Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Evolution of the Remington Trigger and Safety.

I am not trying to stir up anything more here but rather sort out some of the changes Remington has made since they introduced the 721-722 model rifles which were the fore-runners of the 725 and 700 models and to a degree I imagine the 600-660 model and the model 7. I have had all of these model rifles at one time or another, except the 7 and 725, but presently am down to just a single 721 and it wears a Shilen trigger. Since my interests now are mainly rifles made from military actions and pre-64 Winchesters I am asking for information to help me understand how things have changed over the years. I would especially appreciate any gunsmiths on the board explaining any technical aspects of different parts in the triggers and different safeties used.

To start with I know the original sear was in two pieces that sat side by side. I am curious if the safety came in contact with just one of these pieces or both? Also I assume the connector come in contact with both pieces? If the safety only came in contact with one of the sear pieces, what happened when the trigger was pulled while the safety lever was in the safe position to the other piece? Finally when did Remington go to a one piece sear and does anyone know why?

Next, the model 725 had a three position safety. What were its functions in each position and how was this accomplished? Did the 725 have a one piece sear or did it have two like the 721-722 models? Was the rest of the trigger like the 721-722 models? Were there any problems with this trigger-safety that anyone knows of?

There was a factory recall on the model 600 trigger. What was the problem with it and how was it fixed? Was the 600 trigger similar to the 721 and those models that followed it?

at sometime the safety lever was changed to allow the bolt to be opened with the safety lever in the safe position. I never cared for this option myself but that has no bearing on its function I guess. Does anyone know when this modification was made.

Lastly I understand there is a new trigger. I have only seen pictures of it and understand how it is suppose to work. Can it be installed on older rifles made as far back as the late forties?

I do not pretend to know everything about the various triggers and safeties so if I have missed something please fill in the blanks.

Many thanks

Well good luck to you on your search

I'd like to know the answers to your other questions too....

But the only one I can answer comes from another member;


I believe the slot remained in the bolt until the late 80's/early 90's.



Casey

This is a double sear Model 700 manufactured in 1967. Would this imply that all prior manufactured 721, 722, & 725 models were double sear?

The Walker Haskell patent refers to the "double sear" as a "sear" and a "safety cam".

One is used for the safety to block the striker, and the other as the sear in conjunction with the trigger (and connector). The single spring (20) acts upon both the sear and safety cam.

Larry,

Sounds like a mission for Stuart Otteson.

I thought about writing this article once, but never did because it would consume way more resources than you could sell it for. I have been collecting Rem triggers though...

jim

GrandView

Thanks for that diagram of the original trigger. As I said the trigger on my wife's 721 was been changed to a Shilen several years ago so I had forgotten exactly what the pieces looked like for sure.

I am wondering now if it is possible that the sear was changed to one piece when Remington added the guide rib lug on the right locking lug of the bolt. I can't remember for sure when that was though.

Jim

I agree it would take a lot of resources and likely Stuart would have had them. I sure would find it interesting to study though. I really wish I had paid more attention to these changes through the years now.

Perhaps what intrigues me the most right now is what the 725 trigger looked like inside and how it operated with its three position safety.

From The Remington 700, by John R. Lacy

"��.The original sear was a one piece design. Just prior to the introduction of the 721, there was concern that sear was similar enough to a competitor�s to raise a question of patent infringement. As a result, the sear was redesigned. It was fabricated from stamped steel. The two part sear separated the sear and safety functions. After the 700 was introduced, the fabrication of the sear was again altered, returning to a one piece sear-safety cam. The one piece sear-safety cam is fabricated from powdered metal, sintered, and then hard plated. Date of this redesign is often relegated to the design changes made in 1969. It occurred much earlier than this. By august 1966, most 700�s were being equipped with the one piece sear-safety cam. The author has a new in the box ADL 6MM REM assembled in September 1966 that is equipped with the one piece part. As late as April 1966, most 700�s had the two piece sear. Due to overlap , an exact date is not possible. The summer of 1966 catches the mid range of this change."

rogue1

Thanks for that info. I appreciate it.

Re: at sometime the safety lever was changed to allow the bolt to be opened with the safety lever in the safe position. I never cared for this option myself but that has no bearing on its function I guess. Does anyone know when this modification was made.

From The Remington 700, by John R. Lacy

����On February 26 1982, Remington phased in a safety that did not include the bolt lock��.

The bolt lock design consists of three elements: 1) the safety switch which has ear on it that fits into a slot milled into both 2) the bolt body and 3) the receiver. When the switch is moved into the safe position, the ear pivots up through the slot in the receiver into the slot in the bolt body, thus locking the bolt.

Mechanically the bolt lock and safety are separate through both are initiated by the safety switch. From an operations standpoint, the user considers the safety and bolt lock as part of the same system.

The bolt lock was eliminated by removing the ear from the safety switch...........�

Re: Were there any problems with this trigger-safety (Model 725) that anyone knows of?

From the Remington website: http://www.remington.com/pages/news...ication-program/remington-model-725.aspx

Remington Model 725 rifles were manufactured from 1957 until 1962. Model 725 rifles have a three-position safety, which permits those rifles to be unloaded with the safety in the �mid� position. Model 725 rifles are not included in the safety modification program���

HunterJim,

Stuart Otteson has a pretty detailed discussion of the Remington 721/22/25/700 trigger and safety system that runs about 6 pages in length in his book "The Bolt Action, Vol. 1."

There are no trigger safety problems period.

You woke up in the wrong thread.

This thread is asking for information not opinion. You seem to have none of the former and what you have of the latter is usually pretty suspect.

rouge 1

Many thanks again for your info. It is all helping me put pieces of the puzzle together to satisfy my curiosity.

Jlin222

Many thanks for that tidbit. I seem to have lent my Otteson book to someone, but I think I remember who it was. I am definitely going to check out the pages you mentioned.

I have his books and I read that part -- which is why I nominated him to do the writing.

The books are scarce but you can get the text on DVD from Wolfe Publishing now...jim

Here's an explanation of what's happening with the Remington trigger:

http://www.flinthillsdiesel.com/Remington-Walker.pdf

I would like to point out that Remington no longer uses the Walker trigger, they replaced it with the design they name the XMark Pro. As far as I know, it is not subject to any of the issues of the former design.

Also Stuart Otteson authored Benchrest Actions & triggers which Wolfe Publishing published in 1983.

jim