Having trouble with a family heirloom!

[KingThomas]

2 years ago, I was passed down my grandfathers Remington 742 Woodsmaster 30-06. Its a GREAT and accurate rifle, however I'd say 75% of the time I have trouble chambering a round from the magazine. I've tried cleaning and oiling it best I can, even taking it completely apart to do so. I have also tried other magazines and nothing seems to work. I have seen that this is a rather common problem with this model according to other forums, but no one seems to offer much help in correcting it. Any suggestions? I would love to get it in perfect running order to pass on to my child some day...

 

[1988-4551]

Try some lube with some teflon? CLP type stuff

 

[engineerpower]

What does it get hung up on?

 

[Hookeye]

If not the mag then the bolt or action spring/guide?
Bolt hanging up at rear of stroke is another problem.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Mags are relatively inexpensive (As they fit a multitude of Remington platforms and calibers)... Might try sourcing a new mag and see if that doesn't alleviate the issues.

-J-

 

[KingThomas]

Ok, bear with me. I'm not good with rifles. But it seems to be whatever drives the bullet from the magazine in to the chamber. A lot of times it will even get hung up halfway through the process. I actually tried another magazine, and eventually picked up an extremely overpriced brand new magazine from bass pro. None of which corrected the problem.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Interesting...

That which strips the round from the magazine is the bolt...

And the bolt pushes it into the feedramp and then up & into the chamber.

so the round is getting hung up half in & half out of the chamber? Is the bullet itself where it's getting stuck or further back on the brass?

 

[1911ly]

Are these reloads? Have you tried another brand of ammo? Just something to try.

Take a close look at the round that won't feed. Compare it to a new round. Look for wear marks on the brass and the bullet tip. It has to be catching on something. Try throughly wetting the action with lube. Even if it is just WD40 for the moment. See if it behaves differently

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Are these reloads? Have you tried another brand of ammo? Just something to try.

Take a close look at the round that won't feed. Compare it to a new round. Look for wear marks on the brass and the bullet tip. It has to be catching on something. Try throughly wetting the action with lube. Even if it is just WD40 for the moment. See if it behaves differently

he's on to something...

Will the next round chamber after a round has been fired? Or have you attempted that? From a little bit of research I did a few years ago - these guns are rather difficult to clean WELL. Perhaps things are just running sluggishly due to gunk buildup.

If the FIRST round is hanging up...without having been fired... Will any gentle forward persuasion on the bolt handle yield any better results?

 

[CMB69]

May just need a new action spring.

When it jams, is the cartridge base up on the bolt face, or does the bolt over ride the cartridge? If the later, check if there is any vertical movement of the magazine when it is "locked" in position - a known problem. If the cartridge is on the bolt face, then there is a lot of friction somewhere, or a weak spring. Could be dirt, burrs, something bent, etc.

The rifle can be completely disassembled much like a shotgun. There are YouTube vids showing how. It is not difficult.

 

[remauto1187]

The 742 had many problems, most of which happened after the rifle was well used. One very common problem is the receiver and premature wear within the receiver where the bolt rides. The inside of the receiver will get worn in to the point the the sharp edges will cut you like a razor blade. Look in the receiver for wear marks and sharp edges/burrs on the metal which will cause bolt to hang up. All of these will need to be addressed and they are most likely the very culprit of your failure to load correctly. Manually ride operating handle forward slowly and does the rifle load correctly? Do you feel roughness as the bolt is being moved forward?

 

[remauto1187]

May just need a new action spring.

When it jams, is the cartridge base up on the bolt face, or does the bolt over ride the cartridge? If the later, check if there is any vertical movement of the magazine when it is "locked" in position - a known problem. If the cartridge is on the bolt face, then there is a lot of friction somewhere, or a weak spring. Could be dirt, burrs, something bent, etc.

The rifle can be completely disassembled much like a shotgun. There are YouTube vids showing how. It is not difficult.

What kind of shotgun are you taking apart? I have never seen a shotgun come apart like the Remington 742. The remington 742 has a barrel nut that retains the barrel on the receiver. Youtube vid to see how a 742 comes apart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm54Qj2ZGUA

 

[CMB69]

What kind of shotgun are you taking apart? I have never seen a shotgun come apart like the Remington 742. The remington 742 has a barrel nut that retains the barrel on the receiver. Youtube vid to see how a 742 comes apart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm54Qj2ZGUA

No, it is not identical, but the design/construction is very similar. Instead of a nut on the end of a tubular magazine, there is a stud in the front of the receiver that goes through a lug off the barrel and a nut to hold them together. After the nut is removed, the barrel, action bars and bolt are removed from the front of the receiver. Thus my statement "much like a shotgun".