Hello All,

I read on another forum that Remington 700 extractors are failing with some regularity?. What do you know about it?

All The Best
Steel

The Remington 700 extractor is a very weak design that has always given a bit of trouble if a cartridge is a bit sticky to extract. It can either slip over the rim and leave the cartridge in the chamber, or it can break. (Please note that it is very reliable so long as the brass isn't trying to stick in the chamber for some reason.)

Hard core 700 fans who want to solve this potential problem often install a Sako extractor in the bolt face.

I just bought a 700 adl syn in 22-250 and don't like what remington is doing with a extra notch in the ring of metal on the face of the bolt to allow for a rivet-less extractor, I have only shot 100 rds thru it and already 3 no extractions. I have a older 700 in 300 win with no notch and the rivet type with 500+ rds thru it and never had a extraction problem. I am thinking hard about getting the sako upgrade. Does anyone have any first hand experience with the sako conversion, who did it - any good? Instead of the time wasted on the j-lock they should have re-designed a solid extractor.

JASON

I have the sako extractor in my 300RUM custom on a 700 action. The extractor pulled a case out that I had not FL sized and was on it's 5th firing,...which consequently locked up the action. A few small smacks with my palm free'd it up,..and even with the case grabbing the chamber that much,..it pulled free with no problems.

I threw the rest of that brass away,....

Hello All,

Thank you for your comments

They are greatly appreciated.

All The Best
Steel

Steel Talon,
I have used Remington rifles for about 40 years and had to replace one extractor (222 REM ) not a bad track record in my opinion. I have one with a Sako type extractor, but that wasn't the fault of the rifle or it's design. JMHO
Stepchild

The milling cut for the Sako or M-16 extractor does break the Remington three rings of steel around the case.. Don't know if that makes a big difference but if a case ever ruptures or a primer pierces I can just about guarantee you will wish that cut hadn't been made..

Gunnut69,
The bolt was pretty well trashed, so there weren't many options. The gunsmith that did the job did an excellent job. The bolt appears
stronger now, because of the solid ring that is silver soldered to the bolt, that encloses the head of the case, minus the extractor cut.
This all happened as a result of switching bullets and not checking the over all length,(blond moment).
Stepchild

I have found that most gunsmiths will try to talk you out of the sako extractor installation. I have never had an extraction failure, but I don't hand load either.

I've handloaded for decades, and the only Remington extractor failures I've had were on a 600 in 308 and a 700 in 340 Wby. The 600 extractor simply broke, the 700 extractor had assistance from a careless reload. So two extractors out of at least 30 Remington rifles in 35 years. I don't think they are as failure prone as some folks make them out to be. FWIW - Dan

Flora66
The lawyers designed the J Lock.
Stepchild

I would say you could probably get the Remington style extractor made of a stronger metal that would hold up. Then again why should I buy a rifle then have to replace half the parts to get a reliable rifle I can trust to work every time. You may as well have a custom rifle made with all the qualities you want since you must make so many alterations to the factory rifle. Buy a factory rifle and all you have left of the original purcahse is the action. Many complain custom built rifles are to expensive then spend that much or more to revise their factory over time. I have purchased actions, had them trued and had a quality barrel installed on that action along with a trigger job and they all would out shoot any factory rifle out of the box for less money than it would cost me to rework the factory rifle.