oldelkhunter

Anyone that has owned rem 700's both Old(60,70s) vs New (80's and above) as to quality. Please name the differences you see. Thanks

bigcountry

I wouldn't put the 80's models as newer if it was me.

Older models seem to have the following

Much nicer grades of stocks
Deeper blueing with less machining or brush markes
Great triggers out of the box
metal floorplate and trigger guard
All are extremely pressure bedded (too much IMO)

Newer ones have the obvious faults, but seem to be bepressure bedded from the factory at one point in the forarm unlike the older ones and not near as tight. One of my new ones had its crown out of round. Another one had excessive throat lengths. And all had horrible triggers.

PaJack

I only have the classics that started in the 80's also,I just love REMINGTON 700's...

oldelkhunter

Well the 60's model 6mm I own(the donor action for my custom) has a honed bolt . very deep bluing ..reciever tapped for peep sights, recoil lug is thicker. I just saw a 1972 .243 adl for sale at my local gunshop(sale pending to me) checked serial number with rem and it was built that year and it is same as my 60's version less the honed bolt and peep sight holes on the side of the reciever, has jewelled bolt unlike my 60's version but the HAZARDOUS trigger as well but just as solid and nice. Price 350 bucks with a burris 3-9x40 on it. Gun looks like it was frozen in time it is in that kind of shape. Oh yeah the 60's model had a pressure bedded foreend. Didn't take the 243 apart but will when I pick it up and will report on that.

Rootsy

I own a total of 5 700 remingtons ranging from late 60's up til last friday night and a few in between.

my late 60's early 70's (with the old style safety / trigger) is absolutely gorgeous... BDL Varmit deluxe. shoots EXTREMELY well.. 222 remington... i have not touched the gun... no one else has... as delivered other than addition of a scope... fit, finish, performance... top notch...

my 1990 700 Classic in 25 - 06 is also exceptional for fit and finish and performance... other than the bolt is slightly squeaky when cammed into battery.

my 1998 mountain rifle in 25 - 06 (now 280 rem)... well... i was so frustrated with it that i almost pitched the POS... myriad of issues, finish was good... performance SUCKED... no sugar coating it. would not hit the broad side of a barn, even with a myriad of different handloads... bore had almost .100 runout relative to the OD of the barrel... field headspace gauge allowed the bolt to close... musta been a monday morning rifle... rebarrelled with a Shilen tube in 280 and rebluing was part of that process... now it is a beautiful gun... receiver needed some truing also... still does not shoot as well as the previous 2 listed

2005 SPS receiver machining is acceptional... square within .0005 - .001 on all dimensions i measured on bolt and receiver... threads were tight and in the lathe everything was pretty concentric and had less than .001 runout. bolt only touched on one lug though... had to lap them together. rebarrelled with a Douglas XX Tube in 35 Whelen AI, just finished the gun up this past weekend except fitting the recoil pad... has about 80 rounds through it and keep shooting better and better with each round of 5... gun was cleaned up and blued, as delivered it was pretty rough...

When i picked up the barrelled action i had blued last friday i traded my sig 229 even up for a Grice commissioned 700 CDL in 35 Whelen.... i have not shot this gun yet but appearancewise... it meets or exceeds my older classic and BDL. the bore is pretty smooth and chatter free... i have not had a really good opportunity to do any trigger work, stock fitting or lug lapping... it is as it came from the box less some new Leupold QR bases... maybe this weekend we'll get a chance to begin breaking the barrel in

oldelkhunter

Thanks for the info looks as if they are going back on the right track. I think the CDL as well is gorgeous and looks like a rifle should.