Buddro
Well-Known Member
You have to keep in mind that what makes factory actions "inferior" to custom actions is quality control. Remington cranks out such a high volume of products compared to boutque custom rifle makers that they simply cannot build to such high tolerances and keep their prices low. That does not mean that a good portion of their products are not on the higher end of that curve. Here is where you may have to do the homework. Yes if you have the money and are sending the action out to a competent smith who does such things you may as well have him true the action while he is at it. If you are on a budget and trying to avoid such measures...IF the action is coming on a donor gun, take it out and shoot it, maybe even work up a hand load up for it if it makes sense for you, see what it can do. You may find the action is capable of the kind of accuracy you want already without having to be worked, many are. You may not be able to get it to shoot in which case you are out the cost of ammo and a range day but hey you got something out of the practice right?
A number of years ago I stumbled over a great deal on a model 700 at walmart, I still think they had it priced wrong. I jumped on it and bought the rifle planing to do a full custom build when I had the money. In the mean time I dropped it in a new stock and glass bedded it for the practice and wouldn't you know it the darn thing shot an easy half moa with hand loads. Factory everything but stock and scope. For the cost of the gun there just wasn't any incentive left to break it apart to build a full custom. My father has several factory model 700s that he built custom stocks for when he was in gunsmithing school and never bothered to do action work or rebarrel because they shot too well to put in the effort.
A number of years ago I stumbled over a great deal on a model 700 at walmart, I still think they had it priced wrong. I jumped on it and bought the rifle planing to do a full custom build when I had the money. In the mean time I dropped it in a new stock and glass bedded it for the practice and wouldn't you know it the darn thing shot an easy half moa with hand loads. Factory everything but stock and scope. For the cost of the gun there just wasn't any incentive left to break it apart to build a full custom. My father has several factory model 700s that he built custom stocks for when he was in gunsmithing school and never bothered to do action work or rebarrel because they shot too well to put in the effort.
