So goes the Remington 788 in 30-30 WCF...

Huey
[subject]
Wednesday, April 07, 2021, 13:00 (1114 days ago)

The gun arrived and was in the expected condition for a 40+ year old gun.

The first thing I did was add a spare factory magazine. These aren't getting easier to find.

The gun was disassembled and cleaned. Worn bluing was touched up and the gun was polished so all metal matched.

The stock was stripped, sanded, stained Walnut and finished with Tru-Oil.

I'll let it dry for a few days. Have some Warne Rings ordered to mount a NIB Weaver K6 Scope I've been saving for a project just like this.

Pictures will follow after reassembly is complete. This should make a dandy low recoiling rifle for my neck of the woods.

788

Okie
[subject]
Wednesday, April 07, 2021, 13:44 (1114 days ago) @ Huey

I've always heard how accurate they are so I bought a .308 carbine a few years ago and I just couldn't get it to shoot, had a terrible trigger. I finally got tired of it and sold it instead of putting a new trigger in it. Hope yours works out better than mine did, maybe I just got a dud.

I've owned a few of them and all were accurate...

Huey
[subject]
Wednesday, April 07, 2021, 13:48 (1114 days ago) @ Okie

Can only hope this one will be too. I'm betting it will be. Once I get everything assembled, I'll sure find out.

I bought a Remington Sportsman 78

Lonnie
[subject]
Wednesday, April 07, 2021, 15:51 (1114 days ago) @ Huey

chambered only .243 Winchester over 30 years ago, and sent the trigger assembly to Neil Jones and had it slicked up. I passed that rifle down to my son. It is exceptionally accurate, never had a feeding or extraction problem, and has killed a plethora of deer, foxes, and groundhogs graveyard dead. Like the 788, they were not beautiful to the eye.....but their performance made them beautiful to the soul. Well earned nicks, scratches, and scuff marks have only added to the memories, legacy, and appeal of that rifle.

Most of the triggers were terrible and

WB
[subject]
Wednesday, April 07, 2021, 14:16 (1114 days ago) @ Okie

there was not much you could do about it. I don't remember if Timmeny had an aftermarket but it would surprise me if they offered a $125 trigger for what was basically an economy gun.

They have a very rigid receiver design with minimal openings compared to others. The rear locking lugs on a two piece bolt were a bit of a mystery to me too. Plastic safety and plastic sights were innovative (this was before plastic guns were common) but always worked. And the single stack mags were a bit tinny feeling but in function were great.

You can polish the trigger up a bit...

Huey
[subject]
Wednesday, April 07, 2021, 15:01 (1114 days ago) @ WB

The contact points on trigger and bolt are easily polished mirror slick.

But, they are (were) an economy gun. For whatever reason, they just intrigued me. Maybe because my first centerfire rifle was one of them.

My .308 had a heavy trigger but shot great

WB
[subject]
Wednesday, April 07, 2021, 19:47 (1114 days ago) @ Huey

The 6mm I also had the trigger was fine. It may have had some work. There were no external adjustments. Not like on a M700. I like odd guns and the 788 was very unconventional, very interesting. And they indeed were accurate. If one were shooting wild I'd figure it was possibly a bedding issue first off.

Trigger

Rw
[subject]
Wednesday, April 07, 2021, 16:40 (1114 days ago) @ WB

I have a 308 carbine and a 223 both triggers brake like glass, both were bought used so I don't know if they had some kind of trigger work done. And both make one small ragged hole at 100 yards, they would be the last guns I ever got rid of out of my collection, and the 308 carbine shoots the same hand loads my 15-in encore shoots I love them.

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