Magpul has released a new modular chassis that should generate interest in tactical and PRS circles. Priced at $999.95, the Magpul Pro 700 Chassis is expensive — you can buy a complete Ruger Precision Rifle for less than that. But it looks like it has some impressive features that may justify the cost. The buttstock section features fast, ambidextrous controls for LOP and cheek-piece height. The Pro 700 features a strong, internal aluminum sub-chassis, with an universal bedding block section that works with both right-hand and left-hand actions.
Video Shows Key Features of Magpul Pro 700 Tactical Rifle Chassis:
Q: So what do you guys think — Is this thing worth a grand ($1000)?
Magpul Pro 700 Chassis Features
— Anodized machined 6061-T6 billet aluminum V-bedding block, body, adjustment knobs and fore-end with high-strength, injection molded polymer body covers.
— Ambidextrous bedding block for left-hand or right-hand actions.
— Folding stock with push-button hinge has left- or right-folding capability.
— Stock won’t interfere with bolt handle when folded.
— Fixed Stock adapter for non-folding use.
— Overall LOP adjustment range is 13.25” – 15.125”
— Butt pad adjusts up 1.33″ and down .90″ and 5° left or right.
— Comb height adjustment has a 1” range with locking knob for cheek piece.
— Cheek riser features a 3-position fore/aft adjustment.
— Polymer grip with 5° forward edge sweep, with 3/4” fore/aft trigger-reach adjustment.
— M-LOK® slots on fore-end for accessory mounting.
— Integrated AICS-pattern mag well for AICS-pattern short action magazines.
— Large trigger guard allows use with gloves and aftermarket triggers.
— Low-profile, anti-snag ambidextrous magazine release.
Product find by EdLongrange. We welcome reader submissions.
Remington Outdoor Company Inc. (Remington) will file for Bankruptcy in the Delaware Federal Court. The North Carolina-based company is pursuing Chapter 11 Bankruptcy to reduce its $950,000,000 in debt. According to Reuters, Remington hopes to work out an agreement with its creditors to write off about $700 million in debt obligations. That would permit Remington to sustain manufacturing operations and retain most of its work-force. In announcing the Bankruptcy filing, Remington executives stated that the company will continue to operate as usual during the bankruptcy proceedings.
(Reuters) – Remington Outdoor Company Inc., one of the largest U.S. makers of firearms, said on Monday it had reached a deal with its creditors to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to slash its $950 million debtload. Remington said it will receive $145 million in bankruptcy financing to fund the company through the Chapter 11 process.
Cerberus Will Yield Control of Remington to Creditors
If the pending deal with creditors goes through as planned, Cerberus, the private equity group that currently controls Remington, will lose ownership of the company. Through the bankruptcy, according to Reuters: “the company’s creditors, which include Franklin Templeton Investments and J.P. Morgan Asset Management, will exchange their debt holdings for equity in the company.”
Two months ago, AccurateShooter.com noted that Remington was considering Bankruptcy. Our report noted that an earnings decline left Remington few options. In early December, Fox News reported: ““The rifle and shotgun manufacturer’s third-quarter sales plunged 41% as demand for firearms dried up. That led Remington to report adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization that were 78% lower year over year. Over the first nine months of 2017, the company has produced a $60.5 million net loss, compared to a $19.1 million gain in the prior-year period. And with its credit rating in the trash bin, the future is bleak for ‘America’s oldest gunmaker’. Today, debt on the company’s books has ballooned to almost $1 billion[.]”
Remington Has a Storied History
Founded in 1816 by Eliphalet Remington in New York, Remington is the oldest continuously-operating gun manufacturer in the United States. Even with its present difficulties, Remington still sells more sporting rifles and shotguns than any other American company. Remington has developed more cartridges than any other U.S. company. And it is the only American company that sells firearms AND ammunition under its own name.
Here is beautiful F-Open rig crafted by Forum member CigarCop of KW Precision LLC. It features a laminated wood stock with stunning figured walnut on the outside.
