy of the four new 700s in the safe. Now the finish on the three SPSs is a different story. They all suck! Two have been Duracoated and the third should get a coating after deer season.

 

[Guest]

I won't buy another Remington manufactured after about 2005-ish. My last "new remmy" experience soured me on them for sure. Bought a 7mmRemMag ADL with a 26" barrel. Figured I should be able to get 3000fps easily with 160gr bullets, and maybe 2900+ with 175s. Well, about 300 bullets of four different makes and and five different powders later, I decided the rifle was never going to shoot anything under about 1.75", and most stuff was hitting 3+. And velocities were dismal at best. I could manage to get 2800fps out of 160s and 2650-2700 out of 175s. Heck, I could do that with a 280Rem, or maybe a 7mm-08, in a 26" barrel. I called Remington and they told me, "The Remington 700 is one of the most accurate production rifles made." I asked them to define accuracy, as I was not satisfied with mine. They said, "The Remington 700 is one of the most accurate production rifles made." After a couple more questions, all with the same, canned, BS answer, I asked if I could send it in for them to look at. They said sure. I asked what they'd do. They said they'd look it over, and test fire it, and if it functioned properly, they'd send it back, at my expense. Well, I know what that means - it means, caveat emptor! I misloaded some rounds and had one overpressure enough to blow the primer and scare me to death. So I had a smith look the rifle over, and he and I discovered some interesting things. When we did some measuring on this rifle we discovered that while the headspace was fine (because it headspaced on the belt) the shoulder of the chamber was waaaaaaaay too long. Like, I could sit a fired round and a new piece of resized brass next to each other and the fired brass was visibly longer in the shoulder. The actual measurement was over .020" too long in the shoulder, but I cannot find my notes as to exactly how long. It was well over .020", though. So the smith offered to rebarrel it for me, but that was outside my budget at the time. He had a project in mind, so he took it off my hands and I used that money to buy my son a lefty Browning A-Bolt Micro Hunter. The only other Remmy I've bought since is a 673 I bought from Fotis, but that was made in 2003-4 timeframe, judging by the serial, and it shoots fine so far.

When I start considering the premium price on Remington rifles, versus the quality of other offerings at the same or lower pricepoints, I can no longer justify even considering a 700 or any other offering from big green. That's a shame, but until they get over their collective cranial-rectal inversion, I'll stay away. Heck, I can buy a Weatherby Vanguard and a decent scope for what a Remmy would cost, just for the rifle. And the 'bee is a better rifle in quality, fit, finish, and performance.

 

[Mortis]

About 5 yrs ago, I bought a NIB Rem 700 in 243Win....

I hesitate to call the stock Tupperware cause I do not wish to insult Tupperware. No problem.... enter a Boyd's Pepper Laminate stock.

But from the get-go...problems. I had to shim the dickens out of the floorplate to make things work.... pillars.... bedding... inletting the channel.... ok... we are ready to test.

Almost....

All things being unequal.... the action was square in the stock... the barrel wasn't.

To make a short story longer...the only cure we could figure out was to totally rebarrel, blue print the action.... clean the stock and rebed...

OR....

take it out to the garden and use it for a tomato stake.

Rifle would not shoot under 2.5 inches....Period!! And that was the only consistent thing I found.

Rifle is gone....... Wife bought me a Weatherby VG to replace it..... we are once again happy campers.

No more Remington's for me unless it's the age of my youngest brat..... or older. She's 31.

What I have seen over the past couple years saddens me........ It's kinda like when Bangor-Puma owned S&W and had them place quanity over quality and get them out the door..... $$$$$$$$$$.

 

[SJB358]

Another tidbit to the 25-06 drama I had was the box of 100 grain Remington CL's. Out of the box of 20 I had three of them wouldn't chamber in the rifle as the shoulder was .015" farther forward than the rest of them. They did take them back and replace them, but I would have been really peaved had I been hunting with them and had a shot or followup that wouldn't chamber in a tense moment.

Not knocking them, as Remington rifles, tuned up and worked with are good shooters, but their fit and finish isn't what I expect to get with the amount of money paid.

 

[Guy Miner]

Seems to be a real mixed-bag anymore. A buddy bought a brand new .270 Win Rem 700 - I don't know what model, it's got a synthetic stock and a matte-black finish. I mounted the scope for him and we took it to the range. He's not an experienced rifleman and is a new hunter.

His .270 easily made 100 yard, three shot groups of one inch and under, with factory Remington ammo.

I didn't bed the rifle. Didn't tune the trigger. Didn't free-float the barrel. We just shot it, and it did very well. 100% reliable functioning too. Smooth. It reminded me of my 700 CDL, smooth, good handling, accurate.

Regards, Guy

 

[JD338]

My most recent Remington is a M673 Guide rifle in 6.5mm Rem Mag that I bought NIB a couple years ago.
Try as I might, I could not get it to shoot until the action was glass bedded.
No she shoots like a house afire.
130 gr AB

120 gr BT

JD338

 

[FOTIS]

Nice shooting Jim.

 

[Teknys]

I too have moved on from Rem 700s. It has been a crap shoot. The 700s I've purchased in the 80s and 90s all shot great. With the exception of a 300RUM in a Sendero suit - I have not been happy the last 2 Rems I owned recently. Problems with accuracy that at the same time I was not having with Howa / Vanguard or Savages.

The last was a CDL Stainless Fluted that I finally threw my hands up after three stocks and 3 scopes. Shimming action in one stock helped but it and it's twin sister that a buddy bought both were traded / sold this last year.

I've been playing around with a few Savages and so far have been very happy with them. Still getting used to that trigger.

 

[rjm158]

Just my opinion, but the rifles I've seen that are new from Big Green don't excite me. To my eyes the workmanship just isn't there and the price has steadily climbed.

For the money Remington wants for anything not a 710/715.770 I would rather invest in a Tikka, Savage, Winchester, or several other brands that impress me more.

Again, just my opinion. Your mileage may vary.

Ron