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Posted By: Run With The Fox Status of Remington today - 10/25/20 09:49 PM
What exactly is going on with Remington Arms? A deer hunting pal just bought a slightly used 740 semi-auto in 30-06. Looks like brand new, wondered why the previous owner might sell it?? Any known feeding. firing, ejection problems with factory ammo? Parts and service availability "down the road"?? I'v only owned and shot one Remington rifle in my lifetime- an older 550 .22lr open sights and tube fed magazine, open sights- great rat shootin' rifle back in the Nifty Fifties, when lads could visit the County dump of a Sat. afternoon and shoot rats until Hell wouldn't have it-- RWTF
Posted By: Shotgunjones Re: Status of Remington today - 10/25/20 10:50 PM
You don't suppose do you that he couldn't hit anything with it?

They are not known for fine accuracy. They generally shoot well enough as in 'minute of deer'.

Remington in general made good serviceable products and parts can usually be found somewhere when needed. At some point though everything gets hard to find parts for.
Posted By: Flintfan Re: Status of Remington today - 10/25/20 11:59 PM
Ah yes, the 740 Jam-O-Matic, a classic. My brother has one, and it hasn't been fired in probably close to three decades because it can't empty a magazine without jamming. It was inherited, and he has other preferred rifles so he never bothered to have it repaired. A repair on these rifles is only a temporary fix, and the jamming problem with re-appear in short order.

Do a search for Remington 740/742 problems and you will have some good reading.
Posted By: John Roberts Re: Status of Remington today - 10/26/20 01:00 AM
RWTF, apparently, you aren't much on staying abreast of the latest industry news. Remington went bankrupt, again. There are some outfits with more money than sense who have bought the arms division.

A Remington rep at a SHOT show in the early 80's told me the 742 was designed to function for 500 rounds before problems would start. I believe that whether it was fact or not. The average deer hunter would hardly shoot more than five boxes of cartridges in his whole life, and Remington knew that.

They were laughably inaccurate. If you had one that would shoot a 6" group at 100 yards, you had one of the good ones...
JR
Posted By: bushveld Re: Status of Remington today - 10/26/20 02:18 AM
At the asset sale that Mr. Roberts mentioned above, Sturm, Ruger & Co. purchased Marlin; and I am very interested in what Sturm, Ruger does with their purchase. I suspect that it will be good for shooters and Sturm, Ruger alike.
Posted By: Jolly Bill Re: Status of Remington today - 10/26/20 03:07 AM
Originally Posted By: Run With The Fox
. . . I'v only owned and shot one Remington rifle in my lifetime- an older 550 .22lr open sights and tube fed magazine, open sights- great rat shootin' rifle back in the Nifty Fifties, when lads could visit the County dump of a Sat. afternoon and shoot rats until Hell wouldn't have it-- RWTF


RWTF,

Yeah, back in the Nifty Fifties, shooting rats at the town dump.

Ya gotta try it at night. You'd better bring lots of ammo. .22 Short Hollow Points in my Remington Model 510 single shot, the rifle my aunt and uncle gave me.

Dam, that was fun.
Posted By: John Roberts Re: Status of Remington today - 10/26/20 11:42 PM
Originally Posted By: bushveld
At the asset sale that Mr. Roberts mentioned above, Sturm, Ruger & Co. purchased Marlin; and I am very interested in what Sturm, Ruger does with their purchase. I suspect that it will be good for shooters and Sturm, Ruger alike.


Afaic, that was the best part of the whole shebang. Great fit for Ruger, Marlin. My off comment about the buying of the arms division was aimed at the Remington guns solely, although I hate to see the demise of the 700 if they fail to make it go.
JR
Posted By: Ted Schefelbein Re: Status of Remington today - 10/27/20 02:28 AM
Originally Posted By: Flintfan
Ah yes, the 740 Jam-O-Matic, a classic. My brother has one, and it hasn't been fired in probably close to three decades because it can't empty a magazine without jamming. It was inherited, and he has other preferred rifles so he never bothered to have it repaired. A repair on these rifles is only a temporary fix, and the jamming problem with re-appear in short order.

Do a search for Remington 740/742 problems and you will have some good reading.


The “fix” to these guns was figured out, long ago, by people who shoot far more than five boxes of ammunition in a lifetime. The chambers have to be kept clean. If you get one that has the rusted chamber, you have an option. You simply convert them to pump action. Ahlman’s has been doing it for decades. They have a few tips for tightening up the groups, as well.

https://www.ahlmans.com/remington-742-pump-conversion.html

All that said, I’d buy a different rifle, if I was into that kinda’ thing. The little Ruger .44 magnum I bought my Dad when he complained about the weight of his 742 hasn’t caused any trouble, but, I don't use it, either. Dad, a Garand Marine, through and through, wouldn’t use anything but a semi-automatic.

