I have looked at lots of 742 recivers.
Keep them clean yes but that really has nothing to do with their major flaw.
The rails inside the reciver start to chip some where between 200 and 400 rounds causeing the most trouble.
Some well go longer some less look through the mag well and you can see the chipping if it has taken place.
If they are still good and you don’t plan on shooting it much just a few rounds per year they last a long time.
RR - thanks for the information. I’ve researched this a lot, and never read your statement on the 200 - 400 rnds. being the point of damage.
Read of many who kept the rifle super clean and lubed who say they’ve shot a lot of rounds over many years with no problem. But then, no one has quantified it like you did.
I do understand the design flaw of the receiver being too soft a metal. Too bad someone (especially Remington) didn’t manufacture a receiver that was hard enough once the cause was determined.
No, I plan to shoot it rarely and just keep it in the collection. But I do want to shoot it. We have plenty of deer on our acreage - almost a thousand acres of forest around us, and 1/2 our 15 acres is wooded. I’d love to get a buck with it using only the open sights.
No chipping in mag well thankfully.