Next restoration project

[Freezer]

This one is a friend's Remington 721 chambered in 30-06. It's a good shooter, but it shows its age and neglect. I'll repair the bluing, refinish the stock, bed the action and float the barrel. The trigger is horrible! I'm going to try to polish and adjust but, I fear it will need to be replaced. On my Rem 700 I used an adjustable Timney Pro hunter, but on this one I may use their basic non-adjustable 3 lb trigger. It's wearing a 3x9 Vortex but I may replace it with an older Redfield Wide Field 3x9 just to make it period correct.

That a look at the swivel mounts, I've never seen these before. Are they still available? I really don't want to patch one of the holes, if I have to I'll save some of the sanding dust to help feather the color bit...

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[Chiro1989]

A little TLC on that particular rifle is going to go a long way, sorry, can’t help you on the sling mounts

[Diver43]

Sounds like a worthy project. I have seen swivel mounts with two screws but never exactly like that.

[Wambli Ska]

Ha! Those sling bases are from an old Mossberg .22 rifle and use their removable swivels. They were a cool design, kind of ahead of its time. You can still find them on eBay though they are relatively pricey. This ONE is almost $40 and I just saw another one for $85. The bases by themselves come up fairly often but the swivels not so much.

They look like this:

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Here’s the link to this one on eBay
https://www.ebay.com/itm/335355454555?m ... media=COPY

BTW nice project!

[Wambli Ska]

If you don’t feel like repairing holes (actually the easiest way to go) a nice alternative is to inlet a pair if these in. They actually polish and blue rather nicely and they look great on an old rifle and they are everywhere on eBay super cheap.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/234993634233?m ... media=COPY

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[Bigslug]

First thing I'd try with an old 721/700 trigger is blast it with most of a can of carb/choke cleaner to flush out 65 years of dried grease and crud, then "film lube" it with a few squirts of Zippo lighter fluid. See what that does for it.

I personally prefer the older triggers because the safety locks the bolt closed, but they discontinued that feature because that trigger mechanism has a disturbing tendency to release the firing pin when gummed up and/or incorrectly adjusted.

The "trigger" itself (part you pull to the rear with your finger) has always been a cheap MIM part contained in an equally cheap sheet metal box. The part that actually engages on the sear is called the "trigger connector" which is a bent piece of hardened steel which - a little bit scary - is simply sandwiched between the trigger at the rear, the adjustment screws at the front, and the sides of the sheet metal box right and left. Backing those adjustment screws out too far can allow the trigger connector to start floating and likely resulted in at least some of the unintended kabooms. Epoxying the trigger connector to the face of the trigger wouldn't address the improper cleaning and gumming up issues, but it would at least unitize the two parts into some semblance of of the solid, milled steel part that would have been used in the WWI/WWII era before Remington started jumping over dollars to pick up dimes.

Plenty of adjustment advice out there on the innerwebs - but be sure to give it a bunch of "butt bounces" on the ground before you call it done. Just remember there's a reason why the default setting for many folks is to pull out the OEM unit and throw it away.

[jwv2023]

When you say bed the action, do you mean the whole action or just the recoil lug/chamber area? The stock definitely needs to be refinished. Have you ever boned the stock? If you sand thoroughly, burnish the stock with a shiny smooth metal bar and then finish with Deft you will have a very durable stock finish. The sling bases need to be removed. In the pics they appear to be off-centered and crooked. As far as the stock is concerned, the pièce de résistance would be checkering.
As far as the trigger is concerned, the 3 lb option would my choice.
Will you be hot bluing or just touching up will cold blue?
I have a 700 ADL that I bought when I was in high school. I made the rifle over into my certain specs.
I cut the barrel to 20", polished, then reblued. I cut the stock up, even hollowed out the butt. Put a schnabel on the end and then the checkering. All in, the rifle weighs 6 1/4 pounds with a Leupold 3-9 scope.
Good Luck with your project

[Gene L]

I had one with a stock that needed a lot of attention. I found a 700 stock from Shotgun News (or from the web, can't remember.) I bought it for not a whole lof of money. Mine was in 257 Roberts, taking the smaller 700 stock. It's not original, but it looks great.