One of the most popular items in our Shooters’ Forum is the ongoing “Pride and Joy” thread. Since 2009, Forum members have posted photos and descriptions of their most prized rifles. Here are some of the most recent “Pride and Joy” rifles showcased in our Forum. Do you have a gun you’d like to see featured there? Just Register for the Forum and you can add your favorite gun to the list.
New 600/1000 Benchrest Light Gun for Richard Schatz in 6 BRA
This blue benchrest rig was crafted by Alex Wheeler for ace benchrest competitor Richard Schatz, a past 600-yard IBS Shooter of the Year. Richard’s new 600/1000-yard Light Gun features a Krieger barrel chambered in 6 BRA (40° Ackley version of 6mmBR Norma). That Krieger is mated to a 1.550″ BAT B action, ignition-timed for smooth bolt close and increased accuracy. The trigger is the sophisticated Bix’n Andy. Schatz’s BAT is glued and screwed into a Wheeler LRB stock, with aluminum rails and adjustable metal “tracking rudder” on the toe of the stock. The rudder can be adjusted side to side to ensure optimal tracking, while the rudder’s vertical angle can be adjusted slightly with shims.
Hand-Crafted Thumbhole-Stocked Rifle Chambered in 6 PPC
Forum Member Grimstod offered this handsome 6 PPC custom with a beautiful, hand-made thumbhole stock: “This was fully accurized with Premier Accuracy recoil lug installed. Really makes these shoot a lot better. It features a Kelbly Panda action with Hart barrel and glass bedding. Trigger fall was perfect to start and we have to give Ian Kelbly big thumbs up for making every action perfectly timed.” On top is a March competition scope. See more photos at www.premieraccuracy.com.
A Wicked Accurate Big Dawg in 28 Nosler
This 28 Nosler Benchrest rifle looks good and shoots even better — check out that 20-shot target shot at 200 yards! You can’t argue with that…
Belonging to Forum member LA50Shooter, this rig is chambered in 28 Nosler, with metal work by Gre-Tan Rifles. The action is a BAT Model “L” 1.650 Octagon with a 30 MOA scope rail, running a Jewell BR Trigger. The stock, from D&B Supply, is a Shehane Big Dawg Tracker with 5″ fore-end. Color scheme is “Field & Stream” Rutland laminate. This big rig boasts FOUR 34″ Benchmark barrels (1.5″ for seven inches tapering to 1.225″ at muzzle).
A Pair of Score Benchrest Beauties
Forum member JimPag showcased two new Benchrest-for-Score rifles. The rig on the left, smithed by Dwight Scott, features a Farley Black Widow RBLPRE (with Bix’n Andy trigger). It features Pistachio and Carbon Terry Leonard stock glued and screwed by Sid Goodling. The barrel is a Krieger 23.5″ chambered in 30BR with a Mike Ezell tuner. It’s topped with a Goodling-built 1-piece Davidson base and a Nightforce 42X Comp scope. The rifle on the right, smithed by Sid Goodling, features a Marsh Saguaro RBLPRE Action with Bix’n Andy trigger, and March 36-55X scope. This rifle boasts a rare Screwbean Mesquite and carbon stock by Terry Leonard. The 23″ Lilja bbl is chambered in 30 Thrasher with a Goodling tuner. (30 Thrasher is longer 30 BR case developed by Joe Entrekin). Jim also has two other barrels for this action in 30 BR and 6 BRAI. On top is a Sid Goodling-built one-piece Davidson base with a March 36-55X scope.
Rem 700 in Manners Stock — .284 Winchester for Hunting
Here’s a Rem 700 enhanced with a Manners Elite TA stock and other upgrades. Forum Member NickB1075 says: “Here is a rifle I finished for hunting this year. It’s a bit heavy for New York woods carry but it just shoots great. Maybe I will have to get one of those fancy Proof Research barrels to lighten it up a bit.” Nick is running a Benchmark 1:8.5″-twist barrel chambered in .284 Win with 0.315 neck for shooting 150gr Barnes bullets. Nick added a Jewell trigger and on top is a U.S. Optics B10 Scope.
