Remington 700 SPS Varmint problem

[Lonnie]

Just picked up a new Remington 700 SPS Varmint in .223 Remington tonight at Gander Mountain. When I tried it at the store I knew the action was not the smoothest, but I have a SPS in stainless steel so I know they are not as smooth as my 700 Sendaro or my 700 BDL.
Anyway, I get it home and am checking it over and want to cycle a few rounds through it to check function of the action. I was using new factory ammo, Federal American Eagle 55gr. full metal jacket, so problem should not be the ammo. The action was absolutely terrible, in my opinion. Several problems, first the round comes out of the magazine way to difficultly and it takes way way to much force to cycle a round out of the magazine. Some times they even get caught on the ramp that feeds them into the chamber and they couldnt even chamber. I have owned and shot enough Remington 700's to know this is not normal. I see the lip or front edge of the ramp area is rough and appears to have metal burrs on it. After cycleing a round the case is scratched deep enough that I would not reload it.
I planned on putting this in an H-S stock I have for it, and putting a nice scope on it for a varmint rig, but as it is it seems unusable. I'll take it back tomorrow after work and see if it is something they can fix or if I need to get a refund and get a different brand or what.
Is this how all the new SPS Varmints are or did I just get a lemon? What would you do, get a refund and look for a different rifle or see if they can fix the problems?
I appreciate your thoughts on this.

Thanks

 

[Taildrag15X]

Welcome to shopping at a Big Box Store.
My brother-in-law bought a Tikka T3 at our local Gander store,after repeted attemps by me to visit my gunsmith) only to have the bolt not close and the safty not work, with an empty chamber. He had their "Gun Smith" mount Leupold Bases and Rings and Scope he purchased at the same time. I went back to the store with him to see what was going on, only for him to be told "They don't do warrenty work on Tikka's and he needed to ship it to Baretta". No return either, but would give him 90% Blue Book trade in on a different rifle, needless to say he was getting mad, seeing that he bought it there 2 days earlier and never was able to fire it. After much heated debate with the Smith and Firearm Dept. Manager and Store Manager we left with the rifle in tow. A couple of weeks had past and I stopped to see him, he informed me he was still waiting for a return tag of some kind from Baretta so that he could send it to them. I told him I wanted to see the rifle again. He had removed the scope per the return info he was given, but left the bases on. I tried to close the bolt, no go, tried the safty, does not move. I removed the bolt and for the heck of it tried the safty, it moved, I though his chin would never stop bounching off the floor. We grabbed everthing else and went to his gun/reloading room, once there I tried the bolt again in the action, still no go. I removed the bolt and cocked it by hand, worked fine. I stuck my pinky finger in the receiver towards the barrel and what do I feel? A screw from the front mount is sticking into the bolt area. Seems their Smith didn't notice that 2 of the base mount screws are shorter than the other 2 and he had one in the front base into the lug area for the bolt. After swapping screws around everything was working fine, we went to the north forty did a quick through the barrel bore sight and got it broke in for his season to begin.

GOOD LUCK WITH THE BIG BOX STORE GUNS AND LACK OF SUPPORT.

 

[tenring]

Typical big box "gunsmith". They get their vocational training at Goodwill. Store pays themn about $6.00 per hr. What did you expect?

 

[treeman]

Lonnie, I'd send it to remington. when you get it back it'll be better than any you would get off of the shelf. it'll take about a month and i know that's a pain but i don't think you'd regret it. just my opinion. good luck, treeman

 

[6brxdude]

Lonnie,
Before you go thru the hassle of sending your rifle back to Remington, loosen your stock screws a bit and see if this doesn't take care of your bolt issue. I have the exact model and found that if I tightened the stock screws too tight, the bolt binds.
Don't give up, the gun actually shoots and performs pretty well especially after I changed out the trigger for a Jewell. Hope this helps.


Kevin

 

[ridgeway]

I went to my local Gander Mountain store looking for chronographs. I looked all over the store before I asked where they were. I happen to be at the gun counter and asked where the chronographs were. Here is what he said..."huh...what is a chronograph?" I'm like, you shoot through it and it measures speed and he said while I was walking away..."oh...we don't have those." I went and asked someone else and evidently, GM does not carry chronographs.

They carry guns, ammmo, bullets, primers, presses, scales, powder, brass, archery supplies, but no chronographs. Kinda idiotic if you ask me. LOL

 

[ridgeway]

edit.

 

[Taildrag15X]

"Before you go thru the hassle of sending your rifle back to Remington, loosen your stock screws a bit and see if this doesn't take care of your bolt issue. I have the exact model and found that if I tightened the stock screws too tight, the bolt binds.
Don't give up, the gun actually shoots and performs pretty well especially after I changed out the trigger for a Jewell. Hope this helps."

Spec for the action screws is 65in lbs, I have found that they work better when tight and not loose and sloppy.