One of the oldest names in the firearm business has also been one of the most troubled ones as of late. Remington Outdoor Company – as they were previously referred to at their largest and grandest point in recent history – has fallen from grace for multiple reasons to the dismay of many loyal gun owners. Now, under new ownership and with a new name to boot – RemArms, LLC – they are looking to hopefully a brighter future with aspirations of restoring the once illustrious Remington name to its full glory.

Remington News @ TFB:

• Remington President says Remington Ammunition is Back in “Full Swing”
• Remington Ammunition, Under New Ownership, Launches New Website
• A NEW HOPE: Remington 870 Shotguns Begin Production March 1st
• BREAKING: Roundhill Group LLC Purchases Remington Firearms
• A HOUSE DIVIDED: Remington Asset Bids Come to Light
• Remington Files Chapter 11 for a Second Time Amid Record Firearms Sales Months
• Remington Preps for Bankruptcy (Again), Possible Sale

Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity group, owned Remington for 13 years most recently and did little to improve or even maintain the brand in many hunters’ and shooters’ eyes. In fact, many would make the case that the once venerable and widely-respected company began to lose its shine once Cerberus Capital Management acquired Remington.

Adam Ballard – Director of Product Management at RemArms, LLC and a 17-year veteran of the firearms industry – gave an exclusive interview to Field and Stream’s Phil Bourjaily to give the firearm industry an update as to what is going on at RemArms and what we should expect in the near future. These are the “cliff notes” from that conversation.

RemArms, LLC Model 700: Bolt-Action Rifle

• Production Timeline – “on the shelf well ahead of hunting season”
• Speculative Price-Point – “mid to high end of their respective categories”
• Accuracy Assessment – “evaluating things like calibers, twist rates, and manufacturing processes”

RemArms, LLC Model 870: Pump-Action Shotgun

• Production Timeline – “on the shelf well ahead of hunting season”
• Speculative Price-Point – “mid to high end of their respective categories”
• Branding – shotguns will be explicitly labeled as “Remington 870” even with the company name now being RemArms, LLC

The overlying tone and message of the interview that Adam Ballard appeared to be driving home was that RemArms, LLC truly wants to re-assess the manufacturing processes as to which the firearms are made, improve the fit, finish, and restore its prior legacy of accuracy. When questioned if certain models would be returning outside the “big two” in the Model 700 and 870 – referring to the 7600, 750, and Model Seven – he creatively responded to Phil’s question without talking about those models; a clever dodge of the inquiry. If you visit the current RemArms website there is another noted absence from their previous firearm portfolio: the Model R51. No gun company is devoid of lemons over the years, but Mr. Ballard definitely did not want to address what would become of the smaller, less liked models from Remington.

Being in my mid-30s, I was raised on Remington 870s and 700s when it came to hunting and target shooting. Also, hailing from Minnesota, “Big Green” was as much a fixture of Americana as was baseball and apple pie. Working for over a decade in my family’s gun shop and writing about firearms equally long, I very closely watched the decline and fall of Remington from grace having to send in increasing Remingtons for warranty and to see their sales drop off precipitously. It is not my aim to paint Remington in a bad light as I once was one of their greatest advocates, but I am like a lover scorned. I am hoping for the best for Remington, but am keeping my distance at the moment. Especially when there are innumerable questions that remain to be answered…

• Will they warranty Remington products prior to 2021?
• Will their “new and improved” offerings of previous models have 100% parts compatibility with the previous ones?
• Will the improvements be in tolerances and quality control? Or in redesigns and new mechanical workings of the firearm models entirely?
• Will the affordability of the 870 go away once it is “mid to high end?”
• The Remington 700 is probably the most copied and common action in existence for custom rifle builds. Once the phoenix of RemArms, LLC rises from the ashes, will they improve that action or will it falter once again?

There are many questions that remain to be answered yet I remain hopeful. Many gun enthusiasts are not hoping for RemArms, LLC to reinvent the wheel of firearm technology moving forward. Rather, we are simply hoping to see the Model 700, and its shotgun counterpart the Model 870, brought back to a place of prestige, reliability, and promise. The last 2 years have been incredibly squirrelly with a change in the White House, COVID-19, people stockpiling toilet paper, and innumerable other elements changing in our daily lives. A nice “return to normal” might be to see Remington RemArms, LLC back and making quality firearms again. As always, let us know all of your thoughts in the Comments below! Would you buy a RemArms Model 700? Their new 870 when it comes out? We always appreciate your feedback.