Unfortunately, in today's Wal-Mart society, everyone wants more for less, including myself. Old-world craftmanship has gone by the wayside as CMC-machines take control. The desire for quantity versus quality is the Corporate mantra, even though the latter dominates the marketing blurbs. Poor fiscal management and competitors with lower operating costs, are driving quality out of those brands with whom we had loyalties only 10 or 20 years ago. Ughhh...
That deep, ocean depth blueing on yesterday's weapons - gone, unless you spend a small fortune. Today we have "matte blueing" that reduces the expense of quality blueing and polishing. When's the last time you saw real 20-line-per-inch checkering that was sharp, even, and void of CMC machine marks when the checkering even exists? Jeweled and polished bolts? Forget it, unless you have a surplus of funds.
With age comes wisdom thankfully. Rarely ever do you see me visiting the "new" car lot, I'm more often found on the "used" car area. I used to take great pleasure in that new car smell, now I take more pleasure in not taking the 40% value decrease when I drive the vehicle off the lot. It's still new to me.
Same with guns nowadays. I still do my research, create a cost justification for the wife, and fondle the newfangled gadgets, but I always end up in the corner with the one's that other people chose to part with. And I've found, I get a great deal of pleasure of rolling my own, turning the sow's ear into a silk purse, if you will.
The Remington 700 tops my rifle list. Always has, always will. It is fundamentally a solid, strong action, with lots of after-market potential, that hasn't changed much over the years. Has the fundamental engineering quality of the 700 changed? Not in my experience. Has the overall quality of the 700 changed? To some degree, it's hit-or-miss in the past 10 years, rough bores, crappy stocks, and that latest abomination of a trigger.
I've personally turned the "misses" into hits with nothing more than few hours and some easily acquired, inexpensive tools and supplies. Would I buy a new 700 at full-price - I doubt it. Would I buy a used one at a fair price - you betcha!
That deep, ocean depth blueing on yesterday's weapons - gone, unless you spend a small fortune. Today we have "matte blueing" that reduces the expense of quality blueing and polishing. When's the last time you saw real 20-line-per-inch checkering that was sharp, even, and void of CMC machine marks when the checkering even exists? Jeweled and polished bolts? Forget it, unless you have a surplus of funds.
With age comes wisdom thankfully. Rarely ever do you see me visiting the "new" car lot, I'm more often found on the "used" car area. I used to take great pleasure in that new car smell, now I take more pleasure in not taking the 40% value decrease when I drive the vehicle off the lot. It's still new to me.
Same with guns nowadays. I still do my research, create a cost justification for the wife, and fondle the newfangled gadgets, but I always end up in the corner with the one's that other people chose to part with. And I've found, I get a great deal of pleasure of rolling my own, turning the sow's ear into a silk purse, if you will.
The Remington 700 tops my rifle list. Always has, always will. It is fundamentally a solid, strong action, with lots of after-market potential, that hasn't changed much over the years. Has the fundamental engineering quality of the 700 changed? Not in my experience. Has the overall quality of the 700 changed? To some degree, it's hit-or-miss in the past 10 years, rough bores, crappy stocks, and that latest abomination of a trigger.
I've personally turned the "misses" into hits with nothing more than few hours and some easily acquired, inexpensive tools and supplies. Would I buy a new 700 at full-price - I doubt it. Would I buy a used one at a fair price - you betcha!
