Certain rifles are iconic in their genre. For instance, in the northeastern woods Remington's 7600 pump-action rifle accompanies many savvy hunters who track cagey old whitetails through snow-covered thickets. On the opposite end of the spectrum, from the jungles of Vietnam to the deserts of the Middle East, the AR-15/M16 has served as the soldier's best friend.

Occasionally two designs crossbreed, and a new design is born. Remington recently combined features from both the 7600 and the AR-15 in the Model 7615 pump-action rifles by redesigning the 7600 pump with an AR-15 magazine well/feed system.

Pumps are fast and easy to function while staying focused on your target. And though the 7615s ship with a 10-round magazine, any decent 20- or 30-round AR mag fits and functions. What's not to like about a firearm with the snap and personality of a good pump and, where legal, 30-round firepower in the magazine? Better yet, the 7615s are legal (with appropriate 10-round magazines) in California and other restrictive states.

I recently tested all three versions--Camo Hunter, Ranch Carbine and Tactical--and came away suitably impressed. I'm a bolt-action guy and tend to expect less performance from any other rifle design, but when the 7615 Tactical averaged sub-m.o.a groups, I found myself coming around in a hurry.

The other rifles likewise proved to be accurate, though neither quite beat the one m.o.a. mark; producing 1.2 inch (Ranch Carbine) and 1.4 inch (Camo Hunter) averages--both very respectable for a pump, an action not typically known for fine accuracy.

The barrels of the 7615s are completely free-floated, which is certainly at least partially responsible for the level of accuracy. The short and therefore stiff barrels also probably contribute. Interestingly, as barrel length decreased from model to model, accuracy actually increased--at least with the loads I tested.

Function of all three was flawless. I managed to short-stroke the actions a couple of times but only by diligent effort. When cycled in a brisk fashion, the actions sucked the .223 cartridges up from the magazines with an appetite that could only have been surpassed by a semiauto.

Magazines dropped freely from the mag-wells and clicked into place just as easily. The release button does not fall under an extended shooting finger the way it does on an AR; it sits about an inch forward. I found that the quickest way to activate it is to simply pinch the mag well between the thumb and fingers of the left hand, hitting the button with whatever finger I liked, allowing the 10-round magazine to drop into my palm.

The only thing I was not impressed by was the trigger pulls. It's about like squeezing the trigger on an 870 shotgun--a little stout, a little creepy.