In House Shipping:
Make: Remington
Model: 700 BDL Varmint Special
Serial Number: 6216896
Year of Manufacture: February 1969 (“LS” Date Code)
Caliber: .243 Winchester
Action Type: Bolt Action Rifle with Internal Hinged Floorplate Magazine
Barrel Length: 24” Heavy, Round
Sights / Optics: The barrel has no provision for a front sight. The rear of the barrel is drilled, tapped, and filled. The top of the receiver is mounted with a vintage Weaver V9 Scope with Fine crosshair reticle. The sight picture is clear, the glass is clean, and the scope rates in Fine Condition.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock is press checkered walnut with “ribbon” designs, an ebony capped forend and pistol grip, brass reinforcing pin on the middle left side, fluted “Monte Carlo” comb with cheekpiece, sling swivels at the front and rear, and a Remington checkered black hard rubber buttplate. There are some scattered compressions, draglines, scratches, and scrapes. There is some wear around the edge of the grip cap. The checkering is strong. There is light handling wear. The LOP measures approximately 13 1/4” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The buttplate has strong checkering with some wear at the heel. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the stock rates in Fine Condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original, the jeweled bolt is serial-matching.
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 10/10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 96% of its metal finish. There are some areas of light surface oxidation and discoloration. The bolt handle has wear and is slightly plum. There are some minor handling marks. There is standard light wear. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Excellent Condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This rifle comes with a brown leather shoulder sling attached. It remains in Excellent Condition.
Our Assessment: The Remington Model 700 needs no introduction, as it has been one of the most popular bolt action rifles in America for decades, used in target shooting, hunting, and law enforcement. Remington had been producing sporting rifles for decades, but their post-WW1 Model 30 Sporter was too time intensive and costly to make, as it required a great deal of milling. After WW2, they designed the Model 721 which used a receiver made of bar stock, meaning it could be turned on a lathe, cutting production time and cost. The basic design of the 721 went through further developments under the direction of engineer Mike Walker, and Remington went on to produce the Model 722 and Model 725, and finally, in 1962, the Model 700 was born. With that design, Walker desired to increase accuracy over previous designs, so tight bore and chamber tolerances, a short lead, and fast lock time were used. Since its inception in 1962, it has been produced in just about every caliber and configuration imaginable. The “Varmint Special” was a highly blued, heavy “bull" barreled Model 700 with a hinged floorplate, detachable swivels, and drilled and tapped rear of the barrel. The “Varmint Special” variant remains desirable today.
This Remington Model 700 BDL Varmint Special was made in February 1969 (“LS” date code) and is in Excellent Condition. It features a 24” heavy barrel, 96% of its lustrous, original blued finish, a gorgeous one-piece press-checkered walnut stock with “ribbon” designs, an ebony capped forend and pistol grip, brass reinforcing pin on the middle left side, fluted “Monte Carlo” comb with cheekpiece, sling swivels at the front and rear, and a Remington checkered black hard rubber buttplate, clear markings, strong mechanics, and a bright bore with sharp rifling and no erosion. The top of the receiver is mounted with a vintage Weaver V9 scope with Fine crosshair reticle. The sight picture is clear, the glass is clean, and the scope rates in Fine Condition. This beauty would shine at the range or in the field, and is a proven performer that deserves a spot in any serious shooter’s collection.