Need help with 700 .458 ID

[AJ100]

A shooting pal of ours passed away and I'm selling his firearms for his widow. He was a bear hunter here in PA and one of the rifles is a Mod. 700 .458

I've spent a few hours on the puter trying to find out if this rifle is from the "custom" shop. I've seen other .458's on GunsAmerica and GunsInternational that LOOK like it and the owners claim they are from the custom shop.

I know some guys say if a rifle was carried through the custom shop it was marked as a "custom shop" rifle. I don't know about that but I could use some help in figuring out what I have here. One site listed the Safari Grade calibers and added that the .416 and the .458, two additional calibers, came from the custom shop.

Stock is the newer finish. Brown recoil pad with a darker brown base to it. Lighter forend tip. Rosewood? 24" barrel, code is AD. I found two different sites that had the codes printed out. One said (A) March and (D) 2008. The other site had it as March 2009. Of course in looking at their chart I see that the letter D for the year could also mean 1983. The serial number starts with the letter B. I thought the finish on the stock, the pad, and the forend tip seem to indicate 2008 or 2009. I didn't think Remington had that finish or those features back in 1983.

My question is, Is this a "custom shop" rifle or not? I'm sure this site has a resident 700 guru that knows everything about 700's.

Thanks, Tom Vogt, SW PA.

AJ100x101@hotmail.com

[remington600]

The picture is very hard to tell, but the rosewood pistol grip and forend cap are characteristics of a remington custom shop C-grade. I dont know what you meen by a new finish, but you have the oil rubbed finish. You could get the C-grades in either the oil rub or a high gloss finish. The 458 and the 375 H&H are quite common calibers in the C-grade. You have a nice gun. Who ever tells you that just because they carried it threw the custom shop the gun became custom shop is full of crap. It was never that easy.

[Wulfman]

Here's a link to the barrel date codes on this (RSA) site.

http://www.remingtonsociety.com/rsa/que ... arrelcodes

From the information you've given, I'd say it's March 1983. The serial number prefix of "A" was used in the late 70's, the "B" prefix in the early 80's and the "C" prefix in the late 80's. I personally have rifles with the "A" and "C" prefixes which date accordingly. One of my "C" prefix 700's is also a Safari Grade (Custom Shop) in .375 H & H Mag.........similar to the one in your picture......from 1989. (And it is extremely accurate!)


Den

[AJ100]

The picture is very hard to tell, but the rosewood pistol grip and forend cap are characteristics of a remington custom shop C-grade. I dont know what you meen by a new finish, but you have the oil rubbed finish. You could get the C-grades in either the oil rub or a high gloss finish. The 458 and the 375 H&H are quite common calibers in the C-grade. You have a nice gun. Who ever tells you that just because they carried it threw the custom shop the gun became custom shop is full of crap. It was never that easy.

reminton600, Thanks for the help. You helped with more than the rifle info. I bought my first and only Remington rifle in 1968. A 700 BDL .270, RKW, black forend tip, white spacers that turn yellow with age. Probably about 9 years before you were born. That is why I typed "newer" finish. It's newer to me.

I read on another site about them carrying them through the custom shop. Just one guys opinion I guess. I don't know if they ever THREW them through. That would be tough on the wood I think. Unless the guy on the other end was a good catch.

The other help? After seeing all the post you put on here, I bet my wife $20.00 that you would be the first to answer.

Thanks Wulfman, I did find those date codes on here before I posted. That is where I saw the D code for 2009. The other site had it as 2008. BTW, You almost beat him to the answer and cost me $20.00

Thanks again to both of you,
AJ

[remington600]

You have to split the 20.00 with me. Nothing looks classier then a 700 with the yellow gold spacers. They really set the rifle off.

[AJ100]

No splits.

It was a sure thing for me. After reading some of your past replies to guys on here I KNEW you would be first.

As ar as the yellowing spacers, I sold that ugly thing a long time ago. Damned cracking RKW finish looked like crap. Nothing looks as classy as a nice Pre 64 Model 70.

That's why the old Winchester Model 70's bring so much more money than an old Rem. 700

Tom Vogt