Remington Woodsmaster 742 in .30-06

IronCanadian

IronCanadian

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What is the good and the bad of these rifles?

I've got a buddy who is looking at buying one used. I don't know the date of manufacture, but it's in what I would call very good condition. No dents or scratches, probably bought new shot a few times and then tucked in the corner for the last god knows how many years.

The exterior is like new, bore is shiny and lands crisp.

Reading internet reviews I've seen terms like jam-o-matic, and bullet hose (describing how it "grouped" shots.)

Any first hand experience out there with these guns and of course the obligatory "What's it worth"?

:cheers:
 
Not sure how to explain it but you need to look for wear marks in the action/receiver. If those are present you will have problems with jamming. I'm no gunsmith so take it for what it is worth.
 
The 742's were bad for developing "chatter marks" on the action bars i believe.Turn it upside down and inspect the action for these marks.I don't think they can be fixed.I have a 7400 in my collection and from what i gather,they don't suffer the same fate.If he does buy it,tell him to keep it clean(within reason).
 
nomad 68 said:
The 742's were bad for developing "chatter marks" on the action bars i believe.Turn it upside down and inspect the action for these marks.I don't think they can be fixed.I have a 7400 in my collection and from what i gather,they don't suffer the same fate.If he does buy it,tell him to keep it clean(within reason).
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X2.

Also removing the magazine from these rifles is a pain in the ass and bolt is EXTREMELY stiff no matter how many rounds fired....

Didn't like my 30-06 742 at all........
 
Many had soft rails as Nomad indicated and were recalled but I am not sure without digging if there was a serial number range associated with this flaw.
But do recall 3006 being one of the worst for this issue it seemed at the time. Personally I try to stay away from them and buy 7400's unless they are a rare caliper.
 
I have two 742's, both short action, one in 6mm and a carbine in 308. No chatter marks, no jams, no problems. I paid $900 for both guns to the same seller. One had a Leupold base on it. Had a brand new 7400 in 30-06, I had no problems. I sold it to a friend, he had it jam up in cold weather, but likely due to heavy oiling!
 
Nomad 68 hit the nail on the head you need to look at the rails inside the reciever for chatter marks ( basically if those rails dont look smooth and silky stay away! ) chattering is hard to explain but once you see it you will know if the rails are chattered the rifle is a great paperweight
 
These guns are very popular in eastern Canada. Just about every hunt club or gang in Ontario has at least one in the group.

The rails the bolt travels on in the receiver, as mentioned is a key thing to look for. If it shows signs of wear leave it on the rack.

Keep it clean and "lightly" oiled. These guns are a ##### to get the bolt completely out of and all back together properly.

The clips are cheaply stamped, and if droped on hard surfaces can become slightly bent and out of shape which may not be noticable at the time until the gun jams. Far more common an issue than you might think.

Rem 742's were never designed or intended for high round count usage. They will last for years for the guy who takes care of it and maybe fires a clip or two of shells per year. This is all Remington designed them for is the average working guy who goes out once a year and takes a few shots at a target and then maybe a deer.

Accuracy varies from min. of 8" to at very best 2" at 100yds. Most fellas are pleased with this as most moose and deer stand a decent chance of getting killed or seriously hurt.

Personally I have never owned one and never will, I just get to clean them and listen to all the #####ing stories of how the gun jammed or just went click from a weak firing pin spring.
 
My dads is 30/06 carbine and I've seen it jam ( cheap ammo ), and I have seen him hit a running whitetail at 300 yards with it so accurate it is. He talks very highly of his remy so much he named my brother after it Remington. That's about what I know about it.
 
Remington 742's are decent semis, I have owned a two and had no trouble with either of them. One was a .30/06 rifle and the other was a .308 carbine. They do have a problem with the locking lugs piling up in the receiver occasionally. Most jamming can be attributed to a faulty magazine, getting a new one usually fixes a balky rifle. Like has been said they were never designed to go to the range and pound of thousands of rounds at targets. They were designed as a woods rifle for the fall hunter who wanted a well balanced rifle with fast follow up shot capability and for that they are quite good. As well I have never seen one that wouldn't shoot under 2.5 inch groups at 100 with at least one load that it liked. My 2 cents.
 
muckwa said:
My dads is 30/06 carbine and I've seen it jam ( cheap ammo ), and I have seen him hit a running whitetail at 300 yards with it so accurate it is. He talks very highly of his remy so much he named my brother after it Remington. That's about what I know about it.
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WoW! I think I'd rather have been named "browny" after Browning! :p just kidding!
 
Thanks for the information everyone, looks like problems can be hit and miss.

Fortunately he has the rifle in his hands for a few weeks, so we'll give it a good looking over and try it at the range to see how it performs.

Cheers
 
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