Remington 740 issue

[Hunter 08]

Man, I dunno bout that. My 760 jammed up so solid once, I had to smack the buttstock hard on a concrete floor to get it to open up.......

Didnt know enough at the time to think about polishing the chamber (that was pre internet days), but even when it did cycle properly, accuracy was only fair, and I found removing the magazine difficult, even painful, with that tiny latch.

Yeah I had the same issues with the 740. That mag release is a bear especially in the cold.

 

[someguy2800]

I don't think anyone is talking about dangerous failure. I was referring to jams due to the much discussed rails getting damaged. I have seen them lock the bolt solid part way open.

When someone says “self destruct” in reference to a rifle I think explosion, not simply wear out and jam a lot.

 

[earlthegoat2]

This is one of the more authoritative sources ever on the Remington 740/742/7400.

https://www.leeroysramblings.com/Gun Articles/remington_7407427400_semiauto.html

 

[JmacD]

On another tangent not relating to the 740 in question, when my dad and I were looking at rifles for me for hunting, I looked at the 770, man was I ever disappointed in how sloppy that bolt was and how cheap the stock felt.

I borrowed one (770)this year from my brother since he wasn’t hunting and I figured 308 has better wallop than mi little 250. That thing jams constantly, shoots a group the size of a tea cup at 100 yards, and cost me a very nice buck(because I hit a sapling and couldn’t follow up due to a jam)
But as to the 742, my dad bought one used probably 20 years ago. His old boss bought it, sighted it in, shot an elk with it, and never shot it again. Sold it to my dad right before he fell dead of a heart attack on his front porch. All 3 of us boys have taken deer with it. But I noticed this year sighting in that the groups (never great) are getting much worse. My Dad loves that gun… I’m not sure how to break the news to him it may be developing the action munchies….

Isn’t the 742 the one that breaks down like an 1100 shotgun? Or am I confused?

 

[Catpop]

JmacD,
Yes, one nut to remove barrel.

 

[JmacD]

JmacD,
Yes, one nut to remove barrel.

I remembered right. I read some of the history of it awhile ago, but I can’t remember all of it. It seems to me they started with the 1100 and made a rifle out of it… sounds like a familiar theme in that time period… gm turning a 350 to a diesel(junk) 12 identical cars with a different label… anyway that’s a different subject altogether. Haha

 

[Catpop]

Those that remember buying a new 742 in the box (1970s), it came with a chamber cleaning brush to perform chamber maintenance.
I sold a bunch of those new brushes to “customers with 742 problems”, but alas it was “too little to late” to save those chambers. A couple of brush strokes and a lightly oiled patch after each trip to the field would have saved many of those chambers.
Most of the 742s I saw were carried daily loaded with muzzle against the truck, tractor, combine floorboard. (check for left side exterior muzzle wear). And were never cleaned, just kept topping off the magazine as required.
But those 742s took countless white tails.

 

[d2wing]

A guy my dad worked with before he (my dad) retired, wants to do a trade for his rifle. In trade is a bolt action .243, no idea what brand or model it is. It is a caliber he's wanted for most of my life, as it is what he wanted to get me when I was 12.

But are Remington 700s good?

Actually I bought 2 of them 2 years ago and they were very accurate, I posted the first target of one, about 3/4 MOA out of the box, factory hunting ammo. No problems either rifle. Also bought a Savage axis. Much poorer accuracy and stock issues.

 

[DM~]

sounds like a familiar theme in that time period… gm turning a 350 to a diesel(junk)

There's another "myth", but it's not a story to be debunked here...

DM

 

[chamokaneman]

This is one of the more authoritative sources ever on the Remington 740/742/7400.

https://www.leeroysramblings.com/Gun Articles/remington_7407427400_semiauto.html

I remember going into that guy's shop when I was a kid. I believe he's still a alive but the shop is long since closed. I was going to share the link until I saw you had as it helped me fix a Mod 742 I have (got it functioning now its going to sit in the safe mostly, as it has sentimental value.) He talked about wire feed welding the receivers and re-milling them. Doubt you could get a gunsmith to do this anymore and it certainly wouldn't be economical. Cool guns in their day.

 

[d2wing]

I remembered right. I read some of the history of it awhile ago, but I can’t remember all of it. It seems to me they started with the 1100 and made a rifle out of it… sounds like a familiar theme in that time period… gm turning a 350 to a diesel(junk) 12 identical cars with a different label… anyway that’s a different subject altogether. Haha

Those GM diesels were based on an Oldsmobile 350 engine but few parts interchanged. And you could not convert one to gas or vice versa. I am pretty sure that the 740 is not a converted 1100.

