My 673 Guide Gun Saga

[jvs]

Around the end of November 2006 I bought a new 673 Guide Gun in 6.5mm Mag.  Around Christmas Time I picked up a scope, and after Christmas I got the Bases and Rings.

Last weekend I had some free time on my hands, so I decided it was as good a time as any to mount the scope.

I attached the bases, rings and scope.  Then I happened to notice that something didn't look quite right. 

It appeared that the Vented Rib did NOT run true to the top center of the barrel.  The rib started to the left of center of the scope at one end and appeared to be roughly 1/16th of an inch off center (to the right) at the muzzle.  At first I thought maybe the scope mounting holes in the receiver may be off, but after taking the scope off again, I found the vent rib is not drilled correctly, therefore the vent rib is way off center.  For some reason it appears that someone at Remington did not set this barrel up correctly for drilling those vent rib holes.

I called the Gun Shop owner where I bought the rifle, and he told me to take it to an Authorized Factory Repair Center Master Gunsmith that is about 15 miles away.

Yesterday morning I took the Rifle to the Remington Authorized Factory Rep and he agreed that the vent rib is off kilter and it should be returned to Remington for either a new barrel or a whole new rifle.  He said there isn't much more than can be done to correct this quality control problem.

I was informed that the rifle will be in Remington hands by mid week next week, and I should have it back, one way or the other, in about 3 weeks.

The only reservation I have about this whole thing is that I have a good friend who sent a 660 back to Remington for a new barrel last year.  When he got it back, the Barrel that Remington installed had no Remington markings on it - no logo, no caliber, no nothing.  The Barrel had NO indication that it was a Remington.   

When I brought this up to the Master Gunsmith, he told me that he never knew Remington to put unmarked Barrels on a Rifle, and if they do this with mine, he will personally send mine back over and over again until I get a correct barrel. 


So I guess if you bought a Guide Gun, you may want to check the vent rib, just to make sure it is true to the top of the barrel.  From what I hear,  it is not a common problem but you too might have a Monday Morning Rifle.

[kudzu]

jvs, sorry to hear of your problems. I have a 673 300saum. Did not notice anything off when I mounted the scope. This gun is a real shooter with the 150CL ultras(sub1/2''). I did remove the rear sight to better fit for scope. The vent is installed with rubber washers and if you remove your rear sight make sure to leave the washer with the same tightness. Good luck and hope yours is a shooter when you get it back. DM

[jvs]

jvs, sorry to hear of your problems. I have a 673 300saum. Did not notice anything off when I mounted the scope. This gun is a real shooter with the 150CL ultras(sub1/2''). I did remove the rear sight to better fit for scope. The vent is installed with rubber washers and if you remove your rear sight make sure to leave the washer with the same tightness. Good luck and hope yours is a shooter when you get it back. DM

Thanks DM, I appreciate your concern.  I have owned quite a few Remingtons in my life, not to mention the 3 that I bought last year.  Now I will find out if some of those stories I have heard over the years about Remington Customer Service are true.  Not one Remington gave me problems over the years, until I got this one.  I had my eye on a 673 for well over a year.  At one point, I was going to buy one of each caliber, but then the .30-06 Commemoratives came out.

This is not an Accuracy issue.  This is not a Cosmetic issue.  This is a Quality Control issue.   

It is beyond me, in this day and age,  how something like that can get off the shop floor and sent to the shipping department.

I guess I got a Monday Morning Rifle.

I am going to put in this thread every communication I have with Remington about this rifle.  Good, bad or indifferent.  This experience is going to be posted here.  After all, this is the only place I have to vent.

As far as your rear sight goes, there are off-set rings out there that may allow you to slide your scope back another 3/4's of an inch or more, which may be enough to let you keep your rear sight where it belongs.  As long as you have the proper eye relief, off- set rings work great. 

Remington had the same problem with the 600 and 660.  Only with those you could just spin the rear sight 180 degrees and reattach it, which in some cases, gave you enough room for the scope. 

With the 673 Dove-tail rear sight, spinning it around is not an option.

 

[jvs]

Update:

I talked to the Remington Authorized Factory Service Rep today on the phone.  He told me the Rifle was sent back to Remington the first week, along with a letter from him detailing the problem.

The Rep said that at this time, Remington is probably not very busy in the Service Dept and he still anticipates the Rifle coming back to him with either a new replacement Barrel or full Rifle replacement within the next couple of weeks.

Since he is in no way involved in the Manufacturing process, I did no ask him how a barrel like that could get from the Production floor to the Shipping Dept and pass Quality Controll Standards.  He did offer an excuse for the problem, but  I decided not to use him as an ear for Remington's fault.   Age has taught me that being the Middle Man is no fun sometimes.

Thus far, I find this Authorized Service Rep totally customer friendly.

[jvs]

It has been 5 weeks since I dropped the rifle off at the Gunsmith Service Center.  I got a message today stating that my Rifle is back and can be picked up at any time.  I called the Gunsmith and I have been told I may be pleased at what I get.  Or at least it will be as it should have been from the beginning.

I could venture to guess that a vented rib that runs diagnally across the top of the barrel from breech to muzzle and is 1/8 inch off center is not within tolerances.

I have made arrangements to pick the rifle up on Saturday.  Hopefully, the post on saturday will be the last.

[jvs]

Final Update:

     I picked up my 673 this morning and the vent rib is now straight along the top of the barrel.  The person at the Service Center told me that my rifle more than likely got a new barrel because the vent rib holes were drilled along the wrong line.  In any case, the vent rib is straight and the serial number on the action is still the same. 

He also told me that they had to send the 673 to Remington twice in the time I did not have it.  It seems Remington sent the rifle back to the service center the first time with a note stating that the rifle is 'within tolerances'.   I can not put here what the Service Center Gunsmith said to the Customer Service employee at Remington, but you can assume it would look like this :   @(^&$^%@&.  The Factory Service Center Gunsmith then called one of the Repair Big Shots at Remington and was told to send the rifle back again, that it would be repaired correctly.  (had I known this, I would have exploded)


Since I now have experience with Remingtons repair service I can come to a few conclusions.

1.  The guy I dealt with at the Service Rerpair Center was dependable.  He followed through on his statements early on and was clearly an advocate for this customer.  If I had not gone to the Service Center, I would definitely be having big problems getting my rifle fixed properly.

2.  Remington has a Quality Control problem. ( a rifle can be drilled out of line and sent to the shipping dept with the defect and then shipped, leaving it up to somebody else to make sure the rifle performs as expected )

3.  The repair dept at Remington clearly has eye problems.  Not every defect is 'within tolerances'.  Remington should start having classes as to which problems or defects are not within tolerances or tolerable.

4.  I would not hesitate to buy another Remington, but if it has a VentRib Barrel, I will always make sure it is drilled properly.  As a matter of fact, every time I pick up a Remington, I will be scrutinizing it thoroughly.