Remington 760 Assembly/Disassembly

The Remington 760 pump action rifle is almost iconic, at least in my neck of the woods. I don’t remember ever going deer hunting and not running into at least one other hunter toting one. As might be expected, I live in the east, however, the 760 has shown up in areas of the west as well as up north in Maine and Canada, too. Images of a fleeing whitetail and a hunter spraying shots as fast as the action could be pumped area mostly a non sequitur, although such has happened.

I’ve sat on public land as dawn broke in the east and have been amazed at the incredible number of shots fired in that first half hour. Everybody is shooting a deer except me! Yeah, right. To make my case: About noon one opening day I chanced upon a group of "hunters" and asked them if they had heard all those shots. "Yeah that was us," one exclaimed. "We were rolling a tire down the hill and trying to hit it." At seven o’clock in the morning! One shot, one kill, right? What’s that old Indian saying?

One shot, meat; two shots, maybe; three shots, damn fool. Pouring lead at a deer is not good practice. Pennsylvania bans semi-autos from the deer woods which are basically the same as the pumps. I don’t have a say in the matter, since I live in Maryland and don’t hunt that state anymore, so I won’t comment. The Remington 760 is the result of the genesis from the Model 14, Model 14-1/2 and the model 141 Remington pumps.

It is definitely not the same, but the idea for a pump action big game rifle is certainly not new to the company, since the model 14 was introduced in 1912. The 760 now in my shop has a serial number that indicates it was manufactured sometime during 1978-1981. It is in very good condition with only a scratch or two to provide provenance of its hunting heritage. Almost any gunshop will have one of these rifles resting in its used gun rack at one time or another.

The most common caliber seems to be .30-06, although the 760 has been chambered for over a dozen others. The cartridges chambered in this rifle qualify it to be more than just a deer gun and one which is fully capable of taking any animal on the North American continent and most African game as well. Be that as it may, I think most of the users of this rifle are blue collar types that are looking for the perfect deer getter, me included.

At this stage of my life the only problem I have with this rifle is its weight. Mine comes in at just 7 3/4 pounds unloaded. This is with a 4x Redfield scope attached in Weaver mounts, so it is definitely in the range of a woods rifle. Most of my deer rifles weigh around 8 pounds. This weight is an asset to hold a steady aim. However, to me, eight pounds seems like more of a load than it used to. I’ll go even lighter if I can. This rifle is accurate.

It will put three shots of Remington factory loads in less than an inch, usually with the first two touching. If that isn’t good enough for a rifle of this type I don’t know what is. I checked these loads for bullet runout on my RCBS Case Master. They ranged from not too bad to terrible, but who’s going to complain with results like this? It was a magazine problem that caused this particular 760 to show up at my shop.

You have to do some jiggling to get the magazine in all the way to its seat, a common problem with these rifles. My magazine is stamped .25-06, .30-06, .270, .35 Whelen and .280. I guess you could call it generic. It feeds fine once it’s seated, but getting there is half the battle. More on this later. Let’s get down and dirty on this rifle. One thing I like about this design is that it’s not difficult to work on. There is a large screw holding the forend on.

I found that a bit used to mount Leupold/Buehler scope rings (Brownells 080-430-430WB) fit this screw perfectly and allow it to turn out easily. My rifle has a sweated-on barrel band to hold a sling swivel while many others have the sling stud on the end of the forend. To remove the forend, pump the rifle and hold the bolt so the wood can clear the barrel band. I left mine on until I was ready to separate the barrel from the action to give a better purchase.

This gun has never been apart since it came from the factory, as far as I can determine, so it was a little tight and took a couple of pulls. The forend and action bars can then be rotated 90 degrees and will come off the recoil lug. The next step is to unscrew the action tube assembly. This is best accomplished by inserting an appropriate punch into the hole provided and turning counterclockwise. If it’s difficult to start, a judicious use of a small hammer close on the punch

It should turn out easily. can be tried. My gun had to get a few good whacks to break free, but once it did it unscrewed easily. It’s possible some sort of locking agent was used at the factory. That tells me to add a drop of blue Loctite when I put it back together. As long as the rifle functions properly and nothing breaks there should never be another reason to take it down, especially since it will be used as a hunting rifle and not fired all that much.

