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> Rifles general discussion
> Used Remington SPS’s
Used Remington SPS’s
@ 06:31 am (GMT) |
Ryan NafeFellas,Given the odds of about 50% that new SPS rifles have a good bore, is it reasonable to assume that a used blued model was likely sold because of that? Should I assume that they’ll need a new barrel? I finally located a pair of blued SPS’s, both in 7mm Rem Mag. Prices are plenty good at $400, neither of them have even a trace of surface rust or any major handling marks. Slight wear on the bolt body on one and the other looks like it was barely fired. Do you think it’s reasonable for me to assume that I could fire-lapp it, get a Timney 2-Stage trigger, a B&C stock and have a decent 1 or 2 MOA shooter? Or would you think it’s better to look at it as just an action that’ll need a new barrel right away? |
Replies
@ 01:02 pm (GMT) |
Thomas KitchenRe: Used Remington SPS’sFellas, can anyone tell me if they think this will be a significant functional problem? The gap was roughly measured using a set of metric Allen wrenches as “go/no go” gauges, and the gap is roughly 3mm on one side and 2mm on the otherOnly way to tell is to shoot it its that simple until it's all guessing, might as well ask if anyone can tell me what my wife is cooking for tea. If it doesn't recoil and return to battery correctly it will but once again only way to tell is to shoot it When you bed it you can solve this issue anyway so no issue at present. It's handy to do some testing at this stage in the project, if you bed it and there's an issue you'll mostly blame bedding if your not confident in it |
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@ 01:25 pm (GMT) |
Ryan NafeRe: Used Remington SPS’sI suppose that makes sense, Thomas. Thanks. |
@ 02:10 pm (GMT) |
Warwick MarflittRe:Assuming you're knot taking life too seriously?Well I'm sure glad we got that sorted and out of the way. I'm full of assumptionsI'm okay with that. In future I'll be sure too keep my Heresy of thoughts to Meself. My Grandmother used to say that when you assume. Ewe'll Make an ass of yourself. ....... Do you think she was right? And my mum scolds me for antagonizing people with my pointless n annoying assumptions...... Have a great day......😆 |
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@ 02:25 pm (GMT) |
Ryan NafeRe: Used Remington SPS’sAnd in comes the defense mechanism.Someone points out one or more errors in your thought process and instead of actually responding directly to what was said, you deflect by using sarcasm and a sense of flippant and un-earned moral superiority. What a great contribution to a website that’s generally geared towards things like honesty, scientific method, and the pursuit of truth. Well-done. |
@ 04:32 pm (GMT) |
Bob MavinRe: Used Remington SPS’sThe verbal argument and dialectics are sorted, now we can get back to the shooting... |
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@ 04:32 pm (GMT) |
Bob MavinRe: Used Remington SPS’sThe verbal argument and dialectics are sorted, now we can get back to the shooting... |
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@ 04:43 pm (GMT) |
Ryan NafeRe: Used Remington SPS’sYeah Bob, I think that’s a good idea. |
@ 09:05 pm (GMT) |
bryan longRe: Used Remington SPS’sThe Golden Rule I get from here, the books and the videos.Everything Matters. The stock functions to recoil in a straight line. If the barrel and stock are pointing in 2 different directions, that'll make a difference. |
@ 08:37 am (GMT) |
Nathan FosterRe: Used Remington SPS’sHi Ryan, if the barrel is fully floated all the way to the action, then the gap in the forend does not have to be even. In the old rifles used here in NZ (Sako, BSA etc), it was quite common for the wood to warp towards the tip of the forend. After several winters culling, living in the bush, a rifle could warp to one side, leaving a large gap on the other. This warping had to be addressed each season.But quite often, whether via warping or as a result of inletting errors, the uneven gap can also be a sign that the action may be under some measure of stress, perhaps barely detectable but still evident. Hence the caution from other forum members. Still, this is not always the case. Yours for example has a separate ali chassis epoxied into the laminated stock. In other instances, the initial forend inlet may be true but the sides may have been finished ever so slightly off center - perhaps a chip in one side that had to be sanded out after the initial inlet. For the sake of aesthetics, you can sand the inside of the close fit side to open it up. This will however leave the top line thick on one side, thin on the side that you sanded. To remedy this, sand the top line down, on the same side that you inletted. Often, you'll only need to come down about 20 thou to fatten the top line. Finish with teak oil (see Accurizing book). |
