# Remington 742



## Btrot (Jan 7, 2021)

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 (Jan 7, 2021)

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


----------



## king killer delete (Jan 7, 2021)

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 (Jan 7, 2021)

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 (Jan 8, 2021)

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 (Jan 8, 2021)

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 (Jan 8, 2021)

EAGLE EYE 444 said:


> 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 (Jan 8, 2021)

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 (Jan 8, 2021)

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 (Jan 9, 2021)

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 (Jan 10, 2021)

cowhornedspike said:


> 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 (Jan 10, 2021)

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 (Jan 10, 2021)

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 (Jan 10, 2021)

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


----------



## Darkhorse (Jan 10, 2021)

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 (Jan 11, 2021)

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 (Jan 15, 2021)

Mine did it, so does my dads!


----------



## mallardsx2 (Jan 15, 2021)

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 (Jan 20, 2021)

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 (Jan 22, 2021)

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!


----------



## jimmy.444 (Jan 23, 2021)

I’ve got my uncles old 742 in 30-06 that I’ve killed a few deer with. It too leaves light primer strikes on unfired ammo. When I first noticed the primer strikes I had it totally disassembled and cleaned. This help some but did not fix the problem entirely. It’s a safe queen now until I can get it fixed.


----------



## little rascal (Jan 24, 2021)

I and my brother had a carbine each, dad had woodsmaster. Only problem was the clip spring would get weak and it might jam trying to feed after firing a round. Changed out clips and never been a problem. Killed a lot of deer with my carbine. We shot Remington core locks in 180 grain round nose. It got stolen years later. My dad bought my brothers and gave it to me for Christmas one year. I shot plenty more deer with it, but I did change to 150 grain pointed soft points. Still have it. They were heavy and pointed great, could actually hold it steady compared to some lighter rifles I have owned years later.


----------



## Semi-Pro (Jan 24, 2021)

Jamomatic, pawn shop wouldn't even take mine. Soon as I walked in the door he said nope. All the way from across the shop.


----------



## TL60 (Jan 25, 2021)

742 was my 1st "bought it myself" hunting rifle at 13. 1st shot jammed, almost never got it to un jamb, hammer and block of wood. Sent it back, 3 mos later it comes back....same thing. Sent it back.... 1 month later , again....   took it back to shop i bought it from and they said I'd have to send to Remington. Showed them where i had done this twice. Still no go... pop left me in a lounge chair with a sign on the rifle "Piece  of junk they wont take back" sitting in front of their door.
Cop thought it was funny and told them you may want to give him his money so he will leave. 
They did and never bought another Remington anything.


----------



## leroy (Jan 25, 2021)

TL60 said:


> 742 was my 1st "bought it myself" hunting rifle at 13. 1st shot jammed, almost never got it to un jamb, hammer and block of wood. Sent it back, 3 mos later it comes back....same thing. Sent it back.... 1 month later , again....   took it back to shop i bought it from and they said I'd have to send to Remington. Showed them where i had done this twice. Still no go... pop left me in a lounge chair with a sign on the rifle "Piece  of junk they wont take back" sitting in front of their door.
> Cop thought it was funny and told them you may want to give him his money so he will leave.
> They did and never bought another Remington anything.



My dad bought a 742 in 243 for me and it did same thing, bought it at Franklin's same scenario he kept getting louder and louder and he got his money back. Did wind up buying a 742 BDL myself in 30 06 never had any problems out of it, kept it for 10-12 yrs


----------



## tcward (Jan 25, 2021)

Remington has built some junk over the years (as has all of them) but the 742 has to be the king of junk...


----------



## cowhornedspike (Jan 26, 2021)

tcward said:


> Remington has built some junk over the years (as has all of them) but the 742 has to be the king of junk...



True...and also the favorite rifle I have ever owned...


----------



## Stroker (Jan 26, 2021)

leroy said:


> My dad bought a 742 in 243 for me and it did same thing, bought it at Franklin's same scenario he kept getting louder and louder and he got his money back. Did wind up buying a 742 BDL myself in 30 06 never had any problems out of it, kept it for 10-12 yrs


Wished I could find one in .243.


----------



## TriggerHappyJake (Feb 14, 2021)

Im sorry to say it but the 742 is not the best of firearms. When I was in the gunsmiting program my instructers refered to it as the "jam master". I believe them because of all the gunsmithing repair work Ive done so far almost half of it was on 742s. They're like boats, fix one thing and something else quits working right.


----------



## Railroader (Feb 14, 2021)

I too once owned a 7400 Carbine in 30 '06.  It was terrible.  I had one mag that worked, one that didn't.  The thing wouldn't shoot either.  About 2"-3" at 100 is all I ever got it to do.

I have a 7600 Carbine in 30-'06, and it will shoot an inch at 100.  It's never even acted like it was gonna miss a beat, and killed more than Covid... I'll NEVER sell it, and love hunting with it.

A 7400 mag will hold the action open in the 7600, when you shuck the last round...


----------



## snuffy (Feb 15, 2021)

Have an old Woodmaster 30/06 I bought used back in the seventies for $125.00
Killed truck loads of deer with that thing.

Started out using Winchester 220 grain bullets. Ended up settling on Remington 180's

Only time I remember having a problem on deer was one time I was trying to be quiet and eased the bolt forward. Cost me a shot at a deer that morning.

You had to pull that thing back and let it go.


----------



## frankwright (Feb 20, 2021)

I got my cut down 7400 "Carbine" in 308 back from Full Blown Firearms today. 
They did a great job. 
I like short barreled rifles.


----------



## transfixer (Feb 20, 2021)

I've got one I''ve had since I was 16,  killed a pile of deer with it up into my 20's,  till I bought a bolt action and pretty much retired the 742,  it wasn't the most accurate,  but would keep a 4 inch or so group at 100yds at least, they were okay as long as you kept them and the magazines clean and lubed,  the plastic dust cover would break and cause jams sometimes, but you could do away with it without any issues,  I actually wore out the receiver I shot it so much,  the grooves the bolt ran in were worn and flattened down,   I picked up another receiver and bolt from a parts gun and replaced mine,  still using the original barrel,  it still shoots,  although I don't hunt with it anymore,   most of the ones that gave trouble back then just weren't kept clean and maintained.


----------



## transfixer (Feb 20, 2021)

snuffy said:


> Have an old Woodmaster 30/06 I bought used back in the seventies for $125.00
> Killed truck loads of deer with that thing.
> 
> Started out using Winchester 220 grain bullets. Ended up settling on Remington 180's
> ...



     I used to use the same,   220 round nose soft points, and 180gr round nose core lokts,   done the same thing with the bolt too !   if you didn't let it slam forward it wouldn't go all the way into battery,  and would just go " click "


----------



## transfixer (Feb 20, 2021)

woods&water said:


> 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.



   that is exactly what happened to my original receiver !


----------



## Railroader (Feb 20, 2021)

frankwright said:


> I got my cut down 7400 "Carbine" in 308 back from Full Blown Firearms today.
> They did a great job.
> I like short barreled rifles. View attachment 1067524



Folks can say what they want about the Ol' Jam Masters, that thing is SWEET!


----------



## wvdawg (Feb 20, 2021)

Wife bought me one our first Christmas almost 50 years ago.  308 semi auto.  I have killed a slew of deer with it through the years.  Best rifle I ever owned.  Still has the original cheap old 3-9 Tasco scope and shoots like a champ!


----------



## Blackston (Feb 21, 2021)

Duncan Dobies book , has a list of all the guns used to kill Ga greatest whitetails I believe the jam O matic is on the top of the list ... just sayin


----------

