Help with Remington 700 re-bored 35 whelen

[Wolffire99]

I'm trying to figure more out about a recent purchase of mine. It's a Remington 700 classic, manufactured in 1981 in 35 Whelen. It started out as a 30/06 and was rebored. It has the smooth bolt handle.

I'm wondering if the re-bore was done by Remington. Does anyone know if they were doing that back then. The main reason I ask is that the barrel is engraved "35 whelen" on the barrel, UNDER what looks to me like factory blue finish. The barrel was turned to hide the larger 30/06 engraving behind the forearm of the stock.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Sounds more like a misstamped barrel to me. Changing calibers is done by replacing barrels, not boring them.

Besides which, the 1981 700 Classic was 7x57mm. .35 Whelen was 1988. .30-06 was never done in the classic.

Check your date code again.

 

[Wolffire99]

Prior to Remington doing the caliber per year (I think it started in 82 or 83) in the classic it was offered in several calibers including 30/06.

 

[MachIVshooter]

Prior to Remington doing the caliber per year (I think it started in 82 or 83) in the classic it was offered in several calibers including 30/06.

Nope.

Classic was 1981-2005, different caliber each year. Here's the list:

http://www.gun-data.com/Remingtonclassics2_arms.html

What is your date stamp? If the rifle is, in fact, a 700 classic, the year stamp should be "I"

 

[Wolffire99]

From the 2008 edition of Gun Digest in an article by Steve Gash

"The "regular production" 700 Classic debuted in 1978 in 7 calibers: .22-250,.243, 6mm,.270,.280, 7mm Mag, & .30-06 - and was just another model, ala ADL/BDL/Mountain/etc.
Of these, only the .280 was later made in the Limited Edition Classic."

700 classics in 30/06...

1. http://www.gunsamerica.com/94059447...-700/Sporting/REMINGTON_700_CLASSIC_30_06.htm

2. http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=300793666

3. http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=300529337

 

[MachIVshooter]

Look, you asked for help. If you want to provide the date code, we can help you figure out what the deal is. If you want to argue about the classic series and cite examples that aren't actually part of the "classic" line up (Standard Catalog of Firearms recognizes the classic model as I have stated it), you'll have to hope someone besides me takes an interest in your thread.

And I don't know exactly what happened there, but that GA example you show should be a .25-06, with a Feb. 1990 date code (or a really clean '63). The 3rd example was june '85, and should have been a .350 Rem Mag. Can't see the date code the the 2nd. Either way, they don't pre-date the series by 1-3 years.

 

[Wolffire99]

when I called remington they said it was 80-81 but wouldn't give me anything exact.

SN B63167XX

 

[jmr40]

Reboring up to larger calibers is not done often, but it is an alternative to re-barreling. I doubt if it was a factory re-bore. Probably done by a gunsmith. If done right it will be fine. If not, who knows how well it will shoot.

30-06 was offered in the Classic. I used to own one. Never checked the date to see when it was made.

Some shops that do rebore work.

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&sclien...pw.r_qf.&fp=b7d2718a67a769fa&biw=1366&bih=566

 

[MachIVshooter]

The date code is on the barrel; It's not part of the SN. You're looking for two letters stamped into the left side of the tube, just forward of the receiver.

http://www.wisnersinc.com/additional_info/remington_date_code.htm

 

[CraigC]

You typically rebore (or reline) barrels that are difficult to duplicate or very old (nobody wants a shiny new barrel on a 100yr old Winchester). Nobody in their right mind would rebore a Remington 700 barrel, it's much easier to just replace it. Manufacturers don't rebore either, they would also replace it.

 

[Wolffire99]

The barrel has an A in a triangle and what looks like REP in an oval outline. Is that what you were needing?

 

[natman]

The 35 WHELEN markings are clearly not from Remington. It appears that someone (apparently not in their right mind) had a 30-06 rebored to 35 Whelen and the gunsmith rotated the barrel to obscure the original markings.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 

[CraigC]

I don't see how that can be discerned from the pics posted. All I see is a .35 Whelen stamp, blurred and too far away.

 

[natman]

I don't see how that can be discerned from the pics posted. All I see is a .35 Whelen stamp, blurred and too far away.

I've sold several hundred Remingtons. The font is not the way Remington marks their barrels. Also, they don't just mark the chambering, they mention Ilion NY and some other things along with it. As has been mentioned, if the 30-06 barrel was defective, Remington wouldn't fool around with reboring it, they'd just toss it into the reject pile and move on.

Trust me it's not likely to be a factory marking.

 

[Wolffire99]

I thought 06's rebored to 35 whelen was the more common way to do it. That's how that cartridge got started.

The only reason I thought it might be factory is because the 35 whelen stamp is under what looks like to me the factory bluing. Now I know it must have been rebored and reblued.

 

[jmr40]

The 35 Whelen stamp is clearly not Remington factory. But we cannot see the original factory 30-06 stamp nor other factory markings. If those are factory then this is the case.

My first thought is that it is a re-bore of a factory barrel. But it is possible it is an aftermarket barrel mis-stamped 30-06 and then restamped 35 Whelen in a different place. Or an aftermarket barrel that was re-bored.

A photo, or description of the original 30-06 stamp would make things clearer. If it also says "Remington Arms Co" on the barrel with the 30-06 stamp I'd say it is a factory barrel that has been re-bored.

Hopefully the OP will see this and provde more info.

 

[Wolffire99]

It has the original Remington 30/06 markings. The barrel was turned to hide them under the stock.

 

[jmr40]

That pretty well sums it for me. It is a factory barrel that has been rebored and refinished. Why someone chose this route over simply re-barreling is anyones guess.

 

[Uncle Grinch]

Reboring is more common than you think. I have a Marlin 336 that has been rebored to 375 Win. Take a look at this site. www.35caliber.com Jesse has quite few followers over on http://castboolits.gunloads.com/ .