Prepping The Remington 7600

The early November morning stillness was shattered by a ferocious blast. The walkie-talkies lit up, "What the hell was that?" "That" was a 7mm Winchester Short Magnum and I was deaf in my left ear for half an hour. It all started two days earlier as we planned for opening day of deer season. I had brought a woods rifle but had a chance to hunt a large, open field that was practically guaranteed to produce a fine buck or doe.

My good friend Gene offered me his Winchester Model 70, commenting that it was sighted in and ready to go. Good thing it was as he only had three rounds left. That 21st century cannon worked very well as I got a Gently press out both pins to remove the trigger group. young buck, although I did end up having to wade into a pond to retrieve him. I decided right then I’d get my own longer range rifle, but something a bit milder.

A trip to the next gun show had me walking away with a smile on my face and a Remington Model 7600 chambered in .30-06 in my hands. What is a trigger job? This is one of the most common requests asked of a gunsmith but doesn’t have a really good definition. To get to the heart of the matter, the customer needs to say what he wants done and it is then up to the ‘smith to proceed or explain that his idea isn’t a good one.

For example, a light trigger (less than four pounds) on a selfdefense handgun may cause a very nervous finger to set it off accidentally, while three or four pounds is about right for a hunting rifle. Pull weight isn’t the only thing involved. How the trigger "breaks" can be just as important. A proper trigger the hammer or sear is released, the sensation should be one of breaking glass, nice and crisp. So, trigger jobs are part science (the weight, which can be measured) and part art (the way it feels).

Although the Remington’s action cycled smoothly, the trigger was certainly in need of help. It was heavy at almost eight pounds and gritty feeling. Having long been a fan of Timney triggers, I dug out my Brownells catalog to see if they had what I needed. I was pleasantly surprised to find their trigger kit fit not only my 7600, the earlier 760, the semi-automatic 740 and 7400, as well as 870, 1100, and 11-87 shotguns!

One part number will take care of deer hunters using rifles or slugs and anyone wanting a nice trigger to break clays or drop a pheasant. Begin the process by clearing and cocking the rifle with the safety on. Gently tap out the two pins holding the trigger mechanism into the receiver (either left or right is fine as these aren’t tapered pins) and pull the trigger assembly down and away. Locate the trigger plate bushing and remove it by pushing it should have a minimal amount of travel (creep) and, when

left to right, then lift away the sear spring. Using thumb pressure, push down on the hammer and pivot the sear rearward, then slowly release the hammer. While not necessary, I went ahead and removed the hammer pin and hammer to allow polishing on various surfaces. This also gives easier access to the sear pin. It is simple to see metal-to-metal contact spots that could use a gentle polishing. Very little material needs to be removed so a 400 grit stone or very fine grade file will do the job nicely.

Use a buffing wheel on the hammer to add a nice finishing touch. In addition to springs, the kit contains anew adjustable sear which needs to be installed. The sear pin is partially covered and requires a bit of dexterity to remove. Utilize a small diameter punch to drive the pin from right to left and remove the old, non-adjustable sear. Install the new sear and tap the pin back into its location. Choose a replacement spring for the factory piece. I went with the middle weight (white) one.

The difference in springs is readily apparent as the factory unit is a bit longer and uses considerably thicker (0.022 versus 0.031) wire than the white spring. The new spring goes into the mechanism and the trigger plate bushing is reinstalled. Before installing the trigger group back into the receiver, take the time to lubricate all the moving parts and put a bit of molybdenum grease where the sear and hammer connect. Insure the hammer is cocked, otherwise it is impossible to reassemble.

While it is great to be able to weigh the trigger pull, in reality whatever feels right is best. I tried the trigger several times and appreciated how much lighter it was. Just to make sure I was getting what I wanted, I tried the other two kit springs but went back to the white one. A bit of adjustment on the sear yielded an even four pounds and a trigger than should make it easier to take my next deer. With the trigger situation handled, it was time to address the lack of a method to carry.

There was no sling and because this is a pump action, there is a two piece stock and forend with no traditional spot to put a front sling mount. The sling swivel kit contains a front swivel that clamps to the barrel, so there is no need to drill a hole. That being said, a hole does need to be made in the stock and that’s where a drilling fixture (I got mine from MidwayUSA.com, comes in very handy. This item allows for quick and easy centering of the drill and makes for a professional looking installation.

After drilling, the swivel is screwed into the wood. I always use a bit of epoxy to insure that the swivel stays in place. For a relatively expensive rifle, this one comes with poor quality open sights. I decided to use a scope as my eyes don’t do well with metallic sights. Luckily, the receiver is drilled and tapped so adding mounts was a simple task. It is a good idea to use thread locking compound (like Loctite) on the screws and a drop on the bottom side of both mounts to further insure it doesn’t come loose.

As I planned to do a lot of practice, I also added a recoil pad. After letting the Loctite cure overnight, I attached a scope, boresighted it, and headed for the range. I brought along some target ammo that I use for my M1 Garand and proceeded to shoot a three round group. Were these lucky shots? Probably, but I’d rather be lucky than good. Brownells parts used include a Sling Swivel Kit (593-144-100), Trigger Kit (883-000-022), Recoil Pad (440-000-053), and Scope Mounts (955-010-093).

I also used Midway- USA’s Drill Fixture (783-373). AG