REMINGTON 700
INTRODUCTION Since Remington introduced the Model 700 in 1962, it has become the bestselling line of bolt-action sporting rifles in history.1 The Remington action is renowned for its 3-rings-of-steel surrounding the cartridge case head: the recessed bolt face, the receiver ring, and the chamber of the barrel. The strength of the three rings is one of the many reasons this rifle has become an all-time favorite among hunters, police agencies, military units, and target shooters alike. The action is also very popular with custom rifle builders because it is inherently accurate. In addition to its fine mechanical design and accuracy, the rifle is also very aesthetically pleasing. The stocks have traditional and elegant lines, and the factory finishes, particularly on high-end models, are quite nice. The Model 700 no doubt benefited from its good looks when Winchester redesigned the Model 70 in 1964. While the new Model 70 action was a good design, the stock, barrel bedding, and checkering were a step backward for Winchester. With many previous Model 70 users turned off by the post- 64 Model 70, the Remington became the more popular rifle and its owners have never looked back. OPERATION The action of the Model 700 was designed to be very cost-effective and easy to manufacture. The cylindrical receiver is machined from solid round bar stock, making it very true and strong. The round bolt has dual locking lugs in front, and its push-feed design is favored by many tactical shooters because manually feeding single rounds into the chamber is easy to do. The bolt also has a recessed face, which encloses the head of the cartridge. The extractor is a circular clip made of spring steel around the inside of the bolt head, which grasps the cartridge around the rim area. 2 The ejector is a simple steel plunger actuated by a spring inside the bolt. The Remington safety is a simple two-position design: to the rear for safe; push forward with the firing hand thumb for fire. For some time, the safety also served to lock the bolt closed; this feature has been discontinued. The R700 trigger boasts the fastest lock time of any bolt-action rifle, which accounts for some of the rifle s legendary accuracy. VARIATIONS The Model 700 has changed through the years to keep up with the times and is currently offered in more than 20 configurations, excluding custom shop models. The 700 is available in calibers ranging from.17 Remington up to the.458 Winchester, including the Remington Ultra Magnum family of belted magnum-length cartridges. 3 There are several variants of the 700 setup for varmint and small-game hunters. The Varmint-Tactical Rifle (VTR ) is available in.223 and.308, and features either a carbon steel barrel with a matte finish or stainless steel barrel.
The VTR has a unique triangular barrel, designed for maximum rigidity with plenty of surface area to enhance barrel cooling. The VLS rifle has a heavy barrel and a laminated wood stock, and is available in suitable calibers. There is also the Varmint SF, with its synthetic stock and stainless fluted bull barrel. Big game hunters can choose from the BDL or CDL variants in their various configurations, with long or short actions. Some models are available with hinged floor plates for ease of ammunition management in the field; others have a blind magazine. There are long-range rifles in magnum calibers like the 7mm Remington Magnum and the.300 Remington Ultra Mag. These versions have magnum-length actions, long barrels, and are usually equipped with rigid synthetic stocks. The Sendero SF is a particularly popular version designed for long shots across open terrain found in western hunting. Tactical shooters mainly use the XCR series, designed from the ground up for precision shooting. XCR rifles come equipped with stainless barrels with Remington s Black TriNyte PVD coating, and with wide tactical flutes for maximum surface area. The Bell and Carlson stocks have full-length bedding blocks to increase rigidity and accuracy. The X-Mark pro trigger is adjustable by the user for shot-to-shot consistency. XCR rifles have detachable box magazines for faster reloads. The standard version has a 26 barrel and is available in.308 Win,.300 Win Mag, and.338 Lapua, while the compact has a 20 barrel in.223 or.308 Win. MILITARY AND POLICE USE The same consistent accuracy and rugged simplicity that the 700 offers civilians have attracted military and law enforcement customers from around the world.
