Looking for a stainless/synthetic lightweight rifle and found a good deal on a Model 7 in .308. It comes with the Xmark Pro trigger. I've read horror stories and I've read that they've righted the ship and quality is back where it used to be. For those of you who have purchased a 7 or 700 in the last year or so, what's your opinion? I'm not interested in buying the rifle and spending another couple bills fixing anything on it.

Some will never trust a Remington trigger again.

I have many have no issues with them and don't plan on changing anything.

My brother bought a new Rem 700 Long Range in 30-06 less than a year ago. Fit and finish is what I would expect from any production gun. It shoots great with cheap factory ammo so far and I like the trigger.

I know it’s not big, expensive, and fancy but my factory trigger has never skipped a beat

I bought a Model 7 in 223 within the last 6 months. I would say the quality has come back up is quite good.
The rifle shoots cheap 55gr soft points at just over an inch, and would do much better with quality ammo.
The xmark pro trigger wouldn't adjust below 3.5 lbs but is just fine the way it is.
If you want a lighter trigger you don't need to buy a new one, just buy a new spring at:

http://erniethegunsmith.com/catalog/i181.html

on the negative side the stock to metal fit wasn't great and I had to do some stress relieving around the action and barrel channel,
but that's going to be the case a lot of factory rifles, not just Remington.
For a hunting rifle I am completely happy with it.

My newest is about 3 years old. It’s a 223 ADL from Walmart. The best I got it to shoot was 5/8” @100 with handloads, and decided to quit pursuing loads. I did replace the trigger, as the factory was a bit heavy and I am leery of worked over Remington triggers.

Anyone who wants to get rid of their Remington rifles due the trigger issue, you can give them to me, and I'll make sure they are properly disposed of.

My first deer rifle, which I still have and use as one of my "utility" rifles, was a Remington 700 ADL with a walnut stock that I purchased in the late 80's. Before that I hunted them with my Remington 1100 shotgun which my parents bought for me when I was 16. Nowadays you have to look harder to find deer hunters who use a shotgun, with most of them probably being in the smaller and yet more thickly populated states that require deer hunters to use them. In all, I proudly own five Remington firearms and each one has been an excellent performer, with one exception being a Model 597 .22 rifle. But an aftermarket hammer and ejector made it a very sweet shooter as well.

Nothing wrong at all with the X'Mark Pro for any "normal" hunter

I own a few 700's and have shot and loaded for more than I can count. never had an issue with any of them. Never owned one of those J lock actions though. They always have been and always will be my go to factory rifle. I never had issues with an X mark but swapped out for a Timmney on all of them shortly after I got them. The after market triggers are just so much better.

I don't know what the issue is with the J-lock other than people do not like them. My 223 ADL is a j-lock. Never an issue with it and it shoots great.

Looks like crap, possibly of it locking, and you don't have the key to unlock it.

A new firing pin and shroud makes is all go away. PT&G, but don't buy it through them if you want it faster than 2 months. Great products, crappy customer service.

I have one of the much-maligned Remington 710s in 30-06. I've never had an issue with the trigger, or the gun in general. I'm not a long range shooter - 200 yards is as far as I've had to shoot it. For that range, it's just fine. Maybe I got a good one.

Unlocked ours when it was new, never been locked again, but the key is always with it.

The look doesn't bother me, I really don't even notice it.

have a few Remington couldn't tell you witch ones has j lock and don't it is just something some one come up with to run down Remington and a few has got on the wagon (imo)

I don’t know about the J lock, but Remington quality slipped significantly in pursuit of the profit margin. They may or may not be recovering. Time will tell. It’s not a bandwagon. Also, if you don’t know if you have a J lock you may not be on the right thread.

My Pop ran Remington's since the 40's, I've ran them since the late 60's, neither of us have ever had a problem with a factory trigger. In all these these years of hunting and competition I've never seen a Remington trigger fail. As far as the J-Locks it's just a political or emotional thing it certainly has nothing to do with function unless you want to throw in human error which I suspect is the root problem to all the Remington complaints. People have their bias's and always will, I have my own and like others I have a tendency to share them with others. I've seen one trigger failure in my life and it was an 03 Remington, had a part break and rendered the rifle useless unless you wanted to use it as a club.

Understand that some people don't care if they have one our not. Guns are like cars, some people drive them until they sell them and never personally pop the hood. I'm amazed how many couldn't even tell you what size motor, tires or even type oil their running yet they like their cars just as much as we like our guns. Not everybody is a smith or a mechanic but there sure seems to be bunch of them that think they are and that's usually where the problem starts.

I’m not sure if it’s your point but that’s the problem with the Remington trigger. People making adjustments because it can be adjusted without the proper skill or knowledge to do so. They can be made unsafe. The pre accu-trigger savages are the same way, it just so happens that Remington caught the lawsuits and therefore the limelight. I’ve never heard of a Remington trigger failing that was untouched from the factory. Fortunately many companies are now coming out with idiot proof adjustable triggers.

I have not bought a Remington in years, I have seen some of their crap and owned some of it over the years. Some made in the 80's, 90s an early 2000s.

First real bad one I saw was a smooth bore 700, I was in a shop and a guy I know that worked there ask me to look through the barrel and tell him what I saw and I replied a smooth bore, it was not a rifle as the barrel was not rifled.

'One I owned had a burr on the face of the bolt from machining that stuck out .0 6 inches according to my calipers.

Another Remington classic 700 ha the scope mounting holes so out of line I had to use the Leupold windage adjustment scope rings adjusted all the way to one side to get it sighted in and it would not shoot under 2MOA with any load workup I tried.

And I have had one Remington go bang when taking the safety off. It got an after market trigger the next day. new purchased rifle, and the last new Remington I bought.

I still have 2 Remington 700s a 17 Remington classic and a 350 Remington Magnum Classic and the 17 is the most accurate factory rifle I have ever shot. They can make a good rifle. If Remington test fired rifles like many other manufactures do 2 of the rifles I have seen with major issues would have never passed a simple fire check.

My Remington 870s have been flawless but they like most of my Remingtons are older as I said I have not bought a new Remington is years. I hope they have fixed their issues and are producing good guns for those that buy them. In Remington centerfire rifles my favorites will remain the old 788s.

I know people with Rem 700 trigger problems, that were untouched trigger. Finger off the trigger, close the bolt, pin fired. One person I know was chambering a round and thankfully the muzzle was toward the ground about 10' in front of him.

I had a bad one. I was walking with it, a 222, and it fired with my finger off the trigger. I called Remington, they said it must be my fault or worn out. Then it happened again. I replaced the trigger and no problem since. Then the news hit about the problem. They had known about it for years prior to the publicity. I consider them a crooked, unethical company and will never buy anything with their name on it.

I know people who swear they've seen Black Panthers, just saying.

So I'm a liar, or they are
Got it.

One was Marine Infantry and then a 20 year Fireman. Yeah, known liar.

All I said was I know people who swear they've seen Black Panthers. I also said I've never seen a Remington trigger fail and still haven't, and from what you said neither have you. But we both hear the stories.

I have one Rem 700 action, and job one after building off of it, was to throw away the trigger.

The people that have told me of Rem 700 trigger malfunction are credible, and that is good enough for me. I actually trust ftiends and family of mine that have earned it. It is unfortunate that you do not. And Remington has had law suits on their plate for a long time. Where there is smoke there is fire.

I hope you do not have an accidental discharge into the heart or lung of a loved one, because you did not believe the "rumors". $160, for a replacement trigger is dirt cheap compared to that.