Remington 30

     Notes: This rifle is basically an M-1917 Enfield rebuilt slightly to make it acceptable to civilians.  This was mainly a finish change, but also included changes in caliber and a half-pistol-grip stock.  The initial chamberings were the native .30-06 Springfield and several proprietary cartridges.  In 1932, the Model 30A appeared; this completely replaced the Remington proprietary chamberings with more normal ones, and introduced drilling and tapping for a telescopic sight.  The initial Model 30 also had a carbine version, with a 20-inch barrel.

Remington 30S

     Notes: Though based on the standard Remington 30, the Model 30S is a different rifle, firing different cartridges, having a stock with an improved shape with a recoil pad on the butt, using better barrel bedding, and having different sights.  The 7mm Mauser chambering was introduced for European sales, though it was abandoned once World War 2 started; the 7.65mm Mauser was made for sales to South America, where the cartridge was popular at the time.  The remaining chamberings continued until 1940, when the design was ended.

Remington 504

     Notes: This rifle was designed to compete with the Ruger 77/22, to be an “adult’s rimfire rifle.”  It is basically a rimfire rifle built to the same standards as Remington’s larger-caliber rifles, with a receiver machined from a solid steel block, a match-quality chrome-molt steel barrel with a crowned muzzle, a fully adjustable trigger, and a fine-grain oil-finished walnut stock.  The Model 504 is built to very tight tolerances, and the stock has a rubber recoil pad.  There are no iron sights, but the Model 504 is drilled and tapped for a scope.  It is considered an accurate rifle that is very pleasant to shoot.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This rifle does not exist.

Remington 541-T

     Notes: This rifle has been around since 1972, when it was known as the Model 541-S Custom.  The 541-S Custom was built until 1984, when it was replaced by the improved and modified Model 541-T.  The Model 541-T is a bolt-action rimfire rifle with a stock of walnut and a fore-end of mahogany.  It has no iron sights, but the receiver is drilled and tapped for a telescopic sight.  A variant is the Model 541-T HB (Heavy Barrel); this version has a target-quality heavy barrel which improves its range somewhat at the cost of a little more weight.

Remington 580

     Notes: Derived from the earlier Model 540, the Model 580 was a rimfire rifle produced from 1967-78.  The stock was made from plain hardwood and used a low Monte Carlo comb.  The fore-end was rounded and large, as was the pistol grip wrist, leading to excellent handling.  The trigger guard was large enough to put a gloved finger into it.  They had spring-leaf and elevator rear sights, and were also equipped with a rail atop the receiver for telescopic sight mounts.  The standard Model 580 had a 24-inch barrel and fired .22 Short, .22 Long, and .22 Long Rifle ammunition interchangeably. 

     Variants included the Model 580BR Boy’s Rifle, which had a slightly shorter stock and was produced from 1971-78.  The Model 581 was a magazine-fed version of the Model 580; a left-handed version was also built, in rather small numbers.  It too could interchangeably fire .22 Short, .22 Long, and .22 Long Rifle, but all the cartridges in the magazine had to be of the same type of ammunition to prevent feed problems.  It was produced alongside the Model 580 and outlasted it, built until 1983.  The Model 581S is externally almost identical to the Model 581, but uses a smaller 5-round magazine, a hardwood stock finished to look like walnut, and a tapering fore-end.  The Model 582 is a Model 580 fed by a full-length tubular magazine, produced from 1967-83.  The Model 591 was a short-lived variation; it was chambered for the unusual 5mm Remington Magnum Rimfire cartridge and had plastic cap on the deep pistol grip wrist.  The Model 592 was a tubular magazine-fed version of the Model 591.

Remington 600

     Notes: This is a short, carbine-length rifle designed as a brush gun.  They use an action derived from the Model 700, with the bolt handle angled so that it will clear the trigger guard.  They have a sighting rib above the barrel.  Variants include the Model 600 Magnum, with a 20-inch barrel, four-round magazine, and chambered for one of two magnum rounds; the Model 660, which eliminated the sighting rib (which was deemed by most buyers to be ugly), and the Model 660 Magnum.  The last two are identical to the first two for game purposes.

