Remmington 788 .308

[shuswapbear]

Can anyone tell an approximate value for one of these rifles?
I have one that I refinshed the stock cause when I got it it was painted green.

 

[Potashminer]

Only my assessment - re-finishing a stock, for whatever reason, does not add value, at all. Those stocks, and I have worked on two or three of my own, are birch wood, under the sprayed-on Remington finish. Despite the work and effort you put in to remove the "green", it is still an inexpensive birchwood stock. They can be extremely accurate rifles - I had one that I bedded that did multiple 1/2", 5/8" and 3/4" 5 round groups at 100 yards, with the barrel shortened to 19". It was in .243 at the time, now it wears a 22" 308 Win barrel. I had bought complete barrelled actions in 2015 and 2018 for $250 and $310, all in, mailed to me. Had bought good used barrels for $100 and stocks for about the same. So in very nice condition, in a usual and desirable chambering like your 308 Win, I would see $450 as pretty much "top dollar" - likely more if you have spare magazines going with it, or chambered in 30/30 or 44 Rem Mag. They use a #75 and #76 Weaver base to mount a scope - very inexpensive as well.

 

[cody c]

450-550 without glass and depending on condition. I believe I paid 450 for mine with shipping a couple years ago and it was in top condition.

 

[Brutus]

Yep. Got two of them. One in 222 the other a LH 308.
My years in Saskatchewan probably about two dozen deer and the 222 a myriad of varmints furred and feathered. Both have Leupolds in commanding view.

If it's been cared for you won't be disappointed.
Just don't rock your handloads because it's been said thier soldered on bolt handles could detach themselves.

 

[Sir Plus]

400-450 for a naked rifle

 

[dan belisle]

Worth a little more if it's the carbine version, but yes, a 500 rifle at best. - dan

 

[TheTooner]

Worth a little more if it's the carbine version, but yes, a 500 rifle at best. - dan

And may well turn out to be better value than many $500 rifles.

 

[Lefty Dick]

$425 tops, the damned things were only, ~$180 new when they were last sold In the early 1980’s.

 

[600RemGuy]

What year was it produced? The first two were walnut stocked!

 

[Brutus]

What year was it produced? The first two were walnut stocked!

I vaguely remember 1967-1984 or 85.
Seems that the Model 78 (bare bones 700) was supposed its market replacement.
Yeah earliest ones walnut, replaced by something else (ash?) very briefly, then birch for long term?

LH variants 6mm Rem and 308 only.

 

[cody c]

I think a lot of them were beach wood, and some had hart barrels.

 

[guntech]

I think a lot of them were beach wood, and some had hart barrels.

They only had Hart barrels if some one re-barrelled them with a Hart barrel.

They were the cheapest thing Remington could produce... Remington certainly did not barrel any 788 with a Hart barrel.

 

[TheTooner]

$425 tops, the damned things were only, ~$180 new when they were last sold In the early 1980’s.

Dollars don't work as well as they did back then, but they make them up more easily so there are more of them available.

 

[Ganderite]

Very stiff action. Single stack mag, so more bedding area on the bottom of the action. Very fast lock time. You can make a tack driver with one.

Don't load too hot because the rear locking lugs create brass stretching.

 

[cody c]

The rear locking lugs create brass stretching?

You could be more specific.. the belief that the longer bolt body between the shell and the lugs compressed like a rubber ball allowing brass room to compress it and stretch out the case, but ask folks that have one if this is the case.

The lee enfield is also a rear locking lug action. Similar to the 788 is the Steyr model M. What can be shared about brass stretching with those? I suspect head spacing is more of a concern, or reloading.

 

[mbogo3]

A Rem 700 take-off barrel can be fitted but it takes a bit of machining.The .44 and 30-30 are the most uncommon..........a buddy has them.

 

[a j cave]

I sold one last year at a show in Ab, $400. If yours looks good and a nice stock add $50-100. Some ask more but I don’t think they get it. They are a good shooting gun.

 

[a j cave]

?? Sorry error

 

[SHELL SHUCKER]

Very stiff action. Single stack mag, so more bedding area on the bottom of the action. Very fast lock time. You can make a tack driver with one.

Don't load too hot because the rear locking lugs create brass stretching.

You'd have to load a 788 excessively hot to get signs of bolt compression or lug setback. None of the 4 788's I owned showed any brass stretching with my hot loads.
(I did flatten a lot of primers though & the primer pockets would get loose after 3 or so reloadings in my .22-250)

The most outstanding 788 I had was a .44 mag unit that I shot a witnessed, 1 3/8" 3 shot group at 200 yds with back in 83. The ammo was factory Rem 240 gr jacketed soft points. The reason I let 'er go after a decade of use was the bugger was not friendly to hardcast boolits. Rifling too shallow & twist (1 in 38") too slow fer 300+grainers.

All of my 788's shot tighter than the 700's & 600 Mohawks that I went through. I'd sure like to get me mitts on a tidy one in 30-30.

 

[Brutus]

A well healed American rifle collector claimed his factory issue 788 in 222 was more accurate than his HK PSG-1. There is enough anecdotal evidence on the 'net that claims such as his would be very hard to disprove. Especially with superior optics and after market trigger.

Perhaps just perhaps these days now bygone, were the peak of Remington barrel quality output ???