Remington 40X--Explain Please

[Dusty Stevens]

What are you getting for $5k?!

A single shot rem 700 that needs truing and a new barrel and trigger to get started

 

[GerryM]

some missing information on he 40 x series. The were assembled in the custom shop of Remington.
They were one of the first if not the only off the shelf benchrest rifles aka 40 xbr.
The one i bought in the 70,s was a fine rifle and very accurate the test target on my 40xbr had the load data.
It was a .169 for a 5 shot group When I shot it for the first time it turned out to be right on the money.
shooting many 100,s and 2.00s
The builders name at the factory was included It was worth every penny'''

 

[urbanrifleman]

If you buy the Stainless Remington 700 action from Bud's Guns it is actually a 40x action. And it is way nicer than a stock Remington 700.

 

[urbanrifleman]

My best action by far is my Remington 40xb custom shop single shot (and I have two of them and the other was completely gone through by one of the best gunsmiths in the country). It is as smooth as any custom action Remington 700 clone I have ever encountered. The bolt is magically timed and it was totally true from the factory (confirmed by my gunsmith). And it just shoots...

 

[urbanrifleman]

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/49420

This action is actually the 40x action used by the custom shop. It is drilled for sights. My buddy has one of his rifles built on one of these and it shoots under 1/4 inch a lot and it wasn't even trued.

 

[Albany Mountain]

I'm not sure when they started the 40x series , but I have one that I received in 1970 in 7.62 nato in the international setup (this is a 24xxxB serial number). The stock was fitted to me but the Gunsmith had huge hands and I believe he fitted the pistol grip to his own hands. I later reshaped the stock to duplicate my Anschuz 1413. He told me that he felt it was the most accurate rifle he had ever had and made the comment (in the world). I know it had been shot in Ft. Benning as a 300m rifle before I got it. I only shot about two 300m position matches with it and a lot of prone and offhand with it. This ten shot group was in the 7.62 168 grain sierra at 100 yards with iron sights, prone with a sling. I rebarrelled it to 6BR with a Bartlein barrel and I think it shoots even better now with 107 Sierras as I have done great things with it in prone mid range shooting. I replaced the 2 oz trigger with an extreme trigger and happy with that (although the 2 oz was great up to the point I removed it.

 

[JKinTX]

Old thread, but. They were originally built on the 722 style action with the straight bolt handle before the 700 came along. I have one in .222 Rem Magnum. Made somewhere around 1961 to 64.

 

[butchlambert]

Old thread, but. They were originally built on the 722 style action with the straight bolt handle before the 700 came along. I have one in .222 Rem Magnum. Made somewhere around 1961 to 64.

You are correct. I have an early one off the 722 and a later one off a 700. Both of mine are rim fires.

 

[bennett ford]

That's a lot of info but no one brought out the biggest difference in the 40X and the standard 700 action.

The mod 700 actions were turned to final dimensions then heat treated. The 40X was heat treated the ground on centers to final dimensions. This was done in the Remington custom shop. the theory was that it made a straighter action.

I don't know if there was any real difference but there were some great scores in many disciplines with factory 40X rifles

 

[davidjoe]

Another thing about them, Bennett, the original barrels have become very comfortable over the decades, right where they are. This one reluctantly gave it up Thursday and is getting a Krieger 5R tomorrow.

The trigger is 100% original and a favorite of mine. My goal is to make the new barrel last as long the the first one did.

One of the things I love about the 700 is that whether 50 years old or 5, the specs didn’t change. A modern Nighforce steel base doesn’t see a difference between them.

 

[GotRDid]

My 4-digit USMC Standard Bbl .22 LR on left, using the 722 style action. A joy to shoot and every bit as accurate as my 40X Heavy Bbl on the 700 style.
GotRDid.

 

[300_whisper]

^ one on the left is gorgeous!!

 

[GotRDid]

^ one on the left is gorgeous!!

She is indeed, even in the shade....


GotRDid.

 

[LHSmith]

Very nice rifle indeed. Unorthodox bag setup. LOL.

 

[GotRDid]

Very nice rifle indeed. Unorthodox bag setup. LOL.

The benches are too low and the seats are too high for my 6’5” height.
Was getting scope zeroed.

 

[LHSmith]

The benches are too low and the seats are too high for my 6’5” height.
Was getting scope zeroed.

BTDT. Sorry, it's a habit to scrutinize others bench set-up in an attempt to keep on learning. The usual response is it was just to get a quick photo. In this case it was out of necessity. There is one IBS venue that I shoot that suffers the same malady. First time there I searched around the clubhouse grounds for a flat board. Since then I try to keep "spacers" in the range box to overcome this problem.

 

[Albany Mountain]

I'm not sure when they started the 40x series , but I have one that I received in 1970 in 7.62 nato in the international setup (this is a 24xxxB serial number). The stock was fitted to me but the Gunsmith had huge hands and I believe he fitted the pistol grip to his own hands. I later reshaped the stock to duplicate my Anschuz 1413. He told me that he felt it was the most accurate rifle he had ever had and made the comment (in the world). I know it had been shot in Ft. Benning as a 300m rifle before I got it. I only shot about two 300m position matches with it and a lot of prone and offhand with it. This ten shot group was in the 7.62 168 grain sierra at 100 yards with iron sights, prone with a sling. I rebarrelled it to 6BR with a Bartlein barrel and I think it shoots even better now with 107 Sierras as I have done great things with it in prone mid range shooting. I replaced the 2 oz trigger with an extreme trigger and happy with that (although the 2 oz was great up to the point I removed it.
View attachment 1103151
View attachment 1103152

Here is a target I shot with it last month. It would have beaten the national record by two X's if it wasn't a team match I shot it in.

 

[jamesdmock]

I measured the back of the receiver on a stainless Rem 700 and a stainless 40-XB. Both measure 1.37 in diameter. Where they differ physically is the barrel contour. The 40-XB barrel contour remains thicker to the muzzle and barrel is longer 27 3/4 for the one I measured vs 24 or 26 in on target Rem 700s.

The Remington website lists the 40-X action as being widely used in Benchrest shooting, is that still the case?

I have shot next to two 40X Remingtons that were very competitive in Benchrest shooting. One belonged to Francis Broussard and it had a Hart barrel installed by Bob Brackney. The other was Bob Brackney's and when I asked what he had done to the rifle, he stated that he had done everything that can be done. He had rebarreled and completely blueprinted the action...including shimming the bolt for a better fit and single point chasing the threads. The next time I saw Bob, he was shooting a Panda. (for whatever that is worth).

 

[wyomike]

It is a solid bottom single shot 700. Nothing special was ever done to them from the REMINGTON custom shop before dakota. They are as untrue as any 700 and need the same attention.

 

[wyomike]

It is a solid bottom single shot 700. Nothing special was ever done to them from the REMINGTON custom shop before dakota. They are as untrue as any 700 and need the same attention.

I bought a Remington single shot action a few years back, when they first came out. Had a Kreiger barrel installed in 6x47 Lapua. I can't tell the difference between it or the few 40x's that I have seen. Some of the guys at our club said there the same action, just stamped 700 instead of 40x???