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@ 08:48 am (GMT) |
Nathan FosterRe: Used Remington SPS’sJust keep in mind, if the front action screw was too long, chances are that the mag box may now be pinched. The bottom metal inlet might also be out of alingment with the block, if the block / chassis was epoxied off center. Go over all of this very carefully as it may be prudent to have this stock replaced if it is impinging on the magazine or if the underside is misaligned. |
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@ 03:04 pm (GMT) |
Ryan NafeRe: Used Remington SPS’sNathan, I did a little more inspection on the stock and the aluminum block just a few minutes ago:- The barrel is fully floated all the way back to the recoil lug, and none of the wood is contacting the action at all. Checked this with a piece of printer paper. - I did find a few areas where the epoxy was actually sitting on the block in areas that would touch the action, so I carefully removed all of that epoxy with a sharpened hardwood stick and a small flathead screwdriver. I managed to avoid causing any major dings/gouges in the aluminum. Visually this may have made a small improvement in the alignment but it’s difficult to say, but regardless of any alignment issues, at least it’s a much cleaner surface. — On the subject of the front action screw, the screw itself is about 0.060” longer than the OEM part. This should be pretty easy to fix using a basic bench grinder, I just haven’t gotten around to doing it yet. I think if I just measure the OEM screw’s length and then replicate that on the new stainless one I should be alright, but we’ll see. I also checked the magazine box after you mentioned that, and it’s able to move around in the stock quite freely. Both up/down and left/right. It’s sort of floating in place. |
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@ 12:58 pm (GMT) |
Ryan NafeRe: Used Remington SPS’sSome updates for everyone who’s been wondering how the project has been coming along:- The rifle is fully assembled and ready to shoot. Everything has been threadlocked and torqued to either manufacturer’s specs or Nathan’s specs in the case of the action screws. A quick summary of what I’ve done to a stock SPS 7mm Rem Mag circa 2008 manufacture: - Stocky’s M50 Laminate w/aluminum block stock, middle swivel stud removed - TriggerTech Primary trigger set as low as it goes (1.5 to 2 pounds) - Warne’s “Mountain Tech” rail and rings - Butler Creek Comfort Stretch sling, only for carrying due to high likelihood of snap shots only Now for the interesting news: I am not going to be working with my uncle to develop handloads for this rifle, or any of my other rifles. I love the guy, we enjoy shooting together and generally just chatting about guns and hunting, however, he’s been doing things his way for so many years now that he’s not particularly open to new techniques and approaches, such as what Nathan’s books entail. This is NOT meant to be a condemnation of him as a person, I simply mean to say that I can feel a certain resistance in him to the new ideas, and I don’t wanna put any undue strain on the relationship. So, simply put, I’ll be using factory ammo for the next year or two until I can fully equip myself with reloading equipment. It’s a little unfortunate, but maybe it’s for the best, this way I can go my own way and have no outside pressures on my mind and decisions. |
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@ 03:27 am (GMT) |
Ryan NafeRe: Used Remington SPS’sWhat do you mean, Lukas? |
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@ 07:29 am (GMT) |
Nathan FosterRe: Used Remington SPS’sThat was Spam Ryan, have deleted.We have tried to avoid making the forums private (paid subs) for years but with this sort of behavior now rampant on the net, plus trolling, I believe we will soon have to make the forums private and also at a price that deters trolling. If we choose to go this way, I will focus more heavily on a dedicated learning environment. |
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@ 10:49 am (GMT) |
