Rem 721 safety

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  • Last Post 11 February 2014
tturner53 posted this 22 January 2012

Anybody here ever know of a Remington 721 having an unintentional discharge due to a malfunction? I haven't, but am interested in knowing what to believe.

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6pt-sika posted this 22 January 2012

Never known of one , but unless I'm mistaken the 721/722's use the same basic safety as a 700 action .

 

So if you believe that stuff they were saying about the accidental discharge in a 700 , then theoretically it could happen to a 721/722 also .

 

And with that being said I have all intentions of keeping all the 700/721/722's I have just the same .

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donr308 posted this 22 January 2012

AS info., the earlier 721's required the safety be off to raise the bolt when it was cocked as in removing a round from the chamber. If I remember correctly, Remington offered a fix but the rifle had to be shipped to them. I never saw the need so my old 30-06 that I got new at age 16 is still that way.

Don

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Clod Hopper posted this 23 January 2012

There is a RECALL on ALL Remington 721-722's, and 700's made before a certain date. Go here:

http://firearmsid.com/Recalls/FARecalls%204.htm

If your 721/722/700 safety LOCKS the bolt when engaged, DO NOT USE IT AGAIN. You need to have it fixed. Go to an authorized Remington repair gunsmith. They fixed my 721 for free.

What happened is that a hunter could not unload her Remington bolt rifle because the safety was on. She apparently tried several things and finally took the safety off: the rifle fired, killing her son. (IMO, she probably pulled the trigger when the safety was on, and/or some one had done a “trigger job.") This is my memory of the event, so I may not have it exactly right. There were other incidents, this was the worst I know of.

The modified safety allows unloading the weapon with the safety on. I had a 700 (back in the 70's)that a friend did a trigger job on and it fired when I released the safety. It went to Remington pronto.

This is why we must always follow the rules of gun safety even with the best equipment. I have a 700 and the 721, and trust them as much as any other gun I own. I am not knocking Remington, it could happen to any similar bolt action. I consider all manual safeties as secondary safety systems. I don't even use the safeties on my Enfield, 88 Commision Rifle, or two Jap rifles. I do not chamber a round until I am ready to shoot.

My Savage 340 safety locked the bolt also, but I fixed it. Savage changed this later to allow working the bolt with the safety on, I think. I am pretty sure there is a different safety you can buy if you can find one, or you could have your gunsmith fix the old one.

No, I am not going to tell you what I did, but you can take it apart and look at it yourself.

Dale M. Lock

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Big Iron posted this 24 January 2012

Remington older 700 rifles have three adjusting screws on the trigger group. One adjusts sear engagement, one over travel, and one weight of pull. If the trigger is adjusted improperly, it can be dangerous. IE, too little sear engagement. There is a good vido on YouTube on how to adjust the trigger safely.

I haven't looked at current production guns.

BI

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RicinYakima posted this 25 January 2012

TIM,

The recall happened almost 10 years ago today. Shooter had cocked and loaded rifle with the safety engaged. She pulled trigger, nothing happened, dis-engaged safety, sear block fell letting firing pin function.

It can happen for any type of safety device under a multitude of mechanical failures. “Safetys” are mostly safe, not always safe.

FWIW, Ric

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Big Iron posted this 25 January 2012

"It can happen for any type of safety device under a multitude of mechanical failures. “Safetys” are mostly safe, not always safe."

How true! Keep them pointed in a safe direction........Always!

BI

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Clod Hopper posted this 04 March 2012

Turn on CNBC right now. They are trying to do a hatchet job on the 700 trigger/safety. CNBC claims this is why Remington came out with the new trigger. Same old story, do not point any gun at anything you aren't willing to destroy. CNBC wonders why more people haven't been shot. Well, maybe we are a safe bunch after all. Now, they are talking to 98 year old Mike Walker. He claims it was a manufacturing problem where tolerance stack would cause this problem every so often. When he was at Remington, he did a test to check for this problem, but they dropped the test after he left. CNBC keeps talking about deaths and injuries, but only mentions this one death. I wonder how many actual deaths and injuries there were?

Everything in life carries risk, and you must educate yourself to safely operate any tool. I am not selling my Remingtons.

Dale M. Lock

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Dale53 posted this 05 March 2012

CNBC to be bringing this up ten years after the fact SMELLS! It looks like the assault on guns has no bounds. I am NOT a conspiracy buff, but the timing suggests maybe the left is ready to start anti-gun action again.

