Fitting a Remington 722 into a SA 700 stock

S

SquashMan

New member
I'm currently working with my father on an old 722 in 257 Roberts that my father inherited from his grandfather, and has now passed on to me. Around 1970 my father fitted the barreled action into a beautiful Birdseye Maple stock from Herters, and he has no idea what happened to the original stock. The maple is HEAVY, it used to be a ground hog gun for my father, so it didn't get carried alot.

I was going to buy myself a coyote rifle, but a root canal cost me $300 and the crown is going to cost another $700-800, so that took care of that plan. My father suggested I put the 722 in a sporter stock and a guy I used to work with (Coincidentally the brother of the guy my father lived with, and helped with the maple stock at that time) had a SA 700 stock he picked up years ago with plans to build a 243AI, but then found a complete gun, so he never used it. He gave me the stock, and we started working on it last week.

It is pretty close to fitting now after some work, it still is rocking ever so slightly in the stock, and the trigger or safety is binding a bit (I assume that is the case, the gun fires as you close the bolt while it's in the stock). We will get that ironed out next week.

My question is, does anyone have any experience with this? It seems from what I have been able to read that there is about a 50/50 chance that the bolt area will need to be relieved (It didn't, fits nicely around the bolt) and a 50/50 chance the 722 magazine will fit, but could be too long. Since I want to be able to switch back and forth between the stocks, I don't want to shorten the 722 mag if it won't fit. Does anyone know if I can just get the box mag for the SA 700 ADL and use the spring and follower from the 722? Or do I need the complete setup for the 700? I know I will also need a SA 700 ADL trigger guard.

Here is a pick of the gun when I got it in the Maple stock:

257.jpg


Here it is mostly fitted into the 700 stock. It's well used, but a nice piece of walnut. Once it's together and proven to shoot in the new stock, I have a buddy that will refinish it for me. Didn't weigh it, but it feels like it's shaved better than a pound already. It has an old Weaver V9-1 on it that weights in the neighborhood of 22oz as well. I may go to a light scope like a VX-2 2-7 at 9.9 ounces to shave another 3/4 of a pound later on.

257_Walnut.jpg
 
Are you going to bed it? If so, don't worry about removing too much wood to get rid of the rocking. If the stock is an ADL why go through all the trouble of cutting a mag opening. I would just use an internal box, spring and follower, provided it lines up correctly.
 
Yes, going to bed it, but still don't want to go crazy taking out too much wood.

That was my question, does anyone know if the 722 spring and follower will work with a SA 700 ADL internal box? I might get lucky and the 722 box will work, but want a back up plan.
 
The safety is probably the problem. I have heard you need to open it up to clear the safety lever. I don't have any actual experience though.
 
Yes, it has been opened up, and was working before we put the screws back in to put it together. I suspect after tightening it down, it needs to be relieved a bit more. I tried to keep it really close so there are no obvious gaps around it. We just gave up that one night because it was getting close to 8:00 and dinner was ready.

Getting back at it some night next week, we can iron that out. Really just wondering about the magazine. Maybe I'll get lucky and it will fit, but if not, really wondering if the 722 spring and follower will work in a short action 700 ADL internal box magazine.
 
Maybe some of the confusion is around the 722. Just to clarify, the 722 is also an interal magazine, but it uses bottom metal, with no drop out floor plate. I want to use the 722 INTERNAL magazine, but it may be too long since it is made to rest on the metal when there is an opening all the way through the stock, and it can be ground to work if it won't fit, but I want to be able to go back to the maple stock, so that is out of the question for me.
 
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I've done a couple of these, the rifle I shot in the egg shoot was a 722 in a 700 ADL stock. I shortenned the mag on it and had to cut clearence for the safety and bolt handle and a little where the trigger comes therough the bottom of the stack and use an ADL trigger guard.

I also did a 721 into a BDL stock and used the original bottom metal but you have to fill the openning where the action screws are as the BDL bottom metal is thicker than the 721/722 bottom metal.

Mine stared out as a 300Sav and a 30-06 and are now a 22-250 and 35 Whelen.
 
