REM 700 Factory Trigger

dakor

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 4, 2004
Messages
654
Location
North Dakota
I was wondering if anyone can tell me if you can get a REM 700 trigger down to the 2lbs range. I have played around with one of mine and anything under 3lbs if you open the bolt quickly it will fire. If you can adjust it down to 2 lbs is there a trick to it? I did take it to a smith but I do not think he had a lot of experiance with REM triggers because he could not get either of the two rifles I brought to him below 3lbs. I could go with after market triggers but that will not be cheap for the 5 Rifles I have. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif
 
Dakor,
Every Remington trigger on the planet has it's own personality. Some go down to 1 pound while others won't go down less than 3 pounds. You may have the unlucky one, but out of all your guns, there should be a couple that will go down to where you want them.

After market triggers will get expensive if you're buying for several rifles all at once. Most gunsmiths can put different springs in the factory housing to get them nice, and it's relatively cheap to do that.

If you do go after-market, the Rifle Basix triggers are great and half the price of a Jewell for 90% the quality!

It sounds like your gunsmith needs a refresher course in triggers!!
Good shooting.
 
dakor,
Here is what I got to adjust the Rem trigger and remember that each trigger is different, and resetting is at your OWN risk!
.
The Remington triggers are very good, except they come with a built in
lawyer, and he weighs about 9 or 10 pounds.
You will need a bit of good quality gun oil (CLP or equivalent), and a set
of small screwdrivers, and some white or red nail polish.
Remove the barreled action from the stock.
Looking at the gun and trigger so the safety is up, and the barrel is
pointing to your right... the front of the trigger is to your right...

The three screws are as follows...
On your right, (the front of the trigger) the top screw, near the action, is
over travel...
The bottom screw is spring tension...
On your left side, (the back of the trigger) is the engagement screw.
First, break the white "Seals of God" and screw the three screws out enough
so that you see several threads.
They may be hard at first, but they are NOT staked in place. The screws and
trigger body are carbon steel, and may be rusted, or they may have a sealant on
them. Just break them free. Drop a teeny bit of oil on the threads. Run the
screws in and out several times until the oil is in the threads, and they turn
freely.
OK, now down to business.
Back out the spring tension screw out until there is just enough pressure to
keep the trigger forward, but it's very light (4 or 5 oz's) and easy to move.
Back out the engagement screw, (the single screw on the left) and the
over-travel screw (the upper screw on your right) out, so there's play to
adjust.
Close the bolt on a cocked pin (don't pull the trigger) and VERY SLOWLY turn
the engagement screw (on your left) in until the firing pin drops. Back it out
about 1/3 to 1/2 of a turn. With the firing pin down, you should now feel the
trigger wobble back and forth if you pull it because there is excessive over
travel.
Because the back surface of the trigger is NOT undercut, you have to adjust
over-travel with the pin "down".
Now, with the firing pin in the "fired" position, screw in the over-travel
screw until it "just touches" the trigger lightly, preventing the trigger from
moving... back out the over travel screw 1/4 turn. Pulling the trigger now,
(with the pin "down") you should feel just the "slightest" free movement.
Now turn in the spring tension screw (lower right) to a pull that you
like... I'd strongly suggest a good trigger pull gauge, instead of guessing.
Cock the pin and try it... it should break like glass.
Check by:
Slam the bolt closed a dozen times, check to see if the pin dropped each
time. If the pin drops, back out the engagement screw 1/4 turn, and do again.
Cock the pin, set the safety, pull the trigger, release the trigger, and
release the safety, a dozen times... if the pin drops, increase the spring
tension (shouldn't be necessary, unless you're down around 10-15 oz's, and this
trigger is not reliable at that light a pull.
Put white or red nail polish on the screws. Let dry, and put another coat
on it again, and again.
There will be no "take up slack", this is a single stage trigger, and can't be adjusted to act like a two stage.
These triggers are easily capable of going to 24-26 oz's, and they keep the setting year after year.
 
GG the smith I took my rifle to is not the normal Smith that builds my rifles. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif He is local guy and a friend of my dads so I figured I would give him a try. He did not charge me so I give him credit for that. I was looking at those Rifle basic triggers as well my dad has one and they are very nice triggers but at 90 bucks a pop for 5 rifles kinda spendy. I am trying to get all my rifles the same. I want them to have the same scope the same stock and the same trigger pull. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif Call me boring I guess. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif Freebore thank you for the instructions. Sniper2 I did find some directions just on the net just like Freebores. So thank you. This is why I love this site you ask a question and people on here answer it and very quickly I might add. Thanks again guys!!! I will let you know how it works out.
 
Good instructions by freebore, but I'll add to them a bit- a holland spring kit from brownells helps on those stubborn ones that refuse to go light without slam firing. There are a few other tricks too but those are best left to an experienced smith.
 
Well everyone I adjusted all my triggers down to 2 1/4lbs except for the one that had the set screw snap in half when I was trying to break it free. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif I was only using two fingers on my small screw drive and it made one turn then cracked in half. I guess I am going to have fun trying to drill that little $%#@^% out. Well if it comes down to it that rifle will get a Rifle basic trigger. All I can say is if you see some loctite on the threads after you scrape the outer layer off the screws. Do yourself a favor and heat the trigger assemble with a tourch for a few seconds then break the screws free. I wish I would have done that right away. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif I slammed the bolt up and down on each rifle 50 to 60 times and the pin never went off on any of them. I also worked the saftey's 30+ times and tried to pull the trigger with it on and the pin did not fire so I think I am safe. Thanks everyone for the help!!!! The job was pretty simple with the directions you guys gave me. Thanks again!!!
P.S. Anyone want to drill out a set screw for me? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif J/K
 
jardinc.com has a pretty nice kit for the rem triggers for the do it yourselfer. I'm getting one of the 9oz to try on a varmit rifle.
 
Chris I did get the screws out with a needle nose but thanks for the offer. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I will buy a trigger Pull screw and a sear Engagement screw from you if you have any? Just let me know. Thanks!
 
For those of you who don't want to work on your own Remington triggers:

Neil Jones will rework your trigger and bring the weight down to any desired weight for $50, and that includes shipping. The minimum weight he will do is 1lb. I hade 2 triggers done by Neil. Biggame rifle trigger is set @ 2.5lb and breaks clean. Varmint rifle was reworked to 1lb and also breaks clean. I also tried to cause the pin to drop by slapping the bolt closed or by pulling the trigger with safety engaged, then released. Trigger would not drop the pin during my tests. Even the 1lb trigger appears to be quite safe.

VH
 
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