Pristine Actions Remage Unboxing: Why Go Custom, and the One Thing I’d Change

Channel fans and family, there comes a time in every gun owner’s life when you decide your next rifle needs to be built on a custom action. It’s not that factory rifles aren’t good enough. It’s that you want more: more features, more precision, or just that super smooth bolt that puts a smile on your face every time you run it. I fell for the Pristine Actions action at SHOT Show 2022, and this time I finally had one on the bench. Before it goes into a rifle build, I wanted to unbox it, go through the features and give you my first impressions.

Disclosure: the action was provided by Pristine Actions for testing and evaluation, and Pristine did not see the video before it was published. This is an unboxing, feature walkthrough and first impressions from December 2022, before the rifle build, so it’s not a range test yet. For the booth chat with Gary where I first got my hands on one, read Pristine Actions Remage: Buttery Smooth Shot Show First Look.

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Why go custom at all?

Don’t get me wrong, Bergara, CZ, Christensen, Tikka and more recently Springfield Armory all sell rifles with smooth actions. On the other end, high-end builders like Accuracy International, GunWerks and GA Precision put rifles together on their own actions, and those get expensive fast. That gap is where custom action makers live, along with the gunsmith-assisted, build-it-yourself crowd. Kurtis, Bighorn, Impact, Kelbly, Defiance, Ultimatum, American Rifle Company and plenty of others made their names there with precise fit and finish and features you usually don’t get on mass-produced rifles.

The reason is simple. A big gun maker has to design something attractive enough for knowledgeable buyers, cheap enough to make money after dealers and distributors take their cut, and reliable enough for first-time and less experienced gun owners. That usually means building for simplicity and reliability over absolute precision. Sure, there are exceptions like the Custom Shop Ruger Precision Rifle and the Savage Elite Precision, but those few thousand rifles are carried by hundreds of thousands of budget Ruger Americans and Savage Axis rifles in big box stores. A company that makes one product can put all of its attention on that one thing, and that’s what Pristine was founded on. I think it shows.

The receiver: a Rem 700 footprint with upgrades

It comes in a really nice box, and like most custom actions today it’s a Remington 700 replacement: same outside footprint, with Pristine’s own features inside. That matters because once you go down this rabbit hole, it’s common to swap chassis, triggers and other parts depending on the discipline, the ammo you can get, or the rules of your gun game. Pristine isn’t forcing you to spend extra on a custom stock or chassis made just for its action.

• One piece of pre-hardened 416 stainless. Starting from round bar stock means removing less material in the subtractive CNC process, which helps with cost. The cylindrical shape also spreads stress more evenly. The tradeoff is that the recoil lug and scope base aren’t built into the receiver.
• Thicker tang and rear action screw threads to help avoid action bending and add overall strength.
• Beefier bolt release and bolt stop, so pulling and replacing the bolt is easier and it stays strong if you shoot slightly hotter loads.
• Two pins for a Rem 700 style trigger. There’s no fancy trigger hanger system. Some people want one, but skipping it means better chassis compatibility, since not every stock or chassis has clearance for hanger systems.
• Savage small shank prefit threads (1.055 x 20 TPI, versus 16 TPI on Remingtons). Quite a few barrel companies make prefits, and any competent gunsmith should be able to spin one up for you.

The bolt: six lugs, swappable heads

Peek inside and this is where it gets unique. The bolt has six lugs in two rows of three. You still have a 90 degree bolt throw, but the forces are spread across six lugs instead of the two on a Remington and many others. Pristine says that gives you unmatched security and strength.

The bolt body isn’t one piece either. You get a floating bolt head, and that’s the beauty of this action: if you want to go from a 6mm match gun to a .223 trainer, you swap the bolt head and the barrel, not the whole action. At the time of the video there were two bolt faces, a standard .308 face for most gun games and hunting cartridges, and a .223 face for varmint and training rounds.

• Dual ejectors for more consistent, more powerful ejection, and the reliability you need in the field or at a match.
• Sako style extractor, bigger than a standard one, so it’s far less likely to fail on extraction. (Sako or “Say-ko”? I’m a stickler for pronunciation and I’ve heard it both ways. Let me know in the comments.)
• Bolt shroud and a pretty nice bolt knob, and the handle is threaded 5/16-24, so you can put on the knob of your choice.

The roller cocking piece

Putting it all together is where the magic happens and the big reason you go custom. With its coatings and tight tolerances, this action cycles very smoothly. The part you can actually see from the outside is the roller cocking piece. It gives you a smooth, light bolt lift of about four pounds and a really satisfying bolt close and lock. If you’ve ever shot a TriggerTech trigger, imagine that feeling, but for closing the bolt.

My one pet peeve: the 20 MOA rail

As awesome as this action is, there’s one thing I don’t love. On top you get a one-piece 20 MOA Picatinny rail. It’s functional and very well machined, but it’s designed specifically for this action. Even though the action fits a Rem 700 footprint, it doesn’t take a Remington 700 style scope base, which I’d bet most other actions would.

Would it be awesome to run a 700 style base? Yes, but mainly because 20 MOA is so 1980s. Most scopes people would put on a custom action like this have at least 60, 80, 100 or more MOA of internal elevation. There’s little to no reason not to run a 30 or even 40 MOA rail with most 34mm first focal plane scopes. At the very least, a 30 or 40 MOA rail option from Pristine would be a start.

Worth checking before you buy

This video is from December 2022, and things have changed. In the video I said the actions were made in Canada and imported into the U.S. Pristine’s website now says new owners took over in late 2024, that the company is based in Fort Macleod, Alberta, and the lineup is split into Lightweight, Heavy and Classic actions in short, long and mini lengths. Pristine’s FAQ says the action works with all Remington 700 style triggers and with Rem 700 spec stocks and chassis, except wrap-around chassis that block the bolt release. Check the current specs, rail options and bolt faces at shootpristine.com before you order.

One build note: because the Pristine has its own bolt release assembly on the receiver, you’ll be shopping for a Rem 700 clone trigger without a bolt release, like the TriggerTech Diamond for clone actions, rather than a factory Rem 700 trigger with the bolt release on it. Not sure which trigger to pick? Our Rise Armament 700 trigger look is another option to read up on.

Our take

Pristine Actions is a welcome addition to the custom action market. They started with the right formula, added some unique ingredients (six lugs, a floating bolt head, dual ejectors and that roller cocking piece), and built a beautiful action that lives up to expectations. The rail is a quirk, and I’m fairly sure they can fix it. For a lot of shooters it may not even be an issue. On the flip side, the unique features and flexibility more than make up for it. Once you add a barrel, a stock and a trigger, you’ve got a custom bolt gun built to your specs for a fraction of the fully custom route. Next step: putting it into a rifle build.

Where to find it

• Pristine sells direct: shootpristine.com
• Rem 700 clone trigger: TriggerTech Rem 700 Diamond Trigger (clone actions, no bolt release) at Optics Planet
• Precision rifle upgrades: Anarchy Outdoors
• Everything else I run: SlavGuns Amazon storefront
• Support the channel: join the Squat Squad on YouTube for member-only content, giveaways and vendor discounts

Would you rather build on a custom action like this, or buy a factory rifle and upgrade it? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for reading, and keep on squatting!

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