I'm interested in building a 6mm rem mostly for coyotes and rockchucks. I may be able to get a 722 action for a very good price. So tell me about this action. I'll be rebarreling of course and having the action trued. What are the pros and cons. Thanks.

Most of them have blind magazines (ADL) and the safety is off when you empty the magazine by chambering each round.

This is the cheapest design ever made. I had one and since I got a summer job after high school I have been able to afford better.

I have a very early 40X built on a 722 action. It's so early that it's not even marked 40X. It's a single shot 222, heavy barrel, and an "over the course" stock. It's deadly accurate, sub 1/4" groups with the right load are common. I use it as my main ground squirrel/varmint rifle. I wouldn't hesitate building another varmint gun based on this action. Cheap design Savage99's ass!

Ralphie,
If you decide to pass on that action, let me know. I'm interested. Thanks.

In my opinion the Remington 722 was the best action they ever made on a big production scale. Anybody that finds some thing to true on one is REALLY looking hard. (I've heard of bad ones but never seen one.)

The trigger is dangerous but easy and cheap to replace......and that's what they need.......there's no way to make the "bottom metal" any better.......replace it.

If the extractor breaks you'll have to install a Sako-style mini-claw. Not a bad thing to do anyhow.

Be sure to either have the recoil lug surface ground or replaced.

Remington 722/721 actions are very good actions, the famous Remington "three rings of steel" starts there. Before Remington 700 and 6mm PPC came to the world, many benchrest rifles were built on "sleeved" 722 actions in .222 Remington.
Like 700, 722/721 actions are a round steel tube with a recoil lug sandwiched between receiver ring and barrel shoulder.

I think what Savage99 meant by "ADL" is that the 722/721 do have metal floorplate, it's just not designed to hinge open, so it's like "BDL look with ADL function".

Like others said, replace the trigger/safety and bottom metal cuz it's just too cheaply made(they are serviceable, but it's stamped sheet metal), What I want to add is, if you are buy a complete rifle and strip it down for action, replace the stock : 722/721 stocks have much drop in the comb for old-time iron sight shooting, today most rifles are built to shoot with a scope.

Pyrotek

The 721/722 was and is a very good action. Just goes to show 99's continued level of nonintelligence. Some things just remain constant in this age of change. Kinda makes you feel good.

I was looking at some old guns in the case at and old friends house, he has since died, the thing that caught my eye was the really nice tiger stripped stocks on 3 of the rifles. So at that point i had to pull one and look at it. The two with the nicest stocks where both remington 721's in 270 and 7mm my question is due to the quaility of the stocks had they been replaced at some point.

Let me explain to you what my words mean above. I said that it's the cheapest design and or made action. This is in response to the topic which is rebarreling a 722. Such rebarreling requires an investment of money and my point is that the investment is wasted on a "cheap action".

The point is that if one is going to put a nice barrel on something is to select an action worth keeping.

I got a new 722 Remington in 1953. It shot very well but it was difficult to unload the magazine and the safety was only a two position safety and it's off when you work the bolt to unload the magazine.

My post is therefore very good advice what with the choices we have today. Years ago the availablity of actions to make good shooting varmint rifles and even bench rest rifles was far more limited.

Therefore in the context of todays market in actions the 722 finds itself a "cheapest" of actions.

I am sure most now understand that when encountering a 722 to just move on and find another rifle to invest money in. It's no different than building a house where it's the location. A 722 is a poor choice of location to build on today.

As Jack Belk pointed out the 722 has a lousy stock (drop at the heel), no floor plate, trigger, safety and the extractor is not that desireable. Not only that but Remington put 244 Rems and 257 Rem Roberts in that action and the magazine box is kind of short for those cartridges.

Look at that bolt on a 722. It's copper brazed together just behind the locking lugs. Also the bolt handle is copper brazed on.

Just pick some other action. The 722 had it's day and it's past.

Compared to the rather rough fit and finish on the current Remington 700, the predecessor 721/722 was slick and well-finished. Were I using one for a custom gun, I'd toss the bottom metal (although it's actually not that bad compared to the aluminum foil floorplate of the 700 BDL) and get a 700 ADL trigger guard and stock for it (with the appropriate modification to the bolt and safety cut). I'd also replace the trigger (which is fairly clean and crisp; you just don't know when the safety is going to think it is the trigger) with a good aftermarket job.

Offered a current 700 ADL or a mint 721, I'd take the 721 every time. (But it's not a Sako or Pre-64 Win 70).

Malm,

I believe Mr. Savages vast wisdom can also be found under the alias DonMartin29. If you check the e-mail accounts they are both "DonMartin29" only one uses "excite" and the other uses some other account provider.

