Wilson Combat announced this week a new line of match-grade replacement barrels for Remington 700 pattern actions. There’s a 20-inch .308 Winchester with a 1:10-inch twist, plus 6.5 Creedmoor in 20- and 22-inch lengths with a 1:8-inch twist, both conventional choices for each cartridge’s heavier match bullets.
Wilson’s barrelmakers button rifle each one from a honed 416R stainless blank, long the go-to steel for precision barrels, and every blank is stress relieved twice: once at the mill and again after rifling. Button rifling forms the grooves by pushing a carbide button through the bore, which leaves stress in the steel. Relieving it afterward helps keep the barrel from wandering as it heats up over a long string.
From the shank forward, the barrel follows Remington’s factory contour. In practical terms, it should drop into the stock or chassis already on the rifle, as well as aftermarket synthetic stocks and walnut blanks cut to the same profile, with no inletting required. For anyone who has priced a custom barrel and a custom stock in the same week, that’s the part of the bill that doesn’t change.
Up front, the muzzle is threaded 5/8x24 for a brake, flash hider or suppressor and finished with a recessed crown that tucks the critical edge of the bore out of harm’s way. Wilson engraves the caliber, twist rate and company eagle on the flared muzzle. The standard finish is a belt-polished satin, with Wilson’s Armor-Tuff coating available for folks who want something tougher and less reflective in the field.
These match-grade barrels are not a home bench project, though. Wilson cuts the chamber and leaves it ready for final headspacing, so a gunsmith will need to handle the installation.
MSRP is $399.95. All three barrels are available now through Wilson Combat and authorized dealers. In addition, the company said that .25 Creedmoor and .22 Creedmoor versions are coming soon. Full specs and photos are at wilsoncombat.com.
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