Hello Folks

While casting around for actions recently I was offered a Remington 725 in .243 - it is a standard length action. It has been re-barrelled at some time, and is engraved with some moderately horrible "factory" standard engraving on the receiver and floor-plate.

The rear receiver bridge (correct terminology??) is cut away like so that the cartridges can be fed into the magazine (sort of like a Mauser looks when the stripper guide has been ground away).

Is the cut away/slot an original factory feature? Is the engraving likely to be factory original?

It is a very nice action in all respects and I'm loath to pass it up, but one does wonder how much has been done to it.


Cheers - Foster

Dehaas's book says the 725 is a delux version of the 721 and 722. All the book says is it had a hinged floor plate that the 721 and 722 didnt have.

The pictures show a square cut out area on the top front of the rear bridge, must be what you are refering to.

Maybe the engraveing is factory as the 725 was the delux version, the book doesnt mention it,, only about a hinged floor plate.

quote:

Originally posted by Tentman:
Hello Folks

While casting around for actions recently I was offered a Remington 725 in .243 - it is a standard length action. It has been re-barrelled at some time, and is engraved with some moderately horrible "factory" standard engraving on the receiver and floor-plate.

The rear receiver bridge (correct terminology??) is cut away like so that the cartridges can be fed into the magazine (sort of like a Mauser looks when the stripper guide has been ground away).

Is the cut away/slot an original factory feature? Is the engraving likely to be factory original?

It is a very nice action in all respects and I'm loath to pass it up, but one does wonder how much has been done to it.


Cheers - Foster

That is a clip loading slot.

The late Frank de Haas was a friend of mine, but on this one he was mistaken, I fear.

The Model 725 is no more a deluxe 721-722 than an overhead valve Lincoln of he early 1950's is a deluxe version of a Ford flathead of the same vintage.

IT is true that the Model 725 was made concurrently with the last 3 years of the 721-722. But, its bolt handle, trigger guard assembly, trigger, safety, and stock are all different from the 721-722.

Actually, it is much more similar to the M700 which followed it in 1962 than to the M721 or M722. I have several of all four, and personally prefer the M725.

Alberta Canuck,

John Lacy, in his book: The Remington 700, states that Mike Walker was not involved in the design of the 725 as he had been on the 721-722 and as he was on 700 models.

He had an “improved†design for the 721-722 series ready to go in 1952 (six years before the 725 was introduced)and that design was what appeared in 1962 as the model 700.

Thanks for some really useful info. I have read the De Haas book but its quite scant on the M725.

I'm interested in the "interchangeability" of parts with M700's especially trigger/safety assembly and bottom metal. If I get this action it will definitely need new bottom metal as the current "engraved" alloy floor plate is not to my taste at all.

Thanks - Foster

PS Despite Mr De Haas having some "errors" in his book (always inevitable I think in a work of its scope) you have to respect his vision and courage in actually undertaking it. Chapelle, the great marine historian has also coped some bad press in recent years for "errors" which is unfair I think, offcourse there are errors, these guys were not writing a bible. End of rant !!

Tentman,

As far as I know both the trigger/safety assembly and the bottom metal are interchangeable between the 725 and the 700.

What about the 720? Any of you guys have one? If you do , and its original , how many 30-06 rounds fit in the mag box? Is the 720 trigger shorter than the m30?

No guessing !

quote:

Originally posted by GSP7:
What about the 720? Any of you guys have one? If you do , and its original , how many 30-06 rounds fit in the mag box? Is the 720 trigger shorter than the m30?

No guessing !

Never owned one but shot one that a friend had and if I recall it held five rounds in the mag. The 1917 Enfields (I have two of those) hold six.

As for the triggers...which model 30 are you asking about? There were four different types: 30, 30S,30A and 30R.

The 30A&R models were the first to incorporate the cock-on-open feature and that included a change to a shorter, single stage trigger. The 30 and 30S had the Enfield two stage military triggers.

The standard 720 had the same trigger as the 30S...but you could order it with a two stage military trigger also.

The trigger & safety assemblies may be interchangeable between the 721/722 and the 700, but the 725 uses a different assembly.

In the 725 the safety "looks" just like the one on the 720, M30, or P-14/P-17, that is, it appears and rolls forward and aft just like the one on a 720, M30 Rem or a P-17. It, however, does not work the same inside as a M30 or P-17.

quote:

Originally posted by Alberta Canuck:
The trigger & safety assemblies may be interchangeable between the 721/722 and the 700, but the 725 uses a different assembly.

