Passed down gun hasn't been shot in years - Recommendations

Nebowictz

Nebowictz

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My wife's grandpa died last year and passed down a Remington 722 chambered in 257 Roberts to my father-in-law. It appears to be in well cared for condition but I have no clue when the last time it was shot, cleaned, or anything.

He is not familiar with guns in general, but he would like to shoot it a bit and he has a couple boxes of ammo for it. I am not at all familiar with older rifles so I have no clue what to look for in terms of making sure that it is safe and functional. (my only rifles are ARs, 22s, and air rifles)

Should I recommend him to take it to a gunsmith and verify it's in good working order? I don't think he is going to shoot it a lot (especially right now since he can't find any more ammo for it) but also he does not know what to look for if something is off. I'm not local to him either.

Thanks!
 
The obvious answer is to have someone knowledgeable look at it.

But if the bore is not obstructed, if the bolt works smoothly, and if there are no visible cracks or broken bits then it is unlikely to be unsafe.

So, I would suggest that he watch some videos, learn to field strip and clean it, and in that process he’ll notice if there is anything really wrong.

Worst case, tie it to something and use a string to set off the first bullet. Best if it’s cushioned because it’ll jump around a bit in recoil, don’t just tie it to a tree or a chair.
 
722 is a good rifle. If it's factory ammo, chamber and bore are clear and nothing else obviously amiss, go shoot.
 
The Bob is a heck of a cartridge … a “gentleman’s” cartridge. It can sportingly take about anything in the SE US (even black bear if you know the vitals) with a milder recoil. A vintage 722 Bob is a nice rifle to come into and do not let it slip out of the family. If it has a vintage scope on it (a Weaver K4 or such) I’d think twice about violating its history and appearance and keep it period correct unless the scope is hazed or such … it just looks cool!

As to firing it … do a nice cleaning and oil it properly. Run a few patches down the bore to make sure any schmutz or such is removed. Load and fire … the 722 is one of Remington’s strongest actions and I am guessing smooth triggers from that period. Make sure you call dibs …
 
NCFubar said:
The Bob is a heck of a cartridge … a “gentleman’s” cartridge. It can sportingly take about anything in the SE US (even black bear if you know the vitals) with a milder recoil. A vintage 722 Bob is a nice rifle to come into and do not let it slip out of the family. If it has a vintage scope on it (a Weaver K4 or such) I’d think twice about violating its history and appearance and keep it period correct unless the scope is hazed or such … it just looks cool!

As to firing it … do a nice cleaning and oil it properly. Run a few patches down the bore to make sure any schmutz or such is removed. Load and fire … the 722 is one of Remington’s strongest actions and I am guessing smooth triggers from that period. Make sure you call dibs …
Click to expand...
Have not heard it referred to as bob in many years.
 
Have your mother in law test fire it.

Taking it to a gunsmith would be a bit extreme... We aren't talking about a civil war era gun here. Someone knowledgeable about bolt guns take a look at it, make sure the bore is clean, bolt is in good shape etc. Then have fun
 
Thanks for the input!

Wasn't sure how cautious I should be. I'll pass along the guidance and find some videos for him on cleaning and oiling it.

Now in terms of ammo, I found a couple sources for 257 Roberts +P, but not yet 257 Roberts. A few forums I searched have said that 257 Roberts +P should be safe to use in the 722. Is that accurate? I trust the input from people here far more than elsewhere. The SAAMI specs had 257 Roberts at 54ksi and the +P at 58ksi but the 722 was also chambered in 308 Win (62ksi) & 243 Win (60ksi) and then some lower pressure ones as well.

Based on the serial number, looks like it was 1948.
 
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With the ammo question I don’t think a 722 “should use” +P I’m going with “could use”. The 722 action is a tank and the +P pressure is really no concern. What I’d go by is what the rifle like for accuracy (as well as availability and cost). If the rifle like the velocity standard .257Roberts over +P I’d try to stick with it. Sometimes though with a rarer cartridge you gotta shoot what you can find if you wanna shoot …

As to finding ammo … with the ammo fuster cluck for various reasons ammo companies (Hornady or Remington are two I remember most) likely make a very small run for a very short time (if even ever) and spend production time on the high demand cartridges. IF you do find new stuff it’s gonna be premium hunting ammo and $3 to $4 per round type stuff that is not usually range fodder. That means I’d be looking for pre-Ammogeddon produced ammo … at smaller town LGS’s and gun shows.

The only possible but very remote ammo concern is if somewhere somehow he finds .257Roberts AI … referring to “Ackley Improved”. I have never seen commercial AI ammo since it is normally a hand loader cartridge using the .257Roberts casings.
 
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Sounds like a good gun to pass onto a son in law. I tried to buy my FILs MK IV and 10/22 but I guess I'm a POS because he wouldn't budge.

Sent from my moto g fast using Tapatalk
 
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