model 722 .308
model 722 .308
We have just acquired a 722 .308. I believe it was made in March 1951. On the side of the barrel it says AXX and then on the receiver it says 172074 Remington Model 722. My wife's dad got this new way back when, and had the barrel turned way down, and the stock really turned down, reworked and checkered. The barrel appears to have a couple inches of the original size on the muzzle and that appears to be ported. It has two slices cut into the top of that portion of the barrel. We haven't shot it yet but know it has accounted for quite a few deer and hopefully ready for a few more. I hope to shorten the butt a bit and install a new butstock so it might fit my wife better. I'd also like to add swivels and a sling but there's just not enough wood on the forestock so will likely have to put rings on the barrel which won't look too good in my opinion but would at least be functional. Does anyone know how the reduced recoil ammunition works? Would like to try this for my wife. Thank you.
Re: model 722 .308
I'm not really up on the 722 a whole lot, but I'm sure the 308 wasn't chambered until '53. The cartridge really didn't even come to life until 1952. Your serial number lines up to '51 but the only 30 cal chambered was the 300 Savage.
Re: model 722 .308
Don't doubt a word of what you say but I only know the barrel is marked .308 and the ammo that was always used is .308, and the letters on the side are AXX.
-
Daniel Boone
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2010 10:02 pm
Re: model 722 .308
Back in the day, it was not uncommon for a person to but a new gun in one caliber and rechamber it to another.
The 300 Savage is the parent case to the 308 Winchester.
It is not very difficult to ream out the chamber out to 308
Back in the day - it was not uncommon for people to have number stamps and re-stamp the barrel.
The first 308 rifles released were all M-14's as far as I know.
The popularity of the 308 did not catch on for at least a year after that - 1953...
My dad owns a 721 in 30/06 from 1955 and when my Uncle needed a rifle - he talked him into buying a Remington and since he was in the military - he bought a 722 in 308
When my Uncle died when I was a boy, dad sold the gun for my aunt. When I suggested that he keep the rifle for me - his answer was - "What for?"
My dad felt that the 30-06 hung the moon and that the 308 was only good for 150 gr bullets and not much use for anything else.
The guns were real plain and lent themselves easily to be re chambered to other rounds.
The 300 Savage is the parent case to the 308 Winchester.
It is not very difficult to ream out the chamber out to 308
Back in the day - it was not uncommon for people to have number stamps and re-stamp the barrel.
The first 308 rifles released were all M-14's as far as I know.
The popularity of the 308 did not catch on for at least a year after that - 1953...
My dad owns a 721 in 30/06 from 1955 and when my Uncle needed a rifle - he talked him into buying a Remington and since he was in the military - he bought a 722 in 308
When my Uncle died when I was a boy, dad sold the gun for my aunt. When I suggested that he keep the rifle for me - his answer was - "What for?"
My dad felt that the 30-06 hung the moon and that the 308 was only good for 150 gr bullets and not much use for anything else.
The guns were real plain and lent themselves easily to be re chambered to other rounds.
Re: model 722 .308
D.B. really appreciate your reply. I certainly don't know for sure but I was led to believe the gun was a .308 when he bought it. Obviously it was not a .308 from 1951 as research shows there were no .308's till a couple years after that. The whole thing is a mystery to me but your explanation of being rechambered is the most likely. Possibly he bought it in 1951 as a .300 and had it rechambered a few years later to .308. Don't know how they'll work on deer yet but the managed recoil .308 shells with a 125 gr bullet did shoot very accurately and very close to the regular shell with a 150 grain bullet and most importantly, with much less recoil which will please my wife who will be shooting the gun.
Now, my biggest problem is her dad had a compass put into the stock and now it has only recently broke. Looks like the device holding the dial just came off the bottom of the compass. Looks like an old Marble but doesn't say so. Any idea how to get it out of the stock without any damage to the stock? The stock is hollowed out under the compass and now the compass is only about 1/2" in from the butt plate. I'm worried about trying to get the compass out, it's glued in, without cracking the stock.
