Guys, for many years as a Pa. resident I was tempted to buy a Rem. 742 but the aren't legal for deer up there so I passed on that idea as it would basically become a safe queen.

Autoloaders are legal in WV. where we now live so last week I bought a Model Four in .270 from a friend here in WV.

Would anybody here that owns a 742 or a Four care to comment on their rifles.

Thanks, Denny.

Hello,
They are great when they work. Eventually they don't. Send it to someone like myself who keeps a bin full of parts just for them, and knows the mods to get them working again. Then they will work until the rails wear out.
Having said the bad, now the good.
They soften recoil. They will work for a lot of seasons when treated well and not fired a lot between seasons. Parts are plentiful.

Keep it clean, don't shoot it too much and you should be fine. I got my 742 for HS graduation in 1981. Still shoots MOA. Even has see through mounts on it........

I won a 742 years ago when my newphew was selling tickets to raise money for band uniforms. It was scary accurate with 165 Hornadys and 57 grains 4350. I killed many deer especially while in a club that used beagles to hunt deer. We ran dogs in the mornings and still hunted in the afternoons. Fast follow up shots at deer pursued by beagles. The trick to jam free operation is to clean the chamber with the offset chamber brush and keeping magazines clean. My longest kill was 385 yards on a pipeline ROW.The downside is that they are heavy.I also had a 742 carbine in .308. Had to sell it when I was waiting to get a medical disability. Wish I had it back.

That's just WRONG, in so many ways !

didja HAVE to come outta the closet, this close to Christmas ? .



.

It's alright as long as you close both eyes when you squeeze the trigger.

In Wisconsin the Rem 742/7400 with see through mounts and a cheap Bushnell or Simmons 3-9x scope has become the standard deer rifle. They have also become the best job security for Wisconsin gunsmiths!

It needs them to get the 6.5x20x50 proper clearance...

Gotcha!!!

keep it clean-clean-clean! I worked as a shop-boy/A-class schlepper for a gunsmith for many-many years, and we were located exactly equidistant between two department stores that sold Remmy 742's back in the 70's. As I recall, they then sold for $249.50 with one box of ammo, and during deer season it was nothing to have 15+ sitting around waiting on ejectors and , um....'bolt locks?' I seem to recall that being the part, or at least what the old fart called it back then. If they are allowed to get rusty or are not super clean, especially after a hunt in the rain, they will break in these areas and be inoperable, and note that Remmy no longer makes parts for these guns, so that should say alot.

It is sad, becuase they supported BIG GREEN for a long time, and had they been a bit better desigend, they would today be considered great guns. Witness that the current iteration has been redesigned just enough to get away from the 742 series, and that should tell you alot.

Sorry if you do not like what I said (and typed rather poorly), but just calling 'em like I sees 'em, I yam

The model 4 is the fancier looking version of the model 7400 with glossy wood and monte carlo stock, made in the early/mid 80's. Keep it clean and it will be a fine woods rifle.

corelokt hit on it, the rails wear out and they stop working. It's not if, it's when.

As a gunsmith I refuse to work on them. They're great when they're working, but when they're not, they're a PIA.

Browning BAR is a much better gun, but sine you bought it, a friend of mine hunts with one in 308, they work ok. He collects his venison every year.

Eventually you buy one that was neglected, but not over used. Swap parts and go again.

I have hunted in upstate NY for 35 years and witnessed first hand dozens of deer lost to Jamingtons.

I bought a brand new Model 4 in 1982. I kept that gun spotless and it jammed damn near every time I shot it. Even sent it back to the factory and Remington re barreled it. Still jammed. I sold and went back to my old reliable Remington Model 8 auto in 35 rem. made in 1908.

If you want a single shot........I would suggest a Ruger #1.

Otherwise the only useful purpose for the whole 742 series as far as I can tell are as pry bars, back up emergency hammers and boat anchors.

Now I am onto Savage 99's. Never, ever, had one of those jam.

There is a mod to the gas-system that times the extraction. Without it the case is still expanded in the chamber as it tried to extract. That causes the extractor to fail. Another issue is worn magazines, weak springs, and rust, filth, pine needles, dead bugs, to much oil and grease...

All true but:

Can you imagine Mr. Garand and Mr. Kalashnikov trying to make those arguments for their rifles not functioning properly?

Remington has a long and storied American history, but IMO the whole 742 and their subsequent semi auto series history is nothing but a black eye for them. I'd trade a dump truck load of them for one old Model 8 or 81. Pull the trigger 5x and you will get 5 bangs.

Just me.

Oddly enough, I just started a thread on another site about this a few days ago. Here's the opening post:


The Remington 742 in extreme cold....Jam-O-Matic?
I have heard all kinds of talk over the years about the Remington Jam-O-Matic, but only ever seen one that did not function properly. Friend of mine in Anchorage, Alaska, has one that tears the extractor through the rim of every case, not with handloads using too slow a powder, but with factory ammo. I think it must have a lightly rusted chamber, although you would never know it looking at the brass after it has been punched out with a cleaning rod.

