Remington 742

[Btrot]

I recently picked up a Remington 742 30-06 in great condition. However, when I was zeroing it in I discovered that when you eject a unfired round there is a indent from the firing pin in the primer. Is this normal for these guns or is it destined for a slam fire?

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

Not normal. Might want to fix that sooner than later.

 

[king killer delete]

Remington wouldn’t even try to fix them . When they were in business they would give you a voucher to use on a 700. I got my first 742 , 3006. When I was 15. I will be 70 this year.

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

Unrelated topic but this past weekend I had a Factory round misfire four times and the fifth it fired. The dent was deep the first time. So you never know.

 

[density1]

Sounds like your firing pin retention spring may be worn out. This is a common problem with old 742's. This is a slam fire problem. If so, the gun will be needed to be disassembled to replace the spring. Find a good gunsmith.

 

[EAGLE EYE 444]

I bought two of those Remington Model 742's in 30-06 caliber for $ 199.95 each from Widener Firearms here in Augusta back in the late 1970's and based on my experiences, I would not use one of those these days even if they were FREE to me. This gun would never shoot in the same pattern twice as they were all over the place. Thankfully, I later sold both of these and one of them was still unfired in the box. After that experience, I have hunted strictly with Marlin Rifles and that includes calibers of 22, 30-30, and 444 as well.

I even tried the Remington accelerator bullets in the 742 but they were a disaster as well. I will admit that I was much closer to the target one day and decided to shoot a one-gallon jug of water that had the top sealed at the time. It exploded like a bomb had hit it. I think back then that the velocity was supposedly moving around 4,000 fps. That was the only excitement that I ever got from this gun and so I sold both of them soon after.

I still have some of those accelerator bullets mentioned in another thread that I read tonight and mine are in a 30-30 caliber as I looked at them tonight.

 

[Mr Bya Lungshot]

I bought two of those Remington Model 742's in 30-06 caliber for $ 199.95 each from Widener Firearms here in Augusta back in the late 1970's and based on my experiences, I would not use one of those these days even if they were FREE to me. This gun would never shoot in the same pattern twice as they were all over the place. Thankfully, I later sold both of these and one of them was still unfired in the box. After that experience, I have hunted strictly with Marlin Rifles and that includes calibers of 22, 30-30, and 444 as well.

I even tried the Remington accelerator bullets in the 742 but they were a disaster as well. I will admit that I was much closer to the target one day and decided to shoot a one-gallon jug of water that had the top sealed at the time. It exploded like a bomb had hit it. I think back then that the velocity was supposedly moving around 4,000 fps. That was the only excitement that I ever got from this gun and so I sold both of them soon after.

I still have some of those accelerator bullets mentioned in another thread that I read tonight and mine are in a 30-30 caliber as I looked at them tonight.

You were shooting the wrong bullet in the wrong gun.

 

[aabradley82]

I probably won’t buy a 742, but I still like to take my grandads out every now and then. Killed a pile of deer with those heavy, mule-kicking -06 carbines.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

I had one and the accuracy was terrible. An old yankee gunsmith told me very few if any of them would shoot Remington bullets. He said that was a big embarrassment to Remington and that’s why they quit making them. He gave me a baggie with 5 or 6 unknown shells, the rifle shot them much better. I don’t know if he was correct or not, but I sold it.

 

[cowhornedspike]

Those guns were made for and shot the short rounds the best. I had two in .308 and both shot and cycled well. Both carbines. They should have never made them in 06.

 

[woods&water]

Those guns were made for and shot the short rounds the best. I had two in .308 and both shot and cycled well. Both carbines. They should have never made them in 06.

THIS^^^
Bought a .308 carbine in 1976. It has 1000's of rounds thru it and 100's of kills. It has NEVER jammed or let me down in any way with factory rounds or reloads. 2MOA gun but that's all you need inside 200 yds. I've owned a lot of rifles including several BAR's in my life but this one is with me till I croak. It comes up like a custom shotgun and goes where it's pointed. A running target just die's tired.

 

[greg j]

Had a cousin that had one in 308 cal. one of the most accurate guns i ever saw. He had one in 30-06 but it was a mess and he sold that one.

 

[frankwright]

I have two that were given to me. A 740 in 30-06 I cut down to carbine length. After a new magazine it is very reliable and accurate.
The other is in 308 and to tell the truth I have never shot it yet but it is in really nice shape for an old gun.

 

[aabradley82]

Those 742s do point good. I Remington figured out how to fit”Everyman” better than any other company

 

[Darkhorse]

I had two of those also, a .308 and a '06. Both of them shot my handloads into 11/2" to 2.0" at 100 yards. You had to know those rifles to make them shoot. Just cleaning them (the chamber) so they didn't jam took some knowledge.
I would use one again if I got it new to start with.

 

[woods&water]

Remington made some 742's that didn't get the receiver metal heat treated correctly and they would gall and booger up the slide rails inside. Result was jamming and solution was a new receiver and rails, AKA buy a new gun because remington would not admit it. I have personally seen this in multiple guns that I have worked on. This was much more noticeable on the long calibers because the receiver really wasn't long enough to accommodate the extra length (another engineering screw up)
If you're looking at a used 742 take the time to look inside the receiver and check for this. Remington was having issues a lot farther back than people realize.

 

[drenalin08]

Mine did it, so does my dads!

 

[mallardsx2]

My wife's uncle had a 742 blow up on him. The only thing that was usable was the magazine.... not sure how it survived because if you seen the gun you would have though whoever shot the gun surely died.....

No thanks. But I did retrofit the magazine to work in my 30-06 game-master so it was a win for me. lol

 

[Stroker]

Many years ago I had a well known and highly respected Remington authorized gun smith, Bill Dorn in Macon tell me the 742 was a never designed to shoot anything over 150 grain loads. I have my dad's 1962 deluxe in 30-06 that I hunt with several times a year and it has never missed a beat, had another in the carbine model, never failed me and was as accurate as many bolt action rifles. Keep'm clean and well lubed and they'll last a long time. If I ever run across another carbine in good condition I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

 

[frankwright]

I have a 7400 in 308 being cut down, crowned and front sight reinstalled right now to look like an original carbine.
I love short barreled rifles!