Modern sporting firearms: Quality issues

[Slater]

I've heard a lot of folks say that currently manufactured hunting/sporting firearms seem to be lacking in the quality department (fit and finish, materials, etc.). Haven't bought a hunting rifle in quite a few years. Any thoughts?

 

[Brian Williams]

I have no problems with my Win 70 Compact Classic or my Marlin 1894. Quality initially proves itself to me upon check out at the gun store. I have taken stocks off and removed scopes, field stripped bolts and slides. I do a lot of research and fondling prior to purchase.

And yes there are quality issues all over our great and grand olde US of A

 

[Art Eatman]

Yeah, the final hand work to deal with fit and finish, on the lower-end guns, isn't as good as "yesteryear". However, the relative costs in terms of hours worked in order to purchase a gun is less, now.

The quality of the tooling is such that an "average" rifle will shoot better than some of the more upscale rifles of fifty years ago. For instance, unless these Savage users are liars, almost any NIB Savage will outshoot an 1940s/1950s Winchester Model 70.

50 years back, two MOA was considered "plenty good" for a hunting rifle. Well, as far as Bambi is concerned, yeah. As far as today's shooters are concerned, no way.

In the days of nickel coffee, a Model 70 Super Grade was around $85 or so. What could you buy in the way of a rifle, today, for some $1,500 to $2,000?

Art

 

[Standing Wolf]

On the whole, the quality of engineering is much higher today than in the days of yore; final fit and finish, however, seem to have become a thing of the past.

 

[Zeke Menuar]

I bought a Remington M700 ADL Synthetic package gun in 270 from Bi-Mart(think Wally-World) in 1998?. The gun came with a Trashco 3-9X.
Fit and finish were ok, not great. I like the matte finish, the action locks up pretty tight. I didn't care for the tupperware stock until I tripped while hiking and bashed the stock pretty good. No damage, just a small scratch. If you have to drag yourself and your gun around in the shrubs, a cheap plastic stock is a good thing. The stock is almost indestructable and I have tried repeatedly to mess it up as an excuse to get a real stock. No luck yet but I keep trying.
The rifle had several problems when I bought it.
There was a burr in the chamber that was scratching the brass. That in itself wasn't a big problem. However getting the burr fixed was. The Remington repair service in Eugene OR is a very snobby grumpy old man with bad manners and rotten customer service. It took this guy three months to fix the burr. To add insult to injury when I got the gun back the scope was way waaaay out of adjustment. He said he would boresight it but it would take a month or two to get to it. In his defense, if you are over 65 and a grumpy old man, he will fit you in right away.
I readjusted the scope at the gravel pits with an allen wrench and about 10 rounds of ammo in about an hour.
The trigger was awful. I went to a different 'smith and had it adjusted to a crisp short three pounds.
There was a problem with vertical stringing traced to the tupperware stock rubbing the barrel on the left side. That was fixed with some sandpaper. I also freefloated the barrel. Problem solved.
Before you ask, the Trascho "World Class" scope has worked flawlessly. It is bright, clear and holds zero. Kinda strange for a Trascho. There is a 6X Nikon in the works however.
That is my experience with an off the shelf rifle. It now shoots under an inch with boring regularity.

ZM

 

[FB3]

I have purchased two Winchester Model 70 new production rifles recently. One stainless/synthetic in 7mm WSM, and one polished blue/wood laminate in 270 WSM. Neither gun was very good out of the box. Maybe 2 moa with several new factory types of ammo, and several reloads. The stainless one came with a carbon steel floorplate in the white. Completely rusted very soon. The blue one had the worst factory trigger that I have ever experienced. Literaly 15 lbs or more. I actually thought that the safety was on the first time I tried to dry fire it. Finish on the blue gun is very nice. Bolt was a little gritty. Had a trigger job, action job, and bedding done to it and it is a very nice rifle now. Sold the stainless gun. Had better luck with some Remington 700's over the years. So is older better? Maybe in fit and finish, but in overall quality of materiels, I think the new ones may be a little stronger.

 

[BerettaNut92]

I don't know if an M1A is considered a 'sporting arm', or as those people who spam me like to put it 'barely legal', but the fit and finish sucks. I've had the handguard, muzzlebrake, and front sight replaced. I also ordered a replacement stock for an abnormal amount of wear. I called SA and they said my sights zero'ing in at 26+ clicks up is not normal, so it looks like I'm going to get my third front sight.

Haven't had a malfunction of any kind, but the quality of the fit and finish ranks a half step up above Communist slave labor. Maybe I just got a lemon.