Remington 673 Guide Rifle

     Notes: This weapon was produced in response to consumer demand for “a carbine with real power.”  It is designed around the Remington Seven action, with a stock reminiscent of the Remington 600, and a ventilated sighting rib above the barrel similar to that of the Remington 600, in addition to a fully adjustable rear sight and a triangular front sight called by Remington a “shark fin” pattern.  It is a medium-barreled rifle in unusual, but powerful calibers, with the barrel being heavy for extra accuracy and to provide strength for its powerful calibers.  It is made as lightly as possible without sacrificing strength or esthetics.  The Model 673 has a thick rubber recoil pad, and adjustable iron sights as well as scope rings and a sighting rib.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: This weapon does not exist.

Remington 700

     Notes: This weapon is a civilian bolt-action hunting rifle. A modified version is used as the M-40 sniper rifle by the US Marines, and a highly modified version is the M-24 SWS used by the US Army.  It is considered a "workhorse'' hunting rifle and has seen use from Alaska to South Africa. 

     The Remington 700 chambered for .358 Taylor is a special case.  The .358 Taylor is essentially a wildcat magnum round, and the Remington 700BDL variants which fire them are made personally by Chuck Taylor; there are probably less than 5 of them as of 2005, as they were built primarily to test the .358 Taylor round.  The barrel used is a 26-inch Douglas Supreme barrel, which is step-crowned and heavy for extra accuracy.  The stock is a matte gray H-S Precision synthetic stock.  The trigger is a Rifle Basix adjustable trigger (which Chuck Taylor normally sets at 1.75 pounds).  The butt pad is rubber and is solid and textured to prevent slippage.  It is drilled and tapped for a scope (Chuck Taylor uses a Leupold Vari-X III Tactical 3.5-10x50mm, but this is not included in the price below).  Note that the weight listed below is an estimate; if you know what the actual weight of the Taylor Remington 700 is, let me know.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The Taylor Remington 700 does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Remington 700 ABG

     Notes: The Model 700 ABG (African Big Game) is basically a version of the Model 700 designed for powerful cartridges and somewhat more heavily built than the standard Model 700.  The barrel is longer than normal at 26 inches, and the magazine is detachable (though small).  The receiver is drilled and tapped for a telescopic sight, but the Model 700 ABG also has an adjustable folding rear leaf sight and a protected bead front sight.  The stock is of laminated hardwood, with a thick rubber recoil pad.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Not introduced until 2001, this rifle does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Remington 700 APR

     Notes: Predecessor of the ABG, the APR (African Plains Rifle) is also designed for big game hunting.  It was introduced in 1994, and is (like the ABG) sold only through the Remington Custom Shop.  Like most of the Remington 700 magnum line, the barrel length is 26 inches, and the receiver and barrel are heavily made to withstand the pressures of magnum cartridges.  The stock is of laminated hardwood (in light or dark colors), and has a thick rubber recoil pad.  The Model 700 APR has no iron sights, but is drilled and tapped for a scope mount.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The following chamberings are not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline: 7mm Remington UltraMag, .300 Remington UltraMag, .338 Remington UltraMag, .375 Remington UltraMag.  The other chamberings are rare.

Remington 700 AWR

     Notes: This rifle, launched in 1994, was also sold only through the Remington Custom Shop.  The AWR (Alaskan Wilderness Rifle) is similar in concept to the Remington 700 ABG and APR, but optimized for hunting in North America.  To cope with what are often cold and wet climate conditions, the AWR has a stainless steel barrel and receiver which was matte blued until 2000; after that, the standard finish was dull black Teflon.  The stock is made from a carbon fiber/Kevlar mix.  The barrel is shorter than most magnum-firing Remington 700s at 24 inches, but this helps, along with the synthetic stock, with keeping the weight down.  The exception to this is the 7mm Remington UltraMag and .375 Remington UltraMag chamberings; these two have 26-inch barrels.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The following chamberings do not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline: 7mm STW, 7mm Remington UltraMag, .300 Remington UltraMag, .338 Remington UltraMag, .375 Remington UltraMag.