When Only the Biggest and Boldest Will Do — .50 BMG
No “Pride and Joy” feature would be complete without a Big Boomer. This impressive .50 BMG, “61 inches of big bore goodness”, weighs a whopping 49 pounds (95 lbs. complete with case and accessories). This rifle’s proud owner, forum member 6MT, says everything on this black beast is jumbo-sized: “Yes, I can stick my finger clear through the ports in the muzzle brake!” The rifle boasts a U.S. Ordnance 31″ heavy-contour barrel fitted to Barnard GP action. The stock is a “Big Mac” from McMillan. No optics yet — 6MT says he is “looking at an ATACR 7-35x56mm with a Spuhr mount… As soon as my wallet recovers!”
Jonathan Ocab, a High Power shooter from California, had gunsmith Doan Trevor install a Sako-style extractor in the Rem 700 bolt in Ocab’s 6mmBR Eliseo R5 tubegun. Jonathan produced an excellent video showing how the Sako extractor improves the ejection of the short, fat 6mmBR cartridges in his rifle. Jonathan’s video demonstrates 6mmBR case ejection with an unmodified Rem 700 factory bolt versus a factory bolt fitted with a Sako-style extractor.
Johnathan explains: “Note how even when slowly operating the bolt, the bolt with the Sako extractor easily ‘kicks’ out the brass on ejection with minimal chance of operator error resulting in a failure to extract. While the unmodified bolt has issues ejecting brass on slow operation, it will eject if the operator pulls the bolt back quickly (fast and with some force).
While a Sako-style extractor isn’t an absolute necessity, this video shows the definite improvement this modification provides. For short cartridges like the 6mmBR, this is very useful. This modification is highly recommended for competition shooters, especially High Power competitors who seek improved function in rapid-fire stages. This modification is fairly inexpensive and any competent gunsmith should be able to perform the work (usually under $100 with parts and labor).”
EDITOR’s NOTE: In his video, Jonathan deliberately worked the unmodified Remington bolt slowly to show how the standard Rem extractor can struggle with short fat cases like the 6mmBR. In fact, when you work a standard, unmodified bolt more quickly, the extraction can be much more positive. Cycling the bolt with more “snap” provides more energy to eject the cases. We have run an R5 Tubegun chambered in 6mmBR with an unmodified Rem 700 bolt (no SAKO extractor), and the extraction was reliable, provided the bolt was worked quickly.
Some interesting products were featured in Brownell’s New Product Review this week. Brownells Merchandise Manager Paul Levy looks at a new Rem 700 Magwell system from Magpul, along with Hornady’s impressive new Handbook of Cartridge Reloading, 10th Edition. For a quick look at these and other new products, check out the Video below:
Magpul Magnum Long Action MagWell — This fits Long-Action Rem 700 and Rem clone actions. Priced at just $75.95, this composite “bottom metal” is light-weight polymer, with a handy ambidextrous magazine release on either side of the trigger guard. Designed to work with AICS-pattern long action magazines, this kit also includes one Magpul PMAG® 5ACL magnum magazine for .300 WM-based family of cartridges.
Hornady 10th Edition Reloading Manual — This was just released, so it is one of the most up-to-date load manuals in print. Hornady’s new Manual is very comprehensive. It includes new information for the 6.5 Creedmoor and other modern cartridge type.
Smith Tactics Battle Bar — For Black Rifle fans, this slick extension that makes it easier to operate an AR’s bolt release.
Nowlin Drop-In 1911 Pistol Barrels — Upgrade your 1911 with a new barrel in .40 SW or .45 ACP. If you have an older pistol with many thousands of rounds this can be a “drop-in” accuracy fix.
Note: If you are interested in these or other Brownells products, you can get free ground shipping for orders over $99.00. Use Code LYH at checkout.
