Remington 721

[conch]

I have a 721 that has some issue with the bolt. I was having some problems getting the bolt to pick up a spent case, after it was fired. A gun smith replaced what looks like some type of flat spring that goes into the end of the bolt. Now, I cant get the bolt to close.
Any recommendations on a 721 guru? I've had the gun at two different gun smiths. They both seem stumped. Will Remington take the bolt for repair?
This gun isn't worth a lot of money but it has a lot of family sentimental value. I don't mind retirering the old girl but I would like to have it in working condition for the next generation.

 

[ZIGGER]

...maybe the third gunsmith you try will be competent......

 

[SlinginLead]

I have sent Remington Rifles to the factory several times over the years, mostly for minor work. All came back in excellent working order. Better yet, I was never charged for the
repairs! Last rifle was a warranty issue; got it back 5 days later. It might be worth contacting Remington.

 

[RELH]

LAST EDITED ON May-12-14 AT 06:09PM (MST)[p]Your lack of knownledge concerning the correct name of parts makes it very hard to figure out what you are describing.
I may be wrong, but it sounds like your bolt was not pulling the fired case out of the chamber after firing the round and this is what caused you to go to a gunsmith in the first place.
Now you say said gunsmith installed a flat pieace of metal at the end of the bolt and now you can not get the bolt to fully close.

I will take a big guess and figure that you are talking about the forward end of the bolt that engages the barrel chamber end when closed. That rifle used a half circle extractor that set inside the recessed area of the bolt face. Same as for the Remington 700 rifle. In my opinion it is the weak point of remington 721 & 700 rifles as it fails too many times to extract the fired case by slipping over the rim edge.

Some of the old gunsmiths would do away with that remington extractor and throw it out the door. They would machine a slot into the bolt and install a "Sako" style extractor that was far more reliable. If it was my gun, I would go that route and that rifle should be able to give good service for another 30 years or until you shot the barrel out.

You did not say if the bolt would not close when there is a cartidge being chambered, or if it will not close even when there is no cartidge present. If it will not close when trying to feed a cartidge into the chamber, the gunsmith may have installed the wrong Remington extractor. I seem to remember that there was a extractor for magnum calibers and another for standard calibers. It has been over 20 years since I worked on a 721 for extractor problems and my short memory seems to recall there was two different sized extractors that could be used.

Keep searching for a good gunsmith that has worked alot on Remington 700's and send the rifle to him for repair. Just because they call themself a "gunsmith" does not mean they are the right person to work on a paticular rifle brand or problem.

RELH

P.S. I just slapped the side of my head and jogged my memory. Remington made three different extractors for the 721 &700 rifles. One for small calibers, one for standard sized calibers, and one for magnum calibers. Your smith my have put in a magnum extractor in a standard caliber 721 and it MAY BE interferring with the cartidge rim while trying to feed the cartidge into the chamber. Hard to tell from your description of things or lack of description as to what is really going on.

 

[Zeke]

^^^^what they said!
It's the most simple fix in the gunsmithing world! Find someone competent and get it done right.
Or get it done right(er) with a Sako or AR-15 extractor.
Zeke

 

[conch]

Thanks RELH!
It sounds like you know your way around the 721. And yes I gave a piss poor description of the problem. However, with the limited information you seem to have nailed the issue. I'll find a repairman that's out of diapers and maybe has retained some of the 721 basics. My self, I don't care about knowing what parts do what. I just want it to work when I use it. Thanks again RELH!
Conch

 

[Zeke]

LAST EDITED ON May-13-14 AT 03:28PM (MST)[p]> My self,
>I don't care about knowing
>what parts do what.
>I just want it to
>work when I use it.
>Conch

Yes, but isn't it comforting to know a few things like....
When you take you car in for repair and don't want to pay extra for blinker fluid, or muffler bearings, or pay to replace the widget arm on your manaform?

Here's a nomenclature overview:
The "extractor" pulls the spent case (or loaded ammo if you don't fire it) out of the chamber and the "ejector" throws it clear of the action.
Ammo, round or shell is the loaded ammunition. Empty case or brass is the spent round.
Caliber is the diameter of the bullet (projectile) and the cartridge denotes what chambering/ammo your rifle accepts.

Don't be too quick to comdemn people who know a little bit. It might just help in the long run.

Please let us know if you get the problem fixed to your satisfaction. It's interesting stuff for this old dog.

Zeke

 

[RELH]

Conch, a little history on that Remington 721. When Remington came out with that rifle, they advertised as having the strongest action in a centerfire rifle. this was due to the recessed bolt head that completly inclosed the cartidge when it was chambered. Added protection in case of a ruptured case.
My father in law had one in 30-06 that he hot rodded to where it was close to a 300 Win. mag in velocity until he bought his two Weatherbys in the early 60's.
He gave me the 721 in the 70's and I rechambered it to 300 Win. Mag and killed a few game animals with it until I passed it down to my son after re-stocking it with fancy grade walnut and putting on aftermarket trigger guard & floorplate and converting it to a 700 BDL. It still shoots great to this day.
Get it fixed and it will make a good rifle for your kid to use one day and keeping it in the family.

RELH

 

[conch]

That's some great information men. Zeek, I guess I would say a know a little about everything and a lot about nothing. I do have a basic understanding of how some stuff works. I can explain most auto mobile issues but I wouldn't care to get in there and make any heavy repairs. I look forward to passing the 721 on to the next generation. I just hope they have the desire to use it. The way things are going, I'm not sure the hunting tradition will carry forward in my family. To many people making big money on animals. It will be the death of the sport for the common man. And that's all I have to say about that.