I have a .243 and a 25-06 in a Remington 700 bdl heavy barrel. My dad had both of these guns before I was born('79). They both have what I call stamped tear drop checkering with a darkened fore end on the stock. They both have the tiny screws halfway down the barrel, I presume for the Lyman or unertl scope bases. What years were this style 700 offered? They both shoot excellent and was wanting a little history on this style.
Old rem. 700 heavy barrel
- Thread starter Sunklands
- Start date
.
You most likely have Remington 700 Varmint Specials, made from 1967-94.
There should be 2 Remington Date Code Letters stamped into the LH rear side of their bbls, which will reveal the DOM.
Month Codes: [first letter]
B - L - A - C - K - P - O - W - D - E - R - X
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12
Year:______Code: [second letter]
1967_______ P
1968_______ R
1969_______ S
1970_______ T
1971_______ U
1972_______ W
1973_______ X
1974_______ Y
1975_______ Z
1976_______ I
1977_______ O
1978_______ Q
1979_______ V
1980_______ A
1981_______ B
1982_______ C
1983_______ D
1984_______ E
1985_______ F
1986_______ G
1987_______ H
1988_______ I
1989_______ J
1990_______ K
1991_______ L
1992_______ M
1993_______ N
1994_______ O
EXAMPLE: Date Code "L Y" = Feb 1974
Of their half-dozen chamberings, the .25-06 was the only one made with the M700 long-action, the rest being made on the M700 short action.
.
You most likely have Remington 700 Varmint Specials, made from 1967-94.
There should be 2 Remington Date Code Letters stamped into the LH rear side of their bbls, which will reveal the DOM.
Month Codes: [first letter]
B - L - A - C - K - P - O - W - D - E - R - X
1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12
Year:______Code: [second letter]
1967_______ P
1968_______ R
1969_______ S
1970_______ T
1971_______ U
1972_______ W
1973_______ X
1974_______ Y
1975_______ Z
1976_______ I
1977_______ O
1978_______ Q
1979_______ V
1980_______ A
1981_______ B
1982_______ C
1983_______ D
1984_______ E
1985_______ F
1986_______ G
1987_______ H
1988_______ I
1989_______ J
1990_______ K
1991_______ L
1992_______ M
1993_______ N
1994_______ O
EXAMPLE: Date Code "L Y" = Feb 1974
Of their half-dozen chamberings, the .25-06 was the only one made with the M700 long-action, the rest being made on the M700 short action.
.
Last edited:
Jerry45, you're confusing the date code with the serial number. The date code is stamped on the left rear of the barrel and covered by the stock. You have to remove the barreled action to see it. Of course, the date code is only on the original barrel so, if the gun has been re-barreled all bets are off.
Last edited:
I have one made in 12/75 in 223 that I used in a LE Counter/Sniper role.
Totally unmodified except for putting a Redfield Widefield Fixed 6X scope. It was the top of the list from the USAMU rifles for LE sniping based on their Sniper/Counter Sniper Guide and taught in their sniper school.
Still extremely accurate. Use to play with it when I was running sniper schools. Even jumped with it a time or two on Guard Drills, held up well and holds a zero. Sighted it in for 250 yards and could hit head size targets to 300 yards with no problem. I used military M193 ball.
Didn't have the internet back then to tell my 5.56 would blow up in a 223.
Totally unmodified except for putting a Redfield Widefield Fixed 6X scope. It was the top of the list from the USAMU rifles for LE sniping based on their Sniper/Counter Sniper Guide and taught in their sniper school.
Still extremely accurate. Use to play with it when I was running sniper schools. Even jumped with it a time or two on Guard Drills, held up well and holds a zero. Sighted it in for 250 yards and could hit head size targets to 300 yards with no problem. I used military M193 ball.
Didn't have the internet back then to tell my 5.56 would blow up in a 223.
Hunter Customs
New member
PetahW
Thanks for posting the info on manufacture dates.
