Spandau RL Rifle: Big Value for a Small Budget

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2020 was a tough year for a lot of reasons, but gun owners may remember it as the year that what remained of Remington Arms was sold.

America’s oldest firearms manufacturer had suffered under years of mismanagement, and it seemed that the future of such popular firearms as the Model 870 pump shotgun and Model 700 bolt-action rifle was uncertain.

If you were one of the millions of hunters that was sad to see the Remington 700 disappear, then I have a bit of good news for you. Starting in 2026, SDS Imports in Knoxville, Tennessee is importing the Spandau RL, a Turkish clone of the Model 700. Initially chambered in .308 Winchester, this Remington revival is breathing new life into the classic Model 700 design.

Turkish guns have gotten a bum rap over the years, not all of which is undeserved. But, as with any other country, not all Turkish manufacturers are producing products of equal quality. The Spandau RL is being manufactured by Huglu, one of Turkey’s premier firearm manufacturers. The company consistently produces shotguns and rifles that rival guns from Europe, Japan, and the States in quality, and since CNC machines operate the same in Istanbul that they do in Illinois the “made in Turkey” label is nothing to fear.

A Clone

The RL looks very much like a classic Remington 700 short action with a few noteworthy differences. The stock features a straight comb and is made from nicely finished Turkish walnut. It doesn’t glisten like the classic Model 700 BDL stock, but I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. The receiver and barrel metal of the RL feature a matte-black oxynitride finish. For those unfamiliar with the process, oxynitriding involves nitriding the steel and then oxidizing it to form a protective outer layer. The process gives the metal its distinctive matte black/gray finish, and the resulting surface treatment is resistant to wear and corrosion. Oxynitriding is a sensible finish option on hunting rifles because it stands up well to moisture, offers a low-glare finish and won’t flake.

RL rifles sport a 20-inch steel barrel with a medium sporter barrel profile. The barrel features 5R rifling which purportedly eases cleaning and improves accuracy, and the 1:10 twist rate stabilizes the vast majority of .308 Winchester hunting loads. The rifle’s relatively short barrel makes it more practical for hunters because it reduces overall length, making the Spandau more maneuverable in a blind or treestand and reduces the overall length of the rifle when running a suppressor. Both a thread protector and muzzle brake are included with each rifle.

Many of the receiver and bolt features are true to the original Remington 700 design. The receiver is cylindrical (a feature on the original Model 700 that made it much more affordable and efficient to manufacture than the flat-bottom Winchester Model 70), and there’s a recoil lug positioned at the front of the receiver. The push-feed bolt features dual locking lugs and a plunger-type ejector that extends through the recessed bolt face just like the original Model 700.

The extractor on the Spandau RL is better than the Remington 700 design, though. For years the M700’s weak, small extractor was considered the Achilles’ heel of an otherwise outstanding action. Several hunters I have spoken with over the years told me they broke Model 700 extractors at one time or another, and Namibian professional hunter, Jofie Lamprecht, nearly lost his life when the extractor on his .416 Model 700 snapped while a hippo was doing everything within its considerable powers to kill him. Many Model 700 owners sidestepped the issue by replacing the factory extractors in their rifles with Sako or M16-style extractors, both of which are far more robust. Spandau saves owners a step by installing a rugged M16 extractor on the RL at the factory.

Accessories and Design

The Spandau rifle ships with two detachable AICS box magazines, one five-round magazine and one three-rounder. I still feel a bit of a disconnect when I see a rifle with a wood stock and an extended box magazine, which to my mind is the outdoors equivalent of installing a rear spoiler on your Jeep CJ7. For me, the three-round flush-fit magazine looks more natural. If I eventually swap out the supplied walnut stock for a tactical/hybrid polymer stock, the five-round mag will likely return. Aesthetics matter very little when it comes to a rifle’s capacity to make accurate shots, but having two included magazines is a nice feature.

Spandau ships their RL rifles with a zero MOA rail included, so mounting a scope on this rifle is straightforward. The rail is held in place with 6-48 screws, and since they are laid out in the traditional Remington 700 pattern, finding scope bases or other rails isn’t an issue. In fact, the RL’s 700 footprint makes it a new rifle with robust aftermarket support. Its compatibility with Model 700 components means swapping out the RL’s stock, trigger, scope base, or just about any other major component is simple. If you’re looking to build your own rifle, the $799 Spandau RL is a great platform from which to start. But even in its factory form, the Spandau RL is a solid rifle that will feel familiar to any Remington 700 fan.

