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

Exactly!

I just came into possession of my first 742 a couple of days ago.

I like older guns and I normally research the heck out of whatever I'm interested in at the time. This 742 was an exception. I had been looking online for Model 8 or 81. The day I put in a bid on this 742 I was literally minutes away from leaving for the hospital for surgery. I was browsing through the "semi-auto" section on GunBroker, looking for an 8/81. I spotted this 742 and it looked gorgeous... so I put in a bid. I knew nothing about 742s or Remington semi-autos.

After surgery I found out I won the auction. I then started to do the research I normally would have done prior to bidding. I was horrified to find out that there is such a wide range of experiences, and to learn of the issue with the rails. I then spent a lot of days wondering if I'd bought a very long paperweight.

Alas, it appears I've dodged a bullet. Not only is it every bit as gorgeous cosmetically as it appeared in the photos, but I can't see any damage to the rails at all - nothing. I've seen photos of what it should look like if damaged. There is simply nothing there. Mine happens to be a 1962 issue gun, in .280. I have to believe this thing has seen a whole lot of safe time and almost no time at the range or in the field.

I have not yet shot it. I plan to put together some loads in the coming days, get a scope on it, and give it a whirl. Knowing there is no damage, I'll limit how much it's shot and take steps to keep it clean, as well as other measures I've read about based on the experiences of others. Ultimately time at the range will let me know what I have, but I have high hopes that maybe I have a good one.

I used to have a Remington 742 carbine (18" bbl) in 308 Win. Didn't shoot it much, but it would group about 2.0 - 2.5" @100 yards. It was 100% reliable. The only reason I sold it was due to it being a true original carbine model, it was a bit more desireable. A guy at the range made me "an offer I couldn't refuse." It was in great shape, and he really wanted it. I was happy to help him out.

The reason Rem 740/742 rifles get the reputation for "jam-o-matic" is that their owners don't clean them properly.

People clean them from the muzzle with a patch, maybe a bore diameter bronze brush. THIS DOES NOT CLEAN THE CHAMBER!

The reason they jam is due to fired cases sticking to dirty chamber walls (which never get cleaned when you clean the barrel from the muzzle. The ported gas for bolt cycling doesn't have enough force to extract the fired case stuck to a dirty chamber walls, and a jam occurs.

The pump version (Rem 760 /7600) get dirty chambers too, but the shooter can apply more force with the pump's action to cycle the action to eject the fired case.

The solution? CLEAN THE CHAMBER!

Use a brass/bronze 20 gauge bore brush on a short plastic-coated cable "cleaning rod". Use a bore solvent of choice on the 20 gauge brush. Attach the cable to a variable speed drill, lock open the bolt, and insert the soaked 20 gauge bore brush into the chamber and start "drilling clean" the chamber thoroughly. Then clean with large patches to remove gunk. Lightly lube the chamber ( example Marvel Mystery Oil).

examples of a a flexible cleaning cable:
https://www.amazon.com/Otis-Technology-Memory-Flex-Cleaning-Cable/dp/B00D1X00DK/ref=sr_1_32?keywords=flexible%2Bgun%2Bcleaning%2Brod&qid=1563021012&s=gateway&sr=8-32&th=1&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Flexible-Thr...mp;psc=1&refRID=PQ80EW8YAGC7R0VTYNVR

You will need an adapter tip to use the larger diameter shotgun bore brush, on the smaller "rifle/pistol" size female thread on the cable.

Keep the chamber CLEAN, and lightly lubed, and you won't have jams.

Use Ballistol spray gun cleaner in the action internals. Toothbrush clean it, and respray the action. Learn how to remove the trigger group and clean that too.

Your Rem 742 is a fine rifle. Keep the chamber clean, and enjoy it. It is a fun gun to shoot.

man this is fantastic. When I started this thread, I didn't imagine all of this. This is all great info and everything that I have heard off the site is true here. Some were good, some are bad. I think the statement about Louisiana hunters and the 742 or bar is correct and could be due to the terrain were in down here. Close quarter hunting with a 5 round mag = red neck with an older version of AR. I did strip it down and clean everything. Tons of part just in the trigger assembly. The one thing I didn't do is snake the barrel, it does appear to be clean, but I'm sure it has it amount of deposits in it. Oh and yes, this one had the magical "see through" mounts as well. Ole papa sure liked those things. Only problem is he took off the iron sites so I have no idea what he was trying to aim with. lol. maybe open sites with 5 round mag = let enough lead fly to drop it.

