A No. 1 hit action movie entitled “Demolition Man” debuted in 1993, starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes. It was about two cryogenically frozen arch nemesis who are thawed out in a future where society has significantly changed. Violence is all but gone and Big Brother monitors everything you can think of. More intriguing about the story is that all restaurants — no matter how big or small, or what type of food served — are called Taco Bell. The fast food giant has its hand in everything culinary.
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I find similarities between this fictional future and our non-fictional present, as it pertains to firearms. Magpul seems to have its hand in nearly every facet of firearms-related products. Whether this is fact or not, the perception is strong. While I have been neither surprised nor disappointed by any of the pursuits by Magpul, I was surprised by the release of its precision rifle chassis, the Magpul Pro 700.
The Magpul Pro 700 and Precision Shooting
The precision rifle scene has its fair share of chassis options and rightfully so, because when it comes to precision rifle shooting, shooter comfort is paramount. With the popularity of the segment being so vast, so to are the participants and their physical makeups, not to mention their basic product-based desires. In short, more options means more shooters get what they want and need. It also means that companies need to be on the edge of innovation. In this accuracy focused world, if you snooze you lose.
There are several keys to a successful precision build. A good barrel and action are musts. Also, in the days of countless options for stocks, and this should not be taken lightly. Properly fitting and, if necessary, bedding that barreled action to a stock or chassis is paramount and could mean the difference between a tack driver and a disappointment you’ll soon want to sell.
The Magpul Pro 700 has been in development for two extremely focused years. This wasn’t some half-baked idea that could make Magpul money. On the contrary, Magpul was intent on bringing the best possible bolt-action chassis to shooters. Discussions with Cris McRae, Product Manager for Magpul revealed much.
“You wouldn’t believe the number of chassis’ we broke in this process,” he told me. “The pile is massive.”
Magpul put a significant amount of effort into strength of the chassis, including making the folding stock pass stringent drop testing.
Bits and Pieces
When asked to cover the Pro 700 at the 2019 Athlon Outdoors Rendezvous, I gladly obliged due to my experience with it. The Pro 700 first hit my radar at NRA 2019 when a friend brought it up. He asked if I’d seen Magpul’s new chassis and I immediately dismissed it. I assumed Magpul made it for right-handed actions only and I had no interest in entertaining such a product. I made a trip down to the Magpul booth where I was proven wrong. Magpul designed the Pro 700 to be ambidextrous from the outset, according to Carrin Welch, Magpul’s Digital Marketing Manager. A wise move by Magpul indeed.
I’m sure many of you will assume it’s a polymer chassis. You’d be wrong. Does it have polymer skins? Yes, however, the chassis skeleton is all 6061-T6 billet aluminum designed for superb balance and feel. It’s further enhanced by the polymer fitments. It features an ambidextrous V-bedding block body for secure fitment of your Remington 700 style action. Right- or left-handed actions will fit and it can accommodate barrel profiles up to and including MTU.
The Pro 700 is fully adjustable for more than 2 inches of length of pull. It also features adjustable comb height, butt pad height, and cant. The cheek pad can be adjusted fore and aft a total of +/- .375 inches, and can be positioned on the left side or right side.
The Pro 700 comes available as a folding or fixed stock version. If you go with the folder, it is reversible for left or right folding. Also, when folded it will protect the actions bolt handle. Regardless of which version you choose initially, you can upgrade it with optional parts from Magpul to add or remove the folding feature. It’s slick, secure, and solid.
My Pro 700
The Pro 700 is available in both short action and long action (Pro 700 L) versions. I received a short action chassis in FDE. This is one of those occasions where it’s hard to convey in words the quality look and feel of a reviewed product. Everything about the Pro 700 wreaks of quality, from the packaging to the Melonite finish on the folding stock hinge and magwell. Magpul perfectly blends the polymer with the aluminum skeleton and each complements the other. The M-LOK forend slots are meticulous and run along the sides and underside of the forend.
I opted for the inclusion of the NV rail, which gives the whole rifle a beefier look. I also added the optional ARCA/Dovetail rail, which attached via the M-LOK slots on the bottom forend. This is an invaluable piece if you plan to maximize your rifle’s use with a bipod such as the RRS TVC line. The Magpul chassis slips seamlessly into the RRS Standard Dovetail mounting system for a secure fit that won’t slip when pressure is put on it.
To say the Magpul Pro 700 chassis is comfortable is a massive understatement, especially when you consider its adjustability, the included thumb shelf, and the ability to not only change the included pistol grip’s size and angle, but its distance from the trigger. Magpul left no stone unturned.
Magpul Pro 700 Impressions
I set a customized Remington 700 LH action chambered in .223 into the Magpul chassis. It’s a practice rifle, so I had a fair amount of time using it. I loved it so much I acquired another chassis for my competition setup. This is a Big Horn TL-3 LH action affixed to a Rock Creek 5R 6.5 Creedmoor barrel, and assembled by Patriot Valley Arms of Ohio. This action is slick and fast; it simply needed the right chassis accompanying it. The Magpul Pro 700 fit the bill to a “T” and now I have nearly perfectly matching competition and practice rifles. It’s truly a delight to shoot and I’ve noted the extremely linear recoil associated with the Magpul chassis; another feature designed into the Pro 700.
Other bits and pieces include multiple QD sling mounts, and an ample ambidextrous magazine release. It goes without saying that the Magpul Pro 700 Chassis is well thought out. It’s comfortable and filled with quality features that make it usable by most. I haven’t used all of the chassis available but, that said, I’m confident the Magpul Pro 700 will be hard to beat for a quality precision build of your own.
For all that you get I think it is appropriately priced at $999.95 for the folding version and $899.99 for the fixed version. Prices are the same for short or long action versions and color options include black, FDE, and OD Green. For more information, please visit Magpul.com.
