How a Remington Model 700 Rifle Works | Operation and Field Strip | World of Guns

Wikipedia: The Remington Model 700 is a series of bolt-action centerfire rifles manufactured by Remington Arms since 1962. It is a development of the Remington 721 and 722 series of rifles, which were introduced in 1948. The M24 and M40 military sniper rifles, used by the US Army and Marine Corps, respectively, are both based on the Model 700 design.

The Remington 700 series rifles often come with a 3-, 4- or 5-round internal magazine depending on the caliber chambered, some of which have a hinged floor-plate for quick unloading, and some of which are "blind" (with no floor-plate). The rifle can also be ordered with a detachable box magazine. The Model 700 is available in many different stock, barrel and caliber configurations, with many third-party and aftermarket variants in the market built on the same action footprint. From 1978 to 1982, Remington offered the Sportsman 78 which is the same model 700 action but with cheaper features such as a plain stock without checkering. The Sportsman 78 was not included in the recall that affected the trigger group.

After World War II, Remington Arms engineer Mike Walker began designing lower-cost alternatives to the Model 30, which resulted in the Model 721. These used a cylindrical receiver produced from cylindrical bar stock that could be turned on a lathe, rather than machined in a series of milling operations, which significantly reduced the cost of production. In addition, small metal parts, including the bottom metal, were stamped, and the stocks were not finished as highly as older models. Further developments of the basic 721 action under the direction of Walker produced the Model 722 and Model 725, and ultimately in 1962, the Model 700.[1]

Walker sought to increase the accuracy of the rifles, by utilizing tight tolerances in the chamber and bore, a short leade, and a very fast lock time. Like the earlier 721, the Remington 700 action was designed for mass production.[2] Remington initially produced two variants of the Model 700, the ADL and BDL, in both long- and short-action rifles that allowed for the chambering of different cartridges. In 1969, Remington introduced several upgrades for the rifle, including a longer rear bolt shroud, a jeweled bolt and improved stock finishing. Four years later, production of left-handed versions of the rifle began, to compete with the Savage Model 110, which was at that time the only major rifle manufactured with a left-handed variant. Other versions of the rifle, including the titanium receiver 700ti, the 700 SPS (which replaced the ADL in 2005), and the CDL have since been introduced. In addition to its development as a hunting rifle, the Model 700 also provided the basis for military and police sniper rifles, starting with the M40 rifle in 1966, which was initially ordered by the United States Marine Corps. The US Army adopted the M24 Sniper Weapon System in 1986.[3]