Remington 700 BDL

     Notes: The Model 700 BDL has been around since 1962, when it was introduced as a rifle with iron sights in the scout position, and drilling and tapping to allow scopes to be mounted in the standard or scout position.  However, production of the original versions of the BDL changed greatly in the revision of the BDL in the early 2000s. It appeared over time in a plethora of calibers, though the 6.5mm Remington Magnum and .350 Remington Magnum were produced only in 1969, the .264 Winchester Magnum chambering was discontinued in 1971, and 8mm Remington Magnum was discontinued in 1991.  However, several other chamberings were added from 1988-1993.  The original BDL is known for its fine-quality wood furniture, which is laminated with a weatherproofing varnish and has hand-cut checkering on its pistol grip wrist and fore-end.  The BDL is fitted with a magazine, accessed via a hinged floorplate under the magazine compartment; however, rounds are loaded conventionally through the action.  The buttplate, pistol grip wrist cap, and the fore-end tip (made of contrasting wood) are all separated from the rest of the stock by a thin white spacer.  Barrels for standard calibers were 22 inches; magnum chamberings used a 24-inch barrel.  The metalwork was for the most part blued, but until the early 1970s, certain chamberings (.264 Winchester Magnum, 7mm Remington Magnum, and .300 Winchester Magnum) were offered with a polished stainless steel barrel.  A left-handed version was introduced in 1973, chambered only for .270 Winchester, 7mm Remington Magnum, or .30-06 Springfield; later, the left-hander was also available in .22-250 Winchester, .243 Winchester, and .338 Winchester Magnum.  Except for their left-handed orientation, these rifles are identical for game purposes to their right-handed counterparts.

     Variants of the BDL Include the Model 700 BDL DM, which is for the most part the same as the standard Model 700 BDL.  This version was introduced in 1995.  The Model 700 BDL DM has a detachable magazine and a raised Monte Carlo stock, and the lamination has a gloss finish.  Chamberings are more restricted, and the weight is a bit different, but for game purposes, the BDL DM otherwise shoots like a BDL (with the exception of the model firing .300 Weatherby Magnum, which has no standard BDL counterpart).  The Model 700 BDL European had a short production run from 1993-95; Europeans did not take a shine to the rifle, though some others were sold in the US, Canada, and Mexico.  It is for the most identical to the standard Model 700 BDL, but has a high-glass oil finish for the stock and furniture, and chamberings were limited to .243 Winchester, .270 Winchester, 7mm-08 Remington, .30-06 Springfield, and 7mm Remington Magnum.  The Model 700 BDL European performs identically to the standard Model 700 BDL of the appropriate caliber for game purposes.  The Model 700 BDL SS is also a similar weapon to the basic BDL, but has metalwork of matte stainless steel, a synthetic stock, and all chamberings have a 24-inch barrel; it shoots identically to the BDL DM except for the .270 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield chamberings, which have different characteristics than the Model 700 BDL DM in the same caliber due to the use of a 24-inch barrel as opposed to a 22-inch barrel.  The stock has a raised cheekpiece, but a straight comb.  The Model 700 SS-DM is the same weapon, but magazine-fed, and otherwise shoots identically for game purposes to Model 700 BDL SS. The Model 700 SS-DM-B uses exclusively magnum chamberings and has a barrel tipped by a muzzle brake.

     The Model 700 BDL stopped production for a little over a year in the early 2000s.  When it reappeared, it was similar in appearance to the old BDL; however, in many ways, it was radically changed.  The BDL line had been tightened and unified.  The stock remained of American Walnut, but with a high-glass finish.  The fore-end cap is of ebony, the stock was given a Monte Carlo comb, and the fore-end and pistol grip wrist were given excellent skipline cut checkering.  The metalwork is deeply blued, with a slight gloss.  There is no detachable magazine, but the internal magazine has a hinged floorplate.  The rear sight is adjustable and the front sight is hooded; the rear sight is in the scout position.  The new BDL uses the X-Mark Pro trigger pack, allowing the shooter to adjust the trigger for pull weight (factory pull weight is 3.5 pounds, but it can be adjusted 2 pounds either way).  The trigger pack also produces a trigger pull with no creep and an even break.  The receiver is machined from solid bar-stock, and the new BDL has Remington’s “three rings of steel” bolt face and lockup.  The barrel is a floating barrel with a target crown; .270 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield use a 22-inch barrel, 7mm Remington UltraMag and .300 Remington UltraMag use a 26-inch barrel, and the other chamberings use a 24-inch barrel.  It should be noted that on Remington’s web site (as of the time I write this, early February 2012), only .243 Winchester, .270 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, 7mm Remington Magnum, and .300 Remington UltraMag are listed as “Current;” the other chamberings are listed as “Discontinued.”

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The original versions of the Model 700 BDL are available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.  The Model 700 BDL DM is also available, though it is a very rare version.  The New Model 700 BDLs are, however, not available in the Twilight 2000 timeline.