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June 23rd, 2009
 Joe Gross, chief operating officer for the Remington Arms Company, takes on microstamping in an op-ed piece published in the Utica Observer-Dispatch. “Microstamping,” writes Gross, “is a concept where a manufacturer incorporates the firearm serial number onto the firing pin of the firearm such that the serial number is imprinted on the cartridge when it is fired. The objective is to aid law enforcement in investigations to trace firearms used by criminals. Simply put, microstamping does not work. Microstamping is an idea put forth by those who wish to legislate burdensome, unreliable and unproven controls on an industry to drive up costs, increase burdens and force manufacturers out of business. They do this under the guise that this will help solve crimes.” Remington has a manufacturing plant in New York state, where anti-gun legislators have introduced and strongly support microstamping legislation.
CLICK HERE to read full article by Remington CEO.
In the video below scientists and leading Forensic Examiners explain the shortcomings of what the media has called “ballistic fingerprinting”. The experts conclude that the creation of a national database of firearms’ markings would not only be impractical, but it would also make it MORE difficult to identify guns actually used in crimes. Why? Because the amount of data would overwhelm those tasked with evaluating it.
This report courtesy NSSF
June 9th, 2009
Capitalizing on the strong consumer interest in AR15-style rifles, Remington Arms recently introduced its 597-VTR, a semi-automatic 22LR with AR-style ergonomics. Inside the matte black, slab-sided “upper” is the venerable Remington 597 receiver, updated with a nickel-Teflon® plated bolt, hammer and sear. On the outside, the 597-VTR features a AR-15 pistol grip, and AR collapsible stock, and a round AR-style float tube/handguard. On top of the receiver is a 1913 Picatinny-spec scope rail. Street price for the new rifle is about $450.00, complete with compact 10-round magazine. A standard Remington 597, without the tactical goodies and black paint, costs under $200.00.
Good for 3-Gun Cross-Training and Tactical Rimfire
While we snicker a bit at an older rimfire design tarted up in new tactical clothing, the 597-VTR makes sense for some users. Three-gun competitors should like this rifle. Most multi-gun match shooters use ARs for the rifle stages. With the 597-VTR, they can cross-train using inexpensive 22LR ammo, while maintaining the same basic ergonomics. For 3-gun shooters, who engage targets from a wide variety of shooting positions (often behind barriers), the collapsible stock has utility. It will allow the shooter to make his rifle more compact when practicing CQB or house-clearing stages.
With mods, the 597-VTR should also work well for the tactical rimfire discipline. The Picatinny rail makes it easy to swap over good optics from your centerfire gun. The tubular forearm should provide a strong mount for a bipod. However, for the tactical rimfire game, which is shot mostly prone, we don’t like the collapsible stock at all. Junk it. The LOP is too short, the bottom of the stock is terrible with sandbags, and the cheek weld is wrong. Tactical rimfire shooters would be wise to replace the collapsible stock with an upgraded design with longer length of pull and a proper cheekpiece. (The 597-VTR will accept most AR15 stocks). And, in reality, with a bedding job, a basic 597 in a laminated stock (see below) would probably work just as well.
June 8th, 2009
 Remington Arms Company, Inc. through its fully owned subsidiary DA Acquisitions LLC, has entered into a purchase agreement to acquire certain assets of Dakota Arms, LLC including the Dakota, Nesika Bay Precision, Miller Arms, and Dan Walter brands. The transaction closed on June 5, 2009.
This is the latest major acquisition by Remington Arms, which acquired Bushmaster Firearms, Marlin Firearms, and DPMS in 2007. Remington Arms is owned by Cerberus Capital Management, a private holding company. The acquisition of Dakota Arms is another example of the increasing consolidation of the American gun industry. Dakota Arms had suffered from over-ambitious growth plans and its revenues failed to meet investors’ expectations as Dakota never really developed a strong customer-base for its premium hunting rifles. Dakota tried to become the “Lexus/Mercedes” of the rifle market, but the plan didn’t work. Dakota’s rifles were much more expensive than Remington or Browning products, yet lacked the accuracy and craftsmanship of the high-grade, true custom rifles. “Factory rifles at custom rifle prices” was not a good business model.
Established in 1982 and headquartered in Sturgis, South Dakota, Dakota Arms manufacturers custom and semi-custom rifles for the sporting markets. The Dakota brands include Nesika, Miller Arms and Dan Walter. Nesika Bay Precision actions (at one time) were highly respected for their engineering and build quality; Miller Arms is known for the reliability and performance of its single-shot actions and custom rifles. Dakota Arms is based in the Black Hills of South Dakota and currently employs 35 people.