I do have a question, it looks like both 1976 and 1988 is using the letter I is that correct?
Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
Thanks for posting the info on manufacture dates.
I do have a question, it looks like both 1976 and 1988 is using the letter I is that correct?
Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
Here is a diagram that helps understand how to read the date codes.
There were a couple of years, 1990 and 91 I believe, where Remington did not date stamp their guns. This works on shotguns too as long as it is the original barrel.
http://remingtonsociety.com/rsa/questions/barrelcodes
There were a couple of years, 1990 and 91 I believe, where Remington did not date stamp their guns. This works on shotguns too as long as it is the original barrel.
http://remingtonsociety.com/rsa/questions/barrelcodes
Kraigwy, that's looks real similar to the .243 and .25-06, but my checkering is a tear drop shape. These guns are so well balanced and smooth, with a great trigger. I shoot a 70gr. Sierra match hp for coyotes in the .243. I would like to find a straight 10x for it. It's over kill but I shoot some ground hogs with it out of my soybean fields. I hear guys all the time talk about how good their new custom rifles shoot but most of the time I can do anything they can with a 44 year old rifle and a 35 year old scope. These two guns and my dad are what helped me achieve the confidence to shoot accurately at long range, before heavy barrel guns were the norm.
Last edited:
Hunter Customs said:
Yes, Bob , correct - but the "I" isn't the only letter repeated.
I only pasted a partial listing of years, that covered when the OP's particular version of the M700 was made.
The link jmr40 posted has all years.
IDK why Remington did it that way, with only 26 letters/years to work with, & some model's production runs going well beyond that many years - but, it is what it is.
.
Hunter Customs
New member
PetahW and jmr40 thanks for the info.
I have a heavy barrel Remington 243 and it is a tack driver.
I knew the rifle was made in the 70's, using the info that was posted it looks like mine was manufactured in November of 1976.
Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
I have a heavy barrel Remington 243 and it is a tack driver.
I knew the rifle was made in the 70's, using the info that was posted it looks like mine was manufactured in November of 1976.
Best Regards
Bob Hunter
www.huntercustoms.com
steveNChunter
New member
I have a varmint special in 6mm rem, and as others have said about theirs, it's a tack driver. I load 60 gr Sierra hollow points over H335 for it now, but its not picky and I've had great accuracy with it with bullets from 60 to 100 gr. I get consistent dime sized groups at 100 yards with it and I'm not the best shooter. The varmint special was definitely made to higher standards than the current 700. If your's locks the bolt in place with the safety on I think that indicates its a pre-'82, as long as it has the original trigger. If you can work the bolt with the safety on, it was made in '82 or later. I think '82 was the year for that changeover if my memory serves me correctly. But the barrel code is the best way to tell, as long as you have the original barrel on it.
Last edited:
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
great thread... I have several 700's that we got from my FIL, & I've never dated them, so thanks for posting the key...
BTW,,, KRAIG... I have an identical rifle, right down to the fixed power 6X Redfield...
was that packaged that way for LEO use or ??? I don't know when or where my FIL got it, but he was buddy's with, & has several guns that belonged to a Highway Patrol buddy who won a lot of state shooting championships...
I was considering changing out the scope to a modern 4-12, but if it might have some collectability as it is, maybe I should leave it ???
BTW,,, KRAIG... I have an identical rifle, right down to the fixed power 6X Redfield...
was that packaged that way for LEO use or ??? I don't know when or where my FIL got it, but he was buddy's with, & has several guns that belonged to a Highway Patrol buddy who won a lot of state shooting championships...
I was considering changing out the scope to a modern 4-12, but if it might have some collectability as it is, maybe I should leave it ???
Hard to say, back then post Vietnam (early 70-80s) the Army Marksmanship Unit was about the only one conducting sniper schools. Even the Secret Service, FBI and several departments got there start there. Even the Marines sent future instructors to the AMU. Even now the SEALs use the AMU for the marksmanship phase of their sniper school (Read "The Red Circle" by Brandon Webb)
To get into the school you had to convince them you were going back to your unit/department and start a sniper program.
