Remington 7400 problems

buymore · October 13, 2012, 07:20 AM

I bought a used 7400 30-06 back in Sept. It looked solid, just had some marks in the letal where it looked like it had been carried in a vehicle mount that didnt have padding to protect metal from marring. Wood was good. I shot about 20 rds through it getting it sighted in and trying different factory loads. I hunted hogs in Texas mid-Sept with no problems.

Move forward: Now hunting done for this year for that rifle. I stripped it down to the bare receiver to work on that metal. Beadblasted it bacause marring was deeper than it looked. Couldn't really take it down far enough. Blasting and cold bluing looked great. Oiled and let it cure over night and reassembled it. Reassembly was smooth, just as disassembly was. Took it out for a few test rounds and now I have a non working rifle! It will load, fire, eject, and load another round, but.....bolt will not travel far enough back to reset the hammer. When the bolt travels back it seems like there is a slight binding right where the bolt meets the hammer.....more so than it had before the work.

I've been thinking it may have something to do with either over tightening or uner tightening that barrel nut. I don't recall checking this before disassembly, but now the hammer looks like it is slightly off center to the firing pin. I may try to loosen the barrel nut slightly and see if turning it loose just a bit may rotate the bolt back to center.

Anyone else ever have this problem? I thought maybe, unknown to me that I damaged that little gas tube, but I don't see any damage and didn't let anything hit it. Just for a little controlled experiment I filled that action bar tube with a grease thinking.....if it's a gas problem that grease will seal that tube enough to make it function at least once before it blows all the grease out. It seemed to eject the empty just a little harder, but still not far enough to set the hammer. With no triiger group in it there is no binding at all. Binds even more with either of two mags I have. It just seems like I either have something not right going back together making the action sit lower on the trigger group and magazine well. Any ideas to check?

Goatwhiskers · October 13, 2012, 01:36 PM

The barrel nut doesn't have anything to do with the problem, everything locks into place, same with the trigger plate, it's locked into place with the pins. Disassemble and remove the action spring, in fact I suggest that you replace it. Even if you don't, clean the tube and spring well, lubricate, and reassemble. Bet your problems go away. GW

buymore · October 13, 2012, 03:16 PM

If I replace the spring won't it actually push harder making the action even harder for the gas to puch back?

Goatwhiskers · October 13, 2012, 06:11 PM

The spring and its tube are most likely dry, dirty, or both, the spring may be worn and kinking slightly in the tube. Try it, I've been working on those things for more years than I care to count. GW

buymore · October 15, 2012, 02:17 AM

looking at possibility of the disconnector not working correctly.......what is the exact function of the discnnector in the remington 7400 semi auto rifle?

wyop · October 15, 2012, 03:09 AM

- make sure the gas nozzle hasn't been peened or damaged.
- and that the gas port is clean. There should be a ball bearing under the set screw.
- that the action bars aren't dragging on anything
- that the spring isn't kinked; not just kinked in the tube, but permanently kinked or twisted. This is often caused during disassembly

buymore · October 15, 2012, 05:32 PM

May have found my problem....many links with exactly the same problem were are Disconnector related. One was where a guy took his trigger group apart and "put the disconnector backwards".....didn't understand how he could put in backwards until I found right in the Remington Manual where is shows a diagram and specifically states..."make sure the tip of the disconnect is under the connector".......somehow mine was on top.....quick little fix and as soon as I can test fire I think it's fixed!!! I didn't take my trigger group apart, but I do remember something going CLICK when I was trying to wiggle it into the receiver during reassembly! I didn't think much about it, but I knew that disconnector wasn't doing much in that position. Now it moves up and down in the action when working the slide. If this isn't the fix....I'm clueless!

