Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Rem 7600 question

I've got a Rem 7600 in 35 Whelen. I operated it for 10 years with a moderate 200 grain load and then retired the rifle from hunting for a few years. I've since had it out a few times for load development.

The latest load was a 180 grain Speer load. I tried it at 35 Whelen-ish velocities (still well off MAX), and then tried it again at 358 WIN levels. This latter load was what I was working with this weekend when the trouble happened. I noticed that the bolt was having a hard time going into battery, and then I was also having trouble ejecting the spent brass. The ejector was holding onto the brass. This happened a couple of times, and then I inspected a round I'd had trouble feeding. Down around the base of the round there were some striations-- it looked like I'd run the round over 200 grit sandpaper.

Odd. I took a jag and a patch and ran it around the chamber to see if I could pick up any of the grit. Nothing.

This morning, I decided to have a bettter look at things. Without anything, the rifle cycled fine. I sprayed a little this-and-that in and wiped it clean-- no real dirt accumulation. I then took a fresh, empty, once-fired piece of empty brass and ran it in. It's all seized up and I can't open the bolt.


Any ideas? How does one un-screw oneself from such a situation? I see a trip to the gunsmith in my future, but I'd thought I'd check here first.

Light rust in the chamber. Pull the barrel, not hard and no vise or action wrench needed. Polish the chamber out with some oil and steel wool or if it’s really bad 600grit wrapped on a dowel and spun in a drill. The 760/7600 lacks the extraction camming power of a bolt rifle and this is a fairly common problem.

Thanks! I'll give that a whirl and see what happens.

^^ This ^^ .... BTDT

Use lots of oil on the extra fine steel wool. I used a small dowel with a split cut in the end but same diff.

The few times I've had a 760 lock up with empty brass in the chamber, I was able to unlock it by simply holding the rifle vertical and dropping a brass jag tipped Dewey rod down the bore.

Thought the 760 and 742 were sent with one of these chamber brushes at one time good way to keep a 760 or 742 chamber clean.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1005025528

I have my dad's Rem 742 in .243, while the rifle is older than I am, I can't ever recall seeing anything remotely like that at the house. Thanks for the link though, as I plan on ordering one now.

I never saw one of those either, but I never got a new one in-the-box.

I know what got me in trouble. Normally, I shoot the WHelenizer in September or early October to check function and then go hunt in November. I hold off cleaning until December.

This year, I started early and shot the rifle to do load development and got a good group in August and then let it sit. That extra month got me.

Drat!

Shaman, I ordered a chamber brush from Midwest Gun Works, for a few cents over $5.00. I will give it a try and if it works start shooting the rifle more. I honestly don’t shoot it much, as it’s a pain to clean. I do think it may go on a caribou hunt with me in a couple of years. Next years hunt is already planned as an archery hunt on the slope with a buddy coming in from FL 1 August next year, as my oldest will be deployed with his ANG unit next year, so hopefully 2022, we can get it bloodied.

Any progress?

None. I delivered it to the 'smith a week or so ago. I know he's busy, and I didn't tell him to put a rush on it. It's so close to deer season, I don't suspect I'll get it back until after the party is over. It's okay. I've got spares, so I'm not bitter.

I'll let you know when I get it back.

Is the bolt carrier release working?

If I had a stuck case in a Remington 760 series rifle, I'd stand the rifle with the barrel up and put some Kroil down the bore. The rotating bolt has quite a bit of mechanical advantage, so a stuck unfired case locking the bolt seems odd to me.

I tried everything before writing about it here. It's out at the 'smith now. Thanks for the suggestion.

Good idea. And maybe use a muzzle bore guide, insert cleaning rod all the way down, tap the handle just enough while an assistant holds the rifle pulling the pump. Safe to do since it's an empty case. Too late now, but seems like it would work.

Edit: Ha, just saw further up carbon12 had the same idea.

They seem to be super sensitive to dirty chambers. Too late now but since it was an empty case slam the but down on a carpeted surface while pulling back on the pump. And a fire formed empty not resized is much more likely to stick.

Yep. Tried that first. Yep, it was a freshly fired case that got stuck.
Yep. Some days you feel like a dope-- some days you don't.
I guess that's why God made gunsmiths.

Don’t ask me how I know that a fired case is more likely to stick, and what one possible remedy for getting said case unstuck is...

I suggest buying a case gauge. I did after having to take a rifle to my gunsmith dut to a stuck cartridge.