some did , but there were factory triggers also

it is an enclosed trigger sear design and they put a smear of grease in them, this was one of the possible causes grease got cold the sear didn't reset fully , bolt closed , sear was sitting on the very edge of the shelf and bang.
also take safety off and the trigger was being blocked by the safety and as soon as the safety off the trigger moves enough for the sear to fall.

the triggers over the years may have had issues for different reasons

it definitely isn't an issue everyone has and we don't hone how many were bad maintenance , poor cleaning , but it did happen more than other trigger desings

I still wouldn't trust it not that you should with any fully cocked striker , but the timney changed some of the geometry as I understand it as did the trigger for the recall replacement on those that had a recal

I have 2 700 BDLs and a Model 7 from the 80's. All are fine rifles. I put Timney triggers in the M7 and one of the 700s.

Rem had a recall on 700s with specific triggers. The problem I recall was that if the trigger was pulled while on safe, the rifle could fire when the safety was moved to off. Based on what others have said there were apparently other issues also. There is plenty of info on the web about the Rem trigger issues. Even if your rifle isn't one with a questionable trigger, a Timney replacement is a great upgrade for only about $125 and is an easy DIY task. The instructions provided with the trigger are excellent and Brownells has a good video on their site. When buying the trigger you can specify the desired pull weight if you don't want to do the adjustment yourself.

I'm familiar with an exact twin to the rifle jbyrd is holding. Purchased new in 1978. Before it had 100 rounds thru it, it had gone off on it's own when closing the bolt at least twice and maybe a third time, and nobody had touched the trigger adjustment. Was accurate enough to plink beer cans at 100 yards, so was accurate enough to plug deer, and it did.

Fast forward a few years and with 6mm Rem factory ammo unobtainable, I'm now reloading for it, with high expectations of one hole wonder accuracy. Now on paper with a decent shooter and a 5 shot group would eventually open up to 1.5 to 2 inches or more. What gives?

First thing was to replace the heavy pull trigger (about 5 or 6 pounds) with Timney trigger set at 2 pounds. That seems to have solved heavy pull and discharge problem.

Next was to realize that as these rifles left the factory, the action and barrel contacts the wood stock in three places. Two rear action screws pulling tight against wood stock, and a 3rd contact / pressure point just aft of the black spacer on the fore end of the stock. Put there intentionally by Remington and affecting harmonics of the barrel. General consensus the forward bump helps accuracy for the first or second shot, but if you keep shooting, the lightweight sporter barrel heats up, expands and starts pressing against that bump, which deflects barrel enough to send bullets elsewhere. One gunsmith also told me with or without the bump, a lightweight mass produced sporter barrel of this type can do that on it's own. As barrel heats up, groups open up. Nature of the beast. Or at least can be. Getting a good one that doesn't is possible, but a crap shoot. Same with action. Can be good, or not so much.

My dad had a nearly identical 700 BDL in 270 Win, which was a late 60's era gun, it has never misfired even once and is a 1 MOA gun or better. to my knowledge, original trigger (about 3 pounds), and same light sporter barrel. Original bedding, bump and all. Rifles like his are what set the standard and why they were so popular.

BTW, it could be I've been spending too much time with the Bix Bender boys on the reloading forums, but as it turns out, nearly any old Rem 700 can be revived with a new barrel and worst case, blue print the action and glass bed and pillar the stock. Do all that and you can have the shooter of your dreams.

Yup.

I have one in .223 that I bought just before the recall. I shipped it back and it took about 6 weeks to return. They said it was for cleaning, but I put a mark on the trigger and it came back with a new trigger group. The note in the box said "professional cleaning". Lol.
The new trigger is extremely good for a factory trigger.

Speaking of the physical rifle itself as fabricated, not allowing for ownership and care, I’ve owned over time a number of model 700’s both ADL and BDL. All predate the mid 90’s I believe and all were great valu and great rifles period.

I’d add that I’ve had a good number of pre 90’s Winchester’s as well, XTR’s and otherwise and found them all to be really good rifles.

Maybe these days they are better? Don’t know for sure. It seems manufacturers were better at applying standards then versus mass output.
Just my take on it, nothing scientific.

Osky
Edit: the last 700 I bought was maybe 10 years ago at the DNR confiscate auction. God ugly rifle with a great bore, no physical damage just lipstick ugly. I scoped it and while testing it fired a round while closing the bolt. I called Remington and they checked the serial and said it was pre recall issue (88)? They said send it in anyway. They put in a new trigger assembly, set the pull weight exactly what I asked, and per conversation with them they re blued it. Trigger is crisp, metal looks fabulous, and while they had the metal I got the stock redone. Beautiful, tack driver now.
Cost, 65 bucks for the factory re blue. That ugly 220.00 rifle is now the Princess.

Absolutely , not true. Re read my last post.

Have five. None are real new. A CDL Mountain in280 has a thin barrel. It is the least accurate. An old ADL 270 is my go to deer rifle.

Yes Sir,
I spent 30 years working at Remington. DuPont sold Remington to investment bankers in 1993.

I would recommend trying to by one no later than 1996 manufacture. If you can fine one from 1962 to 1993 even better.

If you have any other questions send me a pm.

There is a lot of information out there that isn't quite correct.

Thanks everyone

Expensive but nice add on to the 700. https://www.larue.com/products/combo-lt719-qd-ultra-low-mount-larue-cheek-pad-and-lt113-rail/

I bought my LAST 700, it was a high end varmeter in a .223 with a stainless fluted barrel and good stock. It wouldn't shoot for crap and I tried different loads to no avail. The trigger felt like 12 pounds and you felt like the safety was on when you tried to shoot it. The more the barrel warmed up, the more it threw bullets. I took it to a gunsmith to have the barrel threaded for a suppressor and he wouldn't do it because the bore was so crooked, he thought I would have a baffle strike.

I called Krieger and they said it was common on Remington fluted barrels because they grind the outside and the flutes after it's rifled relieving or adding stress causing the bent barrel. So, when it heated up it got worse. He told me he had seen them that you couldn't see light when you looked through them.

So, I had a new Krieger barrel made and put a Jewel trigger in it and it makes cloverleaf groups now. If, I ever built a 700 again, I would just start with the action, doubt I would ever do that though. I got stung pretty good on that one.

Do this with any 700 with the original Walker trigger.
With an unloaded rifle securely supported on a bench (bipods or heavy bag), have one person place the pad of their trigger finger on the trigger, applying enough pressure on the trigger to leave a fingerprint. Now have another person ease the safety forward to the fire position.
Many of them will go off from that tiny bit of pressure on the trigger.
Walker knew this and strongly urged Remington to upgrade HIS design to prevent this from happening. Remington decided not to due to the increase in costs per rifle to do so. Anyone care to guess what that cost per rifle amount was?

All this trigger talk I have a question. Can the trigger in the 788 have this same issue?

there are some reports of it .

however it was never officially recalled , although you can see from people on this thread they have had 700 rifles with the issue that didn't fall under recall.

if you like the rifle , put a 3 pound timney in it and you will likely like it even more

I would believe almost all barrels are contoured and or fluted after rifling.

I wouldn't trade mine for nothing. Never heard from someone that had one go off unintentionally until these guys.

Button-rifled barrels will have stress ADDED to them by fluting. Cut-rifled barrels are not ill effected by fluting. This is the difference between the Remington and the Krieger barrel.

As does hammer forging.

I thought most factory barrels were hammered but read where some are buttoned.