Remington 721

[Critch]

I bought a Remington 721 that has the old safety on it. Remington will replace the old safety with a new one if I send my rifle in to them and add $20.00. Is it worth it?

[dovehunter]

It'll probably cost you more than the $20 to insure and ship it back to Remington and there's always the chance of something happening to the gun or it's being stolen. If it were me, unless the present safety is broken, hard to use, or defective, I think I'd leave well enough alone.

[skeet]

What DH said. Gun is about 50 yrs old..If it ain't broke don't fix it!

[Catfish]

It is alot safer to to be able to unload your gun with the saft on, but if you get it done it will take 2 fingers to pull the trigger.

[dovehunter]

Originally Posted by Catfish

...but if you get it done it will take 2 fingers to pull the trigger.

You lost me on that one!

[skeet]

Was that when you get it back it won't have that good ol 721 trigger anymore. It will have that lawyer inspired "ya ain't gonna be able to take me to court" trigger. Most of the old 721-722s had good trigger pulls. When you get it back from Remington..doubtful it will be the same

[popplecop]

I still shoot one and have not had a problem unloading it, in fact have an 700 that you have to unload with the sfety off. Used that action to build an ultra light rifle without a floor plate. With any rifle safety on or not unloading has to be done with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. I would not have it converted.

[Mike Moss]

Critch,

I would return the rifle to where you got it.

The Rem. 721/722's are not a good design for hunting what with the safety problem, the brazed on bolt handle, the weak extractor and plunger ejector. They also don't have CRF.

There are much better guns.

[skeet]

Yep there are much better guns..of course they are usually much higher priced.Look at the prices of the contemporary Winchester M-70's..Cult following for them(Me too). What Mike said is all true.. But Remingon has sold millions of those 7XX series guns since the 40's. Yep..an ocassional handle comes loose..an extractor breaks the same things that can happen to any tool when you use it. I had a firing pin break in a good ol US 1903 Springfield They have also been involved in the demise of MANY (probably) millions of critters. He11 I knew a guy who literally broke an anvil. If you have the 721 go ahead and use it. If it breaks or fails you either have it fixed or get something else. Ain't too many of us that depend on a 7XX(or any other rifle) for our lives And as someone said on another thread here..If it ain't broke don't fix it. There are other guns that are good useable guns but so is the 721. I have a few of those miserable Remington 7XX series guns.. Ain't none broke yet..but if it does..I'll just have it fixed..and keep on using it. I am somewhat partial to Ruger 77s..Mainly cause my mother bought me one oh so many years ago. It ain't never broke either.

[Brithunter]

Originally Posted by Mike Moss

Critch,

I would return the rifle to where you got it.

The Rem. 721/722's are not a good design for hunting what with the safety problem, the brazed on bolt handle, the weak extractor and plunger ejector. They also don't have CRF.

There are much better guns.

Oh dear what a load of utter tosh

just because a rifle does not have CRF does nto mean it's no good. How many times have you had to reload a rifle upside down?

I cannot comment of the bolt handles as I don't know how they're made never having seen a 721 let alone handled one.

As for the safety issue it's a not issue as the only safety needed is the one in your head. I rarely use a safety at all the rifle is either unloaded and in safe consdition or it's loaded and simple

Mike I suggest you get rid of all your old rifles and either replace them with Blaser's or the new Mauser 03 as they have to be cocked before they will fire. How safe is that? If the firing pin is not under spring tension it cannot drive forwards and fire can it .

[skeet]

Originally Posted by Brithunter

Oh dear what a load of utter tosh

just because a rifle does not have CRF does nto mean it's no good. How many times have you had to reload a rifle upside down?

I cannot comment of the bolt handles as I don't know how they're made never having seen a 721 let alone handled one.

As for the safety issue it's a not issue as the only safety needed is the one in your head. I rarely use a safety at all the rifle is either unloaded and in safe consdition or it's loaded and simple

Mike I suggest you get rid of all your old rifles and either replace them with Blaser's or the new Mauser 03 as they have to be cocked before they will fire. How safe is that? If the firing pin is not under spring tension it cannot drive forwards and fire can it .

All of the above makes sense to me.. Every gun out there has broken in one way or another over the years. Just used the ol 722 in 300 Savage to take one deer here at home and the ol 721 in 270 to take another.. Neither gun broke in the taking of the animals That ol 722 shoots really well with the 130 gr Barnes X bullet. Deer was DRT. Never moved a step..Range was about 90-100 yds. No big bucks..both were eatin deer.

[Brithunter]

Congratulations on the Deer

Does the Rem 721 have the Enfield M1917 safety still?

I am not up on the earlier Remington actions but I was reading the NRA Gunsmithing Guide earlier and the photos were of a 721 and it darned well looked like it had that Enfield safety still. If it does then it's one of the best safeties made IMHO

[skeet]

The remington model with the enfield safety is the 725. Looks the same but a bit different gun..think they had a 720 also. 721 etc have trigger mounted safeties like the 700 guns.

[Brithunter]

Ahhh thank you. I will look closer at that book later on.

[popplecop]

The Remington with the Enfield safety is a Model 30. I have a 722 in 300 Savage and it is an excellent rifle, good trigger and good shooter.