Classic Beauty

[HighDesertSage]

I love these old rem 700's. My dad left this in my care, as he does not hunt anymore. It's a Rem 700 in 30-06, with the original 4x weaver scope on it. My mom bought this for him as a wedding gift back in 1976. Since then, it's spent most of its life in a safe. The only hunt my dad can remember, is shooting, and missing, a big Kiabab buck back in 1978. Hopefully that will all change. I am going to get it all cleaned up and put a new trigger in it just to be safe. It will accompany me to Utah in January for cow elk. Just thought I'd share an old classic.

 

[SticksMcKinley]

That’s a beauty - enjoy!

 

[OntarioHunter]

I would consider stripping Remington's gawdy Dupont "bowling ball" finish from that era. As it ages it has a tendency to crack and chip off easily, especially if subject to extreme weather. Replace it with an oil finish which will make the gun look even classier. If interested in doing that, I would advise chipping off most of the finish with the edge of a dull knife blade before stripping with chemical. The Dupont finish turns into an awful goo after stripper hits it so remove as much as possible before stripping. Chemical stripper and a small brass wire brush is how I remove finish from checkering. Most stripper is water soluable so rinse as you scrub away old finish. Before applying final oil finish lightly sand to smooth down the raised grain from water rinsing. Lightly go over the checkering with 00 steel wool to remove "fuzz".

Nice heirloom no matter what you do.

 

[sneakypete]

I’m wondering why someone would do that to this gun?

 

[Corn king 60]

I love these old rem 700's. My dad left this in my care, as he does not hunt anymore. It's a Rem 700 in 30-06, with the original 4x weaver scope on it. My mom bought this for him as a wedding gift back in 1976. Since then, it's spent most of its life in a safe. The only hunt my dad can remember, is shooting, and missing, a big Kiabab buck back in 1978. Hopefully that will all change. I am going to get it all cleaned up and put a new trigger in it just to be safe. It will accompany me to Utah in January for cow elk. Just thought I'd share an old classic. View attachment 203017

 

[noharleyyet]

Beautiful heirloom.

 

[Corn king 60]

I love these old rem 700's. My dad left this in my care, as he does not hunt anymore. It's a Rem 700 in 30-06, with the original 4x weaver scope on it. My mom bought this for him as a wedding gift back in 1976. Since then, it's spent most of its life in a safe. The only hunt my dad can remember, is shooting, and missing, a big Kiabab buck back in 1978. Hopefully that will all change. I am going to get it all cleaned up and put a new trigger in it just to be safe. It will accompany me to Utah in January for cow elk. Just thought I'd share an old classic. View attachment 203017

I have one just like it in270. I to am a fan of the old Remington 700s
wood stocks and blued steel is where it’s at for me.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

I’m wondering why someone would do that to this gun?

Because shiny finishs just drive some people crazy. I am one. I know that such finishs really work well keeping a stock stable in areas with high moisture, but all that shinyness just nags at me, and keeps nagging at me.
A few times I have succumbed and stripped it off of a rifle, like my 722 Reminton in .257 Roberts other times I have shown restraint as with my Safari Grade FN Belgium Browning in 30-06 which I have had since 1970.

It's stock is wild grained French Walnut and the thick finish keeps it's movements in moisture tamed,,somewhat.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

I love these old rem 700's. My dad left this in my care, as he does not hunt anymore. It's a Rem 700 in 30-06, with the original 4x weaver scope on it. My mom bought this for him as a wedding gift back in 1976. Since then, it's spent most of its life in a safe. The only hunt my dad can remember, is shooting, and missing, a big Kiabab buck back in 1978. Hopefully that will all change. I am going to get it all cleaned up and put a new trigger in it just to be safe. It will accompany me to Utah in January for cow elk. Just thought I'd share an old classic. View attachment 203017

I am glad you are putting a new trigger in it. Remingtons model 700 are maybe the strongest action ever, safest in case of case head rupture, but thier triggers were compromised.

The older Remingtons like this one were the best the company ever made. Enjoy

 

[HighDesertSage]

I would consider stripping Remington's gawdy Dupont "bowling ball" finish from that era. As it ages it has a tendency to crack and chip off easily, especially if subject to extreme weather. Replace it with an oil finish which will make the gun look even classier. If interested in doing that, I would advise chipping off most of the finish with the edge of a dull knife blade before stripping with chemical. The Dupont finish turns into an awful goo after stripper hits it so remove as much as possible before stripping. Chemical stripper and a small brass wire brush is how I remove finish from checkering. Most stripper is water soluable so rinse as you scrub away old finish. Before applying final oil finish lightly sand to smooth down the raised grain from water rinsing. Lightly go over the checkering with 00 steel wool to remove "fuzz".

Nice heirloom no matter what you do.

Thanks for the tip, but I’m gonna leave it as is.

 

[ludville1]

Nice rifle, congrats! I had a 700 BDL in .30-06 like that, killed my biggest buck to date with that rifle back in 1998.

 

[mtmuley]

Love me some Remingtons. Nice HDS. Go kill an elk. mtmuley

 

[EastTNHunter]

Beautiful. Classic rifle, classic cartridge

 

[EKYHunter]

Gorgeous rifle. Some of the finest rifles ever made, no doubt. Enjoy it and good luck on your elk hunt. Post up some pics of the cow you kill with that beauty!

 

[OntarioHunter]

I’m wondering why someone would do that to this gun?

