are the 721's just getting harder to find or is everyone holding on to them. my dad has a 30-06 in a 721 and loves it but he is always talking about getting another one in a differnt cal and i have been kinda half looking for one to give him. im not looking to buy right now nessecerly but im just curious and the rareness of the 721

Local gun shop (Wagram, NC)has a few of them
3 in 222
1 in 244 Remington
2 in 30-06 (at last visit 11 JUL 08)

I think there may have been more but I can't remember.

Not that it makes much difference but the 222Rem & 224Rem were made in the Remington 722. I have a pair of them in 222Rem & 300Savage. Both models, the 721 & 722 were made from around 1948 to 1962 with around 118,000 of each model produced. I used to see quite a few of them on Gunbroker.

I don't think that much of the 721/722's. They were the cheapest possible rifles of their day and that day was half a century ago. Today there are much better choices.

The rifle has the Walker trigger that can discharge when the safety is pushed off if the trigger is pulled when the safety was on. The rifle has the bolt lug section brazed onto the bolt body, the bolt handle just tacked onto the bolt body with no interlock. The extractor is no longer made or available and the ejector is just a simple plunger. No CRF on those guns.

The magazines are blind but the safety only works when the bolt is locked closed. Thus the rifle cannot be unloaded with on safe. No checkering etc.

My first new varmint/deer rifle was a 722 and I shot lots of stuff with it. When I saw the M70 I sold the 722 and never bought another and now I have seven M70's.

I have one in .30-06 made in 1950, When I bought it 5 years ago it was in poor shape.
Missing both sights needed totally reblued and stock needed refinished. I didnt mind because I like to redo old rifles.I paid $175.00 for it and with a little effort it looks almost new now. They were a cheap rifle but they shoot good.



Cal30

quote:

Originally posted by Savage_99:

...the safety only works when the bolt is locked closed. Thus the rifle cannot be unloaded with on safe.

That's definitely NOT true of the Model 721 I have -- a 30-06.

Mine also has a checkered stock, but I do not know whether this was a deluxe version supplied by Remington (I understand that Remington did make some of those) or an aftermarket stock put on it by someone before I got it.

LE270,

Perhaps then yours has been modified? Since the standard safety is only two position what keeps your bolt closed?

Mine is a winner....very accurate and in .300 H&H a fine big game rifle.....my choice when I went to Africa and I had other choices. It'll take almost a grand to get it away from me as I have restocked it to make it more scope friendly.

I saw another one the other day at Cabela's in Sidney NE also in .300 H&H and their asking price was $799. It did sport pretty wood and I believed it to be original.

FWIW the M-700 for a very long time also required taking the rifle off safe to unload it and the fix was to disable the feature that locks the bolt.....what a trade off! Mine does not fire when I have pulled the trigger while the rifle was on safe and then released the safety. It's function is the way it was designed to be! I suspect that rifles that functioned that way had been bubbized somewhere in history.

For sure the Rem 721 isn't a horribly sophisticated rifle but it is extremely functional and accurate and very few of them are in the used racks.....they reside in closets and around here get used to put venison in the freezer every year!

My argument is that the 721/722's are not that functional at all let alone extremely so.

Here is my post from above.

"I don't think that much of the 721/722's. They were the cheapest possible rifles of their day and that day was half a century ago. Today there are much better choices.

The rifle has the Walker trigger that can discharge when the safety is pushed off if the trigger is pulled when the safety was on. The rifle has the bolt lug section brazed onto the bolt body, the bolt handle just tacked onto the bolt body with no interlock. The extractor is no longer made or available and the ejector is just a simple plunger. No CRF on those guns.

The magazines are blind but the safety only works when the bolt is locked closed. Thus the rifle cannot be unloaded with on safe. No checkering etc.

My first new varmint/deer rifle was a 722 and I shot lots of stuff with it. When I saw the M70 I sold the 722 and never bought another and now I have seven M70's."

quote:

My argument is that the 721/722's are not that functional at all let alone extremely so.

You most certainly wouldn't want to say that to anyone that owns one in these parts!!!!

As to the rest of your post.....

vapodog,

Having been around forums for a while now and while I have been off of this one for a bit I have made thousands of posts here. The new screen name is just because of a password situation perhaps?

I got my first new rifle in 1953 along with a complete reloading kit for it on my 14th birthday. Later that fall I shot my first buck with it in Vermont. It was quite an event for my dad and I. One of the high points of life. The rifle was a Remington M722 and as I have stated before I used it for years and shot almost a thousand woodchucks with it.

I am quite familiar with the 721/722.

Here is a link to a discussion of the function and safety aspects of these rifles.

Rem. 721/722 topic.

I've owned (and reloaded for) well over 100 centerfire rifles from Anchultz to Weatherby (I don't remember any guns starting with X, Y, or Z) and post 99% from my own personal experience.

I personally own a Rem-721 in .300 H&H and a good friend I hunt with hunts with a Rem-721 30-06 and there's three others locally in .270 and .30-06 (2) that I've used at the range. I help folks sight in rifles in late October as it's just fun.

Every single one of these guns are hunting rifles and are used for that alone. Everyone shoots quite well and functions quite well.

Whenever I help someone at the range I check the gun's trigger and safety so that I can help repair it if it's not right.

The fact that the Rem-721 must be taken off safe to unload is true......as was the case for most early Rem-700 and a helluva lot of other centerfire rifles that had two position safeties. Even some Mausers are that way and it's something every hunter must be keenly aware of.....I don't like it but it's not unsafe unless one isn't pointing the rifle in a safe direction when unloading.

It's only unsafe if the hunter doesn't know about it! and even that is arguable given the muzzle control required for any safe operation.

I'm standing by my post.....the Remington 721 is a very functional firearm from my personal experience!

Vapodog,

+1

I have had 4 721/722's all were extremely accurate and dependable. They were built at a time when standards were higher IMO. Also, remington was trying to compete with Winchesters hold on the rifle market. They had to make a gun that was accurate, dependable, safe (the remingtons handled gas better than any pre 64) and built them cheaper. If you stick to the laws of safe gun care you won't have a problem with one or any other gun.

ddj

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

My argument is that the 721/722's are not that functional at all let alone extremely so.

You most certainly wouldn't want to say that to anyone that owns one in these parts!!!!

As to the rest of your post.....

+1 on the BS

Stepchild

I own a lot of rifles, hunt with a few. If you see me in the field I will most likely have a Ruger Mod 77 in 7X57 or my old Mod 721 30-06 under my arm. I KNOW what these rifles will do, and I know I can depend on them to do what I want. I don't find fault with anothers choice of a fire arm, no matter what they choose, but don't try and sell me something because you like it. Personally, I think the Mod 99 Savage with its some four miles of lever throw is the most left handed rifle ever built but if you like it, more power to you, God bless and keep on keeping on. I still have three boxes of 250/3000 brass if someone might be interested in a trade?
I hear this same argument over and over re the Benelli SBE - I also use one of these - and in Ford vs Chevy, etc, etc. Just because you or I own one and use one does not make it the right choice for everyone - or anyone. Sort of like picking a dog or a wife, just not quite as personal.