Remington Model 673

Remington Model 673
File:R673.jpg A Remington 673 fully loaded wating for action.
Type	Rifle
Place of origin	United States
Service history
In service	United States Of America
Used by	United States Of America
Wars	none
Production history
Designer	Remington co.
Designed	2001
Manufacturer	Remington
Unit cost	$825
Produced	2003-In production
No. built	2,300 As of August 2007
Variants	U.S. Army Private Hunters
Specifications
Mass	7 and a half pounds.
Length	30 and one sixth of an inch
Barrel length	15 and one third of an inch
Width	0.360 inches
Height	0.500 inches
Diameter	0.375
Crew	1
Cartridge	6.5mm Remington Magnum, .308 Winchester, .300 Remington Short Action Ultra Magnum, and .350 Remington Magnum
Caliber	.600 calibers
Barrels	22'Magnum Contour Barrel
Action	Bolt-Action
Rate of fire	2 Fires per minute
Muzzle velocity	100-Yards
Effective firing range	100-Yards
Maximum firing range	100-Yards
Feed system	5 Bullets .350 Remington Magnum
Sights	Iron Sights

The Model 673 was a bolt action rifle introduced by Remington in 2003 and is still in production as of September 2007. It is an updated version of the Remington Model 600. The company hails the weapon as the "ultimate guides' rifle", with features ranging from its laminated gun stock, ventilated rib, sturdy iron sights, and reliability. Its action is based on that of the Model Seven, which is of the push feed variety and is Remington's proprietary short action.

History=In the mid-60抯 Remington?introduced the Remington Model 600?Magnum, a rifle destined to become legendary with many big game guides. Decades later we introduce a modern version of the classic Model 600 ?the new Model 673 Guide Rifle.

Based on the Model Seven?action, this swift-handling rifle features a 22" magnum contour barrel with distinct machined steel ventilated rib and iron sights. It is the definition of fast target acquisition. But to consider the 673 as merely a performance oriented rifle is to sell it short. Bedecked in a two-tone wide striped, laminated, weather resistant stock with deep cut checkering and swivel studs.

The new Model 673 in .350 Magnum I worked with for this report is a bit heavier than my old Model 600 in the same caliber. When outfitted with a Burris 3-9X Compact scope and a Burris two-piece mount, the one I shot weighed exactly 8 3/4 pounds on my postal scale. With its ancient Weaver 1.5X scope and Conetrol two-piece mount, my 600 weighs 7 1/2 pounds. Though the additional heft makes the Model 673 more comfortable to shoot, it also makes it less comfortable to carry for long distances. (Even so, I have carried heavier rifles on many occasions and lived to tell about it.)

Due to its hardness, laminated wood is difficult to checker, but Remington craftsmen have mastered the process. The Model 673’s stock consists of about 30 1/16-inch layers of wood. The center and outside laminates are dyed brown.

Most of the weight difference is in the two barrels. In addition to being only 18 1/2 inches long, the barrel of my Model 600 is quite thin and measures only 0.625 inch at the muzzle. The 22-inch barrel on the Model 673 has Remington’s standard magnum contour with a muzzle diameter of 0.795 inch. Both barrels share a rifling twist rate of 1:16 inches, which is standard for the .350 Remington Magnum. The barrel of the Model 673 makes contact with the stock at two points but otherwise free-floats in the stock. One of the contact points is a narrow pad of synthetic bedding compound located just forward of the recoil lug recess in the barrel channel. The other is up front, adjacent to the front sling swivel stud.

At 2 1/2 pounds the stock of the Model 673 weighs about three ounces more than the Model 600 Magnum stock. Since it was made of lightweight nylon, the ventilated rib on the Model 600 is also lighter than the steel rib on the Model 673. The rib of the Model 673 is attached to the barrel with five screws, and their double-slotted heads are exact duplicates of those on the original Model 600 rib. Both ribs also have serrations for reducing glare on their top surfaces. Rib width on the Model 600 starts out at 0.500 inch back at the receiver and tapers to 0.360 inch at the muzzle. The rib on the Model 673 measures 0.375 inch from end to end. Both old and new ribs have Remington’s original shark fin-shaped blade sight up front, but the sight on the Model 673 is plain while the one on the Model 600 has a gold-colored bead. Both rear sights are fully adjustable for windage and elevation, but my guess is the one on the new Model 673 will prove to be a bit more durable.

The stock of the Model 673 has posts for quick-detach sling swivels and a 3/4-inch rubber recoil pad. The stock consists of about 30 1/16-inch layers of wood. The center and outside laminates are dyed brown while the two inner layers are left in their naturally light color. The stock of my Model 600 has depressed checkering while the stock of the Model 673 was cut checkered at 16 lines per inch. Both are extremely strong and unlikely to break regardless of how hard the knocks come during a hunt, but in looks the Model 673 stock wins by a country mile.