Like I said, the Dupont finish often does not age well. I had two 870s that had to be refinished. The Dupont stuff can develop tiny crinkle pattern cracks and then chips of it pop off. It is "bowling pin" hard and therein lies the problem. Walnut expands and contracts with temperature and humidity changes. If the finish is too hard to expand and contract with it, something has to give ... and it's the finish. Curiously, shellac is perhaps the best finish for protection against wood swelling and shrinking due to humidity. It works well for this because it's soft and moves with the wood. But it's also not very durable. Exterior "spar" finishes are also typically soft.

Sounds like the OP's father barely used the gun so it probably has no cracking of finish. I used (and continue to use) my guns very hard in all kinds of conditions. Not many bowling pins are subject to driving rain or -25 temperature. Remington's old Dupont finish didn't hold up to my kind of hunting. It literally cracked up and blew away. I don't pay much attention to Remington products in recent years but it certainly appears they have dropped the "bowling pin" finish about the same time they dumped stamped checkering. Don't see many of their guns in walnut these days anyway.

 

[sneakypete]

Like I said, the Dupont finish often does not age well. I had two 870s that had to be refinished. The Dupont stuff can develop tiny crinkle pattern cracks and then chips of it pop off. It is "bowling pin" hard and therein lies the problem. Walnut expands and contracts with temperature and humidity changes. If the finish is too hard to expand and contract with it, something has to give ... and it's the finish. Curiously, shellac is perhaps the best finish for protection against wood swelling and shrinking due to humidity. It works well for this because it's soft and moves with the wood. But it's also not very durable. Exterior "spar" finishes are also typically soft.

Sounds like the OP's father barely used the gun so it probably has no cracking of finish. I used (and continue to use) my guns very hard in all kinds of conditions. Not many bowling pins are subject to driving rain or -25 temperature. Remington's old Dupont finish didn't hold up to my kind of hunting. It literally cracked up and blew away. I don't pay much attention to Remington products in recent years but it certainly appears they have dropped the "bowling pin" finish about the same time they dumped stamped checkering. Don't see many of their guns in walnut these days anyway.

Here’s my opinion, if I didn't like the glossiness of the stock I’d change the stock! That wat I’d have the original stock!

 

[Brittany Chukarman]

I have two of those. Bought mine in 77 and inherited my Dad's that I think he bought in the early 60's. Both 30.06. Both are still in good shape, especially his. So many great hunts with that gun. I haven't shot mine for 10 years, need to change that.

 

[Mustangs Rule]

When I think of "Classic" American firearms I put the 1960's and with some companies the 1970's as the final quality boundary line for lots of reasons.

For one, the 1960's is when that great bulge of fine machinists and gunsmiths of the WW2 production era began retiring en masse. It has never really been replaced. Guns back then when made by very skilled trademen working with machines.

By the 1960's Winchesters WW2 era machinery was worn out.

It has now come to machines making guns being overseen by workers of far less skill.

I think that because Remington was making model 700's for military use into the early 1970's during the Vietnam War, that kept their standards higher longer.

My favorite Remington Classics are the models 722 and 721. They looked very much like model 700 sniper rifles produced for Vietnam use.

I never cared for pressed checkering on any brand of rifle. Computer technology has resulted in a return to "cut" chechering, though it does not "cut it" when compared to real hand cut checkering.

 

[hank4elk]

It could be a brother(or sister) to mine ,if it's an ADL. Got mine in 1983?, used. It had a Monte Carlo stock tho.
Mine was well used,got a few years on it now and still is my "hunting" rifle.
All I did when I got it was rub out the flawed shiney finish to dull with 0000,wax and glass bed it and set the trigger @ 2.5lb. It was a tack driver.
I did have problems later with the stock from wear and a crack from a bad fall and it developed wandering shot syndrome.... I gave it a make over to a field hunting gun.

Removerd the iron sights. Never had a problem with the trigger,but replaced it with a Timney. Replaced the stock with(oh God,blasphemy) a Hogue full float stock, the Leupold base & scope changed to Talley & Zeiss.
Tack driver. Tacky compared to the new born. Just pulled it out for next weeks cow hunt.

I still go to the local gun shop & drool over a 64' in maple, alas it is a lefty...lol.

 

[OntarioHunter]

When I think of "Classic" American firearms I put the 1960's and with some companies the 1970's as the final quality boundary line for lots of reasons.

For one, the 1960's is when that great bulge of fine machinists and gunsmiths of the WW2 production era began retiring en masse. It has never really been replaced. Guns back then when made by very skilled trademen working with machines.

By the 1960's Winchesters WW2 era machinery was worn out.

It has now come to machines making guns being overseen by workers of far less skill.

I think that because Remington was making model 700's for military use into the early 1970's during the Vietnam War, that kept their standards higher longer.

My favorite Remington Classics are the models 722 and 721. They looked very much like model 700 sniper rifles produced for Vietnam use.

I never cared for pressed checkering on any brand of rifle. Computer technology has resulted in a return to "cut" chechering, though it does not "cut it" when compared to real hand cut checkering.

The machines making guns has the potential to produce much higher quality more consistently than an army of veteran machinists. Computers can keep very close track of tolerances in product and machinery. What I see, especially from some of the European and Turkish companies leading the way in this technology, is human failure at the end of production during assembly and inspection. The assemblers no longer eat lunch with the machinists who made the parts. They can no longer aspire to be one of those specialists because that niche is gone, replaced by computers and robots. Workers stuck in a dead end job too often lose pride in their work. Guess I can't blame them.