Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Any Remington 742 owners?

I've owned a few as well as a few M7400's. IF they weren't shot much and maintained well, they're decent. It was all my family hunted with so that's what I wanted for my first rifle. I was the victim of the 742 on an easy "gimme" on a nice MN swamp runner at 40 yds. Actually, I think the fault was partially the magazine and partially mine for not making sure the round was "home."

I bought a 7400 that had to go back to Remington for a cracked gas block. It's the only rifle I've ever had to send back but it was the last semi-auto I owned until last year.

I inherited my Grandfathers M740 from my Uncle. I'd LOVE to slip on the wool and get a deer with it this season.

HAHAHAHAHA

Holy hell I could fund my retirement selling 760/7600 magazines for what Remington asks for them now. Nearly $50 in a lot of places. I still have a few of the "all steel" mags in the package yet. I'm hanin on to those for a real rainy day emergency.

Rem magazines have been a joke for decades.. Lotta 'smiths have worn out many sets of straight-jaw pliers tryin' to get those feed lips in position to feed ammo with any degree of reliability...

$50 now? Damn.. If only one had had the foresight to buy a semi-load of 'em when they were under $15 a buncha years ago... Yowza...

To the OP:

My first deer rifle was a Rem 742, and I shot deer with it until 2004 when the chattering got so bad that it stopped operating reliably. It was used when I got it; I got over 20 years out of it. If I'd known about the chattering problem, I'd have shot it less in the off season, and I might still be using it.

If you have a 742, I'd say baby it and let it do its thing. It's a fine rifle until it stops being fine. It's almost as accurate as a 700.

The until the chattering takes its toll, I'd also be careful of the magazines. I've started out a season with 5 working mags and finished the season with only one that would stay in the rifle. I got 4 working again in the off-season. On a day-to-day basis, the magazines are the Achilles heel of the 742 and every other Remington rifle that uses the same design.

? Everything ? huh.

The mag for the 760/7600 AIN’T the same for the 742/7400.
The s/a Mag has the bolt stop and the pump Mag DOES NOT.

I’m not reposting my pic. There’s a 6mm Rem
2 - 270 Wins
1 - 30-06

I bought my first Model Six in the late 80s
The 6 mm in the early 90s
My Dad’s 270 , DONT know when he bought it.
The 06 I got after 2000.

I also had 760s earlier than those.

I must be one lucky sum buck......

Since the 70s, I’ve NEVER had a single solitary problem with their magazines.

As I said earlier I’m NOT a fan of the semi autos but their mags are DIFFERENT.

Jerry

I have a 742 in 30-06 that I got from my grandfather. I initially had ejection problems and found the chamber was the problem.

Buy a flexible chamber mop and keep the chamber spotless. I had to briefly run a chamber hone in mine to clean it up (barrel removed).

The internal receiver rails will get damaged by the bolt if the recoil spring gets weak and/or hot ammo is used. Brownells sells a replacement recoil spring to fit it. My old spring was an inch shorter from decades of compression.

I shoot mild handloads with medium powders: 150s with 50-52 grains IMR 4064. The gun shoots 1.5” groups.

Now don’t you know that doesn’t happen ? (sarcasm)

Well, at least some will tell you that.

Jerry

Jerry, I know it's a different magazine... Duh... And you definitely must be one lucky sob to get all yours to work like a charm... Congrats. Your experience is just one. Keep in mind I've seen a TON of these things over the last 21 years and I can say with absolute certainty that your experiences are a bit out of the norm.. FWIW.

I can attest to this.

Quality work. Honest. You won't find an easier fella to work with.

I have tons of both. They're junk. They have to be cleaned constantly, they have to be messed with all the time to work, they're noisy. They're really not different except for the bolt release. They're 100% interchangeable.

Hell, I the 35 Rem specific mag doesn't even work as well in a .35 Rem as a 25-06,270, 280, 30-06, 35 W mag works in the .35 Rem.

The all steel mags are significantly better than the ones with plastic on them.

I think God choses to cause certain people great grief in this world. You could give them an anvil and something would go wrong with it. I’m not picking on anybody specific so don’t get any feelers hurt. I never had magazine trouble with the pump or the semi auto remingtons. Ed k

I must admit when I see a guest show up to camp with one I can't help but to think "oh boy, here we go."

Worked ok for James Earl Ray....

I heard that was a 760.

And from my experiences with same, there's a good chance the thing hadn't been fired in a calendar year.

But when the pulls out the 7600, leans it in the rack, and sits back with his mouth shut...you know what’s up!

I have tons of both. They're junk. They have to be cleaned constantly, they have to be messed with all the time to work, they're noisy. They're really not different except for the bolt release. They're 100% interchangeable.

>>**Hell, I the 35 Rem specific mag doesn't even work as well in a .35 Rem<<** as a 25-06,270, 280, 30-06, 35 W mag works in the .35 Rem.

The all steel mags are significantly better than the ones with plastic on them.
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NO zone, they're NOT the same. Interchangeable does NOT mean they are the same. They fit the SAME hole.

I had a 760 in 35 Rem rechambered to 35 Whelen and had NOT ONE problem. ( used the same magazine )

Jerry

It's already been said...you're THAT guy that's never had an issue. Consider it lucky and hope it continues.

Yep. If you hear a shot in that direction, you might as well grab a knife and go give him a hand.