1978 REM 700 ADL

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I keep an eye on Armslist looking for something that catches my eye.

Came across one today, but I'm not a Remington fan so I don't know much other than "the old ones are gooduns"

**Remington 700 ADL in the excellent 7mm Rem mag caliber. I acquired this rifle from the original owner, whom said he had shot it less than 20 rounds since he bought it in 1978. Never has had a scope mounted to it. Original sights, never had swivel studs installed.**

What do you guys think about it? I hate polymer stocks and love beautiful wood stocks so this may be right up my alley.
 

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The older 700s had nicer metal finish, very smooth and glossy blue versus the later as-machined, more matte finish..

Unless he sent it in, it probably has the earlier safety that locks the bolt, if that matters to you. My '78 BDL in 8 mag has the old style safety, and I really couldn't care less.
 
If price is decent id grab it. Those older rems are some of the very best remington put out, a friend of mine has an old beat up 80s bdl thats still head and shoulders better than my 2008.
 
My 270 ADL I bought new in 1973 is a great rifle. I could easily be wrong but the recoil pad in your picture looks newer than the rifle to me.
 
The pre 1982 rifles had safety's that locked down the bolt handle. That is a huge plus IMHO. The trigger on all pre 2006 rifles is a flawed design and in very rare cases will release the firing pin with no trigger pull as the gun is carried and handled. When this happens the guns safety is the only thing holding back the firing pin. When the safety is moved to the "Fire" position the gun will discharge. Remington was hit with dozens of lawsuits over this in the 1960's and 70's. They didn't want to admit the trigger design was flawed, but did redesign the safety so that the gun could be unloaded with the safety still in the "SAFE" position. This did dramatically reduce the number of incidents but did not address the real problem. The trigger should have been redesigned and the safety left alone. Dozens more lawsuits resulted in the trigger finally being redesigned in late 2006 and while they are not advertising it as a recall they will retrofit older rifles with the new trigger.

If you like the rifle, buy it. I'd not own it with the factory trigger, even the new one, but replacing one is a simple DIY project. I'd need more photo's,but the stock does not look like a 70's vintage stock. The recoil pad would be right on a magnum chambering, but they used cheaper stamped reverse checkering then. It appears to have cut checkering in the photo. If the stock isn't original that doesn't hurt a thing, in fact I liked the stocks with cut checkering much better. But I don't think they came out until the 1990's.
 
The pre 1982 rifles had safety's that locked down the bolt handle. That is a huge plus IMHO.

Same here. And I agree that the op's stock looks like it has "cut" checkering, whether by hand or machine. Where I differ with you is that one of my sources (Layne Simpson, December 2012 American Rifleman) posits that the year Remington switched from impressed "checkering" (ugh) to machine cut was as early as 1973, not "the 1990's".
 
1978 vintage M700's had that polyurethane finish and pressed checkering too. That one might be cut. The recoil pad isn't factory. Not a bad thing anyway.
The factory sights on the other hand are poor. Even in 1978 most of 'em got scoped. And they came with a factory sling with QD swivels. Could be that that stock isn't original. Don't really think it matters if the price is right.
 
78 Remmy used cut checkering on BDLs and ADL. Pressed was out in early 70's. Locking bolt was discontinued in 82.
 
Here is some clarification about the rifle in question: The pressed checkering is correct for the rifle and era. In the photo supplied by the OP it may appear to be cut because of the angle of the photo. Attached is a clearer photo of the same pattern, making it obvious that it is impressed. Also, the solid recoil pad is correct for grade and era as supplied with Magnum calibers, as shown in 2nd attachment. These photos are from 700s in my collection. The wood in OP's photo has better color and figure than typical but not all that unusual. The description seems to be accurate and at a fair price the rifle is worth having. DSC08928.JPG DSC08931.JPG
 
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Hear is some clarification about the rifle in question: The pressed checkering is correct for the rifle and era. In the photo supplied by the OP it may appear to be cut because of the angle of the photo. Attached is a clearer photo of the same pattern, making it obvious that it is impressed. Also, the solid recoil pad is correct for grade and era, as shown in 2nd attachment. These photos are from 700s in my collection. The wood in OP's photo has better color and figure than typical but not all that unusual. The description seems to be accurate and at a fair price the rifle is worth having.View attachment 230075 View attachment 230076

Thanks.
 
I stand corrected. Apparently only the BDL's switched to cut in early 70's. Of that I'm sure because I own several made throughout the 70's. Skipline checkering on BDL's started in 77 or 78.
 
I'm an old man who has saved many firearm catalogs and brochures over the past half century or so, including Remington catalogs going back to the early sixties. I thought I'd try to get to the bottom of the when and where of cut-checkering vs "impressed checkering" (Remington never used that term to describe what they called simply "skip-line checkering" on their ADL line until 1983) of Remington Model 700 BDL rifles and found the following information from said catalogs:

1973: For the first time, cut-checkering was introduced and described thusly: "...deep, traditional checkering".

1974: "...deep and sharp-cut, 20 lines to the inch."

1975: "...deep, sure checkering is cut 20 lines per inch."

1976 and 1977: "...all of the features found on the ADL, plus distinctive deep cut checkering 20 lines per inch."

1978: "...cut skip-line checkering."

1979: "...positive cut skip-line checkering."

1980, 1981 and 1982: "...positive cut skip-line checkering".

1983: And finally, "What's new in the ADL line...cut checkering in a new pattern."

Anyhow, there you have it, from the horse's mouth. :)
 
Fantastic info. Thanks for that Swampwolf. The cut checkering from the 70's was done very well skip checkered or not.
 
