Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Remington 721

Wondering if all Remington 721s had the barrel bulge? I am looking at a 721 in .30/06 and it does have a bulge. It has the same rear sight as the 725s and early 700s. I know this type of sight was used on early 721s. The barrel code L (month) E (year) puts it at Feb of ‘58. Or Feb ‘36 or even Feb ‘84. I know late production ‘61 had some 700 barrels but “58 seems to early for a 700 barrel. Possible barrel switch out?

They didn’t all have the bulge. I have one that was in near new condition when I bought it that doesn’t have the bulge and my Grandad’s only CF rifle is one he bought back before the 725 and 700 came out and it doesn’t have the bulge.

So the rear sight wasn’t a dovetail mount?

There was a period in 1958 when the model 725 was being made that Remington wanted to streamline production and made some changes to the 721. Eliminating the barrel boss was one change along with using the same sights that were used on the 725 and later, on the 700. Some call them “transition models”. I have one in 222 Mag.

No it’s a soldered on ramp with a slide for elevation and windage screws.

The correct name for the bulge is a boss. Barrel bosses were commonly used to install the rear sight on rifle barrels. Remington 721 and 722 rifle had them until the 725 was introduced and they dropped the barrel boss and used the same barrel contours on all three models. Several Winchester 70 styles had barrels bosses, as did the early Savage 110s and multiple styles of the Savage 99.

[quote=navlav8r]There was a period in 1958 when the model 725 was being made that Remington wanted to streamline production and made some changes to the 721. Eliminating the barrel boss was one change along with using the same sights that were used on the 725 and later, on the 700. Some call them “transition models”. I have one in 222 Mag.
[/quote


I have one in .222.

The barrels went from 24' to 22", no sight boss/dovetail, sights screw on to barrel like a 700, AND a much straighter stock with less drop. A much more shootable combination especially when using a scope.

You'll never see a 722 in 243 or 308 with a barrel boss because they were introduced after Remington introduced the 725 and chose to standardized a barrel contour without the barrel boss. Along the same line, you'll never see a 722 in 257 Roberts or 300 Savage without a barrel boss because they had enough barrels in the warehouse to cover the limited demand for 722s chambered for those two cartridges after the 243 and 308 were introduced. The 725 was never cataloged in 257 Roberts or 300 Savage. There are 3 different barrel contours used on the 722s and 725s chambered in 244. A 24" sporter with a barrel boss, a 26" heavy sporter or light varmint without a barrel boss, and a 22" sporter without a barrel boss that was only used on the 725. Some of the 725 barrels in 244 used the same 1-10" ROT as the 243, while all of the 722s and some of the 725s had a 1-12" ROT.

"There are 3 different barrel contours used on the 722s and 725s chambered in 244. A 24" sporter with a barrel boss, a 26" heavy sporter or light varmint without a barrel boss, and a 22" sporter without a barrel boss that was only used on the 725. Some of the 725 barrels in 244 used the same 1-10" ROT as the 243, while all of the 722s and some of the 725s had a 1-12" ROT."

My 725 in 244 22" had no barrel boss. It now wears a SS 700TI in 260, with a 700 extractor after the original broke.

Works good.