Gunsgobang88 Posted December 6, 2012 Report Share Posted December 6, 2012 Remington Model 721 in .30-06The Model 721 was introduced in 1948 as an easily produced replacement for the pre-war designed Models 30 and 720 that were derivatives of the P17 Enfield. Along with the short action 722 and the later deluxe 725, these rifles were the forerunners of the current M700’s.The father of the current owner, an Indian Maharajah, bought this rifle new in 1948, the year of it’s introduction. Despite owning a collection of H&H double rifles, the Remington was the ‘go-to’ rifle for cull work and to lend to guests on their private game reserve. Despite being beautifully maintained, after 63 years the barrel was past it’s best.UKV member ‘London Hunter’ put the owner in touch with me to do a rebuild. The idea was to maintain a traditional appearance while giving the maximum protection from environmental effects (heat, humidity, dust, monsoon rain etc.). Components were replaced with stainless steel equivalents where available.The action was fully blueprinted including an oversize PTG bolt with an extended bolt handle and re-barrelled in the original .30-06 calibre with a Lilja stainless blank.The receiver had to be re-engraved after grinding and hand polishing with ‘Remington’ and the serial number, this was to satisfy Indian import and firearms licensing requirements. This was also the reason for retaining the original calibre.The stock is an Accurate Innovations basic grade with an aluminium bedding block that was bought semi-inletted and unshaped. After inletting, shaping up or ‘making-off’ in gunmakers parlance, an ebony grip cap and forend tip were fitted along with a Pachmayr recoil pad, sling swivel studs and a gold oval. To maintain the traditional appearance I chequered the stock with an extensive 22 lines per inch pattern and finished it with a hand rubbed oil finish.A Swarovski Z6i 1.7-10x42 is fitted in Warne Q/D mounts to allow the owner to carry the scope as hand luggage while travelling internationally. Other parts fitted include a Jewell trigger, stainless hinged floorplate, M70 type 3 position bolt shroud safety, Blaser muzzle brake and a stainless oversize (.360”) recoil lug.The bolt was Duracoated by James Clark at Jager Sporting Arms. All other metalwork was hand polished, bead blasted and then Tufftrided to give the maximum possible protection under environmentally hostile conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mo3 Posted December 6, 2012 Report Share Posted December 6, 2012 TOP JOB proper hunting rifle aii the best MO3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Finman Posted December 6, 2012 Report Share Posted December 6, 2012 I know of a certain someone in this forum, who sent you his rifle, that will be very very happy to read this post excellent work! best wishes, Finman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brown dog Posted December 6, 2012 Report Share Posted December 6, 2012 Lovely work Alan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted December 6, 2012 Report Share Posted December 6, 2012 Excellent job Alan! Very nice rifle and even better with that history. All the best Christian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Mauser Posted December 6, 2012 Report Share Posted December 6, 2012 Lovely rifle! Wonderful job Alan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danpd Posted December 6, 2012 Report Share Posted December 6, 2012 Nice to see a proper rifle for a change! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy Posted December 6, 2012 Report Share Posted December 6, 2012 Cracking looking rifle Alan, nice to see something traditional being built to such a standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannywayoflife Posted December 6, 2012 Report Share Posted December 6, 2012 Very very nice alan! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveW Posted December 6, 2012 Report Share Posted December 6, 2012 Exquisite looking rifle Alan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MJR Posted December 6, 2012 Report Share Posted December 6, 2012 Superb craftsmanship. You should be very proud of that and have a very happy client. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted December 6, 2012 Report Share Posted December 6, 2012 Lovely classic lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fergal Posted December 7, 2012 Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 Nice job Alan, very nice. What did you black the barrel with, was that a spray on you used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsgobang88 Posted December 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 Nice job Alan, very nice. What did you black the barrel with, was that a spray on you used. Hi Fergal, All metal finishing (bar the bolt) was done by Tufftriding, sometimes known as ferritic nitrocarburizing. This process is used throughout engineering. It is a form of very thin case hardening that improves wear resistance, increases lubricity (less friction, good in bores) and as a bonus leaves a black finish! This process and derivatives of it is known by a variety of names such as Tenifer (previously used on Glock pistols), QPQ and black nitriding. It has previously been written up on various US forums and has been used on Milspec components and firearms for a number of years. I have been using this process for a number of years with complete success, it works equally well on carbon and stainless steels. The only drawbacks are that all components must be