Remington 700 action work?s

Z

zr600

Active member
What do most smiths do when they true a 700? I found some new 700 actions with x mark trigger that are face is trued and bolt lugs are lapped for what I think might be a good price they are $445 for blued. Would this be considered a blueprinted action with this
work or does it take a little more work for them?
 
If I had my choice for buying just the rem 700 action, it would have no trigger and the bolt bushed. Then the smith only needs thread and ream a true to bore chamber on a quality barrel. Northwest actions ask 545 for their trued actions.
 
Originally Posted By: zr600Would this be considered a blueprinted action with this
work or does it take a little more work for them?

No, not even close. But, there isn't any set rules on what "blue printed" really means, either. I've seen plenty that were just faced and called trued or blue printed.

But a full works job on a 700 goes a lot farther than that. I have several that Greg Tannel has worked over that have the threads single pointed, and all surfaces remachined, double pinned for lug, bolt double sleeved, firing pin hole bushed and pin turned, bolt face trued, lugs trued then lapped etc. But he charges more for that than what the actions you are looking at cost. So...

- DAA
 
I don't think that's to bad a price for an action if its new but I sure wouldn't consider it blueprinted. Just trued up. I had the late Bob Jourdan build a rifle and he did considerable more work to the action than what your describing but still didn't consider it "blueprinted".
 
Originally Posted By: pyscodog...I sure wouldn't consider it blueprinted. Just trued up. .

Even calling it "trued up" is being generous. It's been faced off square to the o.d. If the threads are on center with that o.d. it ain't nothing but luck.

- DAA
 
Here is a list of what most consider as a standard "blue print job".

Single point re-cut action face and internal locking lugs perpendicular to the bolt bore center line.

Single point re-cut action threads concentric with the bolt bore center line.

Single point re-cut rear of bolt lugs and bolt face perpendicular to the bolt body center line.

Having the bolt sleeved, firing pin hole bushed and firing pin shaped are services you'll pay extra for. Not sure I know of anyone that includes those in their standard blue print job. When you start spending the extra money required for these services you are nearing the cost of a full custom action and IMO you're better off just going that route.
 
Don't be deluded into thinking that a full custom action is the definitive answer to anything. They too sometimes need additional work.

Blue printing can mean a lot of different things to different gunsmiths, but DAA's response included just about everything that might be done to a 700 action to facilitate improved accuracy. Not everyone might be willing to spend the cash on a 700 versus getting a custom action, but a well done 700 won't need any additional work. That might not be the case with every full custom action costing roughly the same.

Never forget that old axiom: The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.
 
I definitely believe a well built Rem 700 semi custom will shoot every bit as good as a full blown custom. I have some of both and neither really shoots any better than the other, in fact my best group ever was shot with a Rem 700 semi custom build.

But, IMO, the resale value when comparing the amount you spent versus the amount you can get back out of it, the percentages favor the custom action.
 
I've never had a single custom rifle built in a manner that is even remotely based on how much money I might get back at some future point in time. I have someone competent built what I want at the time and go from there.
 
"Worth it" is so subjective, I just don't even want to touch it. Whatever is "worth it" to someone, is worth it to them and that's good enough for me.

As far as custom vs. going full monte on a 700. For myself, what I have on hand has usually been a deciding factor. If I have to buy a 700 just for a project, I've usually just bought a full custom instead. But, I often had a 700 around that had been picked up on sale or on deals just to be future organ donors, so I've built on them more often than full customs.

Selling... I sold off the majority of my rifles some years back. Don't have that many left. But I quickly found that the only way to get anything close to what I thought they were worth, was to part them out. Sold them as parts and pieces, not whole rifles. And got a good bit more out of them that way than I would have selling them whole.

For sure, not many will pay a premium for a "blue printed" 700 action vs. an unmolested 700. In fact, if I don't know the guy that did the blue printing, I'd rather have an unmolested one for the same price. There's blue printing, and then there's blue printing, after all. Kind of like buying a used Jeep that has already been lifted. I couldn't be bothered to pee on most lift kits that get installed, so to me, one with a lift already on it just looks like extra hassle and expense getting rid of the crappy lift so I can build it right. I look at 700's the same way... If you're local guy I've never heard of has "blue printed" it, I don't want it.

But... I found that there are enough guys out there willing to pay a premium for a blue printed 700 from a known 'smith, that there really wasn't a spit worth of difference between the full customs and the Tannel built 700's on resale discounting. Very much a niche market situation. But, my experience was, there are enough guys out there that appreciate the fact it takes over a year of waiting to get one from Greg, they are very much willing to pay a premium on a used one to get it right now.

