I was working on mounting a scope on a new Stainless M 700 and found that the front hole for scope mount was not drilled deep enough, and a person tightening the back one first could easily not get the front one tight as it would bottom out and you would not know it. I happened to tighten each down separately, to be sure the base fit tight. So I shortened the front screw and all ended up well.

When removing the iron sights, I found that the front one only had one screw holding it on, even thought there were two holes in the barrel, but no screw in the front hole.

Tommorrow it goes to the range and will hope it shoot well.

What may have happened is the front screw bottomed out, being too long. SOme of the base kits come with different length screws. With the screw touching the barrel threads, accuracy will be affected.

The villenous cullprit of quality control raises its ugly head once again..It happens when folks just work because they have to, and such things as pride and work ethic has little to do with the job...

Believe it or not it didn't used to be this way in our country, maybe we need another big depression, a little hunger, some soup lines, it served to make folks appreciate what they had if nothing else.

Remington's QC appears to be non existent.

Friend is biking it to Inuvik, NWT with his wife and another couple on BMW's. Did Alaska from Florida last year.

He bought a Remmy 750 semi auto in 30-06. Short enough to fit in a custom lockable box he built for it.

Took it out to his range the other day and it wouldn't work with three different types of ammo, including 220 grain Remmy. Every time he fired it, it locked open. The magazine is so poorly fitted that the front drops down about 1/16th" and smaller rounds, like the 180 Nosler, won't feed at all. What a disgrace. It's a real piece of crap.

I own a Rem LSS LH in .300 RUM that has a Timney trigger, been floated and has a good bed job. Great fit & finish, shoots less than MOA with 180 grain factory Siroccos. Has an Africa trip on it. Bought it in '05. Likely built in '04.

The difference in QC between the two rifles is absolutely amazing. I would never buy another Remington, and my first rifle was a Remmy .22, a 550-1, that is still a tack driver fifty years later. What a crime.

The Remington M-700 is a great rifle for North American hunting. But their QC has gone south. I would be very wary of any of their new rifles.

The older Remingtons Pre-1985 are very good. I am always looking for older Remingtons, built from 1985 and earlier to buy, because those are very good guns.

I've got 2 newer production models, a 1993 Sendero and a 2004 "Classic". The Sendero is very good. The only issue it had was a heavy trigger, that I adjusted. It is very accurate, as most M-700's are.

Easily the poorest of mine is the so-called "Classic" 2004 in 8x57. The screw holes on the top of the receiver are not aligned with the center of the receiver. Fortunately, Leupold 2-pc bases with windage adjustment on the rear base, allow the movement of the rear base to get the scope bases aligned correctly.
It also had a terrible trigger, kinda like the Sendero. But adjusting a M-700 trigger is easy and I was able to get it set so it is very good.
It also was very inaccurate, the first M-700 I have encountered that was so. It required glass bedding and free-floating the barrel to get it to shoot, but now it is a tack driver.

M-700's I own:
1980 ADL .30-06
1983 Classic .300H&H
1983 BDL .338WM
1993 BDL .35 Whelen
1995 Sendero .270WCF
2004 Classic 8x57

I bought my Rem 700 BDL in 270 in 1973, still have it, over 3000 rounds through it. It still shoots nickel sized (edge to edge) 3 shot groups at 100 yards. It's accounted for 12 elk, a lot more deer, 9 black bears and 1 grizzly. It has a sexy Redfield Tracker 3x9 I bought at the same time for a total of $450 (rifle and scope) brand new. A friend of mine who was sniper in Vietnam bedded it and adjusted the trigger in 1973. I haven't touched it since except to put a Decelertor pad on it in 1986. It's now my younger son's elk rifle. I really couldn't ask more of a rifle. I can't really comment on later models.

My two cents,

Chuck