Thanks, that is very helpful. I don't want to shorten my mag, since I want to be able to go back to the stock it's in. Do you know if the 722 spring and follower will work in a 700 internal magazine?
 
I would just buy a new ADL magazine box when you get the triggerguard. And if the spring and follower don't work then order those too. It'll take a little longer if you have to make separate orders, but that way you don't have to modify anything. Midway and Brownells carries all that stuff.

I've got a 721 that I bought a BDL stock for and I'm planning on putting BDL bottom metal on it. I think it would've been a little cheaper to convert it to an ADL, but the stock I got has the 1960's fleur d'li checkering so I think it'll look pretty sweet. Just got to get the bottom metal and do the minor inletting. Mines a .300 H&H.
 
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Got the action fitted in the stock completely last night, but as suspected the 722 magazine box is way too long. I ordered a 700 ADL trigger guard and box magazine that says it works for 22-250, 243, 6mm & 308. I didn't see any that specifically mentioned the 257, but if the 6mm works I see no reason the 257 wouldn't since they are both on the same parent case.

I haven't bedded it yet, but I am thinking about dropping it off at Hillbilly Custom Rifles to have them bed it and what they call, coat the barrel and action. The bluing is gone in a few places and rough in some others. Came across them looking for a place to re-blue it, but they seem reasonable at $175 to glass bed and coat the metal. I assume this is something like duracoat, but I need to call and ask. The barreled action was bedded in the previous stock, and I want to be able to go back to it, so I don't want anything that will add thickness to the barreled action.
 
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The gun is being dropped off at Hillbilly Custom Rifles tomorrow to be glass and pillar bedded and have the barreled action Cerakoted. Going to go with Socom Blue or Graphite Black most likely. I want to see them first, but looking for something close to traditional bluing.

Originally I was going for a budget build, but the free stock I got was so nice I decided to throw a little more money at it. In the end I feel like I am getting a semi custom gun with a great story for a bit less than a new Tikka T3 Lite Blued and a good bit less than the stainless model. With the Cerakote, it should be just as durable as the stainless if not more (At least I would think).
 
Finally got to a good internet conection to post a picture.

721 in BDL 700 BDL stoc with original 712 bottom metal
Dogsandrifles013.jpg


722 in a 700 ADL stock with LVSF barrel fitted.
Dogsandrifles011.jpg
 
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AWS, both rifles look great. I especially like the 722 in the ADL stock.

I dropped my rifle off on Friday. After talking with Nate at Hillbilly Custom Rifles, this is what I decided on.

Sandstrom 859 Black coating for the barrel and action. He likes it as well as Cerakote, and said this is closer to bluing than anything Cerakote has. He uses Cerakote for everything except when a customer wants as close to a blued look as possible.

Pillar and Marine Tex bed the action to the stock and clean up any sharp edges left by my fitting job as well as most likely remove more from the stock to float the barrel after the coating is done. It's floated now, but may need more removed.

Set trigger to 2 - 2.5lbs and remove what little creep it has.

He said 6 -8 weeks, but not to be surprised if it's a bit longer.

Once I have it back, the stock is off to my buddy to be refinished with Spar Urethane and Linseed oil.
 
I guess it's been a while
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The 257 is done but now it will more likely be a second scoped deer rifle as I have picked up a Rugger M77 MKII in 204 Ruger and a Ruger American Ranch in 5.56. Both shoot 3 shot groups of Superformance ammo into about 1/2" when I can do my part so I'm not even going to bother to load for them.

After getting it back from the gunsmith my buddy refinished the stock for me. He had broken a small piece off near the action sanding it and needed to get to his fathers shop for his tools and help fixing the piece so it took quite a bit longer than was planned. Once I got it back with the stock refinished I gave my brother the old Weaver scope and bought a 2-7x33 VXR and mounted it.

I shot it last fall off a shaky rest just to sight it in close enough to deer hunt with no more than 100 yard shots. I still need to get it on a solid bench. Never did take it out hunting last year as we were either hunting in heavy wet snow (Coming down) or tromping through thick brush. Those circumstances are better suited to the T3 Lite Stainless.

 
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