I'll tell you right up front that until recently I was never a big fan of Remington's Model Seven rifle. That skinny barrel combined with an action that handled only short cartridges was never my cup of tea. And the stock? Removed from the rifle it might make a perfect bat for a good game of stickball. The only handsome Model Seven to come out of the plant in New York was that spiffy Mannlicher addition brought on line around 1993.

Nevertheless, over the past two years, the Model Seven--now available in wood-stock CDL or camo synthetic dress--has changed dramatically and made me its No. 1 fan. The stock is classic in design, the barrel is perfect for the host cartridge, and with an overall length that is somewhat shorter than its Model 700 counterpart, the new addition in .17 Remington Fireball is certainly going to find a place in my Suburban for serious woodchuck hunting.

Like most Remington rifles, the Model Seven has had a colorful history. On the market since 1983, the Model Seven was first chambered for the .222 and .223 Remington, .243 Winchester, 6mm Remington, 7mm-08 Remington and .308 Winchester. With a handy carbine-length barrel, this gun was obviously made for long trekking and relatively short shooting. Through the years the line has added cartridges, as well as synthetic and laminated stocks and stainless steel actions.

SPECIFICATIONS MODEL SEVEN CDL
MANUFACTURER:	Remington, 800-243-9700
TYPE:	bolt-action centerfire
CALIBER:	.17 Remington Fireball
CAPACITY:	4+1
BARREL LENGTH:	20 in.
OVERALL LENGTH:	39 1/4 in.
WEIGHT:	6 1/2 lbs.
SIGHTS:	drilled and tapped for scope
TRIGGER:	5-pound single stage
STOCK:	Checkered select walnut
FINISH:	satin
PRICE:	$902

The new Model Seven CDL is one fine looking rifle. Almost custom in appearance, the lines are smooth, and it's chambered for a baker's dozen list of cartridges that go from the petite .17 Fireball to the .300 Remington Short Action Ultra Mag with a somewhat heavier and longer 22-inch barrel.

This stock design was first introduced on the Mountain Rifle, then the flagship Model 700, and when Remington saw the potential of this type of rifle, it started to drift down into Model Seven country.

Even though the rifle is shorter by a few inches, the stock is still full-size in all areas. The length of pull is just an eighth of an inch shy of the common 131⁄2-inch standard and topped off with Remington's new R3 recoil pad. Granted, this heavy duty pad is not needed on the .17 Remington Fireball, but I guess the thought here is to equip all of the Model Sevens with the same pad to save money in production.

Style-wise, the stock itself is right out of the classic school, with a straight comb and a cheekpiece on the left side. At the present time Remington does not list a Model Seven CDL in a left-hand version.

The Model Seven continues to mature. Today's CDL models sport jeweled bolts and finely checkered bolt knobs, just like the M700.

The pistol grip has a comfortable inward sweep capped off by a black grip cap. It is finished like the rest of the rifle in a smooth, semi-matte finish without any logo or trademark. The pistol grip itself has more than an ample supply of machine cut checkering executed in a point pattern, complete with a fancy layout that complements the rifle nicely. There are stock flutes on each side of the comb for comfort, and a sling swivel stud is mounted near the butt pad.