The A*B Arms MOD*X Chassis in all of its glory equipped on a Remington Model 700 SPS Tactical rifle in .308 Win.
Buy the MOD*X chassis: https://www.abarms.com/MOD-X-GEN-III-Modular-Rifle-System-Side-Folder-p/abamx700sfb.htm
Purchase Freedom Munitions here: https://www.freedommunitions.com/ammunition/rifle/308-winchester/308-win-155-gr-a-max-new.html
In case you missed part one of this series, make sure to click the link below and get up to speed.
Read part 1 of the series here: https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/the-appeal-of-the-remington-700/
In part one of our series on improving the Remington 700, we covered the basics. We walked you through my process as I picked and purchased my ideal rifle. We covered working with the rifle in its stock configuration and we spoke of its limitations. We briefly discussed the options available for the people who want to build the perfect Remington 700. At the end of it all the choice was tough, but the A*B Arms Mod*X chassis came out on top as the solution to many of the problems associated with a stock Remington 700 for me.
The MOD*X is designed to transform the Remington 700 into a rifle ready for the 21st century and do it all for a great price. If you are in the market for a new precision rifle, or maybe you just want to update that old 700 sitting in the safe, the A*B Arms MOD*X should be a great option. But, let’s take a look at some specifics on it and how my project with it on a Model 700 SPS Tactical rifle in .308 Win. went so you can decide for yourself.
Specifications
Model/Type: MOD*X Chassis, Fits Remington 700 Short Action (SPS Tactical .308 Win. tested)
Material: Aluminum design, hard coat anodized to Mil-Spec Type III
Scope Mount: 0 MOA scope rail included. Optional 20 MOA scope rail available
Handguard: KeyMod lightweight, 13.5” free-floating modular forearm. Accommodates barrels as thick as the action
Stock/Grip: Comes standard with A*B Arms Fixed-Adjustable™ Urban Sniper Stock™ and the A*B Arms SBR P*Grip. (Designed to accept any AR-style buttstock and pistol grip). Optional side-folder stock version tested—Length of pull adjustability of 12.35” to 17.25”
Magazine: AICS pattern, integrated push-button magazine release located at the front of the trigger guard
Trigger: Well will accept after-market Model 700 trigger systems
Weight: 3 lbs., 6 ozs.
MSRP: $849.99
Installation
Swapping out the old and getting ready to install the new. The MOD*X stock brings a lot of new capabilities to rifles such as this Remington Model 700 SPS Tactical rifle.
Installing the A*B Arms MOD*X isn’t something you need to take your rifle to a gunsmith for. With a few simple hand tools and a bottle of thread locker, it can be accomplished in a matter of minutes. That being said, if you aren’t the mechanically inclined type don’t be afraid to reach out to a local gunsmith for installation or assistance.
Starting with a naked Remington 700, the first thing you need to do is confirm that the rifle is unloaded. Once you’ve confirmed it’s clear start removing the action out of the stock. Start with the screws on the bottom and make sure you don’t lose any of the old hardware.
Once all of the screws are removed, pull the barreled action out of the stock and inspect it for anything that seems abnormal. Check for rust, broken parts or excessive carbon buildup. If this is a new gun you can go ahead and skip the inspection and just give the barreled action a quick wipe down. Before you go any further, make sure to flip the action over and remove the small scope mount screw plugs.
The receiver of the MOD*X makes it known that this product is American made and robust.
Now that everything is torn down, you can begin assembling the MOD*X. First thing first, you will want to go ahead and install the barreled action into the receiver. Slide the barrel lug into the receiver, flip it over and begin installing the bolts. Make sure to use some thread locker and optimally torque everything to 65-inch pounds of pressure.
The next step in assembling the MOD*X is attaching the handguard. The handguard is designed to slide right into a groove in the receiver. Once everything is lined up, you can simply thread the two handguard bolts into place. Be sure to remember to use thread locker and the appropriate amount of torque.
The next step in the installation will be attaching the pistol grip. Using the supplied hardware, pre-assemble the pistol grip with the screw and simply line everything up and begin to tighten the bolt until it is secure.
After the grip is installed, you will want to start installing the buttstock. The MOD*X comes in both fixed-stock and side-folding models. For this review, we choose to go all out and use the side-folder model. Installing the stock with the side folder is simple even though it does require a few more parts.
First thing first, go ahead and attach the side-folding hinge to the receiver. Utilizing the provided set screw, get it square and then torque it into place. Once the hinge is installed go ahead and thread the buffer tube into the hinge. It should be installed hand tight, then you should back the castle nut against it. Once the tube is affixed you can slide the stock on and, using its set screw, lock it into place.
