Anybody own a stainless Remington 700 Varmint SF? (photo)

[VaniB]

Does any body own a Remington Varmint Stainless fluted rifle like this? Can you tell me whether or not it has a smooth satin like finish? .....or is it more like that really grainy SPS finish? I'll have to buy one of these via the internet, and thus will not be able to examine it beforehand.

The finish I prefer is satin smooth like the stainless Remington Synthetic BDL's of the 1990's (which were considered the no-frills model back then) I'd buy the polished stainless VSSF or VSSFll too, but they are no longer available. I need a satin finish stainless short action rifle as a donor rifle to build a 6.5 Creedmoor.

 

[boltman223]

VaniB

I just looked at mine, I don't have a 1990's model to compare it to, but I would consider it a smooth satin finish. Hope this helps.

Just curious is it for F class or just for fun?

 

[VaniB]

I enjoy shooting tight groups at the local public range, but do not engage in formal competition.

Thanks for the info. I just wanted to be sure it wasn't that really sand blasted grade of finish that Remington is commonly putting on so many of their firearms from their police rifles to their discount store variety of sporter rifles. While it might be a "cool" look on a tactical 308 or 223 police rifle, it's gotten so that they are putting this cheap "SPS" finish on most of their rifles now, and this seems to be what most retail stores will only order. Retailers fail to realize that not everybody wants to buy a cheap and ugly finished rifle just to save a few stinking dollars.

 

[boltman223]

Yep it's definately not like sps's.

I had mine bedded in a boyds laminate stock, it made a big difference over the factory setup.

are you doing a complete build, aftermarket stock, bedding job and all?

 

[VaniB]

Yep. I'm ordering a reamer and barrel, and will have my smith build the barreled action. I intend to build/reshape a stock into a particular style that I have in mind using auto body putty. I will then finish and paint it similar to the black flecked matte finish of Remington HS Stocks of a few years ago.

 

[boltman223]

Sounds like it will look pretty sweet! I have been wanting a 6.5 creedmoor for a while now. Well let us know how it turns out.

 

[alf]

The newer SPS stainless guns are a far cry from the earlier rough, sand blasted with gravel look, they used to sport.

I've put together a couple guns with actions from the later ones, albeit not with the fluted version, just the plain barreled SPS's.

Much nicer now days....

 

[jonbearman]

The gun in your picture is an sps.The new vssf barrels are fluted and the flutes were painted black in the flute recesses.And they are sharp like razors.

 

[VaniB]

The gun in your picture is an sps.The new vssf barrels are fluted and the flutes were painted black in the flute recesses.And they are sharp like razors.

Nope. That is the VSF pictured and offered by a few places at GA and GB. I have the more expensive and better finished VSSF in 17Fireball as you describe (or VSSFll as they now call it). This VSF has been descibed as having a satin/brushed finish compared to the grainy sandblasted SPS. I guess I'll know soon enough how much nicer it is then the SPS, being I ordered it.

 

[ddkearney]

VaniB,
I have a 700 LVSF in 221FB that has the smooth satin finish with 22" fluted barrel. Definitely not the grainy finish that I've also seen on newer SPS's. I would say they look like the VSF you show.
Don

 

[MildBill]

I have one like that one in the picture. It has the smoother satin finish as compared to some the of the rougher sps models.

Mine was originally a 223 that I had made into a 223 ackley. The stock on it is no better than an sps stock, and after a couple of other stocks that I tried on it, it now rests in an HS precision stock.

It is a sweet shooter, only problem I have with it now is a severe lack of time for being able to shoot it.

 

[VaniB]

Thanks for the help guys. Just thought I'd reply back to this thread to confirm that I did receive the new 308 VSF stainless fluted 700 rifle (as pictured above) about 3 weeks ago. It does have the smooth subtle satin finish similar to those of the 1990's versions. It's not like the finely polished and shiny VSSF II rifle of my 17 Fireball, but it is what I expected and had hoped it would be. It will make a very nice donor action.

 

[zcrackshot]

Want to sell the barrel?