How rare is a Remington M700BDL stamped 7MM REM EXPRESS?
I have heard of the double stamping, but never encountered
the above chamber stamping on a M700.

I don't know how many Remington Model 700 rifles were stamped 7MM REM EXPRESS, but I bought a BDL so stamped in 1979. I still have that fine rifle.

I've seen two, but apparently there isn't much collector demand.

I saw one for sale today, I have been bumping into 280s
like crazy for the past few days.

Jericho: I'm not a collector nor an authority. "AS FAR AS I KNOW" Rem. is the only maker (not counting custom) who named them 7mm Rem Express. And that was for only a short time. They were concerned that some might confuse "express" with magnum.

Regardless of collector value, I think it has "COOL" factor. Few people have them and I have never seen one.

JWALL
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VEGETARIAN........Indian Word For Poor Hunter

I once saw one factory marked "7mm/06". I've never seen another.

Did some research and the 7MM-06 stamping is rarest of
the 280s that they made. Supposedly most were recalled
to the factory.

It was a big error on their part -- some of them didn't seem to realize that .280 Remington/7mm Express Remington cases are distictly different from the 7mm-06 wildcat cases.

Dennis

I have a Ruger 77R that is marked "7MM EXP REM", SN 771-440xx. I called Ruger and they said that they never stamped the 280 barrel with anything but "280 REM", but this is clearly a factory barrel.

John Lacy's book on the Remington 700 family of rifles has a section on the odd factory markings, including the 6MM REM MAGs with the "MAG" x'd out and the 280s that were marked 7MM REM EXP or 7MM-06.

JEff

260: That's interesting. From the story I read/remember I wasn't aware that any factory maker other than Rem. labeled them 7mm Express. I believe you anyway.

Just out of curiosity, I wonder who else beside Rem & Ruger might have labeled them that way? IIRC Win. didn't chamber any 280s. (At least that was in print)

Also just curious; is yours 7mm EXP REM or 7mm REM EXP ?

JWALL
____________

VEGETARIAN.........Indian Word For Poor Hunter

It is marked "7MM EXP REM 280 REM".

Winchester/USRA has chambered the 280 in a couple different Model 70 configurations, but I think that they were all marked "280 REM". Since my .284" bore cartridges of choice have always been the 7x57 and 284, I never got excited by the 280. More recently, I have been shooting the 7mm SAUM and think that it is a nice cartridge that, I am told by reliable sources, is just a short action 280AI, performance wise.

JEff

THANKS for the info. That's more interesting info. It has been a long time back but I distinctly remember a time when IT WAS SAID that Win. didn't chamber any 280s.

I'm aware of Win's tumultous past 30 or so years, in/out of business, change of locations, etc. Win, Browning, USRA, etc. I haven't kept up with ALL THAT.

THANKS AGAIN

Jerry

I believe the OAL was near equal to the 7mm Remington Magnum so it would chamber and the bolt close. Store clerks sold this ammo to Magnum owners and some ammo was fired, though I do not recall any injuries, nor would I expect any, as the cartridge is fully contained.

After those incidents were recorded, the cartridge was renamed yet again to the plain old, semi-obsolets 280 Remington.

John

Winchester certainly made several varieties of .280...I used to own a synthetic-stocked one, and a friend of mine still has and hunts with a wood-stocked one. There are several other companies that have been there at one time or another, including Browning and Savage.

It's an excellent and very functional cartridge, and deserves its long-term survival.

Dennis

I also had a 77R from that time period marked "7mm Exp Rem".
There were a lot of wide eyes in deer camp that year, since when queried I answered just "7mm", and they assumed I meant 7Mag.

Pete

Which is most likely the rifles were recalled (to avoid any confusion).

Don't think there's any doubt about that... .

Dennis

muledeer and others: Thanks for the new info. This is an interesting thread to me. I am sure things changed, maybe many times w/Win and as I said I have not kept up with them.

The 280/7mm Rem Exp is an EXCELLENT cartridge. I have never owned one but I loaded for one for a friend back in the '80s. We were able to get 3100 fps w/139 HSP w/o any pressure problems.

If I had started out w/a 280 way back yonder instead of a 270 Win I would have been as happy as a pig in a mud hole. There's NOTHING wrong the 280 and there's plenty to say for the variety of bullet weights in 7mm.

I suspect the variety of 7mm bullets, bc's & sd's had a whole lot to do with JRS being such a 7mm addict.

JWALL
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VEGETARIAN.........Indian Word For Poor Hunter

I've seen one 700 ADL marked 7mm Rem Express.

I used to own a pushfeed Winchester Featherweight in 280. It had the green laminated stock. I like the 280 in theory, but I never could find a load that shot well in that rifle, so I sold it.

I also handled a Savage 110LH in 280 Rem yesterday, custom
barrel of course.

I've owned 4 and still have one 280. One was a Winchester anything but Featherweight. Had a very slow barrel and the action steel was softer than the Leupold base screws. That wonderful Winchester QC.

Love the caliber.