[CPJ 2.0]

Whoever mounted that scope, really shouldn’t mount scopes.

[Freezer]

I really hadn't looked at it close enough to see the off centered sling mount, I hope it's an optical illusion. The Mauser sling mounts seem to be the best option.

I'm a tinkerer, not a gunsmith. I salvage guns that nobody wants or that Bubba "F" up. I don't have the tools to do checkering and don't have enough "need" to invest in the tools, time and patience to learn to do it well. What I do, I do well and stop there. He paid $100 for this rifle, I will bed the lug and front of the action, float the barrel and clean the trigger. I spoke with my friend today, if I don't I find the trigger unacceptable, after cleaning, I'll replace it with a Timney adjustable "Pro Hunter". As for bluing repair, I'll clean and polish the trigger guard and floor plate, then use heat and Oxpho Blue to refinish it. Other areas that need T/U will receive the same treatment.

BTW JW, I like your work, the Schnabel tip looks great! I've formed two in the past but not for this gun, it's a plain Jane hunter.

Thanks fro the help on the sling mounts guys!

[GrapeApe]

Ha! Those sling bases are from an old Mossberg .22 rifle and use their removable swivels. They were a cool design, kind of ahead of its time. You can still find them on eBay though they are relatively pricey. This ONE is almost $40 and I just saw another one for $85. The bases by themselves come up fairly often but the swivels not so much.



BTW nice project!

I have a set of them on a SHORT sling that cam with my Mossberg 151Mb, might have to put them up for sale

[jwv2023]

Funny thing about the checkering. I was in my late 20's when I did this gun. I was buddies with a gunsmith, Vic, that liked me. He was in his 70's. Taught me a few things. I learned to strip the action and polish the metal. He did the machine work, cutting and crowning the barrel. I did the stock and finishing.
At the time, I was primarily a shotgun hunter. In the fall, I would spend the majority of my time hunting quail and pheasants. He and his best buddy liked to hunt late season doves. I would give him and his buddy, Bill, weekly scouting updates of dove numbers in the areas where I was hunting along with a map marking all the spots.
When it came time to checker the rifle, Bill said he would do the checkering. You probably can't see it in the photos but the checkering wraps the wrist and the forearm. Long story just a little bit longer, when I picked it up and asked him what I owed him, he said $35. Proof positive that it's not what you know, it's who you know. That was 50 years ago.

[Jayhawker]

Those old 721s are pretty good old rifles...

[Freezer]

I've worked on a number do 721s and 722 through the years. They were great, inexpensive rifles that gave the 700 a black eye.

I lost my gunsmith buddy a year ago and did some stock repair and refinishing for him. I've done some metal refinishing with Dicropan, 44-40, Oxpho-Blue and others. I've built a couple kit MLs and salvaged a drum full of rifle left for junk. Most I do for gratis or give them away. I just like tinkering with rifles and shotguns, but don't step outside my experience or ability. Like Dirty Harry said, "A man's got to know his limitations".

[jwv2023]

They were great, inexpensive rifles that gave the 700 a black eye.

Just curious, in what way? Is it the same way the pre-'64 M70's gave the post '64's a black eye?

[Freezer]

No, the 721 and 722 were meant as an economy rifle compared to the 700. It was meant to compete with the Savage 110 line. The 720 series didn't have checkering, good finishes, and had plain wood. The problem was they could shoot and cut into the 700's market. At least that was the stories I was told. Every 720 series I ever shot did very well.

Winchester changed production techniques after 1964 to cut down on production cost to compete with the Remington and Savage lines.

[jwv2023]

Remington stepped away from the Mauser action and then Winchester did the same to keep up with Remington.

