Strasser RS 700 Straight Pull Rifle: Full Review

Strasser is a rifle company that deserves better recognition in the United States. Based in Austria, the company got its start in the 1980s making parts for the European Space Association. They were successful in this demanding field because they were one of the earliest European purchasers of a Coordinated Measuring Machine (CMM). While almost prohibitively expensive, the CMM allowed Strasser to hold tolerances that no one else could at the time.

Strasser turned to manufacturing firearms in 1990 for another premium European firearms brand, and it continues to manufacture parts for European firearms manufacturers today. Only recently has Strasser begun making rifles under its own name. The first rifles to arrive in America were RS 14 models with switch-
barrel, straight-pull actions featuring different levels of engraving and several types of stocks (“Proofhouse,” June 2021). For 2024, Strasser is introducing its first rifle featuring an action with a Model 700 footprint.

Configuring the Strasser receiver to fit the 700 footprint brings all of the aftermarket support of the Remington Model 700 to the smoothest and lightest straight-­pull receiver on the market. Any stock or chassis that accommodates a 700 receiver will work on the Strasser. The same can be said for any trigger that works on a Model 700; these, too, will work on the Strasser RS 700. There is some sear height variation among triggers that fit the 700, but Guns & Ammo’s staff confirmed that both Timney and Trigger Tech triggers come with the correct sear height to operate the RS 700 without modification. This should be the situation with most — but not all — aftermarket triggers.

Unlike previous Strasser rifles, the RS 700 doesn’t use a steel barrel extension. The steel bolt head locks into lug abutments machined into the steel receiver. Each Strasser bolt has four radial locking lugs that use the motion of the bolt handle to move in to and out of battery. Pulling the bolt handle back moves an internal steel block rearward, allowing the locking lugs to move inward and off the lug abutments. Pushing the handle forward moves the steel block forward, forcing the lugs outward to rest against the lug abutments.

The novel receiver design is also durable. Proof ammunition used to test all rifles of European manufacture is loaded to 30 percent above maximum safe pressures. Each rifle must remain functional after firing several rounds of proof ammunition. The Strasser receiver remains intact and functional — even when only one locking lug is sitting against the lug abutment! Part of the secret to Strasser’s robust design is its material selection. While many customers sing praises of stainless steel receivers for superior corrosion resistance (an accurate assessment), manufacturers often prefer stainless because it is easier to machine. However, Strasser uses 4140 chromoly steel for its receivers because it is a better choice in the case of a high-­pressure event. Obstructed bores and other issues that would cause a stainless action to crack or fail under pressure are more easily contained when using 4140. Alloy 4140 also has the advantage of feeling smoother when cycling the bolt.

The smoothness of the RS 700 cannot be overstated. The rising American generation created the “fidget spinner” to keep idle hands busy. Running the RS 700’s bolt is the rifleman’s equivalent of a fidget spinner. Cycling this bolt is as effortless as any rifle tested, regardless of the type or cost.

The barrel on the RS 700 is made by Lothar Walther. The one sent to G&A for evaluation came chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, was 22 inches long, had a 1-in-8-inch twist rate, and was threaded M14x1. An adapter that changes the thread pitch from M14x1 to 5⁄8x24 is included with each rifle. The contour is light enough for hunting, but heavy enough to accommodate a suppressor. It is a button-­rifled barrel and performed well in the accuracy and function testing protocols.

The barrel threads into the receiver with a 11⁄16x16 UN thread pitch and uses a barrel nut to set headspace. The recoil lug is sandwiched between the barrel nut and the receiver. Using the barrel nut makes swapping barrels easy when used with the appropriate headspace gauges. The rifleman could order pre-­fit barrels in the mail and install them at home with the barrel nut and headspace gauges. No final machining would be necessary to finish the rifle. It would be a simple matter to have several barrels of different chamberings and lengths to use one rifle for many different types of hunts. Only the cartridge case head diameter and overall cartridge length would have to remain unchanged.

The stock on the RS 700 is made by AG Composites from carbon fiber. These stocks are frequently seen on custom-­built rifles because of the light weight and rigidity they offer. The stock on the RS 700 is inletted for a Remington Model 700 footprint and has two aluminum pillars that support the receiver. When the action screws tighten, they pull the receiver into contact with the two pillars, ensuring that the distance between the receiver and the bottom metal is correct for reliable feeding from the magazine. The stock has one sling swivel stud near the toe and a section of Picatinny rail underneath the forend.

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The magazine that comes with the Strasser RS 700 is a flush-­fit, three-­round model made by Modular Driven Technologies (MDT). It is AICS pattern, so there are a number of magazine capacities available on the aftermarket. The bottom metal that secures the magazine sits flush with the stock and has the magazine release integrated into the triggerguard. Releasing the magazine is a small matter of extending the trigger finger to contact the paddle. The integration of release into the triggerguard prevents accidental activation when carrying the rifle afield.

Boresighting the rifle prior to accuracy testing involved removing the bolt to sight down the barrel. The bolt release is unlike that of any rifle G&A has tested. There is a small steel column located underneath the bolt handle in the recess cut into the stock. The recess is where the bolt handle would normally sit when the action is closed. The column is held in place under spring tension, so removing the bolt involves pulling the column away from the rifle while easing the bolt rearward. The bolt can be lifted up and out of the rifle before the bolt body impacts the stock’s comb.

Straight-­pull rifles offer unprecedented speed for follow-­up shots. Cycling a straight-­pull bolt also disturbs the firing position less because it requires less movement from the rifleman. Combining the benefits of a straight-­pull receiver with the robust aftermarket of the Remington 700 gives the American rifleman more relevant options than there ever were before.

Strasser RS 700

• Type: Bolt action
• Cartruidge: 6.5mm Creedmoor
• Capacity: 3+1 rds.
• Barrel: 22 in., 1:8-­in. twist
• Overall Length: 43.5 in.
• Weight: 7 lbs., 8 oz.
• Stock: AG Composites
• Length of Pull: 13.65 in.
• Finish: Anodized (aluminum)
• Trigger: 2 lbs., 6 oz. (tested)
• Sights: None
• MSRP: $3,599
• Importer: Strasser, Strasser-­usa.com

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