 

[Hunter 08]

Those GM diesels were based on an Oldsmobile 350 engine but few parts interchanged. And you could not convert one to gas or vice versa. I am pretty sure that the 740 is not a converted 1100.

The diesel was it's own entity, just tooling were shared, block and heads were stronger. Can convert the diesel into a gas, it's a pain but can be done.

 

[JmacD]

Those GM diesels were based on an Oldsmobile 350 engine but few parts interchanged. And you could not convert one to gas or vice versa. I am pretty sure that the 740 is not a converted 1100.

True. But I’ve seen so many head problems with em…the majority of them were before my time.
As to the 1100, the 742 was what I was referring too. I’ve found that in several sources.

 

[d2wing]

The diesel was it's own entity, just tooling were shared, block and heads were stronger. Can convert the diesel into a gas, it's a pain but can be done.

Not legally and not worth it in my opinion. Yes it could be done but cheaper and easier and legal to just get a reman gas motor if you have a gas car.

 

[d2wing]

True. But I’ve seen so many head problems with em…the majority of them were before my time.
As to the 1100, the 742 was what I was referring too. I’ve found that in several sources.

Ok not the 740 but the 742 was based on the 1100. I think I will just let that one be. You need much better sources.

 

[SwampWolf]

Only issues we've ever had was failure to feed from the box magazines.

If failures to feed are endemic to the breed, that's an unacceptable "issue" for me.

 

[Catpop]

Actually from the ones that came into my shop, it was failure to extract, not failure to feed that killed them.
Thanks for thread, it’s brought back many memories from my old gunsmithing days! I’ve really enjoyed it.

 

[25-20 WCF]

The M742 was introduced in 1955. The M1100 was introduced in 1963. So the M742 was based on the M1100? Yet another Wikipedia fail….

https://www.remingtonsociety.org/remington-model-740-model-742-and-model-7400-autoloading-rifles/

https://www.remingtonsociety.org/collecting-remington-model-1100-shotguns/




.

 

[d2wing]

The M742 was introduced in 1955. The M1100 was introduced in 1963. So the M742 was based on the M1100? Yet another Wikipedia fail….

https://www.remingtonsociety.org/remington-model-740-model-742-and-model-7400-autoloading-rifles/

https://www.remingtonsociety.org/collecting-remington-model-1100-shotguns/




.

Thanks for posting that. I thought so but didn't bother to look it up. It is amazing what people find on the internet that is clearly false.

 

[Catpop]

The 11-48 and up shotgun receivers are similar in outwards appearance to 742, but very different in internal machining.
But the trigger housings and mechanisms are very similar if not identical in both rifle and shotgun. This may be where the misconception arises.
I’d have to look at my old parts books to verify which parts are identical.
Jmtcw

 

[d2wing]

The receivers are narrower on the rifles, The trigger mechanisms are very similar and may share parts.

 

[hdbiker]

There was or is a gunsmith in Minnesota that converted damaged 742's to 760's. I seen one with the receiver stamped 742 but was a pump

 

[mshootnit]

About 12 years ago, my dad wanted to trade in his Remington 740 .30-06 rifle in order to get me my first rifle for my 18th birthday. We were at Cabela's at the time looking at the used rifles in the gun library. My dad had talked to one of the associates there about trading in his rifle or selling it to them. They said they could not offer anything or take it in, because of an issue these rifles had, and never got officially remedied. What problems did these rifles have that would cause a firearms dealer to not take it in on trade?

In general Cabelas are hard to work with on trade regardless of the gun. I only take stuff there I would not sell a friend.

 

[film495]

I had a 760 as well, long after my 740 went down the road. It also suffered from hard extraction issues, and the modern magazines Remington was advertising for both the 740 and 760 (with the bolt hold-open feature) would jam up solid in my pump gun.

I had a few Ram-Line plastic 10 rounders which were so-so, but the only really good magazine for it was the lone original vintage one that came with it.

I inherited a 760, 30-06 the single magazine with it had a broken spring. the OEM Reminton magazines I got did not cycle correctly really at all. what did work was taking the magazines apart and just swapping the spring into the old magazine. I could mess with the feed lips or find other ones off ebay that were original, but I don't have much of a need for more than one working magazine.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Not legally and not worth it in my opinion. Yes it could be done but cheaper and easier and legal to just get a reman gas motor if you have a gas car.

Converted 350 Olds diesels enjoyed a brief period of popularity with hot rodders when they littered the floors of junkyards and could be had for next to nothing. My first tech instructor always had several in various stages of completion on stands in his shop. As long as you put one in a pre-71 car, there were no emissions issues in most states.
Obligatory gun content:

My youngest shooting her .303/.410 conversion.