Trueing a rem 700 action

[Jerry D]

Okay, this might seem silly but can all rem 700 actions be trued? are there any out there that are so bad that they can not be trued.

The reason I ask is because every time I look at getting a custom rifle made people say

Get a used rem 700, true the action, slap on a new barrel, new stock and you got yourself a fine shooter.

So that being said, I got a few questions.
-What should I look for, as I don't want to buy someone's problem?
-I've read that some people say used rem 700s are just broken in for you, and that the previous owner did you a favor
-Are there any parts of the action that can be worn out?

I'm debating just getting a savage and screwing in an appropriate barrel as it seems a lot cheaper however I know they don't look as nice physically. Also to true the action I think my smith charges about 350 + I'd have to supply the action, a used on at 200 or 300 depending on how cheap I can find a used gun, give me thoughts on perhaps just going with a new action. What actions are good? I'm looking for an action suitable for a standard hunting rifle.

 

[Horsemany]

It doesn't cost quite $350 unless you get really in depth and start bushing the firing pin hole etc. The best way I've found is send the action to the barrel mfg. for installation. They all have package deals that include sqaring the action, recutting threads if specified and lapping lugs etc. They have techs that do this all day every day. They are IMO more efficient and more precise than most gunsmiths. Also cheaper than any smith I've priced. I've never heard of a 700 that couldn't be accurized. They may exist but would be very rare. The older actions not only are worn in and smoother, but they came from the factory smoother. Honed was the term. You won't find that word in any Remington catalogue printed in the last 25 years. And it would be hard to find one that's worn out. Look for the pre 85' actions with the 2 filler screws in the side for a rear peep. These actions are slightly superior (smoother, tighter) to those built after IMO.

 

[Jerry D]

well living in Canada it is quite hard to... order and ship things across the border. My price was in Canadian dollars so that would I guess make it appear more expensive.

I got a Savage .223 coming in about a month or so hopefully. I hear a lot of talk about them so I said why not, I'm going to give one a shot.

Depending on how I like it, I might just become a savage fan for life. Who knows. I know they look ugly compared to my abolt but, if they shoot and the action feels nice, I might stick with it, but gawd their ugly! Any other actions, fully custom that I could go through with?

 

[Horsemany]

You'll likely love the Savage. Most people do. I've never gotten past the looks but respect their proven accuracy. Good luck.

 

[Pokyman]

You can't go wrong with Remington or Savage. I have barreled both. The new Remingtons are more likely than Savage to need some extra work to square things up. I am speaking from experience. After assembly, both the Remington and the Savage were outstanding shooters.
If you are going to have a different barrel installed, you might consider the Savage actions. Savage is now selling just actions. This might save you some money in the long run.

 

[9mmepiphany]

or just buy a nice Sauer or Sako. most european come already "trued" or...
a Cooper or Dakota, or...

just rebarrel the Savage in a really nice calibre like 6.5x55mm and be done with it