To improve reliability, the magazine was changed to feed cartridges at a shallower angle, and the breech was counterbored to a funnel shape to "gather in," as it were, the noses of misaligned cartridges headed for the chamber.

The gas-operated 750 is much easier on the shoulder than a fixed-breech gun, especially when shooting from the bench.

The extractor was also changed; where once it was secured by a small rivet, it was now held in place by its own spring tension exerted against its annular retaining groove inside the recessed bolt face. (This same change was also made to the extractor of the Model 700 bolt-action rifle.) The Model Four designation used to distinguish the deluxe version of this gun was dropped after a few years; only the Model 7400 name was used, until now.

With the new Model 750 comes the fourth generation of the original Model 740. For testing I chose a caliber that in this gun makes for a very potent short- to medium-range rig perfectly capable of taking on any animal on the continent, the .35 Whelen. Indeed, my plan was to use the test gun on an Alberta black bear hunt, for it would be difficult to come up with a more formidable choice for that particular application, but I didn't receive the gun in time for my hunt.

The Model 750 weighed in at 7 1/2 pounds as it came from the box, and with its 22-inch barrel it measured 42 5/8 inches overall. Distinguishing this gun cosmetically from it forebears is a beavertail-like forearm that's accentuated by a sharply delineated ridge running its entire length on each side.

Only Remington loads ammo for the .35 Whelen. Two loadings are offered, a 200 and a 250 grain, both Pointed Soft Point Core Lokts.

With the bottom half of the forearm being wider than the upper half, it forms a flute of sorts where the two surfaces meet. The visual effect is quite handsome and lends a distinctive look to the gun. As for the rest of the changes made, they're all functional, but the only one visible from the outside is the presence of a free-rotating sling swivel stud at the forearm tip, a feature not found on previous models.

Beneath that forearm is an improved gas system that Remington claims is cleaner and more efficient. By moving the gas vent closer to the chamber, there should be less carbon deposits on the piston assembly and bolt velocity should be more consistent.

(Top) The 750's lineage starts with the Model 740, which was introduced in 1955. (Center) The 742 replaced the 740 in 1960, but the changes were purely cosmetic except for the addition of Teflon to some of the innards. Shown here is the Carbine version. (Bottom) The Model 7400 replaced the 742 in 1984 and incorporated several design changes, the most notable being the locking system. It has been replaced by the Model 750.

Also, all reciprocating surfaces are now coated with Teflon for smoother, quieter operation. All the aforementioned changes are said to translate into more reliable operation, particularly in severe environments.

The 750's detachable magazine remains the same and is interchangeable with earlier Model 7400 versions. As such, it is unique in that the bolt hold-open feature is built into it. Holding the bolt open after the last shot is the magazine follower, which juts up into the bolt raceway to interfere with the bolt closing.

In this respect it's like the military Mauser 98. By sliding a latch located near the bottom left side of the magazine forward, the rear of the follower is tilted downward, allowing the bolt to close. The magazine-release latch is also the same as on previous models in that it's located on the front web of the triggerguard bow on the right side.