There are a lot of Remington 700 rifles out there. Some are well-loved deer guns that have lost their edge after years of shooting, and some are project rifles waiting for a reason to get finished. Wilson Combat now has a new option for both.
As reported by Shooting Sports USA on Oct. 17, Wilson Combat has launched a line of match-grade replacement barrels built for Remington 700-pattern actions. The headline feature is fit. Wilson says the barrels will go on the rifle you already own, and Shooting Sports USA put it plainly: no “dragging a new stock into the deal.”
What you get
According to the report, each barrel starts as a honed 416R stainless steel blank. It is button rifled and stress relieved twice, once at the mill and again after rifling. Stress relieving helps a barrel hold its shape as it heats up, which can help keep groups tight through a string of shots.
The launch lineup is short:
- .308 Winchester: 20-inch barrel, 1:10 twist
- 6.5 Creedmoor: 20-inch barrel, 1:8 twist
- 6.5 Creedmoor: 22-inch barrel, 1:8 twist
Every barrel has a recessed crown and a 5/8×24-threaded muzzle for a brake, flash hider or suppressor. The caliber and twist rate are engraved on the muzzle. The standard finish is a belt-polished satin, and Wilson’s Armor-Tuff coating is optional. Shooting Sports USA lists the price at $399.95 per barrel. The barrels are available now through Wilson Combat and its dealers, with .25 Creedmoor and .22 Creedmoor versions said to be coming.
Why the contour matters
When a lot of shooters rebarrel a rifle, the new barrel is a different shape than the old one. That often means opening up the stock’s barrel channel or buying a new stock or chassis, and the cost adds up fast.
Wilson says these barrels follow Remington’s factory contour from the shank forward. Per the report, they should fit an existing factory stock or chassis, aftermarket synthetic stocks, and walnut blanks cut to the same profile, with no inletting needed. For the hunter with a 700 in a stock he or she already likes, that is a real savings.
This is a gunsmith job
One important detail: these are not true “drop-in” barrels that you spin on at the kitchen table. Shooting Sports USA reports that the chambers are cut and left ready for final headspacing, and that a gunsmith is needed for installation. Headspace is the critical dimension that keeps a cartridge properly supported in the chamber. If it’s wrong, the rifle can be unsafe. Plan on a trip to a qualified gunsmith and budget for the labor on top of the barrel price.
Who should consider one
GUN Crusade’s take: This makes the most sense for three kinds of shooters:
- Owners of a 700 with a worn or shot-out barrel who want to keep the action, trigger and stock they already trust.
- Hunters who want to switch an older .308 or similar 700 over to 6.5 Creedmoor, or the other way around, without starting over.
- Shooters who want a threaded, suppressor-ready barrel on a rifle that did not come that way. (Check your state and local laws on suppressors and muzzle devices first.)
If your rifle still shoots well, there is no need to fix what is not broken. But if accuracy has slipped and you have ruled out the scope, the mounts and the ammo, a quality barrel from a known maker is one of the best upgrades you can buy. Talk with your gunsmith about whether your action is a good candidate. You can find full specs and photos at wilsoncombat.com.
