Remington XP-100

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Remington XP-100

McMillan custom stock for XP-100
Type Bolt-action pistol
Place of origin United States of America
Production history
Designer Remington Arms Company
Designed 1963
Manufacturer Remington
Produced 1963-1998
Variants XP-100 Varmint Special, XP-100 Silhouette, XP-100 Hunter, XP-100 Custom, XP-100R, XR-100 Rangemaster
Specifications
Barrel length 10.75 or 14.5 in. (273 or 368 mm)
Caliber .221 Fireball, .22-250 Remington, .223 Remington, .250 Savage, 6 mm BR Remington, 7 mm BR Remington, 7 mm-08 Remington, .308 Winchester, .35 Remington
Action bolt-action
Effective range 200-300 m
Maximum range 300 m
Sights Optical scope

The Remington XP-100 (from eXperimental Pistol number 100) is a bolt action pistol produced by Remington Arms from 1963 to 1998. The XP-100 was one of the first handguns designed for long range shooting, and introduced the .221 Remington Fireball (often called .221 Fireball), which is still the fastest handgun cartridge ever produced by a major ammunition maker. A decidedly odd looking gun, the XP-100 redefined the meaning of handgun accuracy, and the original XP-100 is still competitive today in the sport of handgun varminting, which it helped create.[1][2]

Contents

[edit] Description

The XP-100 was based on a short action bolt action carbine, the Model 600, with a 10 3/4" barrel set into a nylon stock with an unusual center-mounted grip. Chambered in .222 Remington in early prototypes, the short barrel produced significant noise and muzzle flash. Subsequently the case was shortened to reduce powder capacity to a volume more suited to the shorter barrel of a pistol. The resulting cartridge, the .221 Fireball, produced factory loaded velocities of over 2700 fps from the short barrel, and accuracy rivaling the parent .222 Remington, one of the most accurate cartridges made.[1]

All but the XP-100R model, made in 1998 only, were single shot designs, while the XP-100R had a small internal magazine (holding a four rounds plus one in the chamber) typical to most bolt action rifles.

[edit] Model history

The XP-100 went through a number of changes during its production run, and many variations were only available through the Remington Custom shop. The most significant changes in the later versions were to barrel length, which went to 14 1/2", and the grip location, which was moved to the rear of the stock. The calibers also changed; with the elimination of the original 10 3/4" barrel, the reduced powder capacity was no longer such a requirement, and the chamberings switched to standard commercial rifle cartridges. By the time the XP-100 was discontinued, it faced stiff competition from other bolt-action pistols as well as the versatile Thompson Center Arms break-action Contender.

[edit] Model production by year

  • XP-100 (1963-1985)
  • XP-100 Varmint Special (1986-1992)
  • XP-100 Silhouette (1980-1994)
  • XP-100 Hunter (1993-1994)
  • XP-100 Custom (1986-1994)[3]
  • XP-100R (1998)[4]
  • XR-100 (2005-Present)[5]

[edit] Caliber production by year

[edit] Current production

The XP-100 action was used as the basis for a new single-shot rifle from Remington called the XR-100 Rangemaster.[5]

While the XP-100 has disappeared from Remington's lineup (Remington is primarily a maker of rifles and shotguns), the .221 Fireball still lives on. The Model 700 rifle has been available since 2002 in a .221 Fireball chambering; while it lacks the velocity attainable with the vastly more popular .223 Remington, also a .222 Remington derivative, the short .221 Fireball delivers most of the performance with far less noise and flash, thanks to its shorter, more efficient cartridge. [6][2]

[edit] Factory recall

XP-100 pistols were recalled in 1979 because of a safety issue. The bolt was fully locked in the safe position, making it impossible to unload the gun while it was on safe. Remington made a free modification available that allowed the user to open the bolt while the gun was on safe, allowing them to unload the gun.[1]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Marshall, John (October 2007). "Classic Handguns: The Remington XP-100 .221 Fireball Single-shot Pistol". The Blue Press by Dillon (#184): 36–37. 
  2. ^ a b Chuck Hawk's page on the .221 Fireball.
  3. ^ a b Remington Arms' Firearm Model History for the XP-100.
  4. ^ a b Remington Arms Firearm Model History for the XP-100R.
  5. ^ a b c XR-100 Rangemaster history.
  6. ^ The Reload Bench page on the .221 Fireball.
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