Gunsmithing Difficult to engage safety- Rem 700 action

[Remmy Blaster]

Question for you pros. I have a bone stock Remington 700 action dropped into an HS Precision stock. With the bolt disengaged (or completely out) the safety mechanism glides on and off with equal pressure, feels good. However, with the bolt closed it requires substantially more pressure to push the safety to the ON position, but normal and smooth to the OFF safe position. Further, when moving the safety to ON position it just doesn't feel right; extremely stiff, not smooth. Perhaps it just need breaking in but it doesn't feel right to me.

Since the safety seems to move properly with bolt out I assume the stock is properly inletted for the action; but I could be very wrong.

What's the deal? Any suggestions?

 

[DAVETOOLEY]

Re: Difficult to engage safety- Rem 700 action

What happens in a Remington safety is there's a lobe on the inside of the trigger housing that lifts the top lever of the trigger up. That camming surface on the safety lever can be rough and/or the amount of lift as the safety is rotated is excessive.

 

[DAVETOOLEY]

Re: Difficult to engage safety- Rem 700 action


"Would that lobe act any differently if the bolt was not in the action?"


bohem

Yes it would as the load on the top lever is transfered from the firing pin spring through the cocking piece that engages the top lever. No bolt no load.

 

[Remmy Blaster]

Re: Difficult to engage safety- Rem 700 action

Dave, thanks for your input. I just ordered a complete Jewell HVR trigger w/safety and bolt release. Hopefully that will cure the problem as it sounds like it's an issue with the geometry of the factory setup. Not that I ordered the trigger for that particular reason, but I'll be much happier with a proper safety function.

 

[bohem]

Re: Difficult to engage safety- Rem 700 action

Thanks Dave. I misread it and realized it soon after posting. Thanks for the follow up, I was thinking about it wrong.