[Freezer]

I started the project today. I started by floating the barrel. As was common in the day, the stock had a pressure point at the tip of the forend. The barrel channel had plenty of space in the bottom, but was tight all the way to the receiver. The recoil lug was cut very large, but I handled that problem. I'll start the wood work tomorrow. The receiver and tang seem to fit very well. The LOP for this rifle seems to be 12 1/2 inches, so it will fit Zee or Tom's grandchildren very well, but again I have concerns about grip distance. The trigger guard and mag plate need refinished. The rest of the metal will benefit from brass wool and Oxxpho blue.

The sling swivels are still a consideration. I can find the studs on eBay for the same price as Uncle Mike's Mauser studs. The Mauser stud will be more work but look better, but it's a hunting rifle! I could counter sink a hole in the center of the stud and call it good!

The trigger is adjustable! I brought it from 10 lbs to about three and clean! I'll tinker with it more as I refinish the metal.

[Wambli Ska]

Fun project! BTW these are the original sling swivels and if the spirit moves you they can be found on eBay and you can probably sell the ones on the gun to defray the cost.

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[jwv2023]

Now that you're looking closely at the stock, were the sling fixtures centered and straight, or were they messed up? The stock must have been cut down for a kid. I cut my stocks on the short side because of when I hunt I'm usually wearing a lot of layers. It's easier to mount the rifle.

[Wambli Ska]

Now that you're looking closely at the stock, were the sling fixtures centered and straight, or were they messed up? The stock must have been cut down for a kid. I cut my stocks on the short side because of when I hunt I'm usually wearing a lot of layers. It's easier to mount the rifle.

My main hunting rifle for years was a Browning A Bolt Micro Hunter for exactly that reason. Mounted fast when I was wearing a bunch of layers and was super light.

[Freezer]

The front sling mount is a little off center, I'm pondering Mauser style mounts because there are two holes in the stock from the Mossberg mounts and hiding the extra holes would be a pain.

[jwv2023]

What's odd to me is they used phillips screws? In gun applications, slotted head screws are the go-to. The first thing I learned when starting any project was to grind screwdriver blades to fit the screws. I wanted to be the cure, not the problem. I like to swap action screws to allen or torx if I can. Those phillips screws can be salvaged, but it might not be worth the effort.

[Freezer]

I have no problem replacing screws for the correct ones. If they're incorrect or buggered, they're gone. I restore Bubba's rifle, just not repair it. I have a set of Wheeler screwdrivers and an inch pound torque wrench. I also have sets of allen and torx wrenches for the odd ball screws. I can't hot blue but can do a nice job. I still think a Redfield wide field would look great! Maybe an old weaver?

The main reason I'm pondering Mauser style sling bases is, so I can recenter the bases and hide the old screw holes. I could use standard studs, but even if I fill the extra holes and use the stock's saw dust to blend them, they'll still be visible. Since this rifle didn't come with sling studs, either standard or Mauser style will be period correct.

[Freezer]

I got bored! The wife was watching "Mother stabber, father raper" shows. I went to the shed and pulled the stock from the barreled action, what a difference! The lug took most of the bedding compound, and a small amount extended a half inch towards the barrel. It's perfect. I cleaned the action and barrel with lacquer thinner and 0000 steel wool, then buffed it with 0000 steel wool and oil. OMG! What blemishes there were are gone, this thing looks great! The bore is pristine. This rifle was carried more than it was shot. The only problem now is the floor plate/trigger guard. I can do nice work with Oxpho Blue, but this ting deserves hot blue on that piece.

He has offered me this rifle for a Mossberg 5500 k II I have, but I just don't need it! I have a great Rem 700 in 280 that has been accurized, and I've carried for years! It was sold to e by an man who took mercy on a broke butt. My old Remy shows its years and the many hunts it's been on, and I won't change that. OH! I hate getting old! Hell I was considering giving him the Mossberg! It's too long, I don't feel like modifying it and just don't need it