Just picked up a new Remington 700 SPS Varmint in .223 Remington tonight at Gander Mountain. When I tried it at the store I knew the action was not the smoothest, but I have a SPS in stainless steel so I know they are not as smooth as my 700 Sendaro or my 700 BDL.
Anyway, I get it home and am checking it over and want to cycle a few rounds through it to check function of the action. I was using new factory ammo, Federal American Eagle 55gr. full metal jacket, so problem should not be the ammo. The action was absolutely terrible, in my opinion. Several problems, first the round comes out of the magazine way to difficultly and it takes way way to much force to cycle a round out of the magazine. Some times they even get caught on the ramp that feeds them into the chamber and they couldnt even chamber. I have owned and shot enough Remington 700's to know this is not normal. I see the lip or front edge of the ramp area is rough and appears to have metal burrs on it. After cycleing a round the case is scratched deep enough that I would not reload it.
I planned on putting this in an H-S stock I have for it, and putting a nice scope on it for a varmint rig, but as it is it seems unusable. I'll take it back tomorrow after work and see if it is something they can fix or if I need to get a refund and get a different brand or what.
Is this how all the new SPS Varmints are or did I just get a lemon ? What would you do, get a refund and look for a different rifle or see if they can fix the problems?
I appreciate your thoughts on this.

Thanks

gander mt does some smithing - i'd let them fix it up

That seems par for the course for Remington's current quality control -- or lack thereof.

In the past few years, I have all sorts of maladies, including chambers so rough they would not allow a round to be chambered.

I have also witnessed dismal accuracy.

Most could be fixed via simple gunsmithing, but they should never have been allowed to leave the factory.

I like older Remington rifles but have little use for the current crop. Granted, most are just fine, but enough problems make it out of the Big Green factory to throw up a red flag for potential buyers.

Got my SPS 223 three weeks ago. Have an HS stock on it halved groups after change out.
Heavy trigger and rough feed. Well, shot a .409 and .602 5 shot group Sunday. Averaging .650 or so with 3 and 5 shot groups. Using Remington
50gr PLHP and 21.5 gr IMR 4198 and CCI 400 primers and WW brass. Not the slickest 700 I have ever had, but has some potential certainly.

Estacado

Update, shot two 2.00" 5 shot groups at 275 yards with my SPS Varmint yesterday. Same load as above. Wind was an issue with no flags. Cranked up the old Grand Slam 24 clicks from 100 and was dead on. So, velocity is around 3200 based on the drop. Like shooting the 223 vs heavier cartridges, especially in the heavy
varmint wt. rifle. Had a Sendaro in 25/06 and a VS in 22/250 which shoot as well but burned alot of powder and werent as fun to shoot .

Estacado