Son picked up a couple 700's recently. I took them both down to look them over and see what's what so to say. I was a bit surprised after seeing they both bore barrel codes for 1997 to find so many differences in the two rifles. Ones a heavy barrel, has only the code XR and has a early Markpro trigger. The other has the barrel code OR is a youth model, has a screwed in magazine box which the heavy barrel does not have, and sports a late "standard" 700 trigger. Does this jive right, was 97 a little of a cross over year? Also the youth model sports a serial number of E638xxxx and the heavy G671xxxx both with matching bolt numbers. It's hard for me to imagine both serial numbers would have been manufactured the same year. Thoughts appreciated.... I may well have to just email Rem. customer service and see if they still will track the numbers.