Thanks, Horsemany. It did take a little time and effort to dig the info up-but then, I'm retired; what else do I have to do other than wile my time away at the keyboard. ;)
 
i have a rem 700 SA ADL with the so called cut checkering and bolt locking safety in 7mm08 that was glass bedded by a gunsmith(done right) that shoots right along with a friends newer rem 700 heavy barreled varmit rifle in 7mm08. as a matter of fact he has tried to buy it from me more than once, its still here. eastbank.
 
Just be sure about the safety, as others have indicated. I was out one day with a friend of mine who was going to shoot his '70's era Remington ADL in .270 Win. When he closed the bolt the rifle fired without warning. And no he didn't touch the trigger as I and two other friends witnessed the event. He sent the rifle back to Remington and supposedly it's now fixed.
 
I have a mid-70s era Rem 700 ADL in .270. I've had it in the safe mostly for nostalgic reasons. It was sitting under the Christmas tree when I was 14. :-D But this year I've gotten it out a few times and shot it somewhat seriously and it shoots GREAT. I'm definitely going to be shooting it more.

I, too, would replace the trigger if it is original. (Referred to as the Walker Trigger I believe.) Remington seems to be doing a "voluntary recall" on the Walker Trigger. From what I understand, if you've had a discharge while not touching the trigger in any way, Remington will put in a new trigger for you. I recently bought a new Rem 700 and put a Timney trigger in that. The X-Mark Pro I took out of the new rifle I'm going to put in my old rifle - just so I don't have to worry about it having the Walker trigger in it.

Good luck and have fun!

OR
 
its good that remington is replaceing the triggers as they should, but we will never know how many of those triggers were misadjusted by their owners over time, if a person is hurt by a rifle that was misadjusted or had a finger on the trigger who is going to admitt it? look how long it took winchester and marlin to add a good safety on their lever actions, well over a hunderd years with more people killed or wounder by them. if you follow the rule of never pointing a firearm at any thing you don,t want to shoot, and use the safety sitting between your shoulders, hunting and shooting deaths would go way down. eastbank.
 
I, too, would replace the trigger if it is original. (Referred to as the Walker Trigger I believe.)

That "Walker" trigger goes way back to include early Model 721 and 722 rifles. Don't know about the Model 725 (they reportedly had a 3-position safety; unlike every Remington bolt-action rifle made since the advent of the Models 721/722) but my guess is the trigger is the same.
 
the model 725 remington has a three postion safety, like the pre-64 winchester, just set up differently that rocks back and forth instead of like the winchester that swings forward and backwards. full back locks the bolt and firing pin, middle forward postion holds the firing pin,but allows the bolt to be opened and full forward allows the rifle to fire. i like the 725 safety better than the 700 safety eastbank.
 

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its good that remington is replaceing the triggers as they should, but we will never know how many of those triggers were misadjusted by their owners over time, if a person is hurt by a rifle that was misadjusted or had a finger on the trigger who is going to admitt it? look how long it took winchester and marlin to add a good safety on their lever actions, well over a hunderd years with more people killed or wounder by them. if you follow the rule of never pointing a firearm at any thing you don,t want to shoot, and use the safety sitting between your shoulders, hunting and shooting deaths would go way down. eastbank.

Some other folks here helped me sort out the different trigger issues in another thread a number of weeks back. This is what I've pieced together.

When people talk of the "Remington trigger recall" they're typically referring to the recall of rifles that included the X-Mark Pro adjustable trigger. Remington will replace the triggers on rifles made from May 1, 2006 through April 9, 2014 that were delivered with the X-Mark Pro trigger installed. There was a design flaw in this trigger which has been corrected. My understanding is that Remington will replace the trigger whether you've experienced issues or not. Remington 700s manufactured after April 9, 2014 with the X-Mark Pro trigger do not need to have it replaced - as those contain the improved X-Mark Pro.

The Walker trigger issue is a completely separate issue. The Walker trigger is not adjustable. (Which isn't to say people didn't mess with them on their own.) From what I've read Remington has received many complaints as well as some lawsuits from people claiming discharge without even touching the trigger. Remington instituted a "voluntary recall" for these situations. This recall (if I recall correctly) states that users who have experienced this kind of behavior can contact Remington and they will replace that Walker trigger. I don't know what the manufacture dates are for rifles with Walker triggers. I know the very early models had them, and there is info on Remington's website for how to determine if you have a Walker trigger. My mid-70s Rem 700 ADL does have it.

OR
 
the 722-721 triggers are adjustable and i know this because i own three 722,s and two 721,s and have adjusted them to my likeing of 3.5-4 lbs for hunting. i,m not saying the triggers on the remington 722-721-700 have never failed, but that i have owned many-many of those rifle over 50 years and have never had one go off with out pulling the trigger. and i also know if i had that shot would not have hit a human being because of proper training in handleing a loaded firearm. if you feel you have to replace the remington trigger, by all means do so for your piece of mind. eastbank
 
I mentioned earlier that the Remington Model 725 came with a three-position safety. I got to wondering how many other Remington bolt-action rifles came with a 3-position safety and did a little looking. Though the Model 725 (my favorite Remington bolt-action, by the way) was made for only for about four years (1958 to 1961); a "stop gap" niche rifle to compete with the better finished Winchester Model 70 until the advent of the Remington Model 700, it appears that it might be the only Remington bolt-action rifle ever to have a 3-position safety.

As many of you no doubt know, Remington bolt-action rifles made before the Model 721/722 rifles were based on the military Model 1917 rifle; to include the Models 30, 30S and 720 (not a bad looking rifle, the 720), all of which retained the Enfield-type safety. These rifles, predating the Model 721/722 rifles, were not "afflicted" with the Walker type-trigger.
 
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