remington 788 history

[flopduster]

Does anyone know the history on the 788 rem??  I have a 788 carbine in 308 and would like to know a little more about it.

thanks

[old06]

Here is the little i know had a 22 250 it was a good gun shot very good groups and was not picky about loads hand or factory. It was made from 1967 to 1983 the ones made befor 1975 had a bolt lock incorpated in them all short action odd ball cal were 30 30 and 44 mag. They have a following of sort herd that Browning BBR  and Rem 788, 742 and 760 were forced to quit production  because of Weatherby's pat on the 9 locking lug  

[helobill]

Try this
http://www.remington.com/aboutus/history/m788.htm
It's the history of the 788 according to Remington. 788's are out there for sale, but command less than the model 700's on the resale market.
Bill

[Mikey]

flopduster:  I had one of those years ago in 308.  It drove me danged crazy.  It came to me in pieces and had been 'worked on' by a previous owner.  I was looking for a lightweight, short bolt action in a suitable cailber for upstate NY whitetail.  

This thing had a lot of problems that were finally fixed, to the extent possible.  It was quite accurate with factory 150s, less so with 165s and 180s would only group moa with handloads in the 2430'/sec range - I wasn't wild about it.  It cost me a couple of lost deer when things came loose on the trek from the truck to the hunting blind and continued to drive me nutz until I gave it to my brother, who rescoped it and uses it for hogs down south.  

Mine had a very tight chamber.  Factory loads and factory brass would chamber fine but reloads had to be sized through 4 different sizers - get this - a 308 sizer, a 307 sizer, a 308 trim die and a 30-06 sizer, before they would chamber.  Other guys I met who owned these raved about them as inexpensive tack drivers.  You couldn't prove it by me, sorry to say and I was not impressed with it.  Sorry, but I hth.  Mikey.

[gunnut69]

There were actually 3 action lengths.  Short = 44 mag, medium = 222 and the long 308/243/6mm.  The first few had walnut stocks but the wood was soon changed to American hardwood(birch or sycamore).  The action has a very fast lock time and was and is a favorite of steel shooters and cast bullet folks.  It is a rear lockup action and the sidewalls are quite thick.  This makes the action very rigid and also very heavy.  Magazines are sheet metal and of simple construction with a single stock feed.  The carbine was added in the last few years of production along with a bolt handle swept slightly to the rear.  They were usually quite accurate and although heavy for short actions the quick lock times and stiffness quick operation of the bolt(although the short bolt lift made for increased opening effort) made them quite popular.  The had faults and the worst was that if stresses(and sometimes even if not) the brazed on bolt handle would come off.  Remington had a tough decision to make.  The rifle was competing with the M700 and they either had to improve it's looks or remove it's competition.  Making a single action reduces costs so they dropped the 788 in favor of a much cheapened version of the M700 called a M78().   I have one for a while and the replacement shot well as do most M700's.  I've shot a lot of M788's over the years and my first high power rifle was a M788 in 243.  I learned a lot about gunsmithing working on that rifle.  It was like an old friend and was stolen in '87.  All the 788's I've worked with were accurate and quite usable rifles..

[lgm270]

The biggest problem with the M 788 is the bolt handle coming off in your hand.  This happened  on this rifle a disconcerting number of times to people, notwithstanding the fact that the 788 has a very loyal, devoted folliowing. I have an 18.5" in .308 that I like ver much, actually.  For deer hunting out to 200 yard it's as good as anything else I have.  It's also very easy to get in and out of vehicles.  

I had a bad lot of mil surp 7.62 that apparently was over loaded and after the second round I had to use a board to knock open the bolt after the shell casing was stuck in the chamber.  I sheered off the bolt stop  and the bolt flew out of the back of the rifle.  The bolt handle and the extractor held and I had a new bolt stop installed.   It works fine and for a "brush gun" it is tops.

[thecowboyace]

I had one of them in the little, lightweight, no size cartridge, no punch it, .222.  I bought it second hand when a man I knew bought one in a .243.  I think that he had good luck with it cause he still has his.  Said the accuracy was as good as the .222.  I have never known anyone who had a more accurate rifle, no matter what caliber.  It killed many a coyote and potfuls of rabbits out on the flight line at an air force base.  He was an MP, I was an ER tech.  Would take the ambulance or his SP car out and whup'up on 'em.  I have no earthly idea how I could even estimate the carnage we racked up with it.  The .243 caused some questions about noise on the flight line where the .222 did not.

Mine had a meltdown problem when it went thru a house fire.  Wouldn't mind owning another though.

[urika20]

I had one in 243. What a tack driver it was. Bought it in '77, sold it to make a car payment in '84... big time regrets :cry: I'm not sure about bolts falling off the 788's because when I was young and stupid and wanting to keep up with the guys with the 22-250's. I reloaded hot loads. 60gr sierras on top of as much powder as the case would hold it seems. Anyhow, one evening while out chuck hunting, I shot and did I get a face full of hot gas. It was all I could do to raise the bolt. Pulling it back was not even an option. I ended up standing on the bolt and applied my full weight to eject that empty. Which had a blown primer.

Needless to say I saw the light, concentrated on case life and accuracy after that episode. Good rifle, strong action. I've been watching for a good used one. Though I'd like to get back the one my father made a curly maple stock for my mom.

urika20