Ryan NafeRe: Used Remington SPS’sNo worries, Nathan.By the way, after getting the scope dialed in and using actual sandbags off a nice and stable table, I’m getting 100 yard groups of right around 1 inch. The smallest was about 7/8ths and the largest was about 1.25”, still nice and triangular 3-shot groups. I haven’t chronographed the 154 grain SST ammo yet, though. I would imagine it’s doing at least 3,150 if not a bit more out of the 26” barrel. I also came across an online vendor with a quite massive stockpile of the now-discontinued 154 grain Interbond Superformance load, so I may try some of that as well. |
@ 10:40 pm (GMT) |
Paul LevermanRe: Used Remington SPS’sRyan - questions about your trigger. Did you set it, or is it set from factory? Have you checked it with a scale? Is the 1.5 - 2 pound setting you have as close to repeatable pull weight as you can get? |
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@ 05:26 am (GMT) |
Ryan NafeRe: Used Remington SPS’sPaul,The trigger is a TriggerTech “Primary” unit. I had to replace the Remington factory unit because it was a recalled one that hadn’t been fixed and because it kinda sucked, it was just way too heavy. Probably around 6 to 8 pounds, they should be ashamed for putting that in a hunting rifle. The 1.5 to 2 pounds is just an estimate based on TriggerTech’s specs of 1.5 pounds at the lowest setting. I’ve not actually measured it, I just removed the set screw that adjusts pull weight, just to ensure it’s as light as possible. After I had practiced with the Remington for a while, I picked up my Browning X-Bolt to shoot it some. At the first shot, I literally thought the safety was on because I had gotten used to the TriggerTech’s very light pull, I’ve measured the Browning before at almost exactly 4 pounds. |
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@ 08:11 am (GMT) |
Nathan FosterRe: Used Remington SPS’sSounds like it is shooting well Ryan. Good to hear. |
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@ 06:10 am (GMT) |
Ryan NafeRe: Used Remington SPS’sYeah Nathan, I really appreciate all the help here and in your books. I deviated slightly with my choice of a stock and choice of scope mounts, but otherwise I followed your recommendations and everything really came together wonderfully.I’m really in your debt here, it probably would’ve been a mediocre mess without you and the rest of the gang here. I’ve also given up on trophy hunting during the gun season, so I’ll almost certainly have some pictures to send you of the results of the 7mm Rem Mag on whitetail does. |
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@ 04:42 am (GMT) |
Ryan NafeRe: Used Remington SPS’sA few recent observations:- The stock is not causing issues with either cheek slap or major forehand slipping when the rifle is fired. This is a relief because I had been worried about both things (slippery laminate material and a subdued-but-still-present Monte Carlo comb) - The forend shape provides plenty to hang on to with dry hands, no issues with slipping. However, if they’re wet, I did run into some minor slipping under recoil that could cause accuracy problems with long-range shooting. - The recoil pad is both taller and wider than the one on the Browning, which will distribute the recoil forces across a larger surface area. - The stock did certainly have some issues right out of the box, and it’s not a perfect design, but it does function well enough and I think it looks very good, so I’m pleased at the moment. An HS Precision PSV would have been simpler and a proven choice, but the Stocky’s M50 is doing just fine. - The Remington rifle seems to me to produce just slightly less felt recoil than my Browning .308 Win. The 7mm Rem Mag is 12 lbs. fully-equipped and the .308 is 7 lbs. fully-equipped. With Superformance 165’s in the .308 and the Superformance 154’s in the 7mm Rem Mag, I think the felt recoil is just a tad bit less with the 7mm Rem Mag. It’s certainly louder and more obnoxious when it’s fired, but if you ignore the noise and the muzzle blast then it’s actually quite mild and even pleasant to shoot. - It’s a much more bulky and heavy rifle than the Browning, and at the moment it’s slightly less accurate off the bench than the Browning as well. However, it’s got way more power and reach, it balances and points very well offhand, and I can shoot it much better offhand because it’s almost twice as heavy but the trigger pull is less than half the weight. - I do really enjoy the Browning for what it brings to the table, it’ll probably always be my favorite brush gun, but if I can accept the additional size and weight of the Remington in a given hunting situation then I’ll gladly take it in place of the Browning. |
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