Remington 788 .223 - cheap shouldn't be this good!

[radford56]

I found a NIB .223 Remington 788 in a hardware/gun store in Pensacola, FL in the early 1990s - can't remember the exact year. Just so happened it was really close to my birthday and I talked my wife into letting me buy it as a gift to myself. I shot it a little, but for some reason it ended up in the back of the safe for quite a few years.

I'm currently making an effort to go through the safe and put some of the safe queens back in circulation - or put them up for sale. On a whim I pulled the 788 out, mounted an old Weaver 16x (kind of the correct vintage optic for this rifle) and took it to the range last week. I primarily load .223 with heavy bullets for fast twist AR-15s, so I had to look around for something suitable for the 788's twist rate. I finally found a box of Winchester factory 45 grain .223 ammunition that I bought and stuck on the shelf so I decided to use these to check out the 788.

After checking the zero at 25 yards, I moved to the 100 yard range and decided to shoot the 10 rounds that I had left into one group. I could tell it was going pretty good through the scope, but when I pulled the target, I was surprised to see that the 10 shot group measured right at .8 inches center to center! Maybe just luck, but I don't really think so. And I have to tell you, the trigger on this rifle is so bad that while I was shooting, I kept checking to make sure I hadn't inadvertently engaged the safety.

I guess this one is a keeper, but I have to do something about that trigger. I know these rifles had a reputation for being more accurate than they should be based on their price, but do they routinely shoot this well?

 

[snert]

Yes, and better.

Scrub the trigger with lighter fluid and hose out the bolt too, then light grease of oil in the bolt. it may help your trigger. (NO OIL in trigger, just lighter fluid)

 

[radford56]

Yes, and better.

Scrub the trigger with lighter fluid and hose out the bolt too, then light grease of oil in the bolt. it may help your trigger. (NO OIL in trigger, just lighter fluid)

I'll give that a try. I see that Timney still lists a trigger for the 788, are they worth looking at?

 

[snert]

yes, if they really do still make one...

 

[mac86951]

I just put a timney on mine. Years of gunk and lighter fluid can't fix pitting on the original. Looks like it's been on the shelf for years.

Minor inletting adjust around the safety, otherwise works great.

-Mac

 

[Tommie]

788’s are amazing shooters.

The Timney is a fair trigger but I prefer the OEM trigger with a few mods. Drill and tap the housing for a sear engagement screw. Then replace the firing pin sear spring (which is also the trigger pull spring) with a much lighter one. I think the factory spring is the same as a 1962 Chevy pickup coil spring. These two mods do wonders. Even if you just do the spring replacement, you notice a big difference.

 

[blvedere]

I've done the rework that Tommie suggested, the sear adjustment modification will do wonders for the trigger, and it's not hard to do.

 

[7887mm08]

I own and shoot all the 788 calibers and yes they will all shoot.
I have put Timney triggers on my most used ones. Yes they are worth it to me.
As stated above you may need to remove a little wood around the safety.
Good luck and enjoy that 788!

 

[epc308]

788’s are amazing shooters.

The Timney is a fair trigger but I prefer the OEM trigger with a few mods. Drill and tap the housing for a sear engagement screw. Then replace the firing pin sear spring (which is also the trigger pull spring) with a much lighter one. I think the factory spring is the same as a 1962 Chevy pickup coil spring. These two mods do wonders. Even if you just do the spring replacement, you notice a big difference.

I've done a similar mod on my 788 triggers, but added an over travel screw. They don't match a Jewel, but are light years better than stock. Some careful polish work on contact surfaces completed the project.

 

[drover]

If you google rem 788 triggers you should be able to find the instructions on how to modify the trigger for a lighter pull weight, it does involve drilling and tapping a couple of holes in the trigger housing but it is fairly simple to do.
caution - if you take the trigger off be careful when reinstalling it on the rifle, the trigger housing is a poor quality casting and the screw at the front of the housing that is used to hold it in place can cause the housing to crack if the screw is tightened too much.

drover

 

[radford56]

If you google rem 788 triggers you should be able to find the instructions on how to modify the trigger for a lighter pull weight, it does involve drilling and tapping a couple of holes in the trigger housing but it is fairly simple to do.
caution - if you take the trigger off be careful when reinstalling it on the rifle, the trigger housing is a poor quality casting and the screw at the front of the housing that is used to hold it in place can cause the housing to crack if the screw is tightened too much.

drover

Thanks - I'll definitely keep that in mind.

 

[Tommie]

I've done a similar mod on my 788 triggers, but added an over travel screw. They don't match a Jewel, but are light years better than stock. Some careful polish work on contact surfaces completed the project.

Actually I did that also, but the drilling for that screw can get weird. There’s two trigger designs and one (I believe the earlier design) is tricky. Other than the cosmetic issue it’s easier to put an overtravel screw in the trigger guard.