Smith & Wesson Model 629 PowerPort .44 Magnum DA Revolver Manufacturer......... Remington Arms Co. 870 Remington Dr. Madison, NC 27025 Model ...................... 673 Operation .............. Bolt action Caliber .................... 350 Remington Magnum, also available in .300 SAUM Barrel length ........ 22 inches Overall length...... 41 7/8 inches Weight, empty ..... 7 3/4 pounds Length of pull ...... 13 3/4 inches Safety....................... Two position Sights....................... Fully adjustable rear; plain blade front Stock ....................... Laminated wood Magazine Capacity................. 3 rounds Finish ...................... Blued steel, satin wood Price ....................... $825 From this point on the Model 673 is pure Model Seven. Push on the button at the front of the trigger guard and the floorplate hinges open for removing the three .350 Magnum cartridges from the magazine. When in its “Safe” position, the two-position safety lever located at the right-hand side of the tang does not lock the bolt from rotation. The bolt glides to and fro quite smoothly, which comes as no surprise since it is a Remington. Depressing a release button at the front of the trigger frees the bolt for removal from the receiver. Trigger pull weight averaged 62 ounces, but a maximum variation of only an ounce from pull to pull plus a total absence of either creep or overtravel made it feel much lighter.

The Model 673 certainly gets high marks in appearance. Even though the ventilated rib with its barrel-attachment posts has to be a machinist’s nightmare, very few tool marks were evident on its blued surface. The fit between the two is so good you’ll swear the rib is an integral part of the barrel. Barrel and action were nicely polished before undergoing the blueing process. Wood-to-metal fit was absolutely the best I have seen on a factory rifle in a very long time. Except for one small area just forward of the receiver, the wood appeared to have grown around the metal. The finish on the stock was as close to flawless as you are likely to find on a standard-production rifle, as was the fitting of the recoil pad to the stock. Due to its extreme hardness, laminated wood is a real bear to checker, but a close look at the stock of the Model 673 is proof enough that Remington craftsmen have mastered the process. The stock really felt good in my hands. Most shooters will find the amount of drop at its comb to be correct whether they choose to use the open sights or equip the carbine with a low-mounted scope like the Burris 3-9X Compact I decided to use. If you are thinking I am impressed by the looks of Remington’s new bear-buster, we are most definitely tuned to the same channel.

The Model 673 At The Range Sometime during 2003 factory ammo with a 225-grain A-Frame bullet loaded to 2600 fps will be coming off the production line at Remington’s Arkansas factory, and I am looking forward to trying it. In the meantime, I decided to check out the Model 673 by feeding it some ammo I had long ago squirreled away—some of the discontinued 200- and 250-grain factory ammo for my Model 600. I wanted to fire a few rounds in the Model 673 to see how much faster they would run in its longer barrel. As it turned out, both rounds were about 30 fps quicker in the Model 673 than in my Model 600.

The new rifle delivered acceptable accuracy with all handloads but indicated a slight preference in bullet selection by shooting the smallest averages with the Nosler 225-grain Partition. Overall accuracy was not quite as good as I usually squeeze from my old Model 600, but it was good enough for shooting a deer as far away as it is likely to be shot with the .350 Magnum.

The Remington engineering staff did an excellent job of designing the Model 673 stock. While at the range I shot it against my Model 600, and it was noticeably more comfortable to shoot. Part of it was surely due to the heavier weight of the Model 673, but I am just as convinced that stock shape played a major role as well. Its grip and forearm are a bit fuller, and in addition to being softer, its recoil pad is both longer and wider for more cushioning area against the shoulder. I found the new rifle to be quite comfortable to shoot from a benchrest even when pushing the 250-grain Nosler Partition along at 2500 fps.

In case you are wondering if the rib serves as more than an ornament, the answer is yes. Ambient temperature was around 85 degrees when I was shooting the rifle and even though I allowed the barrel to become quite hot I observed no heat waves rising in front of the scope. The ventilated rib deflects hot air, causing it to flow out and around the line of sight, same as a vent rib on a shotgun does. Assuming that the rib does not affect potential accuracy by interfering with the harmonic vibrations of the barrel, it would not be a bad idea on a varmint rifle or any rifle used in an application where its barrel is heated up quite often.

Something else I noticed about the Model 673 is its barrel seemed to cool down much quicker than usual between five-shot strings. My guess is the ventilated rib acts as a heat sink to draw heat from the barrel and that causes the heat to dissipate more quickly.