Be aware that there are at least two types of action tubes. One goes all the way through the forend and attaches to the receiver bolt. The other kind is a two piece affair with a rubber Oring on one end where it fits into the hollow tube in the forend. Either is taken down the same by unscrewing it with a punch. The breech bolt assembly can then be freed from its sheet metal clip at the rear of the action bars for disassembly into its components.

Some of these assemblies are riveted on and should not be removed unless necessary. These assemblies separate into two parts. The part with the locking lugs contains the ejector and its spring (held by a pin) and the extractor and its spring (held by a rivet.) Unless you want to replace the extractor it’s probably best to leave it alone as it can be damaged quite easily by removal. Be careful when disassembling the ejector as it has a powerful spring that could send this small part into Never Never Land.

There is also a small bolt carrier spring which goes in position in front and around the firing pin. The cover fits into a matching cut in the barrel. If you don’t have to take it apart to fix anything, don’t. Some of these parts are difficult to come by. It is easily cleaned without disassembly. The other half of the breech bolt assembly contains two camming pins (large and small) and the pin holding the firing pin in place.

On my gun the firing pin was staked in place, probably at the factory, using a chisel to tighten the hole. It can be punched out but since the firing pin was in fine order and it can easily be cleaned, I decided to leave well enough alone and not remove it. Speaking of small parts flying around the shop, I came up with a little trick to help stop this. I bought a folding poster board from my local crafts store that has three sides when unfolded and is about 36

The spring goes over the firing pin and fits into a recess. The small cam pin is shown and the large cam pin is on the other side. I did not have to remove it, so I didn’t. This part cleans up easily as is. inches high. I cut it off on a table saw to fit under the work light on my bench and use this to make controlled space to work on these kinds of small parts. Unless they fly over my shoulder or hit me in the head, this will contain such spring-loaded critical items and has saved me some grief.

I doubt if the barrel will ever be taken off this gun again, so I took this opportunity to clean it. It’s not often you get a chance to clean a gun like this from the breech end. I had gone over it after last hunting season, so it wasn’t too dirty. I started with a little Hoppe’s # 9 Bench Rest, which does a good job of removing copper. I ran a dry patch through then used another one wet with Hoppe’s #9 and added a few drops of Kroil. After another dry patch I inspected the barrel with my Hawkeye bore scope.

I wanted to try and determine just why this rifle shoots so well. I wish I could say that I found the finest looking barrel ever, but it was just ordinary. There was a little copper wash and I put a brush through it before I put it back on the gun. The chamber was fine, as were the lug seats. The leade was not damaged at all. This rifle has not been shot very much. It is a hunting rifle pure and simple and doesn’t see a lot of range time.

The lands and grooves showed lots of chatter from the tooling If you try to jam this part into the receiver it can be damaged. The part is commercially available and sometimes it is made out of metal. This seems to be the bugaboo for most people when trying to re-assemble the gun. It’s not that bad if you go slow and don’t try and force it. This is a three round group fired with Remington 165 grain Core-Lokt factory ammunition. used to rifle it.

They were far from smooth, however, the grooves were sharply defined as well as the lands. I have seen some rifles that literally were missing a good six inches of rifling all together. They wouldn’t shoot worth a hoot. If I see a bore like that I know the rifle needs to be rebarreled. The bore scope will not necessarily tell you which rifle will shoot and which will not, barring catastrophic damage. Regardless of

35 Remington. It weighs about the same as the 760. Remington has been producing pump-action big game rifles for close to a century. pitting or tool marks, you just have to shoot the gun to see what it can do. A bad barrel will not shoot anything well. Some barrels will shoot a few loads adequately. A good barrel will shoot almost anything you stuff in it; at least it won’t spray groups all over the target, all things being equal.