 

[Tommie]

If you google rem 788 triggers you should be able to find the instructions on how to modify the trigger for a lighter pull weight, it does involve drilling and tapping a couple of holes in the trigger housing but it is fairly simple to do.
caution - if you take the trigger off be careful when reinstalling it on the rifle, the trigger housing is a poor quality casting and the screw at the front of the housing that is used to hold it in place can cause the housing to crack if the screw is tightened too much.

drover

If I recall correctly, there’s two different “How To” diagrams floating around but both are flawed. But honestly it’s been too many years to recall what the issues are.

 

[epc308]

Actually I did that also, but the drilling for that screw can get weird. There’s two trigger designs and one (I believe the earlier design) is tricky. Other than the cosmetic issue it’s easier to put an overtravel screw in the trigger guard.

Interesting. I didn’t realize there was more than one trigger design. The 3 or 4 I’ve done were all alike. The Model 581 in 22RF is basically a 2/3 scaled down version of the 788 with 6 locking lugs instead of 9. The trigger is nearly identical and I’ve done one of them too.

 

[epc308]

If you google rem 788 triggers you should be able to find the instructions on how to modify the trigger for a lighter pull weight, it does involve drilling and tapping a couple of holes in the trigger housing but it is fairly simple to do.
caution - if you take the trigger off be careful when reinstalling it on the rifle, the trigger housing is a poor quality casting and the screw at the front of the housing that is used to hold it in place can cause the housing to crack if the screw is tightened too much.

drover

The tiny lug for the cross pin is pretty fragile too. A friend was reinstalling that trigger cross pin, tapped too hard and snapped off that lug. A guy at work silver soldered it back in place.

 

[Downhill]

The tiny lug for the cross pin is pretty fragile too. A friend was reinstalling that trigger cross pin, tapped too hard and snapped off that lug. A guy at work silver soldered it back in place.

I have one in 22 250, and has the exact repair you are describing. Always wondered how it happened.
Several years ago I had a dealer friend get me a 788 carbine in 243, had one in the 80's. Bill and I have traded guns for 20 plus years. When I told him that was the coolest rifle he had ever got me he just couldn't understand why.

 

[snert]

Under apppreciated rifle if there ever was one. Not a good looker, but they seem to shoot. Ive shot 222 and 308 and both pissed me off...they shot better than my 700 and nearly as good as my 40xb.

 

[epc308]

I have one in 22 250, and has the exact repair you are describing. Always wondered how it happened.
Several years ago I had a dealer friend get me a 788 carbine in 243, had one in the 80's. Bill and I have traded guns for 20 plus years. When I told him that was the coolest rifle he had ever got me he just couldn't understand why.

I also have a 788 carbine in 243. I bought it too cheap, even 15 years ago. It might have had a box of 20 fired through it when I got it.

 

[drover]

I have done at least a half-dozen 788 triggers without any having any problems, the diagram/schematic I reworked the triggers from were from an early edition of Rifle magazine (Wolfe Publishing).

Here is a link to the article, isn't Google amazing. - http://ps-2.kev009.com/ohlandl/Rem788/Rem788_Trigger.pdf

I had forgotten about the trigger hanger lug, a friend managed to break his off. They are a very small lug with not much contact area so they are a weak link for sure.

drover

 

[Rdlningcltchdmpr]

I found a NIB .223 Remington 788 in a hardware/gun store in Pensacola, FL in the early 1990s - can't remember the exact year. Just so happened it was really close to my birthday and I talked my wife into letting me buy it as a gift to myself. I shot it a little, but for some reason it ended up in the back of the safe for quite a few years.

I'm currently making an effort to go through the safe and put some of the safe queens back in circulation - or put them up for sale. On a whim I pulled the 788 out, mounted an old Weaver 16x (kind of the correct vintage optic for this rifle) and took it to the range last week. I primarily load .223 with heavy bullets for fast twist AR-15s, so I had to look around for something suitable for the 788's twist rate. I finally found a box of Winchester factory 45 grain .223 ammunition that I bought and stuck on the shelf so I decided to use these to check out the 788.

After checking the zero at 25 yards, I moved to the 100 yard range and decided to shoot the 10 rounds that I had left into one group. I could tell it was going pretty good through the scope, but when I pulled the target, I was surprised to see that the 10 shot group measured right at .8 inches center to center! Maybe just luck, but I don't really think so. And I have to tell you, the trigger on this rifle is so bad that while I was shooting, I kept checking to make sure I hadn't inadvertently engaged the safety.

I guess this one is a keeper, but I have to do something about that trigger. I know these rifles had a reputation for being more accurate than they should be based on their price, but do they routinely shoot this well?

Your group is not as good as some other 788's. Some were near benchrest accurate. I had one in 22-250 that was unbelievable. Even with factory ammo.