Remington 760 magazine questions

[spiff2]

Hey folks, bought my 760 in 300 savage a while back and it is from the '60's.  I wanted a back up magazine and called Remington direct to order.  They sent me a new magazine with these calibers etched on it: 7mm-08,257,308,6mm,243 and 260 rem.  No 300 savage on it!  I called and they told me this was the correct magazine and to take it two a gunsmith to "adjust".  Well two trips later to to separate gunsmiths and the new magazine still doesn't feed into my gun.  I went back to the last gunsmith to look through a box of old magazines he had in back and found two mags that looked similar to my old magazine.  One had 257 rbts on it the other had 6mm,308 an 243 on it.  It also had a little round knob that slides on the lower side???  He said these would work in my gun.  Am I missing something here?  What's the story? Thanks for the help. 

[shaman]

There 308 magazine should work.

Honestly, there is a lot of voodoo that goes into a  Rem 760 magazine.  I had a Rem 742 for years and battled the magazine problem from the beginning.  now I have a Rem 7600 that has started getting finicky.    I asked my gunsmith friends and they could not help me, so I got a pair of pliers and a screwdriver and started working.

Have a reloader friend load you up some dummy rounds with just brass and bullet.  This will help when you make adjustments.  No primer or powder.  You'll need to check your work as you go to see, and it really helps if you're not dealing with live rounds.

1)  Everything has to be spotless. The lips and tabs and whatnot will accumulate grime-- both the magazine and the inside of the rifle.  Make sure these are well-cleaned.

2)  The thing that usually does the trick is making minute adjustments to the length of the magazine by bending the front edge out just a little. We're talking very small adjustments.  Occasionally you have to put a little english on the catch-lip in the front.

3)  If this does not work, have a ready supply of roosters, goats, and maybe a blond virgin or two to sacrifice to the horned god.  If you need details, download my monograph:  Remington Firearms and the Dark Arts.

BTW:  The little thingus on the bottom of the one magazine is a bolt release for the Rem 742.    The magazines are interchangeable, but the semi-auto magazine is built to lock the bolt back on firing the last shot.  The pump magazine has a follower that allows the bolt to slide over and not lock. 

[retiredsailor]

Can't help with your specific problem. I too have a 760 (in 30.06) and have never had an issue with it. Have two clips that I use interchangably and, as shaman has pointed out, you have to keep them cleaned because residue will build up. Hope you find the right clip for your 300.

[spiff2]

Thanks guys.  Can I use the magazine that says 257 rbts on it?  It also is "older" like my original and it seats into my gun right.  They appear to be the same height, width and design.  The only difference between the 257 and my 300 savage is the little feeder (bullet) spring track that feeds up the bullets (one is a 257mold and one is 300 mold).  Safe or not to use it?  I have taken my "new" mag to two different smiths and it still won't work.  And one of the two smiths was who Remington recommended on the west coast.  Why wouldn't the new magazine (from Remington direct) have included the the 300 savage on its laundry list etched on its mags?

[CB on the run]

If your rounds fit into the mag it is safe. 3oo Savage will not be included on new production mags as Remington no longer offers this caliber. 308 is very similar to the 300 savage but technically any of the short action caliber mags should work. If you have someone load you up 'dummy' rounds to cycle in the gun make sure they're sized with a small base die or you may experience more problems. I can't understand why a competent gunsmith could not get them to work or explain why. My gunsmith specializes in Remingtons but is in NY.

[shaman]

You know, this is something that has irked me for close to 30 years.  The guy I bought my first 742 from was a smith, and when I had a problem with the magazine a couple of years later, he said I should buy a new one. 

This past year, when I went online and corresponded with some gunsmiths on this same issue with my new 7600, I got pretty much the same response.

Here's what I've gleaned from 30 years of dealing with the problem:

1)  A lot of people say this is a blue elephant in the corner for Remington.  They just don't want to think about it.  It's a gnawing design flaw, but they can't change the design without admitting there is a problem.  The main flaws as I see them are  there isn't enough area  front and back on the lips, and the metal of the magazine is not stiff enough to maintain proper length front-to-back.
2)  There isn't a whole lot of 3rd party magazines that do any better.  I've tried some.  The problem is the whole attachment design, not the magazine itself.
3)  Gunsmiths don't want to wade into it, because the problem will usually re-occur, and then the gunsmith is stuck with the problem like a tar-baby. They would rather have you go out and buy a new magazine.
4)  Part of this is being absolutely fastidious in how you insert the magazine.  If you don't do it just right, the magazine gets munged up.  Some of this is beginner's learning curve.  However, I'm a 30-year veteran of these magazines, and I still managed to bend up 3 of 4 magazines over a 5 year period.


Bottom line:  This is not the kind of magazine attachment you find on a AK47 or an M16.  The mags themselves are prone to slight disforming. It is a largely insoluable mess.  All that being said, I still don't regret my 742 or my 7600.

[spiff2]

Thanks folks...I used the magazine marked 257 rbts on it and it seemed to chamber the cartridges fine.  It is also an "older" clip and feels more worn in like my 300 magazine that came with the gun.  As for having two smiths work on it plus buying the new magazine from Remington...my wallet is a little lighter.  The first smith is so far away from my house that it isn't worth the gas to go chase them down.  The second smith is closer by and I'm going to insist taking his Older 257 rbts mag as trade.  Oh well I really like this gun and hope she offers many years of shooting enjoyment.  Thanks again!