separated (no sub-assemblies) and there must be no soldered or brazed joints present. Solder will melt and brazing will contaminate the tanks, I hope that this is of interest, Best regards Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tackb Posted December 7, 2012 Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 lovely looking bit of kit (although not my personal taste) nobody has asked how it shoots yet ? after all thats what rifles are for isn't it ? even if some do qualify as 'art' as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happyhunter Posted December 7, 2012 Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 Stunning, exactly how a rifle used on game should look. Top job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandy Posted December 7, 2012 Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 Rifle looks amazing, do you have a before and after? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davy Posted December 7, 2012 Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 Alan, do you do your own Tuftriding? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
terryh Posted December 7, 2012 Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 Mr Wey, Very nice indeed, like the fine cut checkering. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsgobang88 Posted December 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 lovely looking bit of kit (although not my personal taste) nobody has asked how it shoots yet ? after all thats what rifles are for isn't it ? even if some do qualify as 'art' as well! Hi, The rifle was shot by the customer while it was 'in the white', Remington factory ammo was used as hand loading is virtually impossible in India but factory ammo in popular calibres is reasonably available. The customer was not concerned about the difference of a few thou in group sizes but wanted a rifle that was comfortable and consistent under all conditions. Ammo used was Premier 180gr Nosler Partition (#PRP3006A) and Premier 180gr Swift Scirocco Bonded (#PRSC3006B), all three shot groups were sub moa with a few groups with all shots touching. I had to persuade the owner to shoot off the bench as he was more concerned about shooting comfort from a standing un-supported position, this reflects real world hunting conditions in India. The shooting position (ergonomics of the rifle) was taken care of by stock dimensions, choice of recoil pad and muzzle brake and height of scope mounts. The consistency is as a result of component choice, bedding block, quality of barrel, blueprinting parts etc. plus careful assembly and attention to detail. Hope this is of interest, Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsgobang88 Posted December 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 Alan, do you do your own Tuftriding? Hi Davy, No! My workshop is in a converted outbuilding on a friend's dairy farm, not a damn great industrial plant! This sort of treatment is usually carried out by specialist heat treatment firms working within the engineering industry, Best regards Alan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted December 7, 2012 Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 Yes, it is of interest Alan, thanks for posting, I think sometimes dare I say, "normal" stalking / hunting rifles are forgotten for exotica. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Offroad Gary Posted December 7, 2012 Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 That is actually perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tackb Posted December 7, 2012 Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 Hi, The rifle was shot by the customer while it was 'in the white', Remington factory ammo was used as hand loading is virtually impossible in India but factory ammo in popular calibres is reasonably available. The customer was not concerned about the difference of a few thou in group sizes but wanted a rifle that was comfortable and consistent under all conditions. Ammo used was Premier 180gr Nosler Partition (#PRP3006A) and Premier 180gr Swift Scirocco Bonded (#PRSC3006B), all three shot groups were sub moa with a few groups with all shots touching. I had to persuade the owner to shoot off the bench as he was more concerned about shooting comfort from a standing un-supported position, this reflects real world hunting conditions in India. The shooting position (ergonomics of the rifle) was taken care of by stock dimensions, choice of recoil pad and muzzle brake and height of scope mounts. The consistency is as a result of component choice, bedding block, quality of barrel, blueprinting parts etc. plus careful assembly and attention to detail. Hope this is of interest, Alan sub MOA in a sporter is perfect , well done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunsgobang88 Posted December 7, 2012 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2012 Rifle looks amazing, do you have a before and after? No, sorry, I forgot . The Model 721 was very much a 'plain Jane' rifle, skinny un-chequered stock, no grip cap or forend tip. Sheet steel trigger guard and blind magazine. The quality is in the receiver machining, slightly larger in diameter than a Model 700, it has a rugged 'hewn from the solid' quality about it that is often missing from modern firearms, Alan PS This page from an old 50's Remington catalogue gives you an idea of what the rifle looked like, check out the prices! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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