model 722 .308

[champno6]

We have just acquired a 722 .308. I believe it was made in March 1951. On the side of the barrel it says AXX and then on the receiver it says 172074 Remington Model 722. My wife's dad got this new way back when, and had the barrel turned way down, and the stock really turned down, reworked and checkered. The barrel appears to have a couple inches of the original size on the muzzle and that appears to be ported. It has two slices cut into the top of that portion of the barrel. We haven't shot it yet but know it has accounted for quite a few deer and hopefully ready for a few more. I hope to shorten the butt a bit and install a new butstock so it might fit my wife better. I'd also like to add swivels and a sling but there's just not enough wood on the forestock so will likely have to put rings on the barrel which won't look too good in my opinion but would at least be functional. Does anyone know how the reduced recoil ammunition works? Would like to try this for my wife. Thank you.

[600RemGuy]

I'm not really up on the 722 a whole lot, but I'm sure the 308 wasn't chambered until '53. The cartridge really didn't even come to life until 1952. Your serial number lines up to '51 but the only 30 cal chambered was the 300 Savage.

[champno6]

Don't doubt a word of what you say but I only know the barrel is marked .308 and the ammo that was always used is .308, and the letters on the side are AXX.

[champno6]

D.B. really appreciate your reply. I certainly don't know for sure but I was led to believe the gun was a .308 when he bought it. Obviously it was not a .308 from 1951 as research shows there were no .308's till a couple years after that. The whole thing is a mystery to me but your explanation of being rechambered is the most likely. Possibly he bought it in 1951 as a .300 and had it rechambered a few years later to .308. Don't know how they'll work on deer yet but the managed recoil .308 shells with a 125 gr bullet did shoot very accurately and very close to the regular shell with a 150 grain bullet and most importantly, with much less recoil which will please my wife who will be shooting the gun.

Now, my biggest problem is her dad had a compass put into the stock and now it has only recently broke. Looks like the device holding the dial just came off the bottom of the compass. Looks like an old Marble but doesn't say so. Any idea how to get it out of the stock without any damage to the stock? The stock is hollowed out under the compass and now the compass is only about 1/2" in from the butt plate. I'm worried about trying to get the compass out, it's glued in, without cracking the stock.

[Rich/WIS]

What size is the compass, I have two of them. Mine measure about .660 in the body and the top a little larger so it would act as a stop when installed. Think I got them from either Dixie Gun Works or Track of the Wolf. I have seen at least three guns with these installed in a gunshop in Northern WI, up there it is relatively flat and in the woods all you see is trees. Cheap insurance if you can't see the sun or it is raining or snowing and have to find you way (I'm guessing these are really pre GPS).