The trigger plate, as Remington calls it, houses the firing mechanism and is easily removed from the receiver by punching out two pins using a ¼" punch and a 1/8" punch. They have roll pin heads but are not true roll pins. I used roll pin punches so as not to mar them. The trigger plate contains the magazine latch and spring which can be removed by compressing the small spring and pulling off the latch from the pin. This pin also holds the hammer, the action bar lock and spring.

Lifting the action bar spring will allow you to free the pin and tap it out. Do not attempt this if the pin is riveted in as it is on some guns. The hammer can be released and the spring lifted out of its seat, which is normally held in place by the action bar lock. At this point the sear can be pushed back and the trigger spring removed. Punch out the sear pin and the sear can be removed. The most popular seems to be the .30-06. Nowadays, they are more scarce. 30-06.

The other has five different calibers based on the ’06 case. It is more "generic." Dimensionally they appear to be the same and both work well if properly cared for. Before punching out the trigger pin, note some of these pins have serrations on one end. If present, that end comes out first and goes in last. Remove the trigger and trigger connector. Do not try to disassemble the trigger connector from the trigger as it is riveted in. The trigger is a restricted part.

The safety pin can be punched out and the safety and its spring removed. Some guns have a plunger and spring and others have a ball bearing here, depending on the year of manufacture.

I did not take this trigger plate assembly completely apart for the sake of this article. It can be done safely but don’t do it unless you have to. You have to remember that these guns are not manufactured anymore and parts can be almost impossible to find. If something breaks or you lose a spring you are on your own. A perusal of Remington’s web site has a parts schematic that classifies the items as restricted, obsolete or maybe. There may be other suppliers I don’t know about.

It’s always prudent to check Midway, Numrich, Brownells, etc. Be that as it may the assembly is easily cleaned and inspected without disassembly which was the Remington designers’ idea in the first place. So unless you have problems with it, leave well enough alone. I can imagine the look on my customer’s face if I tell him that I put his favorite hunting rifle out of commission and don’t think I can fix it. At this point a thorough cleaning and lubrication of everything is in order.

Don’t overdo the lube, especially if it’s petroleum based and can freeze and gum up the works. This gun must be capable of operating under extreme hunting conditions, so a little dab’ll do ya’. The action must work smoothly and freely but not slop oil all over when you rack it. I put a little Gunslick graphite-based grease on the back of the locking lugs and anyplace I think might need it. I’m not saying this stuff is the best, but I’ve used it for along time with good results. It won’t freeze and is inexpensive.

I have not tried every new lubrication/rust preventative product on the market. I don’t think I’ll live long enough to accomplish that feat. What would you call that, The Grand Slam of Grease? Another thing to mention in the reassembly of this rifle is the ejection port cover. It can be a real pain in the neck trying to get this part back in the gun without damaging it. It is usually made of tough plastic although it can be metal.

Schematics are of little use on this one as they just show where it goes, not how to get it back together. From listening to Internet chatter, this part is the one most people can’t figure out. Study how this part fits into the grooves provided on the inside of a stripped receiver and record the relationships to other parts before you tear your gun down. It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to take a good picture or two for later study.

It’s not that getting this piece back together is impossible; it’s just that this is one of those times where you might say, "I’m throwing this piece of **** out the window!" Indent the end where it fits into the barrel and hold the bolt closed while replacing it on the receiver. I find it much easier (unless you have four hands) to put the rear stock that holds the receiver upside down in a vise and guide everything in carefully, making sure the ejection port cover goes into its groove.

This should all be inserted as a unit/assembly. Sometimes using a small instrument like a dental pick can help guide the cover. Keep at it and it will go in there, I promise. One thing that is crucial: DO NOT put the receiver in a vise. You will only bend it and it can be very difficult to get it strait again. Use the barrel or the rear stock to hold the rifle, and don’t crush them, either. I also promised to say a little bit about the magazines of these rifles.

