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"  External appearances aside, the inner workings of the new Model 700 EtronX are nothing short of revolutionary. Consider it a shot in the arm for factory sporting rifles. Remington&amp;#039;s new Model 700 EtronX centerfire target rifle and pesky varmint bagger is more than just another gun. It&amp;#039;s the opening salvo in what could well be the next revolution in firearms. What Remington has done is take the mechanical trigger and related hardware required to energize and release the firing pin of its standard Model 700 and replace it with an electronic trigger and an electronic, versus the usual percussive, ignition system. Why? In a word--accuracy. In two more words--simplicity and reliability. On the accuracy side of the equation, the longer it takes between the time you squeeze the trigger and the time the bullet exits the muzzle, the less your chances are for achieving a dead-accurate shot in long-distance shooting. A significant factor in this is lock time, or the interval between the instant the trigger releases the firing pin and the point of sufficient impact of the firing pin to detonate the primer. In a percussion rifle, the normal lock time is anywhere from 2.8 milliseconds on the fast end up to or exceeding 7 or 8 External appearances aside, the inner workings of the new Model 700 EtronX are nothing short of revolutionary. milliseconds. The biggest variable here is in the trigger mechanism itself. A fast system typically consists of a trigger that pulls out from underneath a sear and releases a striker, or firing pin, which is driven forward by a mainspring. In a slower system, the trigger mechanically releases a hammer that pivots about an arm and reaches up to strike the firing pin, which in turn starts to move and then impacts the primer. A few milliseconds here or there may not seem like much, but when you&amp;#039;re aiming and pulling the trigger, the muzzle tends to move around a bit. All things being equal, shorter lock time reduces off-target barrel movement. As we mentioned, this applies primarily to long-distance shooting. Short- and medium-distance target accuracy remains largely unaffected by lock time. Another drawback of percussion firing is the harmonic vibrations that the firing pin impact sets up in the barrel. While heavier barrels tend to absorb more of these vibes than lighter barrels, this mild shake can still factor into bottom-line accuracy. The EtronX system is turned on and off by a removable key located in the grip cap. The key can be removed in either the On or Off position. The trigger is basically a switch that sends a signal to the 8-bit computer tucked inside the synthetic stock. So, in other words, this is the first machine with its brains in its butt. Trigger pull is adjustable from a factory setting of 2.3 pounds down to a half-pound. And, unlike mechanical triggers with friction and wear between moving parts, the EtronX with no moving parts gives you pulls that are smooth and consistent, with 36 percent less travel than the standard 700. Lock time for the electronic firing circuit is slashed to 27 microseconds. That&amp;#039;s a 99 percent reduction compared to the standard 700&amp;#039;s.  The only difference between EtronX and standard percussive ammo is in the primer system. More Volts To The Jolt Another improvement on the EtronX is the shorter, lighter bolt throw. The bolt on a conventional rifle compresses and cocks the spring that energizes the firing pin. The EtronX firing pin does not move but serves only to transmit the 150-volt pulse to the primer. That spring is absent on the new model. The EtronX computer is powered by a common 9-volt battery that also supplies the juice to ignite the primer. A booster ignition circuit, similar in operation to an automotive ignition coil, pumps up the voltage from 9 to 150 volts. The high-voltage charge is stored in a capacitor that discharges when all the following conditions are met: The key is on, the safety is off, there&amp;#039;s a round in the chamber and the trigger sends an input signal. The firing voltage travels along the ceramic-insulated firing pin, which is in a fixed position. When the bolt is closed, the pin protrudes from the bolt face to contact with the primer case. The voltage detonates the primer, which in turn rapidly burns the propellant, creating the pressure that sends the bullet on its way. Special EtronX ammo is required, and while the shell may look like a conventional round, EtronX ammo won&amp;#039;t fire in a conventional rifle and percussive shells won&amp;#039;t fire in the EtronX. The difference is in the primer, which is a drop-in replacement for the percussive primer in an otherwise standard shell. The way a percussive primer works is that the firing pin impacting the primer cup pinches the primary explosive--lead styphnate crystals between the cup and the anvil inside the primer cup. When the crystals break they generate heat to raise the temperature of the primer mix to the ignition point. Other ingredients include an additional explosive that makes the mixture more impact-sensitive, along with oxidizers, fuels and a binder to hold it all together.  The EtronX firing pin does not move but serves only to transmit the 150-volt pulse to the primer. The EtronX primer is a three-piece cup design versus the one-piece of the percussive primer. There&amp;#039;s also a much larger gap inside the cup that prevents the mixture from being pinched and set off by impact. Essentially, the impact-sensitive ingredients are removed and a conductive component is added. The firing pin passes the electric current to the primer case central contact and travels through the primer mixture a distance of .040 to .050 in. The heat generated from the primer&amp;#039;s 1000- to 1500-ohm resistance is enough to raise the mix to the ignition point. The only difference between EtronX and standard percussive ammo is in the primer system. Remington worked with Picitinny Arsenal to make sure its system was zap-proof from static electricity jolts and microwave transmissions. The static electricity test involved subjecting the primer cups and shells to a 25,000-volt static spark. The current merely grounded out to the case of the cup and not through the primer. In normal use, the static voltage would pass on to the shell casing and the gun barrel. Ammo for the EtronX rifle is available in .220 Swift, .22-250 Rem. and .243 Win. Primer composition aside, the shells perform identically to their percussive counterparts. While the EtronX isn&amp;#039;t a smart gun, the on-board electronics system that it packs opens the possibilities of a user-authorization or identification system. The technologies are emerging for, say, a person to wear an identifying ring that a sensor on the gun would passively read and approve before the weapon would be made operational. As a safety device, it&amp;#039;s a natural. The Model 700 EtronX rifle isn&amp;#039;t cheap, with a suggested list price of $1999. That&amp;#039;s about a $1000 premium over the standard 700. Remington obviously has a lot invested in the new system and has to recoup some of that outlay. The company is considering licensing the EtronX technology to other manufacturers, so what has started as a revolution may turn into a widespread movement--to the benefit of shooters everywhere. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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