Remington actions

[Culpeper]

I bought a couple R700 actions after they started production again. I have no complaints.

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

..dollar for dollar can't be beat. A little truing by a competent gunsmith and your good to go. As a range master for a decade I got to see every action made at the time costing multiple times their cost and saw very little if any advantage over a 700 action...I'm not afraid to sit next to any action on the life with any of my 700 action..

 

[7mm man]

I have used many different prefixes, including, model 721's and 722's to build off of them. They all need trued up, but they all turned into great builds. I trued them myself though so I saved money. If you end up truing one through a gunsmith you might as well buy one of the nice customer actions. In the end I have enjoyed all of them over the years.

 

[Snowboy]

Can anyone tell me what prefix Remington receiver to stay away from? Are the RR's okay?

I have several that do not have prefixes that fit manufacture year dates so be careful, some don't have prefixes.
That said I love every one of the six Remington 700s and 1 model 7 (my favorite deer rifle) and one Model 600 (222Rem. tack driver) that I own. I have owned Sako, Tikka, Savage, Winchester and many others but the Remington bolt guns have always worked for my 55 years of hunting.
If you are getting into extreme long range a 700 clone is good.

Can anyone tell me what prefix Remington receiver to stay away from? Are the RR's okay?

 

[Eric Musgrove]

..dollar for dollar can't be beat. A little truing by a competent gunsmith and your good to go. As a range master for a decade I got to see every action made at the time costing multiple times their cost and saw very little if any advantage over a 700 action...I'm not afraid to sit next to any action on the life with any of my 700 action..

Unfortunately, Gunsmiths fee's for truing the action and doing the necessary bolt work, or replacing the bolt with a new one with the correct tolerances, out way the cost of a new modern action machined out of one piece at far greater tolerances. Even at the end of the day if the action was free your going to sink $500 into it, to even get it close to competing with a modern action and then you still are stuck with a rem 700 that has to have barrels threaded and headspace by a smith.( unless you convert to a Remagnut) When pre-fits are available for almost all the other actions out there. I just went through 3 builds and have the cost for examples if anyone is interested. If cost is a factor, your better off buying the Cheapest Tikka T3 you can find, and using the action for a donor, sell off rest of the rifle in parts.

 

[Mike Matteson]

Serial no's that end above "C" are the one that have or had problem with. I just had a 7MM RM worked over the other week. It was an ADL and converted it to a ADL. Put in Triggerteck, Different stock and bedded it, Scoped. I had purchased it in the middle 70's for about $120.00. Later on we'll how it shoots. Still needs to be broke in too.

 

[Deputy819]

Yep….what @Georgiashooter said. My Gunsmith (who built my SML) had to remove the handle on my stainless "RR" s/a and tig-weld it back on for lack of primary extraction. All is exceptionally well now.

 

[HSmithTX]

I have a couple RR prefix actions, one is superb with everything as it should be and the rifle is very accurate and dependable. The other RR action has ZERO primary extraction but over 12 or 13 grains of powder shooting a pressure ladder it was right at an inch at 100 so there is definitely some promise there. You have to beat the bolt open on starting charges so it's only ever been to the range one time, I need to get it timed and back on the range, I think it's going to hammer like the other one.

Would I buy another R700? Not without shooting it. Considering factory rifles there are too many others that just don't run the risk of issues like zero primary extraction at similar price points. I would buy another R700 if I could shoot it and verify it's good. If just buying for the action or buying just an action I would not entertain a R700, I would go elsewhere.

 

[Georgiashooter]

I should have also stated in my earier post, the new manufacture actions, prefix RAR, are very good actions. I've yet to have to true up face or threads on one and bolt timing has been good so far.

 

[HRM Johnny]

Can anyone tell me what prefix Remington receiver to stay away from? Are the RR's okay?

Thanks for starting this thread. There has been a lot of good information presented here.

 

[kfreeze]

After using a rem action for my first custom build, I would just buy a custom action to start with. Buy the time you buy a donor rifle, true the action and then pin the base, pin the recoil lug, buy a new recoil lug, you dont save anything.

 

[shedhunt]

I went through this same thing several years ago. Wondering if it was worth building off of a Remington action. I got all the same responses you are receiving right now.

I ended up building off my 700 action and couldn't be happier. The reason I did this was:
1. I purchased the rifle 20 years ago for $300 and got a lot of good use out of it. So Im not out any money right now.
2. I was still money ahead with having my gunsmith do all the pertinent work needed.
3. All said and done, the rifle shoots lights out and I ended up not spending as much as my two buddies who built the exact same rifle as mine but bought a new action.

I wouldn't hesitate to take your action to a gunsmith have them look at it and go from there.

 

[big johnson]

I've had zero issues with all of my 700 builds over the last 30 plus years. The last was a 6mm creed on a RR barreled action. The action was blue printed from factory and my gunsmith couldn't believe it. I always have an M16 extractor installed on my 700's. I've had a lot of issues with the Weatherby 9 lug actions not engaging. 60 years ago all the good smiths blue printed every action they barreled. Just my opinion.