My understanding from the former Remington employee who managed the Remington Defense sales aspect of the business, all rifles sold as "M24s" by Remington Defense are built by the same hand-selected employees of Remington's "M24 shop" and all are built to the same military spec established in the late 1980s, regardless of whether its a military, Law Enforcement, or civilian customer. His review is no longer online, but here's some excerpts:
M24 Sniper Weapons System
February 28, 2017
M24 Sniper Rifle – Details Matter
Author: Michael Haugen
"A considerable amount has been written about the M24 Sniper Weapons System (SWS) over the years (some of from me), but much of the information has focused on specific aspects such as its history, exceptional feats accomplished, etc. The thought occurred to me that many of the nuances of the rifle and system over its life are not well known and there seems to be a genuine interest in these things.
This article will attempt to address a variety of things unique to the M24 SWS that people seem to ask about or in some cases pontificate on incorrectly. The source of my information comes from two sources; my decade plus experience as a sniper and sniper instructor and my twelve plus years working for Remington (Military Products Division/Remington Defense). I will say up front that there are some aspects of this system (specifically its early development) that are slightly ambiguous and fraught with numerous variations of the events, therefore I will skirt many of these for the time being and rather focus on hard information that might be of interest.
....there are a number of things with the M24 that many people don’t know or have been incorrectly purported over years."
PRODUCTION
The M24 is not built on the normal Remington 700 production line; rather it is built in what is called the “M24 shop” by a dedicated group of professionals. This should not be confused with the custom shop, nor should this be taken to mean that those who build the M24 are “custom” gun makers. The M24 shop exists because the contract demanded that the rifles be constructed and stored in a secure facility not accessible by the average employee. Each rifle is built by one employee from beginning to end, then the rifle is proofed, magnufluxed, proofed a second time, and then fired for accuracy also known as targeted (with ammunition provided by the Army).
The employees that work in the M24 shop are exceptionally proud to work there and are hand selected to be given the opportunity to do so. These employees understand the significance of building rifles that will be used by professionals to defend themselves and their fellow soldiers. While the M24 SWS contract created the M24 shop and subsequently this has become the source for all Remington sniper rifles.
...(My note: ever wonder why M24 triggers are so expensive? (also used on the M40A3/A5) - well each one is thoroughly tested to meet the original US Army specs):
"THE TRIGGER
One component of the M24 specification was the requirement for a user adjustable trigger (“the rifle shall have a trigger pull capable of being adjusted by the user”). The trigger weight was to be not less than 2 lbs 8oz and “more” than 4lbs (it could exceed 4 lbs). As a result of these specifications, Remington modified their existing trigger by adding a screw and a spring in the trigger shoe than can be adjusted by the operator. This trigger is called the “M24 Fire Control” and is normally only used on the M24 series of rifles (M24, M24A2, M24A3).
While the M24 Fire Control is technically unique, truthfully it is as stated a standard Remington commercial 700 trigger (fire control) with a screw and a spring in the trigger shoe to allow it to be adjusted by the user. It is worth noting that “adjustment” is a relative term when it comes to this trigger. What I mean is that the trigger is manufactured (set up) to be somewhere between 3.5 and 5 lbs (they try to get around 3.8 – 4lbs), however the adjustment screw can never make it any lighter, only heavier. In other words, the screw can be completely removed without making the trigger/weapon unsafe and in fact many sniper students do exactly that. The intent of the requirement was to give the sniper an adjustable trigger (as I know the shooters involved with development specified), however soldiers being soldiers, if there is a screw that can be manipulated, it will be and Remington did not want a weapon system that could be made unsafe.
It’s worth noting that each M24 Fire Control is set and then tested with 5 pulls; the trigger must produce a pull force less than 5lbs throughout the test to be used. Once the trigger is set, the sear engagement screw is peened; a punch is used to dent the screw pathway so that that it cannot back out. Also, all three adjustment screws are coated with a shellac material that dries hard. Usually this shellac is red, but I have seen clear as well.
....(My note: While it not stated in the the below exceprt, but worth noting that all M24 barrel bores are given an extra 'honing' process by the Remington Defense guys, which is unique process done in the "M24 shop" - and I suspect helps explain the M24's consistent sub-MOA accuracy over a 3 decade period...)
THE BARREL
As noted in the specs above, the M24 barrel is 24” long and what some would consider a heavy or perhaps medium heavy barrel. It begins at 1.203” at the receiver and has a slight taper to .910” at the muzzle. It has a recessed crown to protect the lands and grooves. The barrel is cold hammer forged and made from 416R stainless steel and features a 1:11.25 twist using 5R rifling profile. The barrels feature Remington proof stamps near the receiver and “7.62 NATO” on the side of the barrel.
"These barrels have proven to provide outstanding accuracy and far exceed the 2.6 MOA requirement (2.6 inches @ 200 yards), in fact I have personally never witnessed a M24 that did not shoot sub-MOA throughout its life. Speaking of the barrel’s life, the Army specified that the barrel must remain accurate to 5000 rounds, however I have personally seen many of them exceed 10,000 (while remaining accurate) and in one case had a documented 14,000 round barrel shooting 1 MOA."
CONCLUSION
The M24 remains one of the US’s best and most used sniper weapons system. It was issued to the entire US Army as well as the US Air Force. In total approximately 2500 systems were sold to the US military and another roughly 8000 sold to US law enforcement and foreign military allies. It was the C130 or UH1 of sniper rifles in that it was exceptionally robust, accurate and durable and served well from approximately 1988 until 2010 when it was upgraded to the M2010 (guess one could argue it is still in use). Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your point of view), technology ran past the M24 making it difficult to integrate into the modern methods of conducting battle. Due to its shortcomings (which were very few), the M24A2 was developed, however that is the basis for another article.
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....My bottom-line understanding is this: The M24s currently sold by EuroOptic are built to the exact same specs and level of testing as required by the U.S. military since 1988. That is part of why they are so pricey as well, there are a lot of little details that Remington Defense does to that rifle that didn't apply to a standard M700. The NSN number established back in 1986 for the M24 was a one-time event, and thus M24s made in 1996 or 2006 or 2020 didn't get a new NSN, but the company providing the rifle (Remington Defense) reportedly builds them to the original mil-spec standard by the same dedicated employees in the "M24 shop." Thus customers or dealers who order a M24, Remington Defense SKU 25732, 25727, or 25679 - get the same mil-spec rifle, whether ordered by a foreign military, a domestic law enforcement entity, or for civilian sales by Euro Optic. My 2cts.
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