Tonight (12/7/2016), Shooting USA television features the Remington Bicentennial — celebrating 200 years of continuous production by one of America’s most legendary companies. The history of Remington Arms is a remarkable story. No large American enterprise — not Ford, not General Motors — can match the 200-year continuous history of Remington. The Remington enterprise is nearly as old as the United States. This story began in 1816, when a young man, Eliphalet Remington II, wanted a rifle…
According to historians, Eliphalet told his father he wanted a gun, so his father told him to build one himself (Eliphalet had been trained as a blacksmith). And so, in 1816, Eliphalet did just that, with the help of a hired gunsmith to bore and rifle his barrel. Eliphalet then took the finished flintlock to a local shooting match. “And his gun shot well,” says Remington Historian Richard Shepler. “So neighbors and friends asked, ‘Could you make me a barrel?’ Over time there was more and more demand.”
By 1828, Eliphalet moved into a factory in Illion, New York. In 1845, he jumped at the opportunity to secure the first of many government contracts. When the Civil War broke out, Remington stayed busy producing firearms. While later in the 1890s during peacetime, Remington manufactured cash registers, sewing machines, knives and even the first successful typewriter.
Whether fulfilling government contracts during wartime, or manufacturing cash registers and sewing machines during peacetime, Remington’s story continues today, arming sportsmen, hunters and armies around the world.
Shooting USA AIR TIMES BY TIME ZONE
Eastern Time: 9:00 PM, 12:30 AM (Wed); 4:00 AM (Thur)
Central Time: 8:00 PM, 11:30 PM (Wed); 3:00 AM (Thur)
Mountain Time: 7:00 PM, 10:30 PM (Wed); 2:00 AM (Thur)
Pacific Time: 6:00 PM, 9:30 PM (Wed); 1:00 AM (Thur)
If you have a Remington bolt-action rifle, you may qualify for a trigger upgrade, a voucher, or reimbursement of costs spent changing out your trigger mechanism.
These benefits result from the settlement of a class action lawsuit which alleged that Remington trigger mechanisms with “trigger connectors” and X-Mark Pro® triggers could have accidental discharges without the trigger being pulled. The settlement involves two classes. The first class includes owners of firearms that utilize a trigger connector. The second class includes owners of firearms that utilize the X-Mark Pro trigger mechanism that is the subject of a voluntary safety recall. The settlement allows owners of Remington models 700, Seven, and related models to have their trigger replaced free of charge, among other benefits.
WHO IS INCLUDED?
The Settlement provides benefits to: Current owners of Remington Model 700, Seven, Sportsman 78, 673, 710, 715, 770, 600, 660, XP-100, 721, 722, and 725 firearms containing a Remington trigger mechanism that utilizes a trigger connector; Current owners of Remington Model 700 and Model Seven rifles containing an X-Mark Pro trigger mechanism manufactured from May 1, 2006 to April 9, 2014 who did not participate in the voluntary X-Mark Pro product recall prior to April 14, 2015; and Current and former owners of Remington Model 700 and Model Seven rifles who replaced their rifle’s original Walker trigger mechanism with an X-Mark Pro trigger mechanism.
WHAT DOES THE SETTLEMENT PROVIDE?
Settlement Class Members may be entitled to: (1) have their trigger mechanism retrofitted with a new X-Mark Pro or other connectorless trigger mechanism at no cost to the class members; (2) receive a voucher code for Remington products redeemable at Remington’s online store; and/or (3) be refunded the money they spent to replace their Model 700 or Seven’s original Walker trigger mechanism with an X-Mark Pro trigger mechanism.
HOW CAN I OBTAIN BENEFITS?
If you are in the affected class you can submit a claim form electronically by clicking the link below:
Even if you do nothing you will be bound by the Court’s decisions. To keep your right to sue the Defendants yourself, you must exclude yourself from the Settlement Class by November 18, 2016. If you stay in the Settlement Class, you may object to the Settlement by November 18, 2016. For more info, or to make a claim, call 1-800-876-5940 or visit www.remingtonfirearmsclassactionsettlement.com.
