Remington Arms

Remington Arms started in 1816 when Eliphalet Remington decided he could build a better rifle than what he could buy. He was right. After more than two centuries, a bankruptcy, and a complete ownership change, Remington's two flagship designs--the Model 870 shotgun and Model 700 rifle--remain the most successful firearms in their categories.

The company you're buying from today isn't the same Remington your grandfather trusted. After DuPont sold in 1993 and Cerberus Capital took over in 2007, quality went downhill fast. Remington filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018, emerged briefly, then filed again in 2020.

The second bankruptcy resulted in a complete asset sale that split the company into pieces. RemArms LLC now owns the firearms division and claims they're restoring the old standards. Time will tell.

Model 870 shotgun -- The most produced shotgun in American history with over 12 million made. The dual action bars never bind, the steel receiver is indestructible, and the trigger group drops out for cleaning. Every police department in America has run these.

Model 700 rifle -- The most accurate production bolt-action ever built. More custom rifles start with a Remington 700 action than all other actions combined. The cylindrical receiver design is that good.

When it was made matters more than what model you buy. Pre-2007 Remingtons are solid. The Cerberus years brought visible cost-cutting.

The 870 action feels different than a Mossberg 500--tighter and smoother. Mossberg has the tang safety that works for lefties, but most right-handed shooters prefer how the 870 runs. Steel receiver beats aluminum for durability.

Parkerized finish police trade-in 870s are the deal of the century at $250-350. These guns lived in patrol cars for years but barely got shot. The Parkerized finish holds up better than the Express matte blue that rusts if you look at it wrong.

Most serious shooters treat the Model 700 as a starting point. Buy the action, then replace the trigger, stock, and often the barrel. The aftermarket support is massive because the action geometry is perfect.

The factory triggers in Model 700s need work. The Walker trigger (1962-2006) was light and crisp but had safety issues that led to a recall. The X-Mark Pro replacement (2006-2018) was heavier and mushier. Aftermarket triggers from Timney or TriggerTech should be your first upgrade.

The Remington 700 footprint dominates custom rifle building. Here's what the aftermarket looks like:

• •Triggers: Timney, TriggerTech, Jewell all make drop-in units
• •Stocks: Manners, McMillan, MDT chassis systems
• •Barrels: Proof Research, Bartlein, Krieger cut pre-threaded for Rem 700
• •Bottom metal: Hawkins, CDI, Badger for detachable magazines

You can build a $5,000 custom rifle on a $400 Rem 700 action and it'll outshoot rifles costing twice as much. The action geometry is that fundamentally sound.

Model 700 custom build path showing how a basic action becomes a precision platform

Key milestones in Remington's corporate history affecting product quality

Everyone asks, so here's the real difference:

Both are proven designs. Your hand preference on the safety location probably matters more than the technical differences.

Remington created two of the greatest firearm designs in American history. The Model 870 and Model 700 are fundamentally sound platforms that have survived corporate mismanagement, bankruptcy, and ownership changes because the basic designs are that good.

Buy smart by focusing on when it was made. Seek out pre-2007 production, especially police trade-ins and Wingmasters.

Give RemArms a few years to prove they can match the old DuPont-era quality before betting on new production. The actions and basic designs remain excellent. Everything else--triggers, stocks, finishes--can be upgraded or has been inconsistent depending on the era.

Know what you're getting into and you'll end up with firearms that'll outlast you.

Remington's story is frustrating because the core designs are so damn good. I've seen Model 700s from the 1960s that still shoot sub-MOA groups and 870s with 100,000+ rounds that cycle like new. The engineering is sound.

The corporate ownership mess damaged the brand more than the products. Millions of these guns are still working daily in police cars, duck blinds, and precision rifle competitions.

Yeah, quality declined during the Cerberus years and the trigger recall was a black eye. But those core designs proved their worth over decades of hard use.

If you find a DuPont-era Wingmaster or a police trade-in 870, buy it. Those represent Remington at its finest. For Model 700s, the action is what matters--everything else gets upgraded anyway by serious shooters.

RemArms deserves a chance to rebuild the reputation, but I'm not betting my money on unproven new production when excellent used examples are available. Let them prove themselves for a few years first.

The aftermarket support alone makes these platforms worth owning. When Timney, McMillan, and Proof Research all build parts for your gun, you know you picked a winner.