I have different notions.

Best,
Ted
Posted By: HomelessjOe Re: Status of Remington today - 10/27/20 05:38 AM
Originally Posted By: John Roberts

A Remington rep at a SHOT show in the early 80's told me the 742 was designed to function for 500 rounds before problems would start. I believe that whether it was fact or not. The average deer hunter would hardly shoot more than five boxes of cartridges in his whole life, and Remington knew that.

They were laughably inaccurate. If you had one that would shoot a 6" group at 100 yards, you had one of the good ones...
JR


That's just plain dumb...dumb and dumber.

I've only owned one Reminton 742 and one 760 years ago...both shot and functioned just fine.
Over the years I had buddies that owned several of them...

I've sighted in several and saw more than one that would shoot a 1" three shot group at 100 yards...I dont recall a one that would not group into 1 & 1/2".

As far as function...

One needs to remember that Semi Autos are not for dummies.
Posted By: John Roberts Re: Status of Remington today - 10/27/20 01:32 PM
Oh sure JOe, they're real target guns. When I owned a sporting goods store, I sighted in dozens of guns for customers because I enjoyed it and knew how to make sure the little things were followed like proper scope mounting. Many were 742's. None shot as you describe, regardless of caliber. Just saying...
JR
Posted By: Researcher Re: Status of Remington today - 10/27/20 07:49 PM
I've got no dog in this fight, as I'm not a big game hunter, but it always amuses me that my Minnesota cousin who hunts big game all over the northwest half of North America only has a .30-06 Model 742 that has accounted for Minnesota Whitetails, Wyoming & Colorado Mule Deer and Elk, Canadian Moose and Grizzlies, etc.
Posted By: Ted Schefelbein Re: Status of Remington today - 10/27/20 09:56 PM
Perhaps 30 years ago, the initial thought was the autoloading action tore up the receiver because the action bars were steel. But, Larry Ahlman figured out the problem was chambers that got rusty. Maybe other people figured it out as well, but, Ahlmans has returned hundreds of those guns to the field as pump rifles, which, is better than junking them.
My Dad’s 742 in 30-06 is accurate enough. It is about the only 30-06 rifle that I didn’t find unpleasant to shoot. A neighbor had a 742 in .308, the version without the basket weave checkering, that was more than accurate enough, more pleasant to shoot, and better looking, as far as I was concerned.
I’ve seen many times over the years where people have taken a handful of mixed, moldy, ammunition out to a range with their deer rifle, to “sight it in”.
They usually find they can’t hit squat with it. The autoloaders ALL, to a one, should be fed the newest, best stuff you can find for them.
Dad’s 700, in 7mm mag, literally would eat anything, and print most of it very well. First year, stainless barrel version.
Maybe the most unpleasant gun I have ever shot. You don’t want to miss, and have to shoot twice, that is for sure.

Best,
Ted
Posted By: FallCreekFan Re: Status of Remington today - 10/31/20 09:26 PM
Was out to the range this week to check the zero on my 2 primary deer rifles (a model 70 and a model 700) and as I always do, I also took the 742 along for a check. All well and ready with all of them. This thread had caused me to think a bit more about my inherited 742 (30-06). It was bought new for deer hunting in Missouri and 40-60 years ago was the overwhelming choice of those there who were moving on from lever guns. It’s equipped with one of those old fixed 4x Redfield “widefield” scopes and although some years it doesn’t leave the truck it remains my favorite rifle for still hunting upwind in the timber. This year the 700 will probably get all the “exercise” as it’s chambered in 25-06 and it just seems right since its celebrating its 100th birthday as a cartridge.

Dave Petzal was asked some years ago why the 25-06 doesn’t get the love it deserves?
“My best guess is because it is old, it doesn’t kick, and it doesn’t have a black rifle chambered for it. I’ve owned and hunted with a 25-06 for 20 years and have found it to be one of the most effective cartridges ever designed.”

Me, too.
Posted By: Run With The Fox Re: Status of Remington today - 10/31/20 11:12 PM
Old Davey-Boy was right on the $-- could say almost the same thing about the .257Roberts- looking at a pre-1950 M70 in that cal. never scoped, original open iron sights. I find that perhaps a tad strange, as I think of that older caliber as a varmint load- RWTF
Posted By: Ted Schefelbein Re: Status of Remington today - 11/01/20 03:45 AM
I’m partial to .308. Don’t own one at the moment, but, a Marlin 336 with an old Redfield scope, in 30-30 with the Hornady lever revolution ammunition, comes pretty close.

And I own one of those.

Best,
Ted
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