Rem 700 trigger

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Scott in NCal

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Watched the 60 Minute story on the alleged unsafe triggers. I have several 700's as well as a 721. Never had anything like the rifle firing when the safety was switched. A few years back I saw a hit piece where they interviewed Mike Walker,, he said their was a risk if the trigger was improperly assembled., and that never happened when he worked at Remington. Now when I pick up one of my 700's I am super cautious of what it is pointed at. And that is fine, I should be, with those and every firearm I pick up. Still I wonder. Has anyone had any bad experience with a model 700 trigger ?
 
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The two 700's I currently have were both bought used and are highly modified. With the quality of goods Remington is putting out now, If I don't like the trigger, I'll put a Canjar, Timminy, or Rifle Basics on them!

Ivan
 
I didn't want to return my 700 CDL .30-06 to Remington, so I ditched the poorly designed stock trigger for a Timney. Yes, it cost me money, however the rifle now has a superb, crisp, light, safe trigger without two trips through the mail and possible ham handed damage at the Remington recall repair bench. I feel my $'s were very well spent.
 
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I have a 700 made in 1973. I've called and inquired twice and both times they said "your rifle is not in our recall". I've never had any problems but the thought is always there.
 
I've had mine for a long time, the stock trigger is great. Wouldn't dream of sending it back to Remington, or switching out the trigger with an aftermarket one.

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Way back in about 1975 I was deer hunting in N. California. The rifle was a Remington 700 BDL 6.5 Remington Magnum. Walking quietly thru the woods, I froze as a number of does came towards me. I remember looking for antlers on one as I quietly switched off the safety. BOOM! My finger was still outside of the trigger guard. The shot went into the ground in front of me and scared the hell out me and the group of does. I learned much later that there was a potential issue with Remington triggers. When that rifle got traded off for a .243 Sako, I told the shop owner/gunsmith about what had happened.
I think Remington makes a fine rifle in most respects but I would change get out the trigger right away.
Be safe,
Scott
 
I had a Remington 700 CDL way back in the day and the trigger was fine.

I bought a Rem 700 SPS tactical a couple years ago and the trigger appeared to be safe enough, but it was horrible in the trigger pull department.

You can get a Timney trigger for a Remington 700 for around $115-$120, and it will give you a pull weight adjustable from 24 oz to 64 oz. In my opinion that's preferable to sending a 700 off to Remington for a trigger that will most likely take 3 months to get back to you and then have a gritty, six pound pull.

The Timney trigger is a drop in replacement and doesn't require any special level of skill to install.

In my case, I bought the SPS tactical with the intention of immediately replacing the Hogue stock (not nearly stiff enough) and X Mark Pro trigger any way. Their lower end Model 700s are priced accordingly so it's not a deal breaker.
 
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I can say I have had this problem with the 700adl 3006. It was caused by a improperly adjusted sear screw. my friends rifle was also doing it. The local gunsmith had us use a spray cleaner. We sprayed the heck out of it. He informed us that, matter like carbon pieces, harden globs of oil-powder mixtures and ect. Gets in there causing isues with the sear. Said it was a common issue.
 
I'm another 700 owner that switched out the stock trigger (abysmal) for a Timney immediately, ignored the recall notice. The original said it was adjustable. It wasn't. Full adjustment did nothing for the trigger pull.
 
This is a long standing "complaint" against Rem 700 triggers. In most cases it has turned out to be unsafe acts, but there is some evidence of the possibility. But, if everyone had practiced safe gun handling, (Never point a firearm at something unless you want to destroy it), no person would have ever been injured. This issue will go on and on until some day Remington will be closed and gone.
 
I bought my Remington 700 ADL in 1964: my first center fire rifle. I believe it is a first year production example of the 700.

At the time, I was very active in 22 rifle competition on my high school rifle team.

One of the great things about the 700 was the adjustable trigger which I set up to match the 3 pound limit for the rifle team. The 700 was comparable to the trigger on my Winchester 52C.

I've shot quite a few deer and elk with it over the years without problem.

Trigger is delightful: breaks like a glass rod at 3 pounds.

Perhaps the later triggers had problems, but I have no complaints about mine and wouldn't dream of messing with it.
 
Mine was made in 2015, great trigger. No problems, but I think it's made post-lawyer frenzy.
 
I have a 6mm BDL & the bad thing is that you have to take off the safety to unload it & just happened one day I came in from out back to get lunch.
walked in garage & took off safety, rifle goes OFF! hole through garage roof. could have been a lot worse. replaced with Timney Adj. trigger. Everyone keeps loaded guns in the house, but that scared the **** out of me! I had this gun 15 years before it done it, I thought mine was ok?
 
60 MINUTES/CBS

A Remington problem reported.....really? All those guns were fully loaded IN THEIR HOUSES! and being handled badly. Poor yellow journalism in my opinion! Not believable!
 
HOGHUNTER2........in fifteen years did you ever thoroughly clean the trigger area free of oil and dust? Remington's problem?
 
Yes I had it happen! Yes my gun was cleaned...often.

No injuries as my muzzles are always in a safe direction, but rifle fired when flipping safety off on an ADL 30-06. Mine was old enough that the safety had to be off to unload rifle. That was opening morning of deer season several years ago.

I knew nothing of "issues" with the gun and thought I must've inadvertently had my finger on the trigger. Later that day when time to unload again, same thing happened.

Was instructed by Remington to take rifle to authorized repair location and gun was modified for safety that can remain engaged while working the bolt. Took several years for me to again trust that gun, but do now and have had no more mishaps. I changed stock and magazine to hinged floor plate ala BDL so I can unload easier and I'm always even more cognizant of muzzle direction when I take the safety off.

My gun had never had any trigger adjustment done. I am also considering doing as some have by replacing the trigger completely. I have another 700 SPS that I replaced the trigger and have never had an issue.

It DOES happen!!!

Dan
 
stu1ritter said:
You need to read "Unsafe by Design" by Jack Belk. Spells it all out.

Stu
Click to expand...

I did not know that Jack had written a book or article about this subject. He was the expert witness on the side of the plaintiffs and was featured prominently in the 60 Minutes report. I have know Jack since the early 1980's and I was the very first customer he had when he opened his shop in Glenwood Springs. I study design of many thing with an emphasis on guns. Jack and I discussed this trigger several times over the years and we could not phantom how Remington had not been sued.

I know of a 700 that was leaned up in a corner of a camper, and yes the owner is quite an unsafe gun handler, and while eating supper it discharged without being touched. There were 3 witnesses and I have talked to 2 that confirm the story.

Of the few 700 I have owned I have had trouble with 2 of them. Both were because the box trigger. Box triggers collect dust, dirt, crud and water that can keep all those tiny parts from working. The military guns do not have these box triggers for that very reason. The trigger of a 700 ADL in 222 froze up on me one cold miserably snowy day while I was chasing a wounded coyote. When I finally cornered him the sear was froze down and would not catch the firing pin. I had to just walk away and leave the yote. I had a custom shop 700 Safari grade 375 that I let a friend hunt with. He was again in wet freezing conditions and his trigger froze up and cost him a shot a 5 point bull elk. Box triggers of any design are susceptible to this flaw. I could easily see if one of those frozen triggers barely caught the firing pin, how the slightest jar could set it off.
 
30-30remchester, I used to have a Mercedes repair shop in Carbondale in 1978. Was on Main St., between the car wash and the gas station.

Stu
 
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