Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Whatever happened to Etronix?

I remember a few years ago Remington came out with the Etronix which was suppposed to be the latest and greatest and make all other rifles obsolete. I never knew one person that bought one.

Whatever happened to those guns? I assume it was a flop accross the board?

It died in the cradle just like everyone with half a brain knew it would. It was the answer to a question nobody asked. Think of the money the R&D dept at Remington wasted developing that dog. The guy in charge of that project is probably driving and ice cream truck now. Some of the distributors are still trying to dump Etronix rifles and ammo for a fraction of the price and can't give them away.

I have seen a few of those guns on Gunbroker, and they still had a high price to them. You are right, the guy pushed that project is probably driving the ice cream truck, and the guy behind the J-lock is probably loading it! LOL

Buy one, it will probably be an extremely rare collectors item in 50 years worth many thousands of dollars. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Two questions:

Can the Etronix system be feasibly converted to a conventional ignition system?

Has Remington dumped the ISS/J-Lock system? (My last Model 700 was produced before that crap was introduced.)

Question #1: NO

Question #2: YES

Several years ago, I was assigned an article on the EtronX. It was really hard to do a creditable job of reporting without screaming out, "What a piece of crap."

I talked to a high-uppey-up Remington executive later at one of the SHOT Shows. He told me that they really didn't care if it was a success or not. In the course of developing the EtroniX, they had patented many, many things. He said that you absolutely never know when someone might pop up that would need to buy patient licenses. It can happen on the strangest products and at any time in the future. Basically, you have a concept tied up and, at some later time, folks either throw money at you or you sue them for patent-infringment.

Then, of course, Remington would be making money on a product, probably disassociated from the firearms market, that they don't even need to produce and guarantee. Kinda like Harley Davidson selling rights to produce clothing and stuff with the H-D sig....you make $$$$ and never even see the product.

I heard from a close friend and shooting buddy in Wyoming that the Remington guys showed up with a bunch of EtronXs to shoot prairie dogs about the second year that they were making them. At least half of the rifles failed to fire...they put new batteries in them and diddled around with them. Still no fire. My guide friend is still laughing his ass off about it.

Jim Carmichel thought that the EtronX was fabulous. I shan't comment about that. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Steve

Electronic primers are a big success. The M-61 Vulcan and GAU8 gattling guns use them. Those on the receiving end don't like them. Other than that it's not a good idea. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I always thought the anal Br types would have glommed onto the idea of Zero lock time and made it more popular. Can you still buy the component primers any where?

Growler

As an "anal BR type", one of the problems with this ignition setup is the dependence on a single source of primers...Remington, in this case. Primers are one of the tools we use in tuning a competition rifle.

The technology is interesting from a vibration reduction standpoint, not a lock time issue, IMO.

I spent an afternoon with a pair of prototype Etronix in 22-250 and 220 Swift and a couple of Big Greens sales/marketing people. When asked by them for my opinion, I politely said that the guns shot as well as could be expected for factory rifles with factory ammo.

At this point, I would characterize the Etronix as a solution in search of a problem. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

How different was the Etronx vs. Voere electronic ignition/caseless ammo in the 80's or early 90's? Seemed to be the same idea, just a different way of getting there.

I suspect someone else will give this a go in another 10 or 20 years.

Gatling guns powered by electricity are awesome! Duds do not slow them down. Electric motor shoves the cartridge in, extracts the case and ejects it whether it fires or not. If you lose juice, you're hurting. Some helos that previously had eletric gatling guns are going back to standard gas operated guns as they still work if the ship goes down and loses power.

It was concieved by the same folks that sold me a 5mm in 1973....Essex

Yeah, but your 5mm is better. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Steve

5MM in the Ear of a Deer is AWESOME <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

My extractor has not broke in 22 years (I have not shot it in 21 years) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Steve...ain't that the truth!?!?!? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> -Al

I just received my monthly copy of Georgia Outdoor News and one of the Advertisers has new Remington 700 etronix 22-250 for $550 and ammo for $13.00, so there are still a few of them around.

Weagle

I seem to remember Jon Sundra went weak in the knees and wet his knickers over them, as well.

I'd like to read a follow-up article from them on the matter. Of course, it'd probably just be about how we, the buying public, are too ignorant to appreciate the Rube-TronX. How could we let such an advance just slip by??? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

RSY

Time will tell.

The XP-100 and Model 600 were laughed at in their day for their futuristic appearance, yet they are now sought after.

Twenty years ago optical sights on a combat rifle were only good for a specialized sniper weapon, now check out what's on top of everybody's and his sergeant's M4.

Same same with fiberglass stocks - no self respecting hunter in his right mind would give up his traditional walnut stocked rifle, now synthetic stocks account for a large portion if not the majority of rifle sales.

Not saying the Etronix will see the same revival, it could very well be on the scrap of history for good.

But lets see what happens in twenty years when the EPA has outlawed dang near everything that could possibly be used in a force actuated primer....

I remebmer reading about the etronix and praying that it did not represent the future of hunting rifles & cartridges. thank goodness it was a practical faliure. still, the mauser 98 and 30-06, at 100 years old, are still the benchmark for comparison. the failure of the etronix reminds me a bit of the styer scout concept and also the 376 cartridge.

I don't really have anything against the concept of electronic ignition of the primer, it was the circuit board in the stock of the rifle that really bugged me. I just can't see being able to pass that rifle down to one's grand kids. How long would that circuit board really last?

-Bob F.