Remington 742

Sub Categories

Fixed Mounts

About the Remington

The company was founded in 1816 when Eliphalet Remington II handcrafted his first rifle in his father’s forge and with the help of a local gunsmith managed to turn it into a simple flintlock rifle for his personal use. Taking second place in a shooting contest, Remington's rifle attracted a great amount of attention and shortly after, first orders started to come in.

The production line was moved to the Erie Canal which is nowadays known as the present location of the Remington factory in Ilion, New York. Early on, the company manufactured around 5000 pieces of M1841 Mississippi rifles to be used in the U.S. army additionally receiving a large government order of 1000 Jenks loading carbines. A few years after establishing its first armoury in 1848, three of the founder's sons joined the company and renamed it, E. Remington & Sons. The following years brought the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861 and at that point the company was supplying the Federal Army and Navy with arms such as pistols, carbines, rifles, and muskets, increasing their production rate significantly. Eliphalet Remington passed away in the same year, leaving the business up to his three sons. The army-oriented production shifted in direction again at the end of the War in 1865 when the company started to fabricate different firearms for civilian hunting and shooting sports. In 1871, the company established its ammunition production under the name Remington Ammunition Works. They were producing centrefire ammunition for pistols, shotguns, and rifles. Two years later, after gaining the trust of inventors Christopher Sholes and Carlos Glidden, the company even managed to produce its first fully functional typewriter in Ilion, New York.

In the following years, the company presented some of its early weapon models such as the first American autoloader (later known as M11), Model 8, and Model 10. At the beginning of World War I, Remington enlarged their facilities, expanding out to four locations, increasing arms and ammunition production rate once again. Signal guns, autoloading pistols such as Model 51, rifles and machine guns were swiftly being produced in great numbers. In addition, they entered a cutlery business during the war period, producing roughly 2.500.000 knives annually by the year 1926. Remington was revolutionizing its products every step of the way. Being the first to introduce the concept of game load ammunition, they took over the shotshell industry by storm. Ammunition production increased again in World War II when the company expanded its production to 7 more locations. Some of the most recognizable weapon models were presented during this period such as Model 03A4 or M1903A3 Springfield which was a renewed and simplified version of 1903 Springfield.

In the years after the war, they released the Model 870 'Wingmaster’ shotgun which became the world’s bestseller at that point, Nylon 66 autoloading .22 rifle, Model 700 bolt-action rifle, Model 1100 and an M24 sniper rifle that was regularly used as a standardized US army sniper rifle until 2010. Meanwhile, they also managed to stay operative in the knife making business. Ten years after building a new ammunition plant in Lonoke, Ark., DuPont purchased the remaining Remington shares and became the majority owner of the company, however, they later sold the assets to RACI Acquisitions in New York. In 2011 they re-focused on the production of handguns, launching the R1 1911 semi-automatic pistol. Another renowned weapon, namely the Model 783 bolt-action rifle was released two years later, in 2013.

Today, Remington is known as the oldest gun manufacturer in America, celebrating a more than 200-year-old history of diligence and quality.

Remington 742 Rifle Review

Remington 742 also known under the name Woodsmaster is a gas-operated, semi-automatic rifle and a predecessor to the Remington 7400 model. It was produced from 1960 until 1980. The rifle features an improved bolt latch which locks the rotating bolt head as it moves out of the battery. The drilled and tapped steel receiver houses a bolt with nine lugs that lock up safely into the extension of the barrel.

The barrels can be changed using special tools and some expertise; however, it is not a quick-switch barrel rifle. The safety pin that protects against accidental discharge is placed on the rear side of the trigger assembly and is easily reachable with a thumb. The trigger is smooth to operate, and the detachable factory magazine can hold three or four rounds. It can be upgraded to 10-round or even a rare 20-round magazine.

Possible barrel length for Remington 742 is 559 mm (22-inch).

Figure 1: Remington 742, chambered for .30-06 Spr. (Source: https://shoptopgunsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Remington-742.jpg)

Remington 742 can be chambered for the following calibres:

.243 Win.
6mm Rem.
.280 Rem.
.308. Win.
.30-06 Spr.

All Remington 742 receivers come with four holes for mounting purposes, two on the front and two on the rear mounting surface.

Figure 2: The receiver of Remington 742, chambered for .280 Rem. (Source: https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/rifles/remington-rifles---semi-auto/remington-742-woodsmaster--early-gun--280-rem--clean.cfm?gun_id=101224405)

Remington 742

A: 21.9 mm
B: 41.9 mm
C: 15.3 mm
BHU: 0 mm
Ø: 6-48
R1: R16.5
R2: R16.5

Which Rifles Have Interchangeable Mounts

Two-piece mounts

All the rifles listed in the category below have two-piece mounts interchangeable with Remington 742. To meet interchangeability conditions, two-piece mounts must match in all dimensions except the B distance. B distance can vary because two-piece mounts can be installed and adjusted closer or further apart. Rifles that meet such criteria are:

Remington 740
Remington 760

One-piece mounts

All the rifles listed in the category below have one-piece mounts interchangeable with Remington 742. For one-piece mounts to fit on a rifle, mounting surfaces on these rifles must match in every dimension. Rifles that share the same dimensions and mounting surface with Remington 742 are:

Remington 740
Remington 760

Our Recommendations for Mounts

Fixed Mounts

This two-piece direct mounting solution made by the American company Talley is recoil resistant and made of aluminium. The mount comes with a ten-year warranty and is a suitable choice for your Remington 742.

Detachable Repeatable Mounts

Manufactured by the Croatian company Rusan, this two-piece pivot mount is easily installed and offers repeatability once the rifle is zeroed in. It is a durable mounting solution that comes with a ten-year warranty and matches the mounting surface of Remington 742 perfectly.

Picatinny Rails

Picatinny rails are one of the most versatile mounting solutions on the market as they offer numerous mounting choices. This Picatinny rail produced by the Croatian company Rusan is made of steel and comes with a ten-year warranty. It will fit perfectly on the receiver of Remington 742.

Help us build our riflescope mounts database

If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.

Please send us an email for more information. You can contact us here: info@optics-trade.eu