Ample checkering in the fore-end and grip may be machine-cut, but it looks good enough to be hand-done. |
By Ralph M. Lermayer
The number "5" in a Remington bolt-action rimfire rifle model number is not a casual inclusion. All of the greatest bolt-action rimfires offered in the past by Remington have had a "5" designation. The 510, 511, 512, on up to the great 541 and latest 504, are all evolutions of a line of bolt-action rimfire rifles that are dependable, accurate and affordable. The latest, the Model 5, will attempt to continue that tradition, but unlike all of its predecessors, this rifle did not come out of a Remington plant.
The Model 5 is another in the new line of firearms bearing the Remington logo, but imported from overseas. The Spartan shotgun line, the 798 and 799 Mauser bolt-action rifles, and now the Model 5, are all part of Remington's expanded marketing philosophy - find high-quality gun manufacturers overseas, bring their products to the Remington quality standard, and offer the U.S. market high-end firearms, branded Remington, at competitive prices. Some take issue with that, although importing is not a new strategy.
We have no problems with Brownings made in Belgium, high-end over-and-unders from Italy, or the European craftsmanship associated with Sako or Mauser. They know how to make good guns overseas and can produce them for a lot less money than we can here. We would all prefer to have every gun made here by our workers, but that's not the case. Enter the Model 5.
The five-round clip fits through a solid steel floorplate. The button between trigger guard and magazine releases the clip. |
When I first saw the Model 5 at a seminar in Nevada, I knew I'd handled it before. As a matter of fact, I tested, hunted with and owned the rifle under at least two of its previous surnames. It is made in Serbia by Zastava, a firm that's been building firearms for decades. When I first saw it, it bore the Interarms name and was brought in along with the MKX centerfire. Later, Charles Daly stamped its name on it, and ran it through its distribution channels as a Daly rimfire.
Now Remington, aligned with Zastava, is bringing in the barreled actions for the Model 798 and 799 (formerly Interarms MK10), a classic and superb Mauser action, and the Model 5. Zastava is supplying the barreled actions, and Remington employees are mating them to laminated stocks in their Mayfield plant, putting them through final testing and quality control, and shipping them to us. The result: a whole lot of value and European craftsmanship in rifles that hit the shelves for under $350.
The Hardware
The Model 5 is built around a 22-inch carbon-steel, hammer-forged barrel with a 1-in-16 rate of twist - a perfect setup for a .22 Long Rifle. A .22 mag is also available with similar dimensions. It is mated to a solid-steel receiver with a massive all-steel underlug housing the magazine. A single screw through the front of the all-steel trigger guard ties the receiver to the stock. A second wood screw through the rear floorplate hole locks to the stock wood behind the trigger cutout. The receiver accepts standard .22 groove-style rings.
A simple adjustable single-stage trigger is standard on the Model 5. The author found it difficult, but each red dot in the image shows a potential adjustment. |
Atop the barrel, a very sturdy flip-up metallic rear sight, adjustable for windage and elevation, is matched to a solid ramp front. That front blade is protected in a removable front hood. It's a typical European metallic sight setup, and a system that has stood the test of time. They deliver a clear metallic sight picture and are extremely durable.
Five rounds in the detachable magazine and one in the chute make the Model 5 a six-shooter - more than enough for walking the hardwoods in the fall for longears or bushytails. A large button, big enough to work with gloved hands, extends through the floorplate and pops out the magazine.
Fire control is handled with a simple single-stage trigger, military in its simplicity, but set up for a full range of adjustments. Trigger tension, overtravel and sear engagement, as well as what looks to be a mechanical motion stop, are all accessible. But, in keeping with today's litigious society, all adjustments are sealed with a red varnish or epoxy. It can be adjusted, but I'd relegate it to a gunsmith. These single-stage triggers are ultra dependable, but can be darn tricky to adjust correctly. A mechanical safety located on the side blocks the sear. Its operation is smooth, quiet and positive.
