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Remington’s new Model 783 is a simple rifle, with blued metal and an injection-molded stock. Manufactured at Remington’s Mayfield, Kentucky, plant, the 783 is engineered with ease of manufacturing in mind.
It is meant to fill the gap between the Model 770 and the Model 700 SPS bolt-action rifles in price point with its $451 SRP, which will probably translate to a price tag of around $399 in the real world.
I shot an early sample of the rifle last fall at the 2012 Remington Gun Writer’s seminar. The .30/06 functioned perfectly and seemed to be accurate. While that was not the place to do a thorough range test, the groups I shot ran about 1 ½ inches. That’s good accuracy from any factory gun today at any price.
Four Calibers
The 783 is going to be offered in three action sizes and four calibers. In addition to .30/06, Remington is making the rifles in .270 Win., .308 Win., and 7mm Rem. Mag.
All of the 783 rifles use what Remington calls the Premium Magnum Contour Barrel, which means they have a slightly heavy, sporter weight, button-rifled barrel. Barrel length is 22 inches for the .270 Win., .308 Win., and .30/06 Springfield; these rifles weigh 7 1⁄8 pounds. The 7mm Rem. Mag. rifle has a 24-inch barrel and weighs 7 ¼ pounds.
Round Receiver
The receiver is cylindrical, which makes it easier to machine and that keeps cost down. The 783 uses a minimum-size ejection port that is kept small to maintain metal in the action and increase rigidity. The receiver is attached to the barrel with a barrel nut. This is an inexpensive way to make the rifle while maintaining the head spacing dimension.
The two-lug bolt features an extractor fitted into a slot milled in the front of the right lug. It slides back and forth in this slot, held in place with a spring-loaded ball bearing that fits into a deep detent in the back of the extractor. The ejector is a spring-loaded plunger in the face of the bolt.
The injection-molded stock uses a pillar-bedded system to bed the action, while the barrel is completely free-floated. The stock has molded-in sling swivel attachment studs and a Remington SuperCell recoil pad. The magazine is a metal, detachable-box style that holds four standard cartridges or three magnum cartridges.
Adjustable Trigger
Remington’s new CrossFire trigger system is pre-set at the factory at 3.5 pounds and is consumer-adjustable. This trigger has a center-mounted “trigger release” lever much like the Savage AccuTrigger. It’s a simple, ingenious way to solve a problem that has plagued gun manufacturers since the invention of lawyers: how to make an inexpensive but safe trigger that doesn’t require weight training to operate.
The two-position safety does not lock the bolt shut, which is one of the very few criticisms I have of the 783. Although it does allow the bolt to be opened and the gun unloaded while the safety is in the on position, it also allows the bolt to open inadvertently in the field. This gun could be improved greatly with a three-position, bolt-locking safety.
The rifle uses two Model 700 front scope bases, one in front and the other in the rear. Weaver sells the bases individually, so it’ll be easy for shooters to get one scoped up and to the range.