- DAA
 
I would never EVER build a custom on a factory remginton again. your spending quite a bit of time and effort putting on a new barrel and other stuff. a custom action is a source of pride. it truly sets the gun apart from being just a factory gun with a different barrel on it. I have both a BAT machine action and a greg tannel 700. I did the 700 when remington clones were not near as prolific. I have quite a bit more invested in that 700 with all its gre tan modifications than I could have just bought another custom action for. maybe not what I spend on the Bat machine but probably one of the lesser expensive custom actions.

dave is right though unless its greg tannel modded, I too would rather have an unmonkeyed with 700.

my bat machine has a built in recoil lug and pic rail on it. it is a very very stiff action. defiance machine also makes one like it. that is what I would personally buy again. I think it makes a difference.
 
Not all custom actions have tight tolerances and straight threads.

I have a bunch of trued and non trued 700's. There is just a tiny bit of difference in how they shoot and it maybe hard to tell, depending on how the wind is blowing when which gun was shot.

I prefer not to shoot a "cast" custom action with a rail on top. If I were worried about the bases shifting, I would just epoxy them on with Devcon and call it done.

You do not have to true Rem 700's to shoot bug hole groups, but it is a confidence thing....what helps between your ears is a huge thing. I have 6 BR, 6 XC, 6.47L with some long heavy barrels on them right now that shoot groups that challenge your wind doping abilities. I do not shoot competition with them.

If I were shooting competition again, I would shoot Borden actions, but If I found a deal on Hall, or Stolle Panda's, they would come home with me.

The best actions on the planet are Barnard, but they are ugly....Whidden sells them. Borden Would be my second choice in terms of the quality of the machining, and some mentioned here are no better than a non trued Remington.

For the poor guys out there, the non trued Remingtons with a high quality barrel on them, great stock, and scope will shoot tiny, tiny groups. I usually spend $40 on my 700's and have the timing on the bolt fixed for better extraction. Borden and Barnard are the only two custom actions that come with perfect positive extraction.

A friend is coming out with a book that he has written on various actions, he is a NASSA engineer, most are going to be shocked at how some of the actions are "not so custom", and not as safe as a Rem 700 and Model 70 Win in terms of pressure they will take.
 
Everyone has a different idea as to how things should be done but for me, I would never put a custom barrel on a factory action that wasn't "blue printed" first. I'll gladly spend the extra money to help eliminate a variable, but, in saying that I also wouldn't spend the extra money to go beyond a standard "blue print" and I'd opt for a custom action at that point.
 
Originally Posted By: pahntr760I am beyond happy with my LRI modified Remington actions.

I have one of these and they shoot great and feel great. However, once trued, I lose the ability of installing my own headspaced barrel via a barrel nut. May hate them and I was once one of those guys. However, there's something to be said with buying a barrel such as this and installing it in a chassis and calling it done. This opposed to waiting 1+ year on a custom build.

Also, many say a Criterion with a nut won't shoot with a custom threaded/reamed barrel. My only response is that I have covered several 3-5 shot groups at 1,250 yards with my hand. Good enough for me.
 
Originally Posted By: HuntOriginally Posted By: pahntr760I am beyond happy with my LRI modified Remington actions.

I have one of these and they shoot great and feel great. However, once trued, I lose the ability of installing my own headspaced barrel via a barrel nut. May hate them and I was once one of those guys. However, there's something to be said with buying a barrel such as this and installing it in a chassis and calling it done. This opposed to waiting 1+ year on a custom build.

Also, many say a Criterion with a nut won't shoot with a custom threaded/reamed barrel. My only response is that I have covered several 3-5 shot groups at 1,250 yards with my hand. Good enough for me.

It depends what you're looking for. Most of my rifles are Savage and Remage rifles I built myself. Screw on a prefit and bed it myself. I have yet to build one that isn't 1/3 MOA or better. I took my Savage 243AI with a heavy sporter barrel to a couple F-class matches and while I wasn't winning trophies the guys with purpose built guns were very impressed with how it shot. I had my new, dedicated F-class rig built with a shouldered barrel on a custom action but other than that, I see no need. I have yet to use an action that required work to satisfy me.
 
Originally Posted By: HuntOriginally Posted By: pahntr760I am beyond happy with my LRI modified Remington actions.

I have one of these and they shoot great and feel great. However, once trued, I lose the ability of installing my own headspaced barrel via a barrel nut. May hate them and I was once one of those guys. However, there's something to be said with buying a barrel such as this and installing it in a chassis and calling it done. This opposed to waiting 1+ year on a custom build.

Also, many say a Criterion with a nut won't shoot with a custom threaded/reamed barrel. My only response is that I have covered several 3-5 shot groups at 1,250 yards with my hand. Good enough for me.

I guess that has never been an issue for me personally. If I ever need that rifle rebarreled, it will be on it's way back to Chad.
 
If the plan is to have a custom gun built around a factory action it has always worked best for me to start out with a unmodified factory action (new or used) and have the gunsmith of choice to make all of the necessary modifications to completely blueprint the action. This has eliminated my gunsmith from having to correct a problem someone else made on the action.
 


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