Both have a large amount of posts, all stuffed full of tidbits you won’t find anywhere else. (For good reason)


[ 04-24-2003, 00:05: Message edited by: J.W. Blute ]

savage Don done caught de dummy worms again-----

The 721 and 722s were the first of the "cheap" Remington actions. They were also made with brand new tooling with tight setups and tolorences. They were over-engineered by today's standands.....and that's VERY good. They were polished straight and then rust blued. The recoil lug is surface ground on both sides, the threads are pretty dang straight and the bolt lugs are always straight.

They're the best of the Remingtons and fun to mess with because you don't have to DO anything to them but replace the trigger

Here's one with a replaced trigger---



Actually an early 700.

I appreciate your replies, I think I'm pretty close to getting this action. Along with rebarreling I want to put it in an HS precision sporter stock. Thinking of an blind magazine style to do away with the floor plate problem and only needing a new trigger guard.

What triggers work for replacements and how complicated is installation? Also what is an average price for installing the sako extractor?
What about resolving the trigger/safety issues, does replacing the trigger solve this?

Ralphie,

I would not spend the money on an "Sako" extractor. The regular Remington extractor will work ok for a varmint or target rifle. Just brush out the little chips of brass that might pile up in the bolt face. They might jam and break the extractor. I have read of installed Sako extractors that don't work right.

The "Rifle Basic Trigger" gets some good words as a replacement. It will solve the Remington trigger safety problem. I don't know if it will solve the Remington safety problem as I don't have that problem

The last Remington I had done, my smith charged me $90 for the Sako extractor installed.

I have a 722 that was a 257 Roberts rechambered to a 25-284 back in 1965. I hunted for 30 yrs with that rig in Montana and Alaska with never a problem. The barrel is pretty shot now and needs replacing. My dad who had great wood working skills took the rasp to that chunky factory stock and totally reshaped it - installed a grip cap and recoil pad - it looks like a fine custom stock - and good dense walnut it is. I replaced the stamped trigger guard with a 700 BDL short action assembly - all the screw holes match and easier to unload and looks better. First I ever read about the triggers being unsafe - all I know is that it was fully adjustable and in thousands of rounds of use it never gave me grief. My biggest complaint was the position of the safety - when carrying the rifle over the left shoulder in a sling that safety would frequently get bumped to the fire position. It was a regular habit of mine to reach back and check it and slide it to the safe position. Now that I have a little more money I would fix that - one of the reasons I love the old Rugers with the tang safety.

Rifleman1,

As I stated above a Rem 722 was my first rifle and I got my first deer with it. I wore the barrel out on woodchucks and I may have bagged more critters with that thing than any rifle since. I could not shoot it as well however as the new M 70 that I got in 1957 as the 722 did not have a butt stock of the right height for a scope.

Once I saw the quality and the fine machinery that a M 70 was I dropped the Remingtons as sporting rifles. Back then however they were the action of choice for target and benchrest. If there were nothing nicer I would use a Remington with no problem whatsoever. They are Americas oldest gunmaker and many of the 7XX's are accurate and cheap.

I shot that 722 about 8000 rounds and moved on. I have fired thousands of rounds out of a 40X and the extractors never broke.

Going to a Sako type extractor is just investing money on a third rate "location". What with this talk about the triggers being a bad design I would not bother with a 722. Just move on and pick something that is not a gunsmiths friend. $$$

approx what years where the 721 and 722 actions made?? sounds like a good ticket to a nice custom varmit gun

For some reason there is no data on the 721/722 on the Remington Model History page, nor on the 700 either for that matter.

http://www.remington.com/aboutus/gunhistory.htm

As I recall those rifles were introduced about '48. I got my M721 .30-'06 in '54 (still have it but it is a .280 Rem now). I see some of them around, but not as many as the used 700s.

jim dodd

I have had a Rem 722, 222 Remington for years. It is original factory with a 26" barrel. It is my varmint rifle along with my 5 lb. 6x45 custom sako, that I mostly use for big game...

This .222 shoots sub minute groups and is all original, with a 3x9 Leupold, nothing fancy, just works.

Put a scope on that $235.00 rifle, point at varmint and shoot. Heavy barrel needed? Don't take it hunting Prairie Dogs. $250 for good used Leupold, rings and bases in my closet. Trigger $75-$100 just to satisfy Don's anti-Remington feelings.

Montana-$350+ FFL transfer fees, $440 for pac-nor barrel, $250 minimum for aftermarket stock (if I do the work), same $250 Leupold. MIGHT shoot as well as a stock Remington.