I am sure a poll would reveal no middle ground for the Model 673. Some will love its looks while others will hate the sight of it—just as it was with the Model 600 almost four decades ago. Some will say open sights and a ventilated rib on a big-game rifle are superfluous at a time when telescopic sights dominate the hunting scene. Others will say to heck with practicality and tradition—the new rifle feels good, handles like greasy lightning, and delivers a mighty blow downrange. Regardless of which side of the debate you choose to take, you will have to admit we have not had anything like the Model 673 since Remington discontinued its Models 600 and 660 Magnums many years ago.

Remington Model 673 .350 Remington Magnum Accuracy & Velocity Bullet Powder (Type) Powder (Grs.)

Muzzle

Velocity (fps) 100-Yard Accuracy (Inches) Barnes 180-gr. X-Bullet

Reloder 7 54.0 2988 2.04 

Nosler 225-gr. Partition W748 59.0 2711 1.78 Nosler 250-gr. Partition

AA 2520  

FEATURED ARTICLES GUN REVIEWS SHOOTER'S ED NEWS CENTER ORGANIZATIONS SHOOTER'S GATEWAY SHOOTING TIMES RESEARCH CENTER HOME PAGE Model 673?Features Machined steel ventilated rib with iron sights for fast target acquisition. Action based on the popular Model Seven platform for strength and consistent shot placement.

High strength wood laminate stock boasts stylish alternating light and dark stripes, reminiscent of the legendary Model 600 Magnum.

22" Magnum Contour barrel allows for maneuverability without sacrificing ballistic performance. The ?0s was a decade of rude surprises. It was like waking up each morning and finding a wombat on your bed instead of the family cat. In the world of rifles, one of the strangest creatures to issue forth during the Age of Aquarius was the Remington Model 600 Magnum, which debuted in 1965. It was to other rifles of the time as Jimi Hendrix was to Perry Como. The 600 Magnum had a chromed dogleg bolt-handle, a laminated beech and walnut stock, an 18-inch barrel with a nylon vent rib, and a nylon trigger guard. It weighed only 61/2 pounds and came chambered for two brand-new cartridges梩he 6.5 Remington Magnum and the .350 Remington Magnum. The former was a silly and worthless round in a diameter that Americans have never really clutched to their bosoms; the latter, by the standards of the times, kicked.

Oh my, did it kick. When the 600 Magnum first came out, I took one in .350 Remington to the range, fired it once, put the rifle away, and went home. The 600 Magnum lasted only three years in production and then was replaced by the Model 660 Magnum, much more conventional in looks, which lasted until 1971.

The Retro Remington Shooters who actually hunted with Model 600 and 660 Magnums discovered that, in the .350 chambering, they had a very short, light, handy rifle that dealt a crushing blow. They also discovered that if the little gun hurt your shoulder, it would pound whatever was at the muzzle end much worse.

The folks at Remington have been aware of this for some time, and though the ?0s are gone forever, the original 600 Magnum is back in a much improved version, chambered again in .350 Remington Magnum and also in .300 Remington Short Ultra Magnum. It抯 called the Model 673 Guide Rifle (Guide because this is the kind of rifle a big-game guide would carry條ight, handy, rugged, and powerful), and it is some gun.

The beech and walnut have been replaced by a laminated beechwood stock, with some of the wood left its natural blond color and some stained a russet brown. Gone is the nonfunctional nylon rib, replaced by a nonfunctional steel rib. The medium-weight barrel is 22 inches long instead of 18, and the front sight ramp is now a distinctively shaped shark-fin blade. The 673 is based on the familiar Model 7 short action. Its weight is 71/2 pounds, and you would not want it lighter. The 673 is striking, a beacon of originality in a sea of black synthetic stocks and stainless-steel barrels.

The .300 Remington Short Ultra Magnum is a fine all-around cartridge, considerably easier to hit with at long range than the .350 Remington Magnum, but to me the .350 is by far the more interesting of the two. At any kind of reasonable range, it is devastating.

The original loadings for the .350 were 200- and 250-grain bullets, with the former being far more popular. Remington has dropped the 250-grain loading and now offers the .350 with a 200-grain pointed Core-Lokt bullet that departs the muzzle at 2770 fps. But these figures tell only part of the story: This round knocks stuff flat. To date, I have slain three wild swine and four deer with it. All three of the piggies (one a truly ponderous porker) and two of the deer never moved out of their tracks.

While the 200-grain loading will dump any deer directly, I would want a stronger slug for bigger animals such as elk, moose, and bear, and Remington is going to provide it. In midsummer, the .350 will be available with the 225-grain Swift A-Frame bullet, which can shoot through several redwood trees and slay a whale on the other side.

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