Now, my biggest problem is her dad had a compass put into the stock and now it has only recently broke. Looks like the device holding the dial just came off the bottom of the compass. Looks like an old Marble but doesn't say so. Any idea how to get it out of the stock without any damage to the stock? The stock is hollowed out under the compass and now the compass is only about 1/2" in from the butt plate. I'm worried about trying to get the compass out, it's glued in, without cracking the stock.
-
Daniel Boone
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Wed Nov 03, 2010 10:02 pm
Re: model 722 .308
With it being so close to deer season, I would say to buy a Model 700 stock and take them to a gunsmith and have the rifle fitted to the stock.
I was told by several people that the stocks are similar - but not exactly the same.
As in the case of my dad's gun, he was in the US Navy when he bought his and if he paid $50 for it and a months pay was $75.00
It was a large investment for him, but not a lot of money compared to a model 70 Winchester which probably cost $25.00 more.
In today's money it would be like $407.54 in today's money.
The Model 70 Winchester would be like $611.30
Because the gun was so cheap - people did all kinds of stupid things to them. Like put a compass in the stock.
I would imagine that if you looked hard enough on the internet, you could find someone willing to sell you a vintage stock pretty cheap.
Maybe you could find something to fill the hole.
One word of advice, you are better off using 150 gr bullets for deer.
Just sight in the rifle for 150 gr shells and don't tell the wife.
A rifle only kicks when you brace yourself for the shot - like at a shooting bench.
You never feel the rifle kick when you are shooting at a deer.
The 308 Winchester would only be marginal on deer with a 125 gr bullet - reduced recoil load. You would be better off using a 30-30 rifle.
Because there were no rifles chambered for 308 Winchester before 1950. the manufacturers makes all their ammo at near maximum amount of pressure. There is no need to worry about liabilities from old rifles that cannot handle the high chamber pressures.
Several manufacturers has developed reduce recoil loads for the 150 gr bullet for the 308. That would be your best bet in my opinion.
The Model 721 kicked like a old army mule because there was not a lot of drop in the stock. Most people refuses to shoot my dads rifle for that very same reason.
I was told by several people that the stocks are similar - but not exactly the same.
As in the case of my dad's gun, he was in the US Navy when he bought his and if he paid $50 for it and a months pay was $75.00
It was a large investment for him, but not a lot of money compared to a model 70 Winchester which probably cost $25.00 more.
In today's money it would be like $407.54 in today's money.
The Model 70 Winchester would be like $611.30
Because the gun was so cheap - people did all kinds of stupid things to them. Like put a compass in the stock.
I would imagine that if you looked hard enough on the internet, you could find someone willing to sell you a vintage stock pretty cheap.
Maybe you could find something to fill the hole.
One word of advice, you are better off using 150 gr bullets for deer.
Just sight in the rifle for 150 gr shells and don't tell the wife.
A rifle only kicks when you brace yourself for the shot - like at a shooting bench.
You never feel the rifle kick when you are shooting at a deer.
The 308 Winchester would only be marginal on deer with a 125 gr bullet - reduced recoil load. You would be better off using a 30-30 rifle.
Because there were no rifles chambered for 308 Winchester before 1950. the manufacturers makes all their ammo at near maximum amount of pressure. There is no need to worry about liabilities from old rifles that cannot handle the high chamber pressures.
Several manufacturers has developed reduce recoil loads for the 150 gr bullet for the 308. That would be your best bet in my opinion.
The Model 721 kicked like a old army mule because there was not a lot of drop in the stock. Most people refuses to shoot my dads rifle for that very same reason.
Re: model 722 .308
What size is the compass, I have two of them. Mine measure about .660 in the body and the top a little larger so it would act as a stop when installed. Think I got them from either Dixie Gun Works or Track of the Wolf. I have seen at least three guns with these installed in a gunshop in Northern WI, up there it is relatively flat and in the woods all you see is trees. Cheap insurance if you can't see the sun or it is raining or snowing and have to find you way (I'm guessing these are really pre GPS).