Both the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps have sniper rifles based on the 700/40X action. The Army s M24 sniper rifle uses a long action, despite the fact that 7.62x51 is a short-action chambering. 4 The M24 was intended to have the ability to be chambered in.300 Winchester Magnum, a standard long-action round with greater range than either the 7.62x51 (.308) or.30-06. The M24 was chambered in 7.62x51 NATO, but the long-action remained to allow for future changes to longer cartridges. The Army has begun upgrading the existing M24 rifles to M24E1 Sniper Systems. The major modification is to modify the rifles to fire.300 Win Mag, as well as an upgraded stock system. The new stock maximizes the adjustability of the stock to fit the end user, as well as offering Picattiny rail attachment points for customization of accessories. U.S. ARMY M24E1/M2010 SNIPER RIFLE IN AFGHANISTAN. The USMC M40 was chambered in 7.62 as well, as the Marines planned to make the change to.300 Win Mag at a later time. Changes in operational needs dictated that the Corps explores the.338 Lapua magnum cartridge, which would require a change in platform. The M40 series of rifle has undergone numerous changes throughout the years. In its current configuration, it uses a 25 Schneider barrel, McMillan Tactical A4 stock, and Schmidt and Bender scope. USMC SCOUT/SNIPER AND M40-SERIES SNIPER RIFLE. The Remington M700 rifle is also in use in military and police units in other countries, including Australia and Canada. DISASSEMBLY The Remington M700 is relatively easy to disassemble and maintain. 5 Prior to any maintenance or cleaning, ensure that the rifle is unloaded. Always keep the weapon pointed in a safe direction. Treat all firearms as if they were loaded at all times. 1. Place the rifle on safe. 2. Raise the bolt handle and pull the bolt assembly all the way to the rear. Release the bolt from the receiver by depressing the bolt stop, located inside the trigger guard just ahead of the trigger. 3. Slide the bolt assembly out of the receiver. To disassemble the bolt: 1. Place a flathead screwdriver in the notch of the firing pin assembly. Pull rearward, depressing the firing pin spring until a coin can be inserted into the firing pin slot. 2. Turn the bolt plug counterclockwise with the coin in place until the firing pin assembly can be removed from the bolt. To disassemble the barrel/receiver assembly: 1. Turn the rifle upside down and depress the floor plate latch (in case of hinged floor plate). Remove floor plate screws using 5/32 hex or Allen wrench. Remove the trigger guard and lift stock from barreled action. 2. To remove trigger group from receiver, place the rifle on safe. Lay the barreled action on its left side.
Drive the bolt stop pin from right to left using a 3/32 punch. The bolt stop is now under spring tension. 3. Remove the bolt stop and bolt stop spring from the receiver. 4. Drift the sear pin out in the same direction as the bolt stop. Reassemble in the reverse order. The bolt must be cocked during reassembly. The following video from Midway USA demonstrates the complete procedure for disassembling the Remington 700: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=- LWNXMQv3AM CONCLUSION The Remington 700 rifle has remained one of the most popular bolt-action rifles across many disciplines for over 50 years. Almost any game from ground squirrels and woodchucks to dangerous game in Africa can be taken with a variant of this model. For precision shooters, for either punching paper targets or extremely precise tactical applications, the Remington 700 is among the best options available. The simplistic tubular action, legendary for its simplicity and accuracy, has remained a standard bearer for rifle actions everywhere for 50 years. With its continued popularity, an increased interest in shooting sports in general, and the public interest in tactical-style firearms in particular, the 700 might remain popular for another 50 years. REFERENCES 1. http://www.chuckhawks.com/rem_700.htm 2. Haas, Frank De, and Wayne Van Zwoll. Bolt Action Rifles. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2003. 66. 3. http://www.remington.com/rifles/bolt-action/model-700 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/remington_model_700 5. Sadowski, Robert A. Shooter s Bible Guide to Firearms Assembly, Disassembly, and Cleaning. Sky horse Publishing, 2012. PHOTO CREDITS 1. http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2008/05/reviving-a-remington-700/ 2.http://www.gunsandammo.com/reviews/m24-makeover-remington-m2010-rifle-review/ 3.http://www.americanspecialops.com/usmc-special-operations/scout-snipers/scout-sniper.jpg
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