The trigger, sear, and cocking piece have a coating of electroless nickel-Teflon composite for lubricity and corrosion resistance. The Winchester-styled bolt release sits on the left side of the receiver and pivots on a pin that runs through the rear of the trigger housing. The two-position, trigger-block safety also wears the electroless nickel-Teflon finish and sits comfortably in a shallow recess in the tang. A spring-loaded plunger mates with two detent holes in the safety stamping, keeping it in its intended position.

Marlin is deservedly proud of its barrels and the accuracy they deliver. The barrel-shop foremen have more than 30 years of experience. The 22-inch tube is button rifled and has a recessed target crown. The profile is fairly standard, measuring 1.08 inches at the receiver and 0.60 inch at the muzzle. Like the receiver, the barrel has a polished-blue finish.

Rather than free-floating the barrel, Marlin molded two pads into the fore-end (l.) that apply consistent pressure to the barrel during firing. The stock has two steel-pillar inserts (r.). It is attached to the action with two Allen-head screws.

"Attaching the barrel to the receiver was one of the last things we reviewed in the manufacturing process," Rozum said. "We ended up using a barrel nut because it's a very cost-effective, consistent way to make a really accurate rifle."

The process is simple. A barrel is started into the receiver's threads, and a "go" gauge is place in the chamber with the bolt closed. The barrel is then threaded down onto the "go" gauge, and a barrel nut is tightened down with a torque wrench to lock the assembly in place. It is almost impossible to screw up the head spacing using this method. Marlin uses a slim, if not svelte, barrel nut that matches the receiver's contours to lock the two together.

"We were shooting for improved accuracy by leaning towards the minimum end of the head-spacing specification," Rozum said. "The barrel-nut system allows us to do that reliably and consistently."

The straight-comb stock has a shallow cheekpiece for right-handed shooters. Marlin's proprietary recoil pad helps reduce the lively recoil of this lightweight rifle. Standard diamond-point checkering panels adorn the pistol grip, fore-end, and pistol-grip cap.

At the bench, the XL7 shot very well. The rifle showed a preference for Hornady's 165-grain InterBond--five-shot groups averaged 0.73 inch. Remington's 150-grain AccuTip averaged 1.02 inches, and Winchester's Supreme Elite 180-grain XP3 averaged 1.22 inches. No factory load tested averaged over 1.75 inches, which nearly matched the MR-7's 1.50-inch accuracy guarantee.

Unlike other recently debuted rifles, Marlin stuck with very traditional stock lines. Molded-in checkering panels adorn the pistol grip, fore-end, and pistol-grip cap. The wrist is fairly thin, and stock dimensions follow industry norms--length of pull is 13 3/8 inches, drop at the heel is 3/4 inch, and drop at the straight comb is 5/8 inch. Steel sling-swivel studs are screwed directly into the stock.

The action and stock are held together with two Allen-head screws. The forward screw is recessed into the stock, and the rear screw passes through the trigger guard and threads into the tang. An additional screw secures the front of the trigger guard. Two steel pillars in each screw hole help maintain a consistent relationship between the action and stock.

The XL7 has a small cocking indicator protruding from underneath the bolt shroud when the rifle is cocked. It is a holdover from the MR-7.

Instead of free floating the barrel, designers placed two small pressure pads at the end of the fore-end. Since the stock is glass filled and synthetic, bending and warping are highly unlikely. The stock will come in two finishes this year--matte black and Realtree All Purpose Green HD.

"We put a lot of effort into designing the perfect recoil pad," Foster said. "The Soft-Tech pad reduces felt recoil and is very soft and comfortable to shoot--something we thought was important in a lightweight rifle like the XL7."

What will this quality rifle set the shooter back? Not much, actually. The black synthetic version retails for just $326, and the camo version lists for $356. Both prices include a Weaver-style aluminum scope base.

The XL7 is the platform that will relaunch Marlin into the world of bolt rifles. If it sells as well as I expect it will, watch for new action lengths, calibers, and stock configurations. This bargain-priced gun offers riflemen a lot for their money and simply feels like a more expensive rifle in the hands. Anyone looking for a bolt-action rifle should take a serious look at the XL7, not just those who are looking for a bargain.