I keep reading various threads about why AI's and TRG's are superior firearms when compared to a "custom" 700.
I have somewhat of a understanding as to how the actions differ. Again, somewhat of an idea.
Across various threads I see pictures of AI's and TRG's sitting out in the snow often saying, " In their natural environment". Seeing the actions caked in snow or ice is a pretty good example of why I would believe that they are superior rifles. But what about all things being equal? Because quite frankly, I have no desire to let my rifle sit out in the snow and become a Popsicle.
Ok I wrote the above more as a way to set the scene for one particular shoot. Did I intentionally leave the rifle out in during the snow storm? Yep. Did we have a choice? Nope. We were shooting and rifles were not being moved around. Besides, why would I give up a perfectly good opportunity to test out the claims of a manufacturer about an all-weather performance of their weapon?
And for the record during that shoot there was another AI on the line along with custom 700s and a Savage. The Savage threw an ejector. The operator had to manually remove brass the rest of the shoot. He may have been running too hot loads or maybe it was the cold. Or maybe it was both. I don't know. Of the four 700s there, I know that two did get to come off the line. That was so they could be thawed in front of the portable heater because their actions had locked up. The AI and TRG did not have any problems that caused them to go down.
Then again a high end S&B scope leaked and froze. So high end gear is not immune.
Now this is a sample size of one and not controlled. So yes it could be a fluke. But the 700s fared poorly in those conditions.
I started with a Rem 700 PSS and still own that rifle. It has never given me any trouble. I used it for years and shot long range with it all the time. I will probably never sell it. Once I decided I liked doing LR shooting I decided to upgrade. Yet why did I not go custom 700? Two reasons:
1) Purpose built design
2) Economics
The AI and TRG were designed from the ground up to address the problem of reliability and accuracy in all conditions. The 700 was made for cheaper production reasons. The 700 represents a great value and functions well. These are different goals. Next, a custom 700 is, well, custom. If I ever needed parts or there was a problem then it is harder to manage. I can order parts for the AI/TRG and they will fit without issues.
The second point is economics. When I was moving from the 700 I had the option to change stocks, put in detachable box mags, upgrade the rails, swap out barrels, put on a new bolt handle, get a better bipod, etc. But when you add all of that stuff up, or even going with a full blown custom, you are in the price range of the TRG or AIAE. You may even be at the price range of an AI AW.
For instance, the AI/TRG feed reliably. There is no need to mess with various bottom metals. The bolt handles work in cold weather and are easy to grab. No need to put on a large bolt handle after market. The bolts are either fluted already (AI) or designed to work with icy conditions while being smooth (the TRG), there is no need to after-market fluting. The extractors on the AI/TRG work well, there is no need to upgrade them. The triggers on the AI/TRG are excellent and reliable in all conditions. There is no need to swap out different triggers to find one that approaches the feel of the AI/TRG (only to find it fails in the field when it gets too dusty). The AI/TRG engineers already did all that testing for you. Etc.
With the above said, the AI/TRG are not good tinkering rifles. Also some people simply don't like the stocks of the AI/TRG and there the 700 has them whipped in terms of selection and after-market parts. Also the 700s can be made lighter which is a significant advantage sometimes.
I still have my 700. I like the 700s, but for my situation and view, the TRG/AI was where I was going to be anyway so it was just cheaper to get it over with than drag things out. But there's nothing wrong with a 700 and it's not the gear that makes the shooter anyway. I've outshot people with my 700 when they had much better gear. Then again I've been outshot by people with 700s when I was using an AI.