Odds are good you have at least one in your safe. If so, there’s never been a better time to breath some new life into your old Remington 700. When winter’s cold is minimizes time at the firing line, a couple hours sprucing up an old favorite helps beat the withdrawals.
The company made and sold more than 5 million Remington 700s—making it the most popular bolt-action rifle in history—before it declared bankruptcy in 2020. Corporate greed was the undoing of America’s oldest gunmaker, according to this report from Reuters news wire.
It’s a shame, too, because the craftsman the Ilion, NY, plant knew how to make these tack drivers. Modified gently into the M2010 it served U.S. Army precision shooters well in the Global War on Terrorism, and in civilian form continues to do so in hunting fields and matches.
Thankfully, much of that employee knowledge and skill is back at work at RemArms. Shotguns are rolling out of the plant, but dealers have yet to see a new bolt action—another good reason to breath some new life into your old Remington 700.
No Dramatic Change
My 700 BDL, chambered in 7 mm Rem. Mag., is a tack driver despite the decades of abuse it’s suffered in my 30 years of ownership. It was the rifle I used to take a moose in Newfoundland at distance. The memories behind this rifle are fond ones and the battered Leupold 3-9X VXIII is crystal clear, so I’m avoiding radical change.
The image above is an outtake I didn’t submit with an article for Tactical Retailer magazine. It’s how the rifle looked when I started the project, but when I zoomed in on the photo I noticed tiny cracks in the polymer stock where the receiver anchors.
I thought I had a problem with my lens, but under bright light you could see them with the naked eye. It’s worth inspecting yours carefully if you have a synthetic stock and older model. Odds are good it wouldn’t lead to any catastrophic failure, but it’s winter, firing lines are windy and cold, so why not install a new one?
Warmth of Wood
I decided on a Boyd’s Gunstock. The company’s At-One models have all the features I need, while giving the rifle the warmth of wood.
Installation was a breeze—three bolts, that’s it. I’ll give you a glimpse of how it looks in my next installment. I kept the trusty Leupold, along with the mounts and decided not to upgrade to a removable box magazine. I’m sort of nostalgic that way, as well as superstitious about cartridge count on opening day.
I’ll grab new photos sometime between my assignments in a couple days, but in the meantime take a close look at polymer-stocked 700s you have in your safe. Even if they don’t show the same fatigue as mine, you might still consider breathing some new life into your old Remington 700 with an upgraded stock. It’s good therapy during winter’s long nights.
Thank you for stopping by my modest Internet basecamp. Drop me a note if you have time and I hope you have a wonderful holiday, merry Christmas and glorious, healthy New Year.