They presented a list of choices, for rifles, ammo, scopes, etc. If you picked the top of each list the Remington 700 Varmint, in 223, with the fixed 6X scope would have been the choice.
The idea was a cop would almost never have to shoot over 300 yards. You sighted the gun in at 250 yards, aim for the mouth/nose area you could make head shots out to 300 yards with little effort. That theory works.
Any way that's why and how set mine up. That was a long time ago, I still have it, it still shoots, makes one heck of a PD gun. (Which is how the AMU suggested LE Sniper Training, that being shooting varmints.
But that was before cops had to have fancy multi-thousand dollar 50 cal Barrets and 338 Lupy's for inter-city sniping. Talk about that gun as a sniper rifle in some of the "sniper" forums and you'd be laughed at and written off as some sort of idiot. I know that from experience.
Magnum Wheel Man
New member
thanks for the info... my FIL was good buddys with this Highway Patrolman, & as a result, we now own 3 or 4 of his guns... & I have records of his reloads in 22-250, 223, & 357 magnum...
I did not know that / if he got the 223 Remy from his buddy, as he had several 700's already... I initially just though he had it as he often went out & shot P-doggies, some times for 2 weeks straight... I know he took his 17 Remington out, as that barrel was shot out... I never went out with him, so I don't recall what rifles he took out with him, but I know he reloaded 1,000 rounds of 223, & came back a week later, & a buddy wanted to go, so he reloaded another 1,000, & went out again the next week, these were all 223 rounds... ( he collected varmint caliber guns, so he had many )
it seems uncanny that he would have purchased new, the set up, just like yours...
I've never actually shot the rifle... but was planning on it this summer ( if it ever stops raining long enough for me to get caught up with my chores ) I pretty much assumed he took it dogging, & that I'd end up changing out the barrel on that, like I did on the 17... but if it was a special rifle to him, & he never took it out, maybe it shoots good ???
BTW... I've never checked, what was the twist rate on these rifles??? I assume slower, so they maybe stabilize 55 grain bullets but don't do well with heavier ones ??? or did the AMU pick this rifle, because it worked well with the 62-65 grain the Army was using ???
I did not know that / if he got the 223 Remy from his buddy, as he had several 700's already... I initially just though he had it as he often went out & shot P-doggies, some times for 2 weeks straight... I know he took his 17 Remington out, as that barrel was shot out... I never went out with him, so I don't recall what rifles he took out with him, but I know he reloaded 1,000 rounds of 223, & came back a week later, & a buddy wanted to go, so he reloaded another 1,000, & went out again the next week, these were all 223 rounds... ( he collected varmint caliber guns, so he had many )
it seems uncanny that he would have purchased new, the set up, just like yours...
I've never actually shot the rifle... but was planning on it this summer ( if it ever stops raining long enough for me to get caught up with my chores ) I pretty much assumed he took it dogging, & that I'd end up changing out the barrel on that, like I did on the 17... but if it was a special rifle to him, & he never took it out, maybe it shoots good ???
BTW... I've never checked, what was the twist rate on these rifles??? I assume slower, so they maybe stabilize 55 grain bullets but don't do well with heavier ones ??? or did the AMU pick this rifle, because it worked well with the 62-65 grain the Army was using ???
They are 1:12 and shoot the 55s just fine, but if you really want to get down and dirty use the 52 gr match bullets loaded with 25 gr of 3031, that's what the Army used to test or as a control on their 5.56 Mann Devices.
The AMU suggested the M193's (55 gr mil. FMJ ball), that's what I used. That was before the 62-65 stuff came out.
I was running a sniper school for a department that used 64 grn Speer. They gave me a couple cases to work with before the school.
It's OK but doesn't shoot near as good as the 55 & under stuff.