Range Testing

With its 20-inch barrel, the RL rifle is short and snappy, and the weight of my test rifle was 6 pounds, 13 ounces (although wood density may cause weight to vary from gun to gun). The initial impression I got of the rifle was that it was handy. It works well in the dark confines of a blind and it’s short enough to function as a trunk or brush rifle. Length of pull is just a hair under 14 inches which may be a bit long for some shooters, but the thick recoil pad absorbs recoil effectively. The pad features a radiused heel that won’t hang up on heavy clothing when you’re mounting the rifle.

The trigger on the test rifle broke at 4.25 pounds on average and there was a bit of creep. It certainly isn’t a bad trigger, but it’s not as crisp as the many aftermarket Remington 700 triggers from companies like Timney and TriggerTech. The first order of business for me will be to order a new trigger for the gun, but many hunters will find the factory trigger suitable.

It certainly produced good accuracy results. I tested the RL with four different loads. Three of those loads (Hornady Superformance CX, Federal Fusion Tipped, and Nosler American Whitetail) were designed for hunting, and the last (Federal Gold Medal Center Strike OTM) was a match load. Both the Hornady and Federal Gold Medal three-shot groups averaged in the .9-inch range at 100 yards. The Hornady load proved to be the most accurate, but only by the slimmest of margins. Nosler’s budget-friendly cup-and-core Whitetail Country load averaged 1.3-inches for three shots at 100 yards, and the Federal Fusion Tipped load averaged 1.4 inches.

So, is the RL a sub-MOA rifle out of the box? Yes, with a load it likes. I think that with a new trigger and some load development and testing you could certainly shrink groups even further.

Accuracy and Reliability

I performed my range tests with a Silencer Central Banish Backcountry .30-caliber suppressor in place and attached a Trijicon Credo HX 2.5-15x42 scope to the RL’s rail. Fully equipped, this gun weighs around nine pounds, but it’s still short enough to operate in heavy cover and the recoil and muzzle blast are so subdued that this gun is a real pleasure to shoot.

The control layout is pure Model 700, but the RL comes with an oversized bell-shaped bolt knob that’s easier to operate than the stock bolt knob on a standard Model 700. There’s a two-position safety that moves from the safe to fire positions with a distinct click. One of my peeves on two-position rifles are safeties that “float” and are easily switched between safe and fire positions every time the selector makes contact with a shooting bag or tree branch. There’s none of that nonsense with the RL.

Reliable cycling is important on any hunting rifle and I’m happy to say that the RL cycles very smoothly. It operates well with the AICS magazines and there’s no need to gently persuade the bolt to pick up another round on the return stroke. Run this gun at speed and it works every time. Additionally, the open-top receiver design allows you to top load rounds directly into the chamber if you’d like.

When I’d finished testing, I removed the barreled action from the stock. It’s worth noting the action screws were torqued to the correct setting at the factory, which is not always the case with factory rifles. The machining and finish on the barreled action are excellent, as good as you’ll find in many rifles costing more money. The interior of the stock is roughly hewn, but it works fine.

Now that the remains of Remington Arms are under the control of RemArms, it remains to be seen what the Model 700’s future holds, but if you wanted a 700 and didn’t get in line in time, there’s no need to despair. Spandau’s RL rifle is a very good stand-in that is, in some respects, better than the rifle it replaces. The Remington 700 built its reputation by offering good accuracy and reliable performance at a modest price. If those features still appeal to you, then the RL is certainly worth a look.

Spandau RL Rifle Specs

• Type: Bolt-action centerfire
• Chambering: .308 Winchester
• Capacity: 3+1, 5+1
• Barrel Length: 20 inches
• Barrel: 5R rifling, 1:10 twist, threaded 5/8-24, muzzle brake and thread protector included
• Overall Length: 39.95 inches
• Weight: 6 lbs., 13 oz. (unscoped)
• Stock: Turkish walnut
• LOP: 13.97 inches
• Sights: 0 MOA rail included
• Trigger/Safety: Single stage, 4.25-pounds
• Safety: Two-position
• Finish: Oxynitride
• Price: $800
• Website: Spandauarms.com

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