Having a reassembly issue with my 722

B

brharris

Inactive
I'm really new here so first off hello everyone. If I make any mistakes in identifying some of the things I'm talking about, please feel free to correct me. I've been hunting and handling guns my whole life, but just recently have become more acting in reloading and some mild modification.

Now to business. I have a Remington 722 chambered in .257 Roberts. I recently disassembled it completely for a very thorough cleaning and inspection. I put everything back together and things were fine until the very last screw which is the rear most one that goes up through the trigger guard behind the trigger and into the threads directly behind the the bolt. I inserted he screw and snugged it to find the it protrudes through the bottom if the channel where the bolt rides and stops the bolt from coming backwards.

Has anyone else had a similar problem or know if maybe I lost something in disassembly that i didn't see? Or did I just generally do something wrong?

I will try to get a picture up when I get back to my computer.
 
How much does it "protrude"? If only a thread or so, you may have over tightened and compressed the stock wood(which may have been oil soaked and softened). I'm not familiar with the 722 but have several 700's which have 3 screws-all different lengths.
 
Check the rear screw against the front screw for length. I have seen many where one screw was just an 1/8" or so longer. You might have switched the two on reassembly.
 
I think Bull Bob is on to something...

IIRC, the 722 has three screws, the rear, center, and front trigger guard screws.

It's been awhile since I've had mine apart, but I THINK I recall the front guard screw being the shortest, and the center guard screw being slightly longer than the rear guard screw.
 
The front screw is the shortest, the center one is smaller in diameter, and the rear is the longer one. It protrudes about 4 thread into the bolt channel. The part that confuses me most is that the channel is threaded up the sides like it is supposed to be there. I'll have pictures up in a couple hours when I get to my shop and can show you helpful folks what's really going on.
 
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I would place a washer-type spacer between the inside/top of the TG/bottom metal, to space the bottom metal and (ergo) tang screw further down/away from the bolt channel, as an expedient repair - but it does sound like the stock wood's been compressed there, allowing the protrusion into the tang channel.

The compressed wood issue can sometimes be solved via drilling the tang screw hole in the wood out large enough that a properly-sized (length) of steel tubing can be inserted (tightly) into the hole to act as a spacer to prevent compression - just like some issue German service rifles from WWII had.


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I used to have a Rem 660 that did this.

It sounds to me like you've compressed the stock and/or pushed in the countersunk hole in the trigger guard, allowing the screw to go further in/up. In the case of my 660, with a plastic trigger guard, this was very easily done. I borrowed the proper die from my gunsmith, ground about 1/16" off the screw, and cleaned up the threads with the die. I also bought a billet aluminum trigger guard for it but that shouldn't apply to you.

Don't worry, I don't believe you messed anything up too bad;)
 
I am literally waiting on a crossing train 8 blocks from my shop and gun vice. It seems like the compressed stock is a very likely possibility. I can't remember the year but I know it was ordered by my grandfather out of a Sears catalog in the 60's so I really hope I don't have to alter anything to much to repair it.

Thanks for all the help so far you guys. I'll follow up shortly with some photos.

Is there a chance I can just shorten that screw and not change anything else?
 
Looks like you can probably just grind a tad off the end of the screw (if you're good you won't even have to re-thread it) and be careful not to get it too tight when putting it back on.

You could also grind the edges of a small, thin washer so that it will fit between the action and stock around the hole the screw goes through acting as a spacer. It's not going to allow the action to be bedded very well but if everything is relatively tight it should be alright.

Or you could get a gunsmith to do an epoxy/pillar bedding job for you for around $75 and not have to worry about any bedding or compression issues at all. This would be the best option IMO
 
When I was "tinkering" with Mausers, this was a fairly common problem after the action screw spacers were discarded. Grind the screw carefully and dress the end. IIRC that is a common 1/4" thread so a nut could be threaded on to keep the cut square and removed after deburring.
 
great, thanks for the advice everyone. This should be a fairly quick and simple fix for me. I appreciate everyones input.
 
Looks like you forgot the little plate that goes between the trigger guard and the stock. it's about 2" long with a rectangular hole for the trigger.
 
If you Google search Rem 722 exploded drawings, you should see part #32, which is the small spacer plate that goes between the trigger guard and stock inletting. It has a hole in one end and a notch in the other.

If you can't find it, just put a thin, flat washer in it's place.
 
Thanks for all the help again guys. Not sure where that part disappeared to or if it has ever even been there, but luckily I found a new reproduction one for $4. So we'll be out prairie dogging in a matter of days.
 
And maybe this is the wrong place to ask this but since I have the attention of some fellow 722 owners, does anyone have an opinion on free floating my barrel? I'm not concerned about killing the value because this rifle isn't going anywhere, I'm more concerned about messing something up that's irreversible.
 
I don't have a 722 but I do have a few M700s. :D Let's keep this simple. If you have an old credit card cut a piece of it to match the flat space behind thed recoil lug.. A cardboard match book will work but not quite as well. Put the gun back in the stock and tighten the screws. You'll have to resight the gun in but if groups are better with that piece of plastic in place you can do one of two things. Just leave it in place or free float the barrel. This will work on just anout any make of rifle BTW. It's a bit more difficult keeping it in place due to Remington using a round action but try it anyway. It;s better than removing the wood and finding out it shoots worse than before alshough the fix then would be some glass bedding.
Paul B.
 
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