We have been having a good spell of cold weather here for the past week, as cold as -34C. Needed to replace the scope on the old 742, and figured this might be a good time to do an experiment. Headed to the range and let the rifle and a tray of 150 gr 30-06 handloads freeze up real good late this afternoon. It was -30C, and I am quite sure after being out of the case and exposed to that for more than an hour the rifle and ammo were both pretty close to that temperature. Could have waited longer, but I was finished shooting the other rifles, and was getting cold.

Started at 25 yd, and fired four rounds getting the scope perfectly dead on at that distance. No malfunction at all: fed, fired, extracted, ejected and reloaded without a hiccup. Set the rifle aside while I set up a target at 100 yd, loaded up the mag and fired at 100. Again, no malfunction at all, and the shots printed into less than an inch and a half.

The load was using Accurate 2495 powder, CCI 200 primers, and the 150 gr Hornady SST.

Two things, the rifle works perfectly at very low temperature, and 2495 powder obviously burns well even in extreme weather. I usually load with magnum primers for caribou hunting in very cold temps, but purposely used the 200s because I was trying to simulate factory ammo. There was no problem at all burning the powder. No unburned powder granules evident on the snow in front of the bench, like we see with some powders.

So, my experience is that the 742, kept clean and lightly oiled, works just fine, even in extremely cold weather. There was not so much as a whimper up there today. I am not really too much of a semi-auto fan, but this one certainly works, and is more than accurate enough for hunting. In fact, now that I think about it, it might make a good wolf and coyote rifle!

Going to do this again, when it gets really cold! Interested in your thoughts and experience ....... either way.



Please excuse the lengthy post, but thought you guys might be interested in how it performed at -30. Really am going to try it again when it get's colder.

Ted

Years ago I bought one brand new, it was a 7400 in 30-06. Gun served me well for a couple of years hunting all over New England with it in good weather and bad. Decent accuracy and never had a jam with factory or handloads. Sold it for what I paid as my biggest complaint was it was heavy and did not fit well in my hands plus I started going to PA and could not legally use it there. Alot of old timers here in CT still use them and seem to collect venison every year.

I've heard the same stories but never experienced first hand.

I guess some were good and some not so good. I had a friend of mine that hunted out of the same camp as I did that had a Model 4 in 30-06 similar to mine, which was a 280.

It was a prolific jammer like mine. I remember him telling me he was going to take it back to Illion, NY and give it back as a gift to the Remington engineers in the form of a "neck tie".

And it's not like we abused our guns either, we kept them spotless and in desperation, even went to graphite powder for lubrication.

By the way: Despite my experiences and thoughts, I hope the OP got one of the good ones and has no problems with it.

I tried two 742s on different occasions. One was inaccurate, the other had jamming tendencies. I switched to BARs and was and am still happy. Now then, the couple of 760s that I have used were top notch in all respects (other than looks)... jack

The mag is a weak design in this rifle and is a prime reason for jamming. Another is, again, NOT KEEPING THE GUN SQUEAKY CLEAN - that seems to be a real factor with this gun.

i will say that later versions of the gun seemed to work better, but steer well clear of the 742. Mr. Gibson said it best, when, as a 'smitty, he refuses to work on them...'nuff said

I have had a 7400 in 280 for going on 2 decades now. It has never jammed once on me. It is as accurate as any other rifle that I own. It shoots clover leafs at 100 yards with the Winchester Supreme Black Talons 140 gr cartridges.

I like it so much that I carved a swatting grizzly on the right hand stock, and a white tail on the left. It is my go to deer gun if long range shots are a possibility. I must have got a good one. I didn't really want it when I got it, but it was part of a complicated trade. I had heard they were jam a matics too, so I was leary.

I killed a large doe with it at 415 yards in South Georgia in 1997, but I had practiced for that shot a lot.

If it falls apart tomorrow, I got more than my money's worth.

It is THE gun that my 21 year old son wants me to leave for him when I pass on.

I did do away with the plastic dust cover over the ejection port to get rid of the rattle, and I clean it once a season or after a rainy day afield.

Denny, I would clean it out really good with gun scrubber and after letting it dry, lube it with Breakfree LP. I've never owned one but a gunsmith I used in the past told me keeping them clean and properly lubed is a must.

I killed my first 10 or so deer with a 742 30-06. Had some major jam troubles.... Until an old timer at the range made me sit down with him and learn to tear it completely down and clean it. Never a minutes trouble after that.

I have one and it is all about keeping the gas system and chamber of the rifles clean. If that chamber gums up it will not cycle.