Remington 22

[tws3b2]

Picked up this Remington 550-1 semi auto 22 at the pawn shop today. I been wanting a good plinking 22 for a while but I'm an old metal and wood guy and don't think much of the the plastic guns on the market today. And, I can't see putting 4 or 5 hundred $ on a plinker.
But any way. I'm trying to date this thing. There is no serial number I can find. I know that Remington put date codes on the left side of barrel on long guns. 3 or 4 letters. But in that area ( or anywhere on the barrel) all I find is what looks like a small o followed by two larger 7s. o77. I think they stopped making the 550-1 in 1970 if I'm not mistaking. Am I missing something ?

 

[ColtPythonElite]

I believe that is a "ZZ", which is 1953.

Congratulations on a fine rifle. The 550 is probably my favorite semi. I have a near mint one that I plink with on occasion. We have another in the family that my grandfather bought new. 4 generations have beat it up and neglected it. It has never been properly cleaned nor oiled. If it quits working it gets a spray of WD-40, Liquid Wrench, 3 in One or regular motor oil and is back in business. Its had thousands of cheap .22 rounds put through it and never seen a bore brush. It's still soda can accurate at open sight distances, though.

 

[tws3b2]

I believe that is a "ZZ", which is 1953.

Congratulations on a fine rifle. The 550 is probably my favorite semi. I have a near mint one that I plink with on occasion. We have another in the family that my grandfather bought new. 4 generations have beat it up and neglected it. It has never been properly cleaned nor oiled. If it quits working it gets a spray of WD-40, Liquid Wrench, 3 in One or regular motor oil and is back in business. Its had thousands of cheap .22 rounds put through it and never seen a bore brush. It's still soda can accurate at open sight distances, though.

Thanks Colt. It can't be 77 so zz makes sense. I haven't shot it yet but the feel of it makes me think it's a fine rifle. I'll give it a good cleaning this weekend and take it to the range next week and see how she does.

 

[gunlaw]

Great shooter. I have one and it works well with any 22 ammunition I’ve tried in it. BTW your is missing a shell deflector but otherwise a very nice rifle.

 

[Tommygunn]

Very nice rifle. I own one my father had which dates from 1950.

Yours is missing the case deflector, a stamped piece of metal on top of the receiver over the ejection port. I believe many of these rifles are missing this part. They work fine without them.

Before the Gun Control Act of 1968 serial numbers were not required and Remington chose not to number the 550-1. I was able to date mine by calling Remington.

 

[Virginia Jim]

My 550-1 doesn’t have a shell deflector. Out in the sun with a magnifying glass I can make out a “c” or “o” then a “E” or “B”. I don’t know why the letters are so faint.
But it’s one of the most accurate.22’s I’ve ever shot. Much more accurate than my 10/22’s. With .22 short hollow points, it’s deadly on squirrels. I wouldn’t trade it for any new .22 rimfire.

 

[tws3b2]

Great shooter. I have one and it works well with any 22 ammunition I’ve tried in it. BTW your is missing a shell deflector but otherwise a very nice rifle.

Yeah, I see a reproduction deflector on Numrich for $19. I think I will put one on it just so it will be complete but I'm not much interested in reproductions. I'll check out ebay and other places.

 

[gunlaw]

The reproduction would be fine the original is almost always missing. Probably going to be very hard to find.

 

[gunlaw]

How much if I may ask?

 

[tark]

Very nice rifle. I own one my father had which dates from 1950.

Yours is missing the case deflector, a stamped piece of metal on top of the receiver over the ejection port. I believe many of these rifles are missing this part. They work fine without them.

Before the Gun Control Act of 1968 serial numbers were not required and Remington chose not to number the 550-1. I was able to date mine by calling Remington.

The reason so many of these guns are missing the shell deflector is because they don't work very well WITH them! Mine kept jamming until I removed the wretched thing. Gun hasn't missed a beat since.

 

[tws3b2]

How much if I may ask?

How much if I may ask?

I'm kind of a "experienced" old gun parts finder. I'm a old goat. All the time I used to spend chasing the ladies I now spend looking for old gun parts. Which is better time spent you ask? Well, I can say that you get in much less trouble chasing parts and it cost a whole lot less.
I found it at the pawn shop so you know it was to much. He wanted $289 for it but after 30 minutes of my "I'm old so you should give a good price and a free box of shells " routine I got it for $275 and had to pay for the ammo. But, I'm really happy with the gun. Just shot it and it works perfect.

 

[gunlaw]

I don’t think you over paid. $275 for a very nice vintage rifle is a good price. BTW yours looks nicer than mine.

 

[Tommygunn]

The reason so many of these guns are missing the shell deflector is because they don't work very well WITH them! Mine kept jamming until I