What to do with an old Rem 700?

[Guy Miner]

Since you guys have great ideas about project guns, thought I'd ask here:

Have this old hunting rifle that is becoming somewhat under-employed, or unemployed... It's a neat old 1960's Rem 700 ADL, in 7mm Rem mag. Still has the original blackened stainless barrel, a six-digit serial number, the cool looking "flat" safety lever and a truly beat-up ADL wood stock. The black finish on the barrel, and the blue on the receiver are both in sad shape, pretty much worn off. Trigger is crisp, and it still shoots nice groups with 160 - 175 grain Sierra hunting bullets.

Found out yesterday that the local gunshop will only give me about $175 on trade towards a new .17 HMR, so I'm inclined to keep the old hunter.

Keep it as is? Backup rifle for me, my boys or a friend who might need a deer or elk rifle? That's what it's doing now - virtually nothing.

Spiff it up as a mountain-rifle with a new McMillan stock? Since it still shoots good, I don't NEED to replace the barrel yet. It's been carried a lot more than it's been shot. It could be a great high-country hunter. In fact it has been.

Use it as the basis for a long-range precision rifle? It could easily be re-barreled for any of the normal belted magnum cartridges...

Thoughts please? Wasn't excited about parting with it, and for $160 - $175, I'm really not interested in parting with it.

Thanks, Guy

 

[YoteSmoker]

For that offer I can't blame you for hanging on to it. As far as what to do with it, I think you have to ask yourself if you really want a project or not and whether to invest the money in restoring it or using the action to build something else. I personally don't own guns that look like they're beat up and am just thinking if you keep it as a loaner, that the person may think it is a piece of junk even though it shoots good and may not have the confidence needed in the equipment. The plus side is that it still shoots good and is mechanically functional.

If you want to give it a make over, I'd first think about how much you want to put into it. By the sounds of it, maybe not a whole lot, but then again it could be made into something beautiful with some elbow grease and money.

I would definitely replace the stock again with what you are ok with spending. You can free-float and bed synthetic or wood yourself, keeping it inexpensive. You can steelwoool and prep the metal andcold blue it with birchwood-casey "super blue". However, in my experience it never comes close to a hot blue job. But it is worth trying and seeing if you can live with the inconsistencies. It sounds like it would still be an improvement and if not you can always have it hot blued by someone.

These are just some thoughts I have. Anyone else?

 

[Black-tailed bandit]

Have the barrel bead blasted, then have the receiver re blued and ad a factory synthetic stock, bed it and float it your self to keep the cost down and shoot the darned thing. If you REALLY want to get rid of it I have a Remington unwanted gun support group, we are alway taking in new members er uh rifles!!!! Just kidding keep the rifle and use it.

 

[baltz526]

just refinish the stock and hunt it another 40 years :lol:

 

[Powerstroke]

Sounds like a "make over" is about to happen? Keep it, one can never have "too many" The ole 7mag is always a great stand by......actually....shouldn't take second to any......*L* I'm sure a smith would / could, but I'd have it soda blasted before sand blasted.

 

[Guest]

Based on what I know about that type of 700, with the black stainless barrel, as long as it still shoots good, just give it a makeover and some new furniture. Take it down, clean it up, touch up or reblue, whichever is necessary, and then add a nice McMillan or HS Precision, or some cool looking laminate (I am thinking two tone black/grey) and then address the bedding issues. Perhaps a black/grey laminate, in satin, with pillar and glass bedding, with that action in a nice new coat of satin blue? In fact, sounds like a rifle I'd like to own. I'll give you at least $20 more than the gun shop for that thing!

 

[JD338]

Guy,

Like the others have said, keep that rifle and give her some TLC.
Have the rifle/action reblued or teflon coated and add a LSS stock.
I just bought a new LSS stock and am having it pillar bedded for my 280AI.
I should have her back in a couple of weeks and will post some pics.

Your "NEW" rifle will be the envy of the range.
Nothing wrong with a 7mm Rem Mag for anything here in the states.

Follow your heart and you will do fiine.
Good luck with your decision.

JD338

 

[Guy Miner]

Great thoughts/ideas guys.

Took the old rifle out to the range with some handloaded 175's the other day. Remembered my big 6x6 elk was taken with a single 175 Nosler from a 700 ADL... Yup. Pretty fair hunting gun that just needs a little time and money spent to bring it up to speed. She sure shoots good, so what the heck. Might take a while to get everything done, but yes, I see a laminate stock or a high quality synthetic stock in the future, as well as refinishing it.

That stainless barrel might just get bead blasted or something, rather than attempting to renew whatever Remington did to make it black in the first place.

Thanks for the ideas! Guy :grin:

 

[270fan]

What is the difference between soda and sand blasting?

 

[YoteSmoker]

Guy M- I just thought of what I used to strip an old stevens shotgun for a friend one time before I cold blue the steel. Stuff called naval jelly that you should be able to find at ace hardware or home depot. Thinking about your rifle, it would be real simple to strip your barrel down to the stainless steel and see what it looks like. If it is dull great, no need to spend money on bead blasting and you can work out any possible blemishes with steel wool. If it's shiny, well then you're going to have to get it bead blasted. Then again you could always wrap it in camoflage like the coyote hunters and put it in a synthetic stock. El-cheapo thoughts are flowing in my head today. Anyways I think trying the naval jelly is a great start either way and you can have it stripped down in no time for a few bucks. I think it got it's name because it was used to strip the heavy paint off of ships.

 

[Guy Miner]

Yotesmoker - I know there are a number of nice commercial finishes a guy can have sprayed & baked onto a rifle, but here' a Remington that I painted with Krylon. Came out pretty good I thought.

The paint eventually wears off, after a couple of years of hunting and shooting, it just gets a new coat of the stuff anyway. Not classy, but it works pretty good. This is on a stainless Krieger barrel and a blued Rem action.

I could see popping the old 7mm mag into a nice 'glass stock & just refinishing the barrel & action, so the rifle would look better. That original finish is in pretty bad shape, and I feel guilty not doing something about it on a rifle that still shoots good.

Thanks again for all the input. Regards, Guy