I saw a 700 short action yesterday that had a slot in the receiver.

Could it be a 1960's era M40 sniper rifle action that didn't get built into a sniper rifle?

Like that? If so it's been done to death. Mostly cosmetic.

DSC_0471 by Rod Henrickson, on Flickr


DSC_0470 by Rod Henrickson, on Flickr

Maybe. More than likely (if the slot is factory) it may have been on a 40x. Or, it could be a standard action that was clip slotted by someone in the process of cloning an M40.

Remington clip slots:

http://rifleshooter.com/2015/0...ug-slot-lugged-base/

Rod,

I think he' refering to the clip slot.

Clip slotting was common in early 700s. A nice, but underused feature today. Clone builders and game players still like them, but I wouldn't pay a premium for one.

Is this one also early enough to not have the anti bind groove?

Ah yes. One of those features that lost practicality after the move toward modern, optical sighting devices. I still think those glass filled tubes, jacketed bullets and smokeless powder are nothing more than a fad which will soon pass!

Win 70s and Rem 700 etc often were clip slotted as a necessity for "across the course" 3 position NRA match rifle high power. Has to hold five down for rapid fire, each string was 10 rounds, load and fire five, reload fire five.

that would be the XC repeater, iirc...

It is a factory 22-250 BDL with pressed checkering.

The bloke that consigned it has a pretty slick peep sight on it.

Rifle has a factory steel butt plate.

Gun is somewhere between SN 100,000 and 380,000.

They want $800 for it.

I was thinking if a guy needed a period correct SN clip slotted Marine 1960s M40 it would be a neat gun.

Sure it's not a 722 action? The 721/722 have a rectangular slot in the rear bridge, I assume to support loading from a 5-round stripper clip. They'd have to be machined or use a bolt on clip guide. Maybe some early 700's used up the last of the 722 actions? I think the tell would be the bolt guide slot in the LH bolt lug that rides a rib in the action.

Nope, not a 722.

first early 700's had the cut out like 721/722/725'3 but the early 700's did not have the anti bind slot in the locking lug,probably went to that in late 70's ? also early 700 had the two piece trigger sears like the 722/721