Rem receiver reblue

B

burrhead

New member
I bought a Remington 722 in .244 Rem a few years ago that’s cosmetically in nice shape. The man I bought it from had used it for gophers and probably shot a million of them looking at the throat and bolt face.

The barrel is toast so I’m going to replace it with a matte stainless Hart in either 243 or 257 Roberts. The receiver bluing isn’t too bad but the bottom metal has suffered over the last 65 years so I’m going to get all that reblued.

I haven’t discussed this project with my smith yet but I know the only refinish he’ll do is Ceracote or parkerize and neither of those is acceptable to me. So the question is, who does the hive recommend to do a simple factory-level reblue on the action/bottom metal that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg? Say $150-$200.
 
It would help if you could show us some decent pictures. Sight-unseen, I would probably recommend having the original barrel rebored to 257. It's amazing how good old metal can look just by cleaning up the rust with some fine steel wool. Reblueing it could really undermine that possibility.
 
The bottom metal has browned. Apparently at sometime in the gun's history it was carried a lot over someone's shoulder with their hand on the barrel near the muzzle. That wear was "repaired" with cold blue. I'd rather trust Hart to make a good barrel than spend the money for a rebore.

When i say it's nice, it is for its age but certainly not pristine. The stock needs nothing but a good cleaning, the in-the-white bolt and handle still look great and no dings on the receiver.

Appreciate the suggestion but I've been thinking abut this for several months and have a sorta kinda plan. Thanks though.
 
If it was mine, I would not put a stainless barrel on a blued action, it never looks quite right. Hart only makes stainless barrels, so you might consider choosing another make of barrel. Many of the barrel makers offer rebarreling services, and will reblue as well. Look on some of the barrel makers' web sites under services or gunsmithing, or give them a call.
 
This rifle has the original 26" barrel with the funny raised boss. I'm going to replace it with a 24" with the same thin contour minus the boss and sights. This is one of three 722s I own, the others being a 308 and a triple deuce.

As to mixing stainless and blue, some like oranges and some like apples. I like the look. I met the smith I'm going to use when he was building pistols for Virgil Tripp back when Virgil had his shop in Alpine Texas. He's a real gunsmith who has done work for me in the past and I trust him. His name is Colby Brandon in Ft. Davis Texas

I'm staring 70 in the eye and this isn't my first goat rope. The sensible thing to do would be to sell this gun and buy a Remchester in 243 and be done with it. But I have the money and time to have something built I want, not need. In a few years I'm going to give this gun to my niece and I hope her now 1 year old takes his first deer with it in 10-12 years. I only want it for shooting Axis does and those miniature WT over in the Texas Hill Country. None of this is really practical, just something I want.
 
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Instead of rebluing the receiver, why not go with a finish that actually offers good rust protection, and will match your stainless barrel? Industrial hard chrome doesn't cost much more than bluing, and it's a lifetime finish.
 
I became a member here in 1999 though I don't post much. I do look at the posts every day, kinda like an old lady listening in on a party line. Back in the day there were men like George Springer, Steve Camp, BigG, Rob Pincus and my neighbor Art Eatman still posted a a lot. It was calmer, little more serious and you could ask a question and get an answer.

So as not to sound like an old man yelling at kids to get off the lawn, I'll try this again. Does anyone have any suggestions/reviews of a good mid-priced blueing service?

Thanks in advance.
 
You should be able to find someone near you that can do the reblue. I've always managed to find someone near me that does a decent job. I would start calling gunsmiths around you and asking that question. Most gunsmiths don't reblue but can point you to someone that does.

One tip is ask to see examples of the reblue work, that tells a lot. Probably can't do that if you can't find a place near you.

Promise you'll post pictures of the finished project. Being as old as you and never seeing a 722 I'd like to remedy that.
 
No reviews, sorry. I'd bet any quality barrel maker could set you in the right direction or get it done for you. I have done business with Hart and found them to be very helpful in the past.
 
The, "funny raised boss", is how it was done back in the good old days and gives it some vintage style. That's why I suggested reboring to keep the original barrel. But it's your project, so do whatever makes you happy.
Has anyone noticed that the boss has returned on the Winchester model 70 Alaskan? That's how the pre-'64 was made.
 
What makes you think the barrel is "toast'? Just curious.
SS does look odd with a blue receiver, but SS can be blackened. Reboring will cost a ton of money. A great deal more than another barrel. Assuming you can find one for a 722. Dunno if the threads are the same as anything current. Only matters because custom threading is expensive.
You should look into this too. The guy may have already had it done though.
https://www.remington.com/support/safety-center/safety-modification-program/remington-model-721-722
"...only refinish he’ll do..." Probably because any decent hot blue job requires an enormous amount of time. It's all hand done polishing with a wheel and jeweller's rouge. Plus needing a room with no other ferrous metal in it. That's also why few places do it.
 
SS and blue look fine together, especially on a working gun, and this is a workhorse, not a show horse. I'd not spend any money to do anything to the metal. I like a gun with signs of hard use, but not abuse.
 
Never had a problem with mixing stainless and blue.

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As to the reblue, I would be tempted to watch some YouTube videos and try it myself.
 
who does your gunsmith recomend????
Click to expand...

This is the first stop. If your gunsmith only does Cerracote, or parkerize, ask them who they would send a gun to for a good blue job. And, ask them why.

Now, that's just where to start, bearing in mind that your gunsmith could be a good mechanical smith and an idiot about finish work, so keep asking around.

The guys in Turnbull's shop to outstanding work, but in your case would probably cost more than the gun is worth.

I don't know anyone to recommend, haven't had a gun reblued in decades, but I will ask around.

And, just my opinion, there's no point in going to a .243. The gun is set up for the longer .244/6mm and would do fine with a .257 as its the parent case.

Is the entire barrel "toast" or just the throat? IF its just the throat, have you considered having the original barrel set back and rechambered?? IF you have this done, you shouldn't have to make any major changes to the stock, which you might have to do with a new barrel from another maker.

All up to you, just naming some options, in case you didn't already think of them...
 
I did think about setting it back but that leads to a problem which is the 1/12 twist. Speer use to make a 105gr round nose bullet that worked real well with that twist, and I had a small hand full that are now gone, and I haven't found any current bullets over 90gr that'll work. That would be fine except the long range plan is to gift this gun to my niece. Neither she nor her husband will ever reload and, best I know, the few 6mm Rem commercial cartridges available are all 100gr spitzers.

Plus I think the 6mm is on it's way out unfortunately. It's a great round. I'm torn between the 243 and the Roberts. My heart says Roberts, and if I was 20 years younger it'd be a no-brainer, but the practical side of me says in 20 years the 243 will still be here. Hmmm, I may still go with the 257 and let somebody else figure it out in the future.
 
Have you verified that it IS a 1-12 twist??

Due to the poor sales of the .244 with the slow twist, Remington changed the twist rate after the first couple years production, and there are rifles marked .244 Rem with the 1-9" twist rate Remington used when they renamed the round 6mm Rem.

If you haven't checked the barrel in your rifle, perhaps you should. If you find it is the faster twist, it may not change you thinking, but at least you'll know, for sure.
 
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