“I am pleased to announce that Dakota Arms is joining Remington and the Freedom Group of companies,” stated Ted Torbeck, CEO of Remington Arms Company, Inc. and Freedom Group Inc. “Dakota Arms is an icon within the industry and its fine products exemplify quality, craftsmanship and attention to detail. Dakota is the perfect compliment to our industry-leading family of brands. We look forward to continue to develop and expand the Dakota brand and thank all its employees for their continued dedication and success of Dakota Arms.”
March 16th, 2009
 In a surprise move, Remington Arms announced that current President/CEO Tommy Millner will be replaced by Remington Chief Operating Officer (COO) Ted (Theodore) Torbeck. Torbeck has been promoted to CEO and director of both Remington Arms and Freedom Group Inc., Remington’s parent company. (Freedom Group is owned by Cerberus Capital Management, a private holding company.) Millner will make a lateral move to take over as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of outdoor retailer Cabela’s Inc. (NYSE: CAB). The 55-year-old Millner had worked for Madison, N.C.-based Remington for 15 years, including the past 10 as CEO of parent Freedom Group Inc.
We don’t know the “how and why” of this executive re-shuffling, and whether Millner decided to “jump ship” on his own or whether he was pressured to leave. Freedom Group Chairman Paul Miller issued a statement thanking Millner for his years of service, and stating that Torbeck would help Remington “expand into new markets.” Before joining Remington as COO in February of 2008, Torbeck held various positions at General Electric beginning in 1978. He was vice president of operations of GE Industrial from 2006 to 2008.
February 14th, 2009
To celebrate Presidents’ Day, this Sunday’s lineup of guests on Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk® radio show will be all presidents and CEOs of big companies and organizations in the firearms industry. Currently scheduled to appear on the show are Pete Brownell, president of Brownells; Tommy Millner, president of Remington; Bob Morrison, president of Taurus USA; Lew Danielson, president of Crimson Trace; and, Steve Sanetti, president and CEO of the National Shooting Sports Foundation.
“I thought it would be fun to get a one-day head start on Presidents’ Day by getting some of our own presidents on the show, ” said Tom Gresham, host of the national radio talk show.
Gun Talk Radio, in it’s 14th year of national syndication, is heard coast-to-coast on 66 FM and AM radio stations, on Sirius and XM satellite systems, and is available for download at www.guntalk.com and on Apple’s iTunes Store.
February 13th, 2009
 As most of you know by now, supplies of the most popular reloading components are in high demand. We’re seeing shortages of primers, bullets, and brass. As you might expect, .308 Win and .223 Rem components are selling out quickly. However, we have found some deals on .223 Rem cartridge brass.
MidwayUSA has Winchester-brand .223 Rem brass on sale right now. The price is just $20.99 per hundred — a great deal. The 100-count boxes are MidwayUSA item 1390148099. Unfortunately, the larger 500-ct and 1000-ct lots are sold out.
 Midsouth Shooters Supply has 100-count bags of Remington-brand .223 Rem brass on sale for $27.00, item 050-23089100. If you need large quantities, a 2000-count case of Rem-brand .223 brass, is $515.61, item 050-23089. That’s $0.257 per piece.
Bruno’s Sold Out — In case you wondered about Bruno Shooters Supply, on 2/13 we checked with Amy. She reports Bruno’s is completely sold out of all .223 Rem brass (all manufacturers) at this time.
February 9th, 2009
 The latest editions of Remington’s product catalogs are now available online. You can download the entire 2009 catalog (a 19.5 mb file), or select particular product lines: rifle, shotgun, ammunition, accessories. The Rifle Catalog features all the latest Remington rifles, including the new Model 700 ‘Target Tactical’ model. This 11.75-lb gun boasts a Bell & Carlson composite stock with ergonomic grip and adjustable LOP and cheekpiece. The Target Tactical is offered in .308 Winchester only, with a 26″ hammer-forged 5R barrel with triangular profile. MSRP is $1972.
Complete 2009 Catalog | 2009 Rifles Catalog
Ballistics Data for Dozens of Factory Loads
Remington also has a comprehensive Ballistics Data Sheet with ballistics information for all Remington loaded ammo — from 17 Fireball all the way up to the 45/70 Government. Even if you don’t use factory-loaded ammo, this is a very useful resource that allows you to quickly compare velocities, energy, wind drift, and drop among a wide variety of cartridges. Which shoots flatter… a .204 Ruger or a 22-250? Remington’s Ballistics Data Sheet provides a quick, reliable answer. Info is laid out in tables, with color coding for different bullet types.
