rem.742 woodsmaster 243 with worn rails.

[spispeza]

I have a rem. 742 woods master in 243.win.dont know the history of it. the rails in the reciever are worn.the rear area of the reciever on the rail area has the imprint of the bolt lugs on it.i got this rifle for 150.00.bought it cheap due to it failing to eject fired rounds.i cleaned it up.it functions ok now.is there any replacement recievers or can the rail area be fixed by a smith.im thinking of gettin rid of it if it cant be fixed.what to do with it?thanks

[beemanbeme]

Its my understanding that they can't be fixed.  One of the large gun dealers (not a chain) in my area won't even take them in trade. 

[30-30man]

The 742 was just a poor design. This rifle has a spotted past.  Some love it , others hate it.  Put me in the group that hates it.   Just try to trade it in and take your lumps. Other uses could include a bat, boat anchor, door stop, tomato stake, and maybe a lamp post.  Remington is famous for putting a gun to market before testing it. 

[beemanbeme]

30-30man, "Remington is famous for putting a rifle on the market before testing it".  Strange,,, I've never heard that.  Could you enlarge on that a bit???   

FWIW, if you were a box a year man, the 742 would give you many years of good service but the rails were too soft or of the wrong steel to withstand the hammering from constant use. 

[30-30man]

The 742 had rail problems as stated above.  I owned one in 30-06 that had the same problems.  I owned a 7400 that was not much better.  It hng up shells too.  It was sold with a defective mag.  I owned an 1100 that hung up all the time.  It was sent back to a repair center twice and was never fixed.  I owned an 870 Express that had thread marks that ran almost half way down the barrel.  I had to send it back, I didn't notice it at the time of sale.  I owned a Viper 22 that was made up of almost 89% plastic.  The mag slot wore out and the clip wouldn't stay in.  I owned a 597 that would never shoot more than two shells without jamming.  It was sent back twice, they said it was a defective mag.  Remington did not help me with any of these problems.  They wanted me to buy another barrel for the 870, a new mag for the 597, they wanted me to just eat the Viper, and failed to attempt to fix the 1100.  In short, I sold anything and everything except the 870.  It now has a Mossberg barrel and it is a loaner.

[beemanbeme]

Wow, 

[30-30man]

  If a 742 is being sold, there is a good chance something is wrong with it. It is either the rails, bolt or the clip.  Parts are becoming hard to find now.  Remington once gave credit for 742's if traded in for a 7400.   This offer is long gone.   Most people keep the good ones though and many people still love the 742.  I had a BDL model that I would have loved to keep.  My bad experience has left a bad taste in my mouth with Remington.  If I can keep anyone from making the same mistakes on the 742, Viper, and 597, I will do it to keep a fellow brother form wasting their money. The southeast's oldest Remington repair center is located in Aiken, SC.  It it the Gunrack and is owned by a man that remembers when the 30-06 was a new cartridge.  He is almost 95 years-old and smokes pipe tobacco like it is going out of style. He has been in the gun business almost as long as he has been living.   He will not take a 742, Viper, or 597 on trade. HE will take a 7400 but he limits the amount of credit on a trade.  That should speak for itself.