Trigger Job or Aftermarket Trigger?

[displacedtexan]

So, I've got a Remington 700 with the x mark trigger. It's good (to my hand), but not great.

I'm going to spend a little money on the rifle and was planning on having a local smith who has a great reputation work over the trigger.

It's going to cost me a little less than half of what an aftermarket trigger would. Not gonna be a long range gun, or anything crazy. Just a better than average hunting rifle.

Any of y'all think I'm really shortchanging myself by having the factory trigger polished up a bit instead of just dropping in a new unit?

 

[fisherman983]

Put in a trigger tech.. and sell the factory one to recoup some of the cost

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[Axlrod]

I have TT (3), Timney (6), Jewel (1), and Bix'n Andy (3). The Bix'n Andy is my favorite. They are all much better than an X mark

 

[keystone112]

A trigger is a personal thing, so in the end your opinion is the one that counts.

I had two R700s with the X-mark pro trigger. One breaks at 3.25 pounds. I'm not changing that one. The other was terrible, somewhere above 5 pounds. Instead of trying to save it, I went with a Timney.

Is this a gun you will use a lot or just every once in a while? If you plan a lot of use, the replacement trigger may be worth it.

Has your gunsmith worked on a lot of X-mark triggers? I've heard there are some who won't bother.

 

[hereinaz]

I would not pay to work a factory trigger when there are aftermarket options.

 

[RyanT26]

There’s too many good aftermarket triggers to even mess with trying to improve a Rem 700 trigger.

 

[02crewcab]

Timney triggers is my go to for all my rifles. Just ordered a Christianson Arms for the wife so Ill see how the trigger tech is.

 

[displacedtexan]

A trigger is a personal thing, so in the end your opinion is the one that counts.

I had two R700s with the X-mark pro trigger. One breaks at 3.25 pounds. I'm not changing that one. The other was terrible, somewhere above 5 pounds. Instead of trying to save it, I went with a Timney.

Is this a gun you will use a lot or just every once in a while? If you plan a lot of use, the replacement trigger may be worth it.

Has your gunsmith worked on a lot of X-mark triggers? I've heard there are some who won't bother.

I don't have a scale, but pull weight is a tiny bit high if any, that's what made me start thinking about it.

The gun won't see a lot of use.

And yes, he has done quite a few of them, he sees it as a good option for the average shooter.

 

[keystone112]

Sounds like it won’t be a high volume platform and your LGS can make it what you want. In that case, I would go with the trigger job on the X-mark.

 

[displacedtexan]

Sounds like it won’t be a high volume platform and your LGS can make it what you want. In that case, I would go with the trigger job on the X-mark.

That's kinda what I was thinking, but wanted a little reassurance.

I have no doubt that an aftermarket would be better, but I've never messed with one.

So if I can have a pretty good one and a few boxes of ammo...

 

[sickles107]

I'd go timney. Have put a few on 700 type rifles. Adjustable, simple to do yourself, very nice break compared to factory Remington

 

[displacedtexan]

I'd go timney. Have put a few on 700 type rifles. Adjustable, simple to do yourself, very nice break compared to factory Remington

That does make sense, and is what makes me think twice...

But I don't really have any complaints about my current trigger. I know it's not the best there is, but it's fairly light, smooth, and not gritty or sloppy.

So, is it really night and day with one that the user thinks is more than acceptable?



I modify all sorts of things, I definitely see the value of aftermarket parts. It's the dollar value of replacing one that I think is fine, vs just tweaking it.

 

[MikeDeltaFoxtrot]

At this point, I can't see paying a gunsmith to work on a trigger unless it was on a 1911. There are great drop in options on most bolt guns. My Weatherby Mk V Accumark shipped with a Trigger Tech trigger installed. It is solid. I upgraded another Mk V I have to a TT. I installed it myself in less than 10 minutes, including reinstalling the stock and re-torquing the screws.

That said, I think people make too much of triggers. My goal is to be able to pick up any rifle and shoot it well.

 

[TN2shot07]

I have several of the older 700s that I’ve just had trigger jobs done on and they have all been great. I don’t think I would mess with an xmark, put a timney or trigger tech in it and roll on!

 

[Mojave]

Concur that triggers are highly personal.

Fan of two-stage triggers like on a Mauser 98 or Swiss K-31.

I am a Blaser R8 guy, so unfortunatly they only do a single stage trigger.

Best 700 replacement triggers in my mind are:
$350-550
Bix and Andy 1 & 2 stage
CG Extreme 1 & 2 stage
Tubb T2 2 stage
Jewell 1 stage (prefer the ones above in two stage but some people don't like that).

$100-300
Other reasonably non-snobby type triggers are:
Trigger tech feels ok
Huber
Shilen
Timney
Canjar
There are others, but these are the best or best known.

 

[Mike Islander]

Timney Elite Hunter works well for me in all my centerfires but one. I have one Jewel trigger that came with a used 700 but haven't shot it yet. I like how easy it is to adjust the Timney and run them all at 3 pounds.

 

[Sled]

You could sell the rifle and buy a better one that comes with a good trigger. If that's not palatable then a trigger tech would be the first one I'd look for. I wouldn't touch a Remington trigger if you paid me. Too much history and liability there.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Put in a trigger tech.. and sell the factory one to recoup some of the cost

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Those xmarks are tough to sell. I think I have 4 of them sitting around if anybody wants them . They are sitting around because I replaced them all with triggertech’s tho.

 

[Pickettpuncher]

The exmark trigger belongs in the trash. No way I’d polish that turd. Get an upgrade.

 

[XLR]

Once you polish those triggers you run the risk of breaking through the case hardening too! Over time then it can wear and cause a lot bigger issues! Just get a TT and call it good!