I've only had a chance to experience one 742 but it must have been one of the good one. I was stationed in Taiwan in the 1960's and worked with the Chinese army.
I spent a lot of my off time at the army range and had an unlimited amount of 308 military ball ammo available. We didn't have any 308 rifles that I could use so I bought a new 742 BDL Deluxe in 308 and fitted it with a receiver sight and a sling and went shooting. It shot well and never jammed and it had many rounds put through it.
When I got back to the states I mounted a Herter 2.5x scope with post reticle and gave it to my father. He hunted with it until the 1990's as he got older he thought the gun was getting to heavy to pack around so I bought him a Win 70 Featherweight and sold the 742 to the neighboring farmers son, I suspect it is still killing deer back home today.
I don't know anyone else that has had one most of the folks I know have 760's, myself included.