The bolt is removed by simply pressing and holding the trigger. It is a solid steel, two-piece bolt with a welded-on bolt handle. Extraction is via two fully functioning claw extractors, set 180 degrees apart and spring loaded for a positive grip on the rim of the spent case. One of my gripes with many of the U.S.-made bolt-action rimfires is the use of only a single spring-loaded claw extractor with the second fixed. It's done that way to save a few bucks. The European dual approach found in the Model 5 is the better way. Mechanically, there is no skimping in the production of the Model 5.
As I said, this rifle has been around for a long time, and all the operational needs are dealt with. Any kinks in this design were worked out long before most of us were around. Bluing, metalwork and fit are excellent.
The Woodwork
Previous importers housed this rifle in both low-end composite and solid-walnut stocks. Remington has chosen a full-size laminate made up of 25 laminations of what is probably birch, stained a light walnut and checkered nicely in the fore-end and grip. If it's machine checkering, it's some of the nicest I've seen. A dark wood grip cap and polymer buttplate finish off the package. It is, all in all, a very handsome, hand-filling, good-looking stock.
Wood-to-metal fit is fair to good with the barrel semi-free-floating due to a large gob of some kind of soft material located just back of the fore-end tip. That material keeps the barrel from contacting the barrel channel. The barrel channel could stand a little finish sanding and probably a coat of wood sealer.
This soft gum-like material in the barrel channel is the only barrel contact. The rest of the barrel is free floating. |
A single screw through the front of the floorplate locks the receiver to the wood on a steel pillar, with a second wood screw directly into the stock at the rear. For the moment - and this may end when current shelf stock is gone - the Zastava crest (Serbian Armory) graces the buttstock.
The package weighs 6 3/4 pounds without scope, is 40 3/4 inches in overall length, sports a nice scratch-resistant satin luster and carries and points quite well - a nice rifle by any standards. In spite of the price tag, there's nothing cheap or under par about this rifle.
At the Bench
I mounted a 3-9x Bushnell rimfire scope in a set of Warne grooved rings. That brought the total weight up to about 8 1/2 pounds. After cleaning the factory protective lube out of the barrel, I ran about 10 rounds through at 25 yards to zero it, gathered up an assortment of .22 ammo from lightweight zappers to subsonic stuff, and worked it over at 50 and 100 yards.
I must qualify the results with a disclaimer. As set from the factory, this was one beast of a trigger, taking almost 6 to 7 pounds of pressure to break. I know this trigger can be easily improved because I've done it. I owned this same setup under the Interarms name and had the trigger polished and adjusted to break smooth as butter at about 2 1/2 pounds. I didn't do it with this one simply because it wasn't mine, and it had to go on to another writer for testing and evaluation.
In spite of that, the rifle still managed to deliver groups in the 1 1/2-inch range with standard ammo, and with the Lapua or Remington Ely Match, held to 3/4 inch at 50 yards. I know, with a better trigger, groups far smaller are inherently available in this rifle. It clearly favored the standard-velocity stuff, but every .22 is unique, and only testing will tell you what it likes best. The very next one may prefer an entirely different brand and weight.
Conclusion
The Model 5 is a great rimfire, a well-built, quality product that will give its owner years of service and continue after it's handed down to the next generation. It's the kind of rimfire everyone should own. You must be prepared to give the trigger some attention, and maybe run a little sandpaper and sealer in the barrel channel, but that's no big deal.
Suggested Retail is $350 blued, which means with a little careful shopping, you can probably pick one up for $250 or so. This is the kind of quality we expected years ago, and we may never again in our lifetime be able to buy it for this low price. After a trigger job, my last one became a half-inch shooter out to 75 yards. I foolishly traded it off. My order and check are headed to Remington for one of these, and it won't be "trading stock."
Ralph M. Lermayer
GunHunter Magazine - November 2006