DM, why is it that when you have a custom rifle built on a 700, one of the first things the gunsmith wants to do is install a Sako extractor?
Do you mean like this?
The extractor BS mostly comes from the "floating extractor design" that the 721's and 22's had. They were more prone to problems. That was taken care of in the 700's... BUT, they "look" very much the same.
In the late 70's i had heard all the BS, and decided to do a "unscientific" test of my own and had a bolt converted to the above. I tested it along with a Mod 70 (old and new), 700 factory and converted, and a Ruger 77....
All i was looking for was "if" i could make any of the bolts pull off a case, and if one was better than the other.... In the end i could NOT make any of the extractors pull off a case with my hand by pulling on the bolt, or beating on the bolt with my bare hand. (all of these test was with an 06 "parent" case)
I then took a hammer handle and beat on the bolt handles to see what would happen. Every gun could be beat untill the bolt "lifted" and "opened". "If" beat on enough, every one of them would pull the rim off the case to some degree with the 700 stock extractor doing as good as or better than the rest.
NONE of the extractors were broken in my test, and the Rem. pulled off more rim that the new mod 70.... It was harder to pullthe Rem. off a case than it wasthe Ruger.... The Ruger would ruin LESS of the case rim than the Rem.... The Sako pulled off the case easier than the Rem. too, and i came to the conclusion it weakened the bolt and was not a conversion i'd want on my rifle.
Anyway, i'm sure some of you will discount my test, but for me it answered all of my questions, and put to rest all of my fears of a Rem. 700 extractor!!
A new "custom" brown bear rifle followed witha 700 Rem. action andstock extractor!
As for breaking a bolt handle off a 700.... I've seen it happen 3 or 4 times over the years. In EVERY case it was broken off when a hammer, or hammer handlewas used to beat the $hit out of the bolt handle, and i mean beat it!
There's no way i couldbreak one off useing my bare hands!!
BTW, many of my test were done more than once to my satisfaction....
DM