Remington actions

[bench]

When doing a custom build using a remington action what is considered the best used action to look for.
Older actions are they any better than the newer stuff.
I want to build another 204 for Prairie dogs and not knowing all the models and styles of remington actions I thought I would ask to see what you guys thought.

 

[Scott Harris]

When doing a custom build using a remington action what is considered the best used action to look for.
Older actions are they any better than the newer stuff.
I want to build another 204 for Prairie dogs and not knowing all the models and styles of remington actions I thought I would ask to see what you guys thought.

My .02, go with newer actions: better steel and better machining. the new actions are CNC machined and don't need much work. If they would only time the bolt properly, they would be really good out of the box.

 

[butchlambert]

Definitely the new ones. As mentioned above they are made with superior machining.

 

[shortgrass]

A case where newer is better....... Except maybe the ones from WallyWorld that have been gravel blasted, I'll pass on jewelling the bolt one those.

 

[msinc]

I don't really think there are any bad ones. I do know that the early ones were hardened, the new ones are not or at least they are not as hardened. Maybe I have been lucky, but not much machine work was ever needed to "correct" any Remington 700 action I ever built.
Bolt timing...that's a different issue. Most of the early ones were good, not too many later {after 2000} ones were in time. I think if I was stuck on a "superior" newer action I would go to some place that has a bunch in stock and ask if you can pick the one you want{with the best bolt timing}....good luck. Personally, I'd take a pre 1980 BDL receiver any day as my first choice. Hardened, heat treated actions are always smoother to cycle, plus they were polished.

 

[shortgrass]

I don't really think there are any bad ones. I do know that the early ones were hardened, the new ones are not or at least they are not as hardened. Maybe I have been lucky, but not much machine work was ever needed to "correct" any Remington 700 action I ever built.
Bolt timing...that's a different issue. Most of the early ones were good, not too many later {after 2000} ones were in time. I think if I was stuck on a "superior" newer action I would go to some place that has a bunch in stock and ask if you can pick the one you want{with the best bolt timing}....good luck. Personally, I'd take a pre 1980 BDL receiver any day as my first choice. Hardened, heat treated actions are always smoother to cycle, plus they were polished.

Have you put any under the anvil on a Rockwell tester to know for sure? Or just speculation........

 

[msinc]

Have you put any under the anvil on a Rockwell tester to know for sure? Or just speculation........

I don't need to know the exact tested Rockwell hardness to know when a piece of steel is hardened...all I got to do is try to engrave it with a hand graver. If it barely will scratch it then it is hardened. I also had one that was so hard I had to put it in a crankshaft grinding machine to true the face. That one seemed to be harder than any of the others I have worked on. I had yet another one that the guy wanted the scope base holes enlarged to the next size up...I should have refused it, it took a carbide drill and tap to get it done. Just speculation???? No.

 

[shortgrass]

I don't need to know the exact tested Rockwell hardness to know when a piece of steel is hardened...all I got to do is try to engrave it with a hand graver. If it barely will scratch it then it is hardened. I also had one that was so hard I had to put it in a crankshaft grinding machine to true the face. That one seemed to be harder than any of the others I have worked on. I had yet another one that the guy wanted the scope base holes enlarged to the next size up...I should have refused it, it took a carbide drill and tap to get it done. Just speculation???? No.

msinc,,,,, that has GOT to be one of the lamest replies I've seen in a long time!

 

[4xforfun]

I have 3 remmys...one from 1962, one from 1995, and one from 1996. They seem to me like they were all the same. A friend of mine just picked up a year old rifle for the parts. That action seemed like it was made out of plastic. It did not have the same sound or feel when cycling the bolt as any of my older actions. To me it felt "cheap" for lack of a better word.

Not saying the older ones were better made, they just "SEEMED" to be better made.

Tod

 

[grovey]

Not to hijack, but how can you "check" bolt timing? For a build with a used action, how does a smith address a bolt with bad timing while retaining the stock bolt? What effect does bolt timing have on accuracy?

 

[Eddie Harren]

I don't need to know the exact tested Rockwell hardness to know when a piece of steel is hardened...all I got to do is try to engrave it with a hand graver. If it barely will scratch it then it is hardened. I also had one that was so hard I had to put it in a crankshaft grinding machine to true the face. That one seemed to be harder than any of the others I have worked on. I had yet another one that the guy wanted the scope base holes enlarged to the next size up...I should have refused it, it took a carbide drill and tap to get it done. Just speculation???? No.

What's that smell?

 

[centershot]

There have been so many bad replies on other posts that I thought I would try a Savage. Always loved Remington. BTW, Savage also has issues.

 

[butchlambert]

Not to hijack, but how can you "check" bolt timing? For a build with a used action, how does a smith address a bolt with bad timing while retaining the stock bolt? What effect does bolt timing have on accuracy?

Has nothing to do with accuracy, just extraction.

 

[msinc]

msinc,,,,, that has GOT to be one of the lamest replies I've seen in a long time!

Glad you like it...what do you want me to say??? I do not have the Rockwell tester you feel you are entitled to, not going to lie about it. This might be a galactic shock to you but neither does anyone else. Why?? Because they cost too much to justify...it don't take much to know when a piece of steel has been hardened. I don't care how much it has been hardened, because I cant change it. It's also not my job to report the exact amount to the likes of you. If you don't want to believe it or feel like I am slack for not having the Rockwell number for you then tough. By all means please stay just like you are now, good and stupid.

 

[msinc]

What's that smell?

It's the smell of a genius that thought he knew it all being told something different than what he worshiped most of his pathetic life....hurts don't it??? You know, when you thought you really knew something.

 

[butchlambert]

It's the smell of a genius that thought he knew it all being told something different than what he worshiped most of his pathetic life....hurts don't it??? You know, when you thought you really knew something.

missing, I do have a Rockwell tester. I will send a photo this afternoon after leaving this shop for my other shop.

 

[Eddie Harren]

It's the smell of a genius that thought he knew it all being told something different than what he worshiped most of his pathetic life....hurts don't it??? You know, when you thought you really knew something.

Can't say that I was all that stunned by your reply. You don't have a shred of civility in your being. Along with that you are spouting pure bovine excrement to the masses. Oh, I forgot it is an election year.

 

[shortgrass]

I can take a picture of mine too, if you'd like. The truth of the matter is, 4140HT, hardened to 40c or less, can be cut with high speed steel tooling, no tricks, no problem. Turn the drill bit the proper speed, make sure it's sharp to begin with and put a few drops of cutting oil on it. I'd doubt any Rem. 700 is harder, they pretty easily cut with a mill bastard file as long as it has teeth on it. Doesn't matter if its a 'new' one, or one from first years' production. Remingtons' barrel quality and bolt handle timing might suck, but I'm certain they're pretty choosy about the hardness of the bar they buy to make actions out of, no matter where it comes from. It has to able to take the 'shock' of the rifle firing without being so hard it may crack or too soft where the locking lugs would set back. Either condition could endanger life & limb. The only time I've seen a Remington 700 that's been stressed is when it contained an over-loaded cartridge. Maybe you should just make sure any drill bit you're going to use is sharp and you're turning it in the "forward" direction before trying to enlarge a scope mount screw hole. You might want to learn to sharpen a graver, too! Why not learn a bit about metallurgy before spouting off nonsense, while you're at it.