Every mechanical device is prone to having a problem from time to time (hey, recently my late model car had the battery fail - I guess we need to ban cars). Batteries in a discharging state give off explosive gasses (my god, they're a bomb waiting to go off). If you think I am reaching, just read the instructions that come with every battery charger. There IS a danger but avoided easily with a bit of knowledge.

Stay alert, folks. It looks like we are in for an interesting run up to election time.

Dale53

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lmcollins posted this 26 April 2012

I for one like the old trigger and safety. They have a blade on the safety piece that inters a slot through the receiver into a cut in the underside of the bolt handle. The result of this is that the bolt isn't opened when carrying the rifle by brush, clothes, etc.

I only buy 700's in this old style. The problem is created by idiots trying to adjust a cheap factory trigger into a benchrest trigger, and not keeping it clean. Also: every idiot knows to keep his muzzle pointed in a safe direction.

Guns go off! They are supposed to. You wouldn't look down the barrel from the muzzle to see if it is loaded  would you? I find it more of a PINA to find my action open, and maybe no cartridge, or snow or something.

May be I'm just getting to be a granky old fart!

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lmcollins posted this 26 April 2012

 

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Ed Harris posted this 27 April 2012

This was also an issue with early VN era M40 sniper rifles and inspection for this was addressed in the TM and ordinance instructions. The later M40A1. A2, A3 and M24 incorporated design changes to the trigger and safety mechanism preclude this from happening.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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donr308 posted this 28 April 2012

Don't know if it has hit the national news or not but there was an incident around Christmas in Clayton, NC where an individual on one side of the street was supposedly removing a loaded 700 from a case when the rifle discharged from inside the house and killed a young girl who was visiting across the street. The whole incident is highly charged because the victim is black and the shooter is white. The family has now hired a nationally high profile lawyer.

No charges have been filed and the incident is still under investigation by the DA's office.

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lmcollins posted this 28 April 2012

OK Ed. Now you've got me curious.

What did the Tech Manuel say, and what were the changes made in the trigger and safety because of this issue. “Interested Parties Whant To Know!"

As for the cased gun incident: what idiot puts a loaded gun in a case and takes it into a house? In this case, was the safety even PUT on when the gun was cased? This just basicly sounds like some type of negligence - neglignet homicide? Who knows how the laws in that state are written?

Classic case: When I was in a friend's gun shop an idiot came in and wondered if his hunting revolver should be covered under warranty.... He had gone deer hunting in the rain, and gotten the gun and holster wet. When he got home he hadn't taken the gun out of the holster, dried it, oiled it, and stored it out of the holster until the holster dried. IT rusted badly. DUH! The warrenty didn't say he should have done that, and he'd never had an experience like that before. So, he thought it should be fixed or replaced by the maker  DUH!! Who were his parents? Fred and Wilma Flintstone?

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Ed Harris posted this 28 April 2012

Procurement requirements changed on the A1 that bolt must be capable of opening and clearing chamber with safety engaged. With chambered primed case and safety engaged must withstand 1 metre drop onto muzzle onto 1” thick 90 Shore Durometer rubber matting backed up by 6” of steel reinforced concrete without firing.

A2 barreled actions were received from Remington without stocks or triggers as after-market McMillan stock and after-market triggger were fitted, installed and tested by Rifle Team Equipment Shop.

A3 was derived from the Army M24, substituting specific components requested by the Marines for those ordered by the Army, with Remington assembling completed rifles and providing their ancillary  equipment.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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lmcollins posted this 29 April 2012

Thank's for the elaboration Ed.

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donr308 posted this 20 May 2013

The Clayton incident added another chapter a week ago. No charges were brought against the individual who had the discharge. The blinds over the window were not even open. The attorney representing the family immediately announced the suit against Remington (surprise). Don Ross

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norm posted this 20 May 2013

Some time in the 1990's Remington would convert the newer style safety that  did not lock the bolt handle down to the older style that did lock the bolt. I had my 700BDL converted. You had to send it back to the factory for conversion.

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6mmintl posted this 11 February 2014

My take on this is any trigger, dirty/rusted/out of adjustment, full of dried grease, can fail.

Most 722/721 triggers are old 1950/60 era, are hunting rifles and most have NEVER been cleaned/checked/adjusted.

They are good triggers, I believe better then the 700's right up to the new Xmark pro's, properly adjusted for the intended purpose hunting/target shooting they are great.

Safety training, awareness of your muzzle position while handling and common sense will save you from a tragedy.

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