As the nation’s oldest gun manufacturer, Remington had a sterling reputation for producing quality firearms at a reasonable price. The company thrived, but when it introduced its Model 700 in 1962, the bolt-action’s performance at the range, on the battlefield and on countless opening days further solidified the company’s legendary status.

Sportsmen, particularly those pursuing backcountry game that required long hikes or fatiguing changes in elevation, longed for that performance in a lighter package, though. Remington answered their demand in 1983 with the introduction of the Model Seven, a short-action bolt rifle with distinct Model 700 lineage.

There were five chamberings available that first year: .222 Rem., .243 Win., 7 mm-08 Rem., 6 mm Rem. and .308 Win. With 18″, free-floated barrels, they weighed in at roughly 6 lbs., four ozs. Stocks were all checkered American walnut, and each could hold four cartridges above the hinged floorplate. The .222 Rem. model was the exception. It held five.

A .223 Rem. Model 7 was introduced in 1984, and the .222 Rem. chambering was dropped from the line the next year. In 1987, Remington managed to reduce overall weigh even further—to 5 lbs., 4 ozs.—with a fiberglass-stocked version reinforced with Kevlar. The demand was brisk enough that the firm’s custom shop began offering variations on synthetic models the same year.

Enthusiasts were buying Model Sevens, and the company offered a wide variety from which to choose during the bolt-action rifle’s run. Today you can find used models with a stainless-steel finish, blued, different barrel lengths, stocks in camo patterns, wood laminates and much more. The short-action rifles were nimble, weighed less and when in a mild-recoiling chambering—like the 7 mm-08 Rem.—considered by many an ideal choice for hunters pursuing big game for the first time.

Remington had no intention of getting rid of the rifle, despite a gloomy financial storm gathering on the horizon. In 2019, the company rolled out the Model Seven Stainless H-S, which wore a hand-laminated carbon-fiber stock created by H-S Precision. Chamberings included .243 Win., 6.5 Creedmoor, 7mm-08 Rem. and .308 Win. It weighed in at 6 lbs., wore a 20″ free-floated barrel, and the most expensive version carried an MSRP of $1,149. They are scarce, but we found one used model for sale this week—asking price for the 6.5 Creedmoor was more than $1,500.

Remington filed its final bankruptcy paperwork in 2020. Despite another firm taking over firearm production—Remington Arms—Model Sevens are no longer made…for now, anyway.

Article by GUY J. SAGI