If you have feeding problems check the magazine first unless it’s something obvious like a cracked bolt or whatever. You will find that if you observe some of your customers they will ram these magazines home and give them a couple of whacks with the palm of their hand for good measure. It’s no wonder the parts can be damaged by the time they get to you. I haven’t seen it all, but sometimes I think there isn’t anything some people won’t do to ruin a fine firearm while trying to make it work.

Check carefully for damaged feed lips. The lips should hold the cartridge at least until it is around halfway in the chamber or in far enough that the bolt can drive it home without a jam. They can be brought back to life if you know how. Otherwise, if you can’t get them to work, anew magazine is in order. In years past there wasn’t any gunshop I walked into that didn’t have at least one display of new magazines for these rifles. Nowadays they are more scarce. The new 7600’s magazine can work but may need tweaking.

Sometimes a little modification is needed around the area that the latch fits into and possibly some fitting in front where it meets the trigger plate. I find treating all the firearms that come in my shop as precision tools that will take care of me if I take care of them is the best policy. I don’t slam, rip, whack or anything unless I’m in my rage mode and reach for my four-pound hammer (don’ cha’ hate it when that happens!) Show your customers how to put a magazine in the gun. I start the front in first.

There is a hole in the front of the receiver that mates with a small protrusion on the front of the magazine. Make sure the magazine latch is securing the rear as it should. Sometimes the magazine will not fully seat if this is not done and, of course, will jam. If you have to whip out a freshly loaded magazine and slam it into the gun after firing five rounds at your fleeing (or, worse, wounded) animal I think you should have one of the AR style rifles that are made for this kind of combat.

The 760s were never intended to be used in this manner, although they can be loaded quickly and safely by someone who knows how. If you work on local firearms and are not specialized in ARs or handguns or shotguns you will find one of these popular hunting guns in your shop. I am on the lookout for parts for these and other rifles when I visit the gun shows. It doesn’t hurt to pick up a magazine, sear spring or bolt carrier assembly if you can get a good price. You never know when they will come in handy. AG

1 Action bar assembly 2 Action bar lock 3 Action bar lock spring 4 Action tube assembly 5 Action tube ring 6 Barrel assembly 7 Barrel bracket bolt 8 Bolt carrier 9 Bolt carrier spring 10 Breech bolt assembly 11 Buttplate 12 Buttplate screws (2) 13 Cam pin (lg.) 14 Cam pin (sm.) 15 Connector, left 16 Connector, right 17 Connector pin (16a Buttplate spacer) 18 Ejection port cover 19 Ejector 20 Ejector retaining pin 21 Ejector spring 22 Extractor 23 Extractor rivet 24 Firing pin 25 Firing pin retaining pin 26 Fore-end assembly 27 Fore-end cap screw 28 Front sight 29 Front sight ramp 30 Front sight ramp screws (2) 31 Grip cap 32 Grip cap spacer 33 Hammer 34 Hammer pin 35 Hammer plunger 36 Hammer spring Remington 760 (Speci ications subject to change without notice) 37 Magazine assembly 38 Magazine latch 39 Magazine latch spring 40 Rear sight aperture 41 Rear sight base 42 Rear sight base screw 43 Rear sight slide 44 Elevation screw 45 Windage screw 46 Receiver assembly 47 Receiver plug screws (4) 48 Receiver stud 49 Safety 50 Safety detent ball 51 Safety spring 52 Safety spring retaining pin 53 Sear 54 Sear pin 55 Sear spring 56 Stock 57 Stock bearing plate 58 Stock bolt 59 Stock bolt lock washer 60 Stock bolt washer 61 Trigger 62 Trigger pin 63 Trigger plate, R.

H. 64 Trigger plate pin bushing, front 65 Trigger plate pin bushing, rear 66 Trigger plate pin detent spring, front 67 Trigger plate pin detent spring rear 68 Trigger plate pin, front 69 Trigger plate pin, rear