Lastly, you will need to attach the 1913 rail/scope mount to the receiver of the rifle. This part is fairly straightforward but will require you to use a torque wrench set to 65 inch pounds and some good old fashioned thread locker.
Now that the rifle is completely assembled, you will want to cycle the action and set the stock to your desired length. All in all, it shouldn’t take you more than 20 minutes to swap out your old stock for the MOD*X, and this can be easily completed with a few hand tools found at any hardware store.
Ergonomics
The MOD*X has both 1913 rail space and Keymod slots.
To say that the MOD*X is more ergonomic than a rack grade 700 is a lot like saying that a Ferrari is better than a Honda Civic. The MOD*X is obviously better in every way than a stock 700; but why?
Starting at the front, the MOD X gives the user options of how and where to attach bipods, lights, lasers and night vision gear to his rifle. With the full-length KeyMod handguard the options are endless and the user has full control of how their rifle will be outfitted. Moving down the rifle, the next slam dunk comes at the scope mount. The gun ships with a 0 MOA mount but can be outfitted with a 20 MOA mount, making the MOD*X ideal for both the close-range marksman as well as the long-range enthusiast.
The stock on the A*B Arms MOD*X proved to offer impressive ergonomics and a great deal of adjustability.
The next big improvement over the standard 700 is the use of removable box magazines. Patterned after the industry-standard AICS mag, the MOD*X can use a variety of different magazines on the market and with different capacities. All in all, this isn’t anything groundbreaking, but when comparing it to the standard 700 this is a major improvement.
The last big ergonomic improvement is that the MOD*X comes with a highly adjustable buttstock. The gun ships with an A*B Arms pistol grip and stock, but these can be swapped out for nearly any standard AR-15 furniture.
Shooting with the MOD*X
The improvements listed in ergonomics all come into play and truly enhance the capabilities of the Model 700 rifle.
Shooting with the MOD*X is a noticeably different experience compared to the standard 700. The improvements listed in ergonomics all come into play and truly pamper the shooter. If anything, I would say the abundance of options and adjustments starts to overwhelm you while setting up the rifle. Once the stock is adjusted and you actually get to the shooting, the MOD*X leaves little to be desired.
With the little bit of added weight (9 oz. more than the standard Hogue factory stock), recoil seems tamer. This is due to the bipod sitting farther forward on the rifle; regardless, any reduction in recoil is a welcome improvement.
Reloading the rifle is much easier with the MOD*X. No more fumbling with loose rounds and maneuvering around scope mounts. Reloading is as easy as pressing the magazine release and sliding in a fresh magazine. The MOD*X ships with a 10-round MDT magazine, but as stated above it uses AICS-pattern mags.
Oddly enough one other byproduct of adding the MOD*X to your rifle is that the action seems even easier to manipulate. I feel like this is in part due to the rigidity of the MOD*X. All in all, the MOD*X just takes my old Remington 700 into the 21st century.
Accuracy
At 100 meters the MOD*X-equipped gun was shooting right at ¾ of an inch groups.
Accuracy first starts with the rifle you are building upon. For this review I already had a sub 1-inch gun. With the addition of the MOD*X I knew I would either have something amazing, insignificant or awful happen. As a true testament to the design, the MOD*X kept accuracy consistent and I would even go as far as to say that it improved it.
Sighting in at 100 meters, the MOD*X was easily producing ¾ inch groups with Freedom Munitions’ 155-grain A Max bullet and a Burris MTAC 6.5×20 scope. Moving out to 200 meters the same load was producing a 1 ¾ inch group.
At 200 meters the groups opened up to just under 1 ¾ on an inch.
Moving out to 400 meters I found slapping 12-inch steel plates almost arcade-easy. In short, the combination of a great base gun, good glass and a quality chassis system makes for a seriously accurate rifle.
Price and Availability
A*B Arms is a veteran-owned small business that designs and builds its products in the United States. The MOD*X is available now and can be purchased online directly from the A*B Arms website as a kit or as a complete rifle. Prices range from $800 all the way out to $1,700 for a complete rifle.
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Black doesn’t really blend in well in eastern Va. A*B Arms does offer the MOD*X in Flat Dark Earth Cerakote.
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The Urban Sniper Stock can be folded to the side and locked into place for compactness.
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The MOD*X was developed as a solution to the relative flaws found in the base Remington 700. It was designed to fix the standard-issue gripes about the 700 and then some. In all honesty, the MOD*X doesn’t just fix the Remington 700, it makes it into a completely different and in my opinion superior rifle.
The 20-inch barreled rifle is very compact, measuring under 30 inches with the MOD*X stock folded.