CLICK HERE to download Ballistics INFO
January 17th, 2009
In October, we published a preliminary report on the new 30 Remington AR cartridge, complete with diagrams and factory load specs.
At SHOT 2009, Remington displayed Remington 30AR rifles and factory-loaded ammo. There were no great surprises. This is a short, fat cartridge (.308 bolt-face) that holds about 44 grains of H20. Case size and capacity were pretty much dictated by AR15 magazine dimensions: “According to Outdoor Life columnist John Snow: “DPMS President Randy Luth and Remington’s John Fink (brand manager for the rifle division) … both said that the goal was to look at the AR lower and see how much cartridge they could fit in there.” The Rem 30AR uses a single-stack magazine holding four (4) rounds.
Factory Rem 30AR ammo is loaded with 125gr projectiles running about 2800 fps. While the 0.267 BC for those bullets is pretty low, the cartridge should perform its intended job of harvesting deer just fine. Jason also believes that, if the Remington-brand brass is decent, this cartridge could have real potential in Hunter Benchrest and for subsonic work.
30 Remington AR (30 RAR) Specifications
| Case Capacity |
Rim
Diam. |
Parent Cases |
Shoulder |
Factory Load |
Mag Type |
| 44.0gr H20 |
0.473″
.308 bolt face |
.450 Bushmaster
.284 Winchester |
25° |
125gr SP or
125 B-Tip
2800 fps
0.267 BC |
4-Round
Single Stack |
December 20th, 2008
 Minnesotan Stan Ware is an extremely knowledgeable gunsmith, known for his precise machine work and attention to detail. When you have work done by Stan, you know he will “sweat the details” to ensure that everything is assembled to the correct, precise tolerances. Stan is also a successful benchrest competitor, shooting in score matches, and Hunter Benchrest matches using his innovative short-neck Wolf Pup wildcat.
Stan recently received a Remington 40X receiver from a customer on the West Coast. Supposedly, the action had been “trued” by a California gunsmith (who shall remain nameless), who also fitted (using the term loosely) a PT&G replacement bolt. To be brutally honest, the California gunsmith butchered the job, and Stan Ware was called in to “save the day.”
Stan looked over the 40X action carefully and was able to determine flaws in the truing work and serious problems with the way the replacement bolt was fitted and the bolt handle attached. Faulty work by the California smith resulted in a myriad of problems — the bolt timing was off, the bolt was headspacing on the handle (not the lugs), the bolt was not camming correctly, the lugs were lapped improperly and they were not bearing correctly inside the action. All in all, this action needed major surgery. In the videos below, Stan explains how he diagnosed the problems, and he illustrates the work he did to restore the 40X to a safe, functioning condition.
Moral of the story? When you have action work to do, go to a respected smith like Stan Ware (SGR Custom Rifles), rather than some local “gun plumber” who may mess up the action big-time, leaving it downright dangerous. Watch the videos below, and you’ll be amazed at the problems that Stan had to correct.
Part 1 — Diagnosing the Problems
Stan explains: “We recently received this action to be fixed. Because the bolt is such a good example of what the things you want to avoid, I put together this video. It’s a great example of what happens when the bolt is out of time or not in the correct position.”
Part 2 — Fixing the Lugs
According to Stan, “We encountered some more problems after machining the bolt handle off and installing the new Kiff bolt. We found that the lugs were lapped at a angle and that we were loosing cam as we rotated the bolt. So, we decided to go back in and re-cut the integral lugs and true the bolt lugs.”
Part 3 — Final Bolt Installation
Stan notes: “Here we show you what was done to correct the bolt that was not installed correctly. The Kiff bolt (Pacific Tool & Gauge) is a good system and laid out well. I would recommend it to anyone that wants to accurize his 700 Action.”
November 2nd, 2008
Remington has finally wised up to the fact that today’s shooters want more options in factory ammunition, particularly for varmint and match rifles. Sure there will always be .223 Rem and .308 Win ammo buyers. But many shooters are also interested in the “Twenties” and in efficient, accuracy cartridges like the 6mmBR and 6.5 Grendel. And shouldn’t Remington consider making ammo for a long-range precision cartridge such as the 6.5-284?
You can help Remington pick the new cartridges for which Remington will load factory ammunition. Vote in Remington’s online poll. The cartridge choices are: 17 Hornet, 20 VarTarg, 6×45 (6-223 Rem), 22 BR, and 6mm BR. Hmmm, having USA-made 6BR factory ammo — that’s definitely appealing. And we think there would be a market for 20 Vartarg ammo as well. Click the link below to visit Remington’s website. There you can cast your vote for your favorite new ammo types.
CLICK HERE to visit Remington Calibers Poll Page
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