"Old School Boltguns"

The SecNav Trophy Rifles are rare collectibles. I was told by the late Tom Sharp of Remington that when WW2 broke out that their entire inventory of .30-'06 rifles was turned over to the government for potential issue to defense plant guards, etc. There were adequate M1917s and other rifles to serve that purpose, so the 720s were sat aside and ended up at NWSC Crane, IN. Maj. Kam Hayden, USMC and VAdm. Lloyd M. Mustin, USN, prevented their being scrapped as surplus property and thus started the SecNav Trophy presentations.

This following info comes from the NRA Museum web site:

The Remington Model 720 bolt action rifle, intended to compete with Winchester's popular Model 70, was produced in limited numbers until Second World War military requirements forced its discontinuation. Even some knowledgeable collectors and firearms historians may not be familiar with these rifles. Introduced by Remington in mid- to late-1941, the Model 720 was billed as an improvement over its predecessor, the Model 30S. The Ilion, New York arms maker offered these in .270 Winchester and .257 Roberts chamberings, as well as in .30-Ô06; and with barrel lengths of 20-, 22-, and 24 inches.

Other features included a semi-beavertail stock with checkered pistol grip and fore end; checkered steel butt plate; hinged floor plate; swept-back bolt handle, and speed-lock firing pin which cocked on the opening of the bolt. Remington intended to phase out the Model 30 shortly after this new design hit the market, but the Pearl Harbor attack and the subsequent U.S. entry into the

Second World War threw a wrench into Remington's plans. Production of the 720 was soon discontinued as military ordnance contracts for the Model 1903A1 and the later M1903A3 took over the company's production line. Following are serial numbers and production totals by year for the Model 720: Year Serial Numbers Production Total 1941 40000 - 40427 427 1942 40428 - 41449 1,022 1943 41450 - 42422 973 1944 42423 - 42427 5 _ 2,427 Eventually, existing Model 720 inventories in .30-Ô06 caliber, as well as various incomplete sub-assemblies, were “drafted” into military service by the U.S. Navy. These rifles are easily distinguished by the “crossed cannon” Ordnance proof mark and inspector's cartouche on the stock. These rifles would never see combat service; instead, they spent the war in storage at the Navy's Crane, Indiana Ammunition Depot.

There they would remain, until an order for their destruction as surplus property was issued in 1963. Fortunately, Major Kam Hayden, U.S.M.C., who had just finished a tour as commander of the Marine Corps Marksmanship Training Unit at Quantico, Virginia, heard about the proposal to destroy these rifles. Maj. Hayden suggested that they be awarded as trophies to top Navy and Marine Corps competitive shooters.

This plan was approved, and beginning in 1964, the Model 720 was designated as the “Secretary of the Navy Trophy.” A few rifles exhibited ill-effects from their long storage and were subsequently used as a source of parts, while the remaining inventory was divided between the Navy and Marine Corps to be awarded to winners at the National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, and at various divisional and inter-service matches. Presented in their original shipping cartons, these Secretary of the Navy trophy rifles feature an engraved magazine floorplate identifying the competition for which they were awarded. Some shooters won as many as seven of these rare trophies before steps were taken to limit the awarding of a rifle.

Of the approximately 2,500 Model 720s manufactured, the .30-Ô06 variant accounts for all but about 100 of those produced. A very few were purchased through commercial outlets before remaining stocks were obtained by the Navy. Of those, only a very few remain to be awarded to Navy and Marine Corps shooters. A “rare bird” from its early days, the Model 720 has become cherished as a symbol of marksmanship superiority as well as a fine presentation-grade rifle.