Remington 722 replacement barrel
I have Remington 722 in 257 Roberts that needs to get a new barrel. Any recommendations on which barrel manufacturer to use?
I have a custom stock that a friend of mine made for the rifle, so I have to keep the barrel contour the same as the original factory barrel.
I have a custom stock that a friend of mine made for the rifle, so I have to keep the barrel contour the same as the original factory barrel.
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Wow, the barrel on a 257 Bob is worn out? Hard to fathom.
If it needs to be replaced, I like the Shilen, Bartlein, or Hart, and not in any particular order. I believe they all have services that will contour and install your barrel for you, if you don't have a favorate gunsmith to do it for you.
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A. what are your expectations? b. how deep are your pockets?........you can get a good barrel blank from brownells for about $230 (Shilen or Douglas) and have your gunspith fit and chamber it. they do have rem. factory contoured barrels but not in .257R. You can buy better (more expensive) barrel from makers like Pac-Nor, Walther/Lothar,Kreager, and a host of others. You get what you pay for. 0 -
Manoa-Fisherman,
Before making a decision about the barrel be sure to consider having the action trued first by a good gunsmith familiar with the process. Most M722's I've handled were pretty good but needed a little touch up for mating surfaces.
"...so I have to keep the barrel contour the same as the original factory barrel."
Most of the top barrel makers can turn the standard Remington barrel contours. As Mike points out, some of these are readily available through Brownells or Midway with the limitation being the barrel maker selection. Remember that slight variations in diameter or length can be adjusted with a scraper or sandpaper by a good gunsmith.
I think you need to determine what type of shooting you'll be doing with this rifle so you can select the best twist rate. If you're staying with the .257 Roberts then the 1:10" will handle all bullets. But if you see this as a varmint rifle only you could slow the twist down to 1:12" if you wanted.
The best barrels currently are:
Bartlein
Krieger
Schneider
Then all the others.
This in no way impugns the quality of the other barrel makers. Some of them do a fine job but I depend on the above three day in and day out.
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Several barrel makers offer standard CURRENT Remington profiles.
I'd be surprised to see the old 722 style with enlarged rear sight base available off the shelf. Krieger will duplicate an existing profile but charges $25 minimum for special order contours. Probably others have similar services and charges.
Good to know about Bartlein. I could not find that on their www, nice if they said so. Other places charge extra. I note that Lilja says they have a one time charge of $30 for a new contour, so if you were the second customer to ask for a Remington 722 direct replacement you would be in luck. If the first, it would cost a little extra.0 -
Hawk Carse,
I get them from Bartlein when I need them. CNC programs for the contours are a wonderful thing...
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ADDED:
Yep, there will always be those folks who will nickel and dime you to death for their own gratification. That's why I can't (won't) use some barrel makers unless requested, followed by a higher quote. There are a couple who won't even give an industry discount for multiple or long term repeat orders. Retail list for everyone as far as they're concerned.
With the basic contour program in the machine, it takes about 5 minutes to change some parameters and run a check of the dimensions. Guys that are real good can program on the fly without batting an eyelash. That $25.00 to $30.00 per contour change can be a deterrent for some folks who just want something a little different. It keeps the barrel maker from going crazy with the minute changes which won't amount to anything in the long run.
If I remember right, Lothar Walther has some of the basic commercial contours on their website. There might be list of them on the website:
http://www.lothar-walther.com/
http://www.lothar-walther.com/332.php
Lothar Walther Precision Tools, Inc.
3425 Hutchinson Rd.
Cumming, GA 30040
Phone: 770-889-9998
Fax: 770-889-4919
E-Mail:
lotharwalther@ mindspring.com
If you can't find what you need, ask for Woody Woodall, he'll help guide you through the process.
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Gentlemen,
Thank you for all your sage advice. After looking into the cost of the barrel, adjustments to the action, gunsmith costs, and blueing, looks like I might be better off buying a M722 in better condition and drop it my custom stock.
Additionally, I was taking a look at the barrelled action and removed the bolt. Looking at the bolt face, I saw what looked like pitting or small divots on it. From what I remember, that is a sign of someone firing some heavy/high pressure loads through the rifle. That could explain the excessive wear on the barrel (ie. no strong rifling left).
Given the possibility that hot loads were used on the action and barrel, it doesn't look like it would be worth trying to resurrect this barrelled action.
Again, thank you very much for your wise advice and your willingness to share your knowledge with us all.0 -
I have a 722 that was converted over to a 6mm Rem with a NEW barrel. I LOVE the gun! 0 -
Manoa-Fisherman,
Before throwing in the towel on your current M722, I suggest having a gunsmith look at the bolt and action to determine the condition.
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