You omitted care/inspection/cleaning the gas block, ball and properly cleaning/reaming the gas port.. Not to mention that one must remove the barrel in order to properly clean the bolt, bolt lock, and assorted plungers, springs and recesses there... 95% of owners have no clue how to do this, nor do they even wanna try - which is why 95% of these rifles fail and break.. Just sayin'.

I will be direct.

I did not suggest using a bore snake. I made a very specific recommendation to use a bore solvent-soaked 20 GAUGE BRASS BRUSH on a plastic coated cleaning cable, attached to a variable speed drill to thoroughly clean the chamber. This will clean the chamber walls, and shoulder. A bore snake will not do this anywhere near as well.

Do not skimp on this cleaning technique. Do it the right way for maximum benefits. Bore snakes will give a half-assed cleaning job in the chamber. You want a FULL-assed chamber cleaning.

Dad had one of the carbines in 30-06 from '64 to '94. It did wear the see-thru mounts as they were all the rage in MI when he bought it. I'd like to say it was a good reliable rifle, less than a 100 rounds fired during that time make that a hard claim to support, though. It was traded away for a good wood stove. Dad definitely came out ahead on that one.

That's how they wear out. Does take a while so if the rifle was not used a lot and you use it just for hunting it may work fine for years. Take it out and shoot it and see what happens.

Extraction isn't the strongest so a gunked up chamber will cause problems. Besides the usual gunk my cousin's had a little surface rust in the chamber. Polished it with a finer grade of steel wool (00?) for him and back to working fine.

shouldn't have said bore snake, but yes, that is the plan. I also have some Wipeout and accelerator that I'll use

Ditto +1000... Fine for shotguns, but do NOT NOT NOT use 'em on rifles...

Hey, even if was a mediocre wood stove, he still came out ahead.

I must be one of the lucky ones. I bought a 308 Win 742 BDL Deluxe in 1966 while stationed in Taiwan. I set it up with a Williams receiver sight and a couple extra mags and shot at the ROC army range and would enter in competition with their shooters. I bought the 308 as I could get all the ammo I could shoot free from the base armorer. I never had a problem with it and it was pretty accurate, we shot to 600 meters. I bought it home , put a Weaver swing away rings and a Herters1-4x20mm scope on it and gave it to my father, he killed deer for twenty years with it until it got too heavy for him to lug to the stand. I sold it to a young fellow in MN and he's most likely still killing deer with it.

I partially agree with this. Most probably don't clean the chambers properly. But there is no way in hell you have more force by had on a 7600 than you do on a semi auto.

For SURE!

And when that chamber gets fouled enough due to lack of cleaning/rust removal/et al, and the owner pulls the trigger - that action is COMING BACK, RIGHT EFFING NOW! Guess what happens at times then? One of two things can occur: The extractor breaks (if you're lucky) and you get to have someone replace it (they're held in place via a very teeny rivet)... Or, (if you're NOT lucky) the extractor holds but a portion of the bolt-face recess breaks off and then you have a wall-hanger... I've had that example 2-3 times in the shop over the years.. Replaced the last bolt body I had about six years ago. I've not seen a replacement available now for some time..

The remaining parts I had on hand for those pos rifles was bagged up and sent to Numrich.. They returned a nice check and both of us win..

Remington Arms, the garbage that keeps on giving...more garbage..

The last thing I'd clean a rifle with would be a bore snake.

I must have hit the 742 lottery. Mine is accurate and has never jammed. Every deer that I've sighted onto has ended up in my freezer. As long as the rifle is kept clean, including the chamber, jams have been nonexistent. Not sure I would trade any of my bolt actions for it, but so far, so good (over 20 years of intermittent use).

Daveman

Some are simply Remington haters....... like I'm a Dodge hater. (make that Chrysler/Dodge) For those that don't know FIAT owns C/D.

Personally I've had 43 + years of RELIABLE service from Remington products. I have and have had 700s, 760s, Sixes, 870s etc.

NOT ONE single solitary problem with ANY of them.


Remember - Opinions are like Butt holes ! And we have a few of those round here.


Jerry

Correction

46 + years.

Jerry