In the 725 the safety "looks" just like the one on the 720, M30, or P-14/P-17, that is, it appears and rolls forward and aft just like the one on a 720, M30 Rem or a P-17. It, however, does not work the same inside as a M30 or P-17.

You are correct about the safety “looking†like an Enfield...but from what I can tell from schematics it functions just like the later Remington Safeties even down to the spring, detent ball, and retaining clip...and the trigger assembly appears to have the same two cross pins (sear pin and bolt release pin) and mounting area on the receiver as do the 721,722 and 700 models.

They may not interchange...but they sure look like they would from schematic drawings of both models.

I will defer to someone who has actually done it...or tried to.

Rick 0311. I have a 720 that has a different stock than original(crappy custom stock). My m720 mag box holds just 4 rounds, The m720 has a slimer stock at the mag box than the m30. I bought a m30 one piece bottom metal for my m720(for restocking this 720 rifle) and I got a m30 mag box with it also. The m30 mag box is longer in depth. When I put that m30 mag box on the 720 reciever, the trigger is to short to reach into the trigger guard. When I use my m720 mag box with the m30 bottom metal frame the trigger fits into the trigger guard perfect and will hold just 4 rounds.

So I am guessing that the stem length of the m720 trigger is shorter than the stem legnth of a m30.

I also have a m30 but it has alot of modifictions and has a custom blind magazine stock ,modified bolt stop/reliese(coil spring is removed and left rear of the reciever is cut away and contoured). It also has what looks like a military Huber type trigger with the creep and over travel screws.

quote:

Originally posted by GSP7:
Rick 0311. I have a 720 that has a different stock than original(crappy custom stock). My m720 mag box holds just 4 rounds, The m720 has a slimer stock at the mag box than the m30. I bought a m30 one piece bottom metal for my m720(for restocking this 720 rifle) and I got a m30 mag box with it also. The m30 mag box is longer in depth. When I put that m30 mag box on the 720 reciever, the trigger is to short to reach into the trigger guard. When I use my m720 mag box with the m30 bottom metal frame the trigger fits into the trigger guard perfect and will hold just 4 rounds.

So I am guessing that the stem length of the m720 trigger is shorter than the stem legnth of a m30.

I also have a m30 but it has alot of modifictions and has a custom blind magazine stock ,modified bolt stop/reliese(coil spring is removed and left rear of the reciever is cut away and contoured). It also has what looks like a military Huber type trigger with the creep and over travel screws.

GSP7,

These are nice old rifles...The Navy bought up a bunch of them and still use them as presentation trophy’s for the Navy/Marine Corps Marksmanship matches.

From what I’ve read this model didn’t get much attention paid to it (by customers or the factory) due to the year of it’s introduction...1941! Remington started gearing up for WWII government contracts and everything else sort of got placed on a back burner.

I know that it was a common practice at allot of the manufacturers back then to “phase in†certain models which resulted in mixed and matched parts. The 720 was an “upgrade†of the M30 but allot of the parts will physically interchange since they are both built with the same basic action.

I would bet that Timney would have a good answer on the trigger issue.

Just so everyone is clear on this...

One CAN mount a Model 700 compatible trigger on a Model 725 action, including a Jewell, if one wants. The M725 safety lever WILL require some additional stock inletting if trying to put a 725 trigger & safety on a M700, and still more stock relief MAY be required for the rod assembly that connects the safety to the trigger, depending on the individual rifle. Likewise, the configuration of the M700 trigger usually requires a little clearance cutting to function properly on a M725. With the rifles out of the stock, they can be interchanged without too much effort, but then I don't shoot mine much without stocks <Big, friendly, grin here, not flames>.

Anyway, the point was the M725 is not just a Deluxe version of the Model 721/722, and the trigger assemblies are part of what differs between the two.

As for Frank's books, they are all very valuable additions to the rifleman's library. What many people don't realize is that for a number of years when Frank was writing those books, he was virtually blind, and did his inspection of the various rifles pretty much by feel!! Makes his work all the more spectacular.

I had the rare privelege of publishing one of Frank's books (Single Shot Actions - Their Design & Construction), and he was a gentleman in every way.