Remington 742, a classic deer rifle

[Pat C]

Thinking of Dad this Father's day weekend ,pulled out Dad's old 70 's era 742 .He retired it in 1985 in favor of the Marlin .35

These were high maintenance rifles due to blowback entering the action and locking surfaces. Which were interrupted threads. Once crud built up they would jam and cause bolt chatter .Sometimes causing extreme damage to the rails further creating jamming.

Keep em clean they'll run. This one is in excellent shape
Dad has been gone almost 17 years now.

[GunnyMack]

Great old rifle ! The first centerfire I bought was its cousin the 760. Kinda miss shooting it.

[Pat C]

My Father n Law had a 760 in .35 Rem . Very early rifle too. Another family member got it though.

[Gunstore Commando]

These were high maintenance rifles due to blowback entering the action and locking surfaces.

Big gunstore around here used to offer (and probably still does) a service to convert 74X's to pump action. Probably not the world's worst idea.

I do not own a pump action rifle, and never have. I should fix that someday.

[Oldncrusty]

Nice old gamegetter. I've wanted to try one, but can't find any not chambered in 06.

[BenT]

My father had the same gun, which I have now. I remember when I was 16 and my Dad was watching the Packer game ,he let me take it out deer hunting. One afternoon was enough. Compared to my 30-30 , this was a tank. The Korean war steered my Dad to the use of auto loaders. That is what he liked. But at the end of his hunting years he bought a used 30-30 Glenfield and shot his last 5 or 6 deer with that. I shoot it from time to time and it is accurate but some day I will go take a deer with it.

[Paladin]

Great rifles have seen many and shot a few. Glad you have your dad's rifle.

[Pat C]

Thanks , I have this posted on several forums and some interesting comments from praise to total ridicule.
I know the history of these as I've personally worked on the good the bad,and the ugly.
This one belonged to Dad and that's my only interest it ,but I do like it's a appearance. And it's still in excellent shape.

[Turdyturdy]

Known in the New England woods as the single shot jamomatic! Although I have seen a few that were known to never jam. Others were known habitual offenders.

[bcraig]

I had one that I won when I was 16 selling magazines in High School.
Never had the first Jam in it.a 30-06
Killed over 40 Big whitetail with it ,Had a 2-7 Redfield and yes with see through mounts.

Dad Had one in 243 winchesster set up the same way except his had a Redfield Widefield 3-9
Jammed often.

I just Kept a drop of sewing machine oil on the lug and on the action barrs

He Kept his slobbered in wd-40 inside and out ,I was always cleaning it for him.
He was born in 1935 and grew up on a Farm where the idea was all you needed was wd-40 and Gray tape.
If you waned something to move and it would not use the wd-40, and if you had something that was moving and you did not want it move use the Gray Tape.

almost all the time if you are having jammin problems you either got a bad mag a zine that needs the lips adjusted or got way too much oil in the action ,then it attracts every bot of loose trash that is in the air or that you bruch up against.

And keep the Wd-40 out of the action and magazine as it guns up and gets hard in either,Keep it off the action bars as well.

You will go a LOOOOOOOOOOOng way toward having a reliable gun if you do.

[Pat C]

Gun grease was the supposed cure for the rails ,thin coat wiped clean and reapplied after every outing. Little CLP on bolt catch slot and lugs wiped nearly off.

The camming lug on bolt body needed a dab of grease too.
That combo worked perfect on the one I repaired for my friend.