ORIGINAL: MarineStud
actually No, the .17 Rem has been around for a while, its just never been really popular. I just read an article in a magazine about it and it's a nice little round, with certain loads it shoots over 4000fps. It's a centerfire not rimfire.
The .17 Rem has been around for a long while, but the .17 that our KeystoneWildfella is referring to is called the .17 Remington Fireball, and yes, it is more or less new for '07.
However, Remington did not create this round, it is acctually not a new cartridge at all. It is acctuallyolder than the .17 Rem. A company out of Las Vegas came up with this baby back in the 50's or 60's. POAckley was a huge fan of it. It was originally called the .17 Mach IV. Rem is more or less "legitamizing" this wildcat, and releasing it under the name .17 Rem Fireball. Since it is little more than a .221 Fireball, necked to .17cal.
I suppose that rem is going to make some rifles for it as well, since there aren't too many floating around in .17 M4. I was fixin' to get a TC Encore barrel made in the caliber, when Rem decided to start commercially loading it. How cool huh? So much for being different.