Hmmmmm. Am I adding wrong? Don, maybe you were considering intrinsic vs. extrinsic values?

[ 04-24-2003, 21:49: Message edited by: Badboyz ]

In the many western states that I travel in, the Remington 722 actions are VERY HIGHLY prized and eagerly sought out by Hunters and Riflesmiths! I may be letting my own cat out of the bag here but I have for many years made LOTS of mad money by buying 722 Rifles from Gunshows, Gunshops, pawnshops, estate sales, want ads and the like! I buy them at the best possible price and then take them to smiths and Gunshows and resell them. I usually make $50.00 to $75.00 and on occassion make a TAX FREE 100 dollar bill on them! I sometimes sell the whole Rifle and sometimes sell the components seperately. Remington 722 actions make splendid custom Rifles both for Varminting and Big Game Hunting! These Rifles can be made for modest amounts of money and I have never heard of one once customized that was not entirely satisfactory to the owner!
A few years back I found a minty Remington 722 in a shop out in the Puget Sound country of Washington state. It was in caliber 244 Remington. I was a little short of money at the time but called a friend and he immediately bought it. He ended up reselling it quickly at a Gunshow in Portland, Oregon and made $150.00 on the rig! That Rifle did have some collectors value in addition to its intrinsic value also. The 721 actions are not as easily turned for a profit in my experience. The 300 H&H configuration of the 721 is an expception. They are highly sought out for customizing or using in the Elk country as is! These Rifles in my experience are also very accurate in standard configuration.
Ralphie I highly recommend the use of the 722 for a Western Varminter (Coyotes and Rock Chucks)! When your smith starts the customization just have him throat the chamber for the bullet size you are most likely to use most often in your 6mm Rem. and the magazine shortness problem can be alleviated at the time of barreling!
You will have a nifty Rifle to say the least! Especially if you get the action for a "very good price"! Good for you and go for it!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

so if one was to find a nice remington 722 for oh say 300 bucks how much money would it take to put a 26 inch heavy barrel on it.

Ralphie,
Buy your 722 and have it built and ignore anything that savage99 has to say about it.

Although it served for a while as if it was a Deluxe version of the 721/722, the Rem 725 was actually a different rifle, built on essentially the same receiver.

The M721/722 were introduced about 8-10 years before the M725, depending on the dates you assign to each.

There are several differences. A couple are: 1) The Model 725 does have a hinged floorplate, released by a catch in the front of the trigger-guard bow. 2) The M725 has a 3-position side safety, which looks externally as if identical to the Model 30 and the older yet P-14 & P-17 Enfields. It is not actually identical, however, as it works on a trigger which appears to be the fore-runner of the M700 trigger (or perhaps a refinement of the 721/722 trigger, but different from either cosmetically). A hole is bored through the receiver to house the sturdy pin on which this safety's lever rocks forward and back.

The M725 also has a nicely checkered stock grip and forend, and is somewhat better shaped than those of the 721/722. Some calibers (most) of the M725 had a 22" barrel, but some (such as the .244) were available with a factory 24" barrel.

Funny this topic should come up...I was just downstairs in the shop yesterday relieving the forend pressure inside of my M725 .244 preparatory to trying out some new loads in it this coming weekend. Will be trying some H-380 with both Nosler 55 gr. Baltips, and Sierra 85 gr. SPFBs.

I really like both M722s and M725s, particularly for home-built BR guns and for easy switch-barrel field rifles.

AC

[ 04-26-2003, 09:21: Message edited by: Alberta Canuck ]

The 722's were made when Remington workmanship was more "consustent' shall we say than it is today. Aside from the stamped floorplate/trigger guard, the M722's are nice. I had a .222 which I later changed to .223, and it was capable of shooting five shots through one ragged hole, factory barrel, Bushnell Scopechief 3X-9x Command Post scope....BTW, you DON'T have to close the bolt on a live round to unload them...just push the bolt forward far enough for the round to come completely out of the magazine, slide the bolt all the way back, and turn the rifle on its right side and let the round drop out of the action.....

[ 04-26-2003, 19:38: Message edited by: eldeguello ]

When I was a kid my Dad bought my first deer/elk rifle. Most of the kids I grew up with got M94's in .30/30 or .32 spl. I got a M722 in .300 Savage and the thing shot great then and still does. That was over 35 years ago. Have alot more rifles now but it still gets used and its not for sale. Knew of a few guys that shot benchrest back in the 80's and a 722 action was sought after as were M 600/660 actions.

By the way...the trigger is orignal and never had a problem with it. And I have 3 other Remington 700's ....same thing.

Some people can screw up anything. Mine work just fine and always have, and expect always will. No offence to the experts.