October 13, 2012, 07:20 AM	#1
buymore Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2007 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 257	Remington 7400 problems I bought a used 7400 30-06 back in Sept. It looked solid, just had some marks in the letal where it looked like it had been carried in a vehicle mount that didnt have padding to protect metal from marring. Wood was good. I shot about 20 rds through it getting it sighted in and trying different factory loads. I hunted hogs in Texas mid-Sept with no problems. Move forward: Now hunting done for this year for that rifle. I stripped it down to the bare receiver to work on that metal. Beadblasted it bacause marring was deeper than it looked. Couldn't really take it down far enough. Blasting and cold bluing looked great. Oiled and let it cure over night and reassembled it. Reassembly was smooth, just as disassembly was. Took it out for a few test rounds and now I have a non working rifle! It will load, fire, eject, and load another round, but.....bolt will not travel far enough back to reset the hammer. When the bolt travels back it seems like there is a slight binding right where the bolt meets the hammer.....more so than it had before the work. I've been thinking it may have something to do with either over tightening or uner tightening that barrel nut. I don't recall checking this before disassembly, but now the hammer looks like it is slightly off center to the firing pin. I may try to loosen the barrel nut slightly and see if turning it loose just a bit may rotate the bolt back to center. Anyone else ever have this problem? I thought maybe, unknown to me that I damaged that little gas tube, but I don't see any damage and didn't let anything hit it. Just for a little controlled experiment I filled that action bar tube with a grease thinking.....if it's a gas problem that grease will seal that tube enough to make it function at least once before it blows all the grease out. It seemed to eject the empty just a little harder, but still not far enough to set the hammer. With no triiger group in it there is no binding at all. Binds even more with either of two mags I have. It just seems like I either have something not right going back together making the action sit lower on the trigger group and magazine well. Any ideas to check?

October 13, 2012, 01:36 PM	#2
Goatwhiskers Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2009 Location: Batchelor, La. Posts: 579	The barrel nut doesn't have anything to do with the problem, everything locks into place, same with the trigger plate, it's locked into place with the pins. Disassemble and remove the action spring, in fact I suggest that you replace it. Even if you don't, clean the tube and spring well, lubricate, and reassemble. Bet your problems go away. GW

October 13, 2012, 03:16 PM	#3
buymore Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2007 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 257	If I replace the spring won't it actually push harder making the action even harder for the gas to puch back?

October 13, 2012, 06:11 PM	#4
Goatwhiskers Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2009 Location: Batchelor, La. Posts: 579	The spring and its tube are most likely dry, dirty, or both, the spring may be worn and kinking slightly in the tube. Try it, I've been working on those things for more years than I care to count. GW

October 15, 2012, 02:17 AM	#5
buymore Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2007 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 257	looking at possibility of the disconnector not working correctly.......what is the exact function of the discnnector in the remington 7400 semi auto rifle?

October 15, 2012, 03:09 AM	#6
wyop Senior Member Join Date: July 15, 2012 Location: Wonderful, Windy Wyoming Posts: 133	- make sure the gas nozzle hasn't been peened or damaged. - and that the gas port is clean. There should be a ball bearing under the set screw. - that the action bars aren't dragging on anything - that the spring isn't kinked; not just kinked in the tube, but permanently kinked or twisted. This is often caused during disassembly

October 15, 2012, 05:32 PM	#7
buymore Senior Member Join Date: February 3, 2007 Location: NE Ohio Posts: 257	May have found my problem....many links with exactly the same problem were are Disconnector related. One was where a guy took his trigger group apart and "put the disconnector backwards".....didn't understand how he could put in backwards until I found right in the Remington Manual where is shows a diagram and specifically states..."make sure the tip of the disconnect is under the connector".......somehow mine was on top.....quick little fix and as soon as I can test fire I think it's fixed!!! I didn't take my trigger group apart, but I do remember something going CLICK when I was trying to wiggle it into the receiver during reassembly! I didn't think much about it, but I knew that disconnector wasn't doing much in that position. Now it moves up and down in the action when working the slide. If this isn't the fix....I'm clueless!