Woodmaster 742

[BHShaman]

When my uncle passed away a few years ago, I bought his 742 Woodmaster from my aunt. It was a win-win, in that I kept a beloved firearm in the family, and she needed the money to cover some of the expenses from his passing.

I have just now gotten back into hunting after a stint in college and career building. I have done a few look-ups on the rifle and can not find much on the 742.

I have sighted it and taken one deer so far with no problems what-so-ever.

It is a 742 in 30-06 with engravings on the receiver of bear and deer.

Is the engraved version fairly rare? I did not see any at gun broker or some other firearm sellers websites.

What are the most common problems that people experience, and are they more than just maintenance issues?

Thanks for any feedback.

[Guest]

That is a good gun and an excellent scope. You can get ammo for the 30.06 to hunt bears, bees and anything in-between.
I got rid of mine because I didn't care for that high-gloss finish. Like walking around with a mirror!
If it starts to fail to feed, take a look at the magazine - the lips are probably bent.
If it jams after firing, clean the chamber and extractor.
Fire a "fouling" shot at the beginning of season and then don't clean it until the end of the season.
Once you get it cold (if hunting up north), keep it cold. Going from cold bush to hot cabin makes it sweat all over. True for all guns, but semi's suffer the most.
Wipe all the oil off before getting it cold. Won't hurt it a bit, keeps the oil from getting gummy.
Can't tell value from the rcvr pics, but that Weaver scope is probably worth as much as the rifle.

good luck,

[BHShaman]

Thank you.
What happened to the other responses?
Someone had given me a lot of info and asked for the barrel numbers.
I responded. All those post are gone.

Here is the original response:

Tom H

Your 742 is a ADL Deluxe grade and was offered from 196-63 with the roll engraving. It is not cut engraving. It sold for around $155 then. The only thing I would recommend is changing the recoil spring under the forearm. They get weak with age. I replace mine every few years. Be careful to note the position of the end screw and when you reassemble, put it in the same place. These rifles can be sensitive to how tight that screw is. Mine shoots sub inch with 15 Inch pounds of torque. 22,952 ADLs were made from 1960-63. Tom H

[BHShaman]

Can't tell value from the rcvr pics, but that Weaver scope is probably worth as much as the rifle.

The weaver scope does not have much in the way of marking on it.
Its a 2.5-7x
Says Weaver V7 U.S.A.
Has a screw out (adjustable) reticle eye piece
Has screw on caps for the adjustments
Set in 1" Rings







Symbols on the 742 barrel are:
5 R K G
R.E.P. M (symbol)