My Pop recently gave me the rifle his Dad gave him, probably about 50 years ago--it's a Remington 721 on which gramps had cut the stock down.

The barrel has the front sight ramp with a 'plug' in it where the blade would have gone, and similar metal 'plug' in the recess where the rear sight would have gone. The stock is pretty plain, and had the high gloss version finish of that time--looks like varnish to me....

Long story short, Pop's said he thought it would be cool if I 'fixed up' the old gal and hunted with it a bit. He was blown away by one of my Sauer 202 takedowns, highly figured walnut stocks with an oil finish, and commented how great it would be if the old family rig had a nice stock like that.

I am thinking about restocking for sure, was also contemplating rebarreling. The scope will definitely be replaced for hunting purposes, it's a cool old Weaver on it now. I'd be interested in thoughts about 'fixing her up' and see what I could achieve, while paying some deference to the rig..... here's a pic or two of her.

This may not be what you are thinking but..

I have several Rem 722's, I really like them, that I have "fixed" up with Rem 700 "take off" stocks. They will fit with just a little cutting for the safety and the rear sight base. I like to use the BDL stocks and fit a 700 bottom metal with floor plate, mag box, and spring/follower. Makes a great looking rifle.

Hope this helps.

don['t do anything!!!
the metal looks great, the stock, well, those are how they came, and you can find the sites on ebay or at a gunshow..

if you ust.. thestock is probably stained...
i would add a pad, send the scope off to be spruced up/refilled/new glass....


it is either a 270 or a 30-06, right? nothing wrong with those, but, again, if you had to, rebore, not rebarrel, to 9,3x62

I'd leave it just as it is in memory of Gramps.

Thanks for the feedback guys, Jeffe, that's an interesting thought on the scope, she ain't much to look through right now for sure...It is a 270-- probably why I love that caliber so much, everybody I went to school with had a 30 and ought 6, and I thought it was cool to shoot a 270 (didn't have this one then) but I thought of it as an 'out west' caliber, as Grandpa and Pop are from Arizona.

I think I would need to reblue the barrel, it has a few patches of pretty good pitting that it got before I got it, I buffed them down and put a little cold blue on there..I would definitely need to fit a pad onto it, it's only about 12 3//4" LOP and would give me some scope bite if I wasn't real careful.

I did think of leaving her pretty much as is, but Pop got me to thinking when he said how cool he thought it would be to have a stock like the highly figured one on my Sauer on her.....

Thanks for the thoughts.

I suggest you have the headspace checked. I see a couple of those a year here and they all seem to need their barrels set back. Wonderful old rifles.

Certainly not for me to disagree with your Pop, but if I may make a suggestion;

I bought a model 722 a few years ago because the uncle that taught me to hunt used one in .257 Roberts with great success. I had an old Weaver K4 laying around that I sent back to Weaver repair to get buffed back up. The stock on the 722 I bought was and is in good shape, but if it wasn't I could buy a replacement stock for the 722 or in your case 721 that would match the original.

The point is I now have and you could also have an old Remington that is fully functional yet looks like a time warp from 30 or more years ago. "Dressed up rifles" are a dime a dozen, but classic rifles could have more appeal.

The original stocks have not been designed for scope use and one must cant his head badly to see thru the scope because of the drop of the stock.

I restocked mine and now it's a great shooter. Many folks have used a Rem 700 stock but I found a replacement for the Rem 721.....great find!

I really want to cut the barrel to 24" (it's a 300 H&H with a 26" barrel) and install williams ramped sights and reblue it but I haven't done it as it just shoots so darn well as-is....but have never regretted restocking it!

I just got back from the range working on another load for my 1959 Model 721 in .270. I also have the old weaver scope but it is in the closet put away for a keep sake. This gun set unused for 26 years and I had to re-float the barrel because of a slight twist in the front of the stock and bed the action. It's not fancy but I find it somewhat rewarding to use a gun that is nearly 50 years old. In the last two years it has taken a couple of dear, coyotes, a whole bunch of hogs and a bob cat. Not bad for an old ugly gun from the past.

I had one of these a long time ago in a .270 and loved it, wished now that I hadn't sold it. But I guess we all have a list of "shoulda kept it"s. These actions were sought after for the fast lock time in them and many of them were great shooters for the money. I would personally due as little as possible to it to make it serviceable and treasure the memories.