Pristine Technologies launches new 700-style action for precision rifle builds

Although SHOT Show is mainly a US-centric show, some Canadian manufacturers also display their new products there. This year, BC-based Pristine Technologies launched its new Short Bolt Action Receiver at SHOT. This is a Remington 700-style custom action with six-lug interchangeable floating bolt head, designed to work with Remington stock, chassis and triggers and Savage barrels.

We sent a note to Pristine for more information on the action; here's what the company had to say.

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Calibre: How long has Pristine been in business, and what sort of projects have you worked on over the years?

Pristine: We have been in business about two years now. We spend the first two years engineering, developing, testing, and perfecting the action. SHOT Show 2022 was our launch date. Pristine was launched out of an existing machine shop as a great idea and a new company. We still work closely with our friends at the machine shop, and this shop handles all our manufacturing work. While we cannot speak about specifics of what that shop does, usually due to non-disclosure acts, in general they have worked in aerospace, military vehicles, robotics, and in the defense industry. They have helped Canada with various government and military work, and have been involved with other militaries as well. They support several other Canadian companies involved in the firearms industry as well. In Western Canada, they are highly regarded as one of the largest-production machine shops.

Calibre: The new R700 short action: When did you start developing this, and what needs do you see it fulfilling?

Pristine: Started over two years ago. Designed to overcome the some of the design constraints that haven't changed in 50 years. To use modern manufacturing principles and equipment to bring a better product to market at higher value. We can use the power of a huge machine shop to produce in volume, and we have all the quality controls and systems in place to produce a very high-quality, consistent product.

Calibre: What do you believe are the advantages of the R700 over other drop-in 700-style actions?

Pristine: We very specifically wanted a true Remington 700 drop-in action, so we designed it to work in factory Remington 700 stocks, and with our design I believe we overcome challenges other 700-style actions face, including feeding/cycling issues, as well as fitment issues.

Calibre: Any plans to offer in calibres aside from .308 or .223? Will you offer replacement bolt heads?

Pristine: We are offering replacement bolt heads for $199, and we plan on offering other bolt head configurations before next year, as well as a long action.

Calibre: Why a six-lug design?

Pristine: This really comes down to modern material strength and quality, as well as a long time spent in designing an action specifically to use the latest in machining technology. The shift in design from a typically two-lug to our unique model allowed us to maximize our advantages in manufacturing. In addition, we found that with a floating bolt head, the two rows of three lugs created a system that was more consistent with how the bolt head locked into place each cycle. We also wanted to keep the original Remington bolt body diameter so standard triggers, magazines, and chassis or stocks could be used. In order to get the strength we wanted, it was prudent to go with the six-lug system over two lugs.

Calibre: Why 90-degree bolt lift, as most new guns seem to be moving to 60- or 70-degree?

Pristine: In our experience, speed and stability are equally important in precision shooting and seeking quick follow-up shots. We engineered our action to be the "Smoothest Bolt Action" for a reason ... Boiling it down to physics, we need to compress a 24-pound firing pin spring approximately a quarter-inch to cock the action. It's simple leverage, and 90 degrees provides a 50 percent decrease in bolt handle resistance over 60-degree lift. A light, smooth 90-degree lift ultimately results in quicker shots and a more stable shooting platform when compared to the heavier and shorter bolt throws. The pursuit of cycling the action while keeping the scope on target is the reason for both the roller cocking piece as well as the 90-degree bolt lift. In addition, our bolt handle can often be manipulated with one finger, meaning that the shooter doesn't have to reposition their arm and hand to cycle the gun.

Calibre: If I'm reading the website right, the action is compatible with Remington 700 triggers and stocks, but accepts Savage-style barrels?

Pristine: The action takes R700 triggers and stocks for the aftermarket support the R700 platform has developed, and accepts savage small shank pre-fit barrels that work with a barrel nut. This requires little to no gunsmithing experience or tools to assemble a full rifle that will compete with any on the market. We want to allow the average gun owner to be able to install or swap their own barrel, and the Savage prefit system was the best solution to this.

Find more details at www.shootpristine.com.