This week, American Rifleman TV looks at the history and heritage of Remington, which celebrates its 200th Anniversary this year. Founded in 1816, Remington is the oldest continuously-operating gun manufacturer in the United States, and it still sells more sporting rifles and shotguns than any other American company. Remington has also developed more cartridges than any other U.S. company. If you want to learn more about this important arms-maker, watch tonight’s episode, which you can preview below.
Two Hundred Years of Gun-Making Remington Arms Company celebrates its 200th year in business in 2016. The Remington enterprise was founded in 1816 by Eliphalet Remington in Ilion, New York, as E. Remington and Sons. Remington is America’s oldest gun maker and is still the largest U.S. producer of shotguns and rifles. And it is the only American Company that sells firearms and ammunition under its own name. CLICK HERE for 200 facts about the 200-year-old company.
American Life in 1816
What was life like in America in 1816, two hundred years ago? This infographic offers some interesting facts. For example, average life expectancy was only 39 years, and a farm laborer earned just $12-$15 per month. Still want to go back to the “good old days”?
Multi-time National High Power champion David Tubb has developed an impressive two-stage trigger for Remington 700 rifles, the Model T7T. Priced at $385.00, the T7T Trigger is a true two-stage design: first and second stages are independently adjustable for both weight and feel. Overall (combined stage) trigger pull weight can be adjusted from just under 1 pound to slightly over 3.5 pounds.
The new T7T is a quality product. We’ve used the T7T and it proved crisp, repeatable, and reliable. If you are looking for a two-stage trigger for a precision rifle, this is a good option. We like a two-stage trigger for PRS applications, and the T7T can be adjusted high enough for that role. Or, it can go all the way down to under a pound — low enough to suit most F-Class shooters.
If you are interested in the T7T, watch these two videos. The first shows how to adjust pull-weights for both stages. The second video shows how to modify your stock to provide clearance for the T7T.
This video shows how to adjust the new Tubb T7T two-stage trigger for Remington 700s:
T7T Trigger Installation Tips
While installation of the T7T may require minor modifications to your action, most gun owners with basic mechanical skills can install the T7T by themselves. Note: As installed, the T7T trigger (either Right-Hand or Left-Hand) also requires a companion T7T bolt release, which you can get from DavidTubb.com for $10.00.
This video shows how to modify your stock to fit the T7T trigger:
If you are at the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits today, you might want to visit the Remington booth. 2016 marks Remington’s 200-year Anniversary, and Remington’s booth features displays showcasing the company’s rich history over the past two centuries. Layne Simpson notes: “When Eliphalet Remington II hammered out his first rifle barrel in his father’s commercial iron forge in 1816, little did he realize that 200 years later we would be celebrating such an exceptional milestone.”
NRA Publications has created a free 68-page eBook that traces the history of Remington, America’s oldest gunmaker. The book includes many well-researched historical articles, a company time-line, and the 2016 Remington Gun Guide. Get the FREE Remington 200th Anniversary Commemorative Book HERE: Remington History Book and 2016 Gun Guide.
The book contains many interesting feature stories. A fascinating article by Garry James, Remington Goes to War, covers the history of Remington firearms used by the American military. Interestingly, the first complete rifles built at the Remington factory were Model 1841 muskets contracted by the U.S. Army Ordnance Department in 1845.
In another in-depth article (featuring a fascinating, illustrated Remington timeline), NRA Museum Senior Curator Philip Schreier recounts the remarkable history of Remington firearms and ammunition. The From the Forge article by Layne Simpson highlights the key rifle models developed by Remington, from muskets to the legendary Model 700. Finally, John Zent writes about Remington’s manufacturing plants in Ilion, NY, and Huntsville, AL. Zent explains the processes (both traditional and ultra-modern) Remington uses to make all types of firearms.