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I looked at a minty 521T today.

5K views 58 replies 20 participants last post by  NHcollector2 
#1 ·
It is as new, includes a sling and the manual, priced in the upper $500s. There is no barrel mounted rear sight, just a blanking wedge, The rear sight is a Lyman 57RS, I think, it has a button that dismounts the sight for bolt removal. It has what appears to be a ten round magazine. This is the first of that model I've seen, I like it for it's size and weight, a bit lighter than a Winchester Model 75. If I get a "stimmy" check I think I'll get it, though a Remington Rolling Block in 7x57 is also calling to me. But there's no law, yet, that says I can't get both.
 
#2 ·
lowest production quantity of the 5 teen series - 6 shot magazine originally came standard with rifle - dovetail blank was standard on earlier production - set small adjustment screw on top of rear sight then you can remove it by depressing button + reinstall it to same zero - good shooting guns , 2 of mine will outshoot my 513's - price seems very high , i passed up one new in box with sling + all papers in December for less then $500.00 -
 
#7 ·
I sold a mint 1967 521T with a grooved receiver that the guy that bought it new said he never had fired it. It definitely looked unfired. Had the 1" sling with it. I got $600 for it about six years ago. I also have a like new 1948 that I will never sell. I have two other 521T's that I shoot a lot and hunt with. They will hang in there with a few of my 513T's and my 513S.
One has been drilled made in '61 and a grooved receiver one from '65. I paid $200 for the '61 that has an original finish stock that is in exceptional condition and metal has great bluing except for being drilled for scope bases. The '65 was $250 and is a good squirrel rifle having the grooves for scoping it. I think they are good shooters and not to heavy to hunt with like the 513T's. Good addition to a Remington collection.
 
#8 ·
FWIW

after 50 + years of research i can find absolutely no creditable factory documentation of any 521's being factory grooved - i have catalogs , factory spec sheets , parts lists , + factory authorized repair manual for over 30 years + there is no reference to 521 grooved receivers many posts on here going back before 2006 + non have provided any evidence of factory grooving - prior to 1960 drilling + tapping + after 1960 grooving was a very common after market procedure for scope mounting - every grooved 521 i have examined over many years were definitely not factory - same condition prevails for so called factory 521's with factory globe front sights -
 
#12 ·
after 50 + years of research i can find absolutely no creditable factory documentation of any 521's being factory grooved - i have catalogs , factory spec sheets , parts lists , + factory authorized repair manual for over 30 years + there is no reference to 521 grooved receivers many posts on here going back before 2006 + non have provided any evidence of factory grooving - prior to 1960 drilling + tapping + after 1960 grooving was a very common after market procedure for scope mounting - every grooved 521 i have examined over many years were definitely not factory - same condition prevails for so called factory 521's with factory globe front sights -
I would say the old guy that bought the rifle new and never used it didn't have it grooved. I know you know your stuff on these guns but before the gun control act took effect I would say there was employee built guns they could buy that were built different than cataloged models. Why would Remington have made all 5-teen models except 510's during the life span of those guns grooved at some time even the 513T and 513S? I kind of doubt you know every thing about what may have went out the doors at Remington employees bought before there was paper work needing done starting in '68.
 
#9 ·
Imo prices are only going to be going up (inflation/devaluation of the currency) and can you buy anything comparable in a new rifle for that?
Fwiw, Some years back I sold a very nice early 521T that shot very well to get a 513 that didnt do as well. And after a few years it was too heavy for what I wanted to do. It is gone now. Still wish I had kept that 521.....
 
#11 ·
I bought a remington 521 many years ago at the rock island auction it has the sling etc. not grooved never ever saw one of those or knew they were from factory. Have never shot it great shape paid 500 dollars for it. That was a lot then and still is for a 521 now from what I have been seeing.
 
#15 ·
521T is a marvelous rifle. Mine shoots with my two best CZ 452s. It also appears to be factory grooved. Of course, I have no way to prove that.

All best to the original poster and to those who have commented. I do believe it entirely possible that literature from Ilion, NY could have failed to capture grooving.

Fine rifles and I wish the original poster all good luck in closing a deal if that is the right direction for him to take.
 
#16 ·
Thanks. I have a very nice Winchester Model 75T, also some Marlins of a similar type, target rifles designed for scholastic level competitions. The thing I like about the 521T is its relative lightness compared to those other rifles. The shop will be open again Thursday, time for another look. And at that Remington Rolling Block.
 
#22 ·
You can tell a factory grooved 521, or any 5 teen series rifle by looking at the grooves. If the grooves in the receiver are cut all the way through the front it is factory. If it is a gunsmith job the grooves will not go all the way through the front of the receiver. Or else you will be cutting into the back of the barrel.
The argument could be made that a good gunsmith could take the barrel out of the receiver to groove the receiver. But why do that and cost the owner more money. That doesn't make sense to anyone doing the work for money.
My 521 was made in Aug of 1965 so that fact points to the receiver was grooved at the factory. The bluing is all original and in 98% condition.

If your barrel is dated before factory grooving was done then a closer look will tell if it was factory or not.

Now there are a few guys that love to build a 5 teen rifle from parts. Then it could be possible that you could get a factory grooved receiver with an older barrel or even vise versa. But those are few and far in between.

There arr too many 521's that are grooved and in nice condition on this thread to discount the factory grooving of them.
 
#23 ·
actually the factory grooving has a very distinct contour at beginning + end of groove - tickdodger is absolutely correct in stating that no 521's were factory grooved - in decades no one on this forum + many others have been able to supply any bonified creditable factory evidence of 521 grooving in any ads , repair manuals , parts lists , catalogs , + etc. - if they had it they would have used it as a valuable merchandising tool - got my first one in 1956 , currently have six from 1947 till 1967 + have examined + worked on large quantity in decades + never seen one with factory grooves -
 
#25 · (Edited)
sorry but age has nothing to do with my claims - decades of research + factory issued documents going back to the 1930;s does - by what stretch of the imagination leads you to believe that yours is factory ? can you provide any creditable + bonified factory issued documents to substantiate your ciaim ? - in your picture contour at end of milling where receiver meets barrel definitely not the way the factory did it - hard to tell from your picture even when magnified if bluing in bottom of groove is the same as rest of exterior , many shops used touch up after milling -
none of the others here claiming factory grooves have had over 15 years to document their claims + none have ! -
 
#29 ·
Duh 111

go back + reread all posts on here +numerous other forums no bonified creditable Remington documents are known to exist substantiating + proving that they ever existed - your opinions are moot + irrational - many knowledgably Remington researchers + historians know what the factory did in it's past history based on actual factory documents , catalogs , exclusive factory literature , + factory communications with older employees -Remington catalog from the last year of 510 thru 521 production - you will note that this + all other original catalogs never have listed a grooved 521 - like i stated , by what stretch of your imagination makes you believe yours is factory grooved ? - your stated opinions are not backed up by any proven facts , documentation , or common sense -
 

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#30 ·
I hate to get caught in the crossfire here, but I can't stand on the sidelines without posting this exchange from a few years ago about 513S receivers being grooved or not: https://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=615769&highlight=remington+513s. I believed there were no 513s that were factory grooved, but JohnOhio and a couple of other posters said I was wrong.

I agree with Schutzen that they (513 and 521T) were never cataloged, and until the X series came along, none of the factory literature mentioned the "tip-off" grooves for any 5XX models. However, it seems unlikely that with all their competitors offering them, beginning in about 1954 or 1955, that Remington would ignore the trend. I really have no explanation why a much later one (say, post 1960) would not have the grooves.

If someone who owns an X model could post a picture, maybe we could compare the grooving with a M521 that has grooves.
 
#31 · (Edited)
i have seen 513s pictured here with factory grooves posted here years ago - i have never seen a 521 with grooving that could be attributed to factory ever - IIRC correctly the x models used improved , later hi speed tooling that showed straight beginnings + endings then the contours produced on old mills -IIRC the grooved 513s pictured here years ago had a #5 in date code showing it was a sale to company employee -

search feature on here does not work for me - but there were many older posts complete with pictures on subject going back before 2006 -
 
#32 ·
Seems like if the factory was set up for grooved in 54-55 then all actions after that would be grooved. Why randomly groove some then skip some then groove some? I can understand having some pre grooved actions in inventory that would get used up over time. That said I am not experienced with 521 or 513's. I have looked at some over the years but have not owned any. I have had many 510, 511, 512's. Some grooved and some not. The grooved ones were all 1954 or later. I have yet to find an earlier one with grooves. Much more common to find the swiss cheese side mount holes. In the photos posted above the grooves appear to become less deep because the actions are slightly tapered down at the ends from final metal preparation such as sanding or grinding and not from some a milling machine not being able to cut a straight groove.
 
#33 · (Edited)
been discussed numerous time - first documented listing of 511 in Remington literature was 1954 - it was done as separate shop operation in an on special order basis only - very few were factory grooved before 1959 + 1960 - drilling for side mounts was very common gunsmith operation - tip off mounts were not in common use till then - factory grooving became popular in 1962 with the exception of the 510 + 521 models which were not grooved - grooving became standard on 513 , 510X , 511X , + 512x in 1965 as per published factory literature -

hushkaboom IIRC you were involved in some of the grooving discussions 10 + years ago , shame but i can not find any of the old grooving posts + pictures using site search function
 
#40 ·
hushkaboom IIRC you were involved in some of the grooving discussions 10 + years ago , shame but i can not find any of the old grooving posts + pictures using site search function
Yes to that. I have always liked the 511's since I was a kid and my grandparents had a 511 and would give me a few bullets and a sandwich and put me in charge of protecting the cherry trees and blueberry bushes. I am on the fence about the grooving. Figure most of what I have had were factory. No proof either way. I like the Winchester argument. I have looked at many Winchesters and don't see grooving on the early ones and nothing attributed to the gunsmiths. Always some good points made on both sides of the fence.
 
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