Originally Posted by
hometheaterman
The older Remington 740's and 742's have issues with the guns wearing out prematurely, so I'd stay away from them if it was me.
I have a 742 that is 40 years old that is still shooting well and killed two deer so far this year with. My BIL has a 740 that is obviously older and still is shooting fine and taking deer also. My BIL's brother has a 742 that has had problems, but he doesn't clean it.
Semi-autos require a little bit more care and maintenance because they have more moving parts than say a bolt action. If they aren't maintained, they will wear out quickly.
I had a BAR in 7mm RM that I traded a few years ago. I wish I had it back.
With that said, if I was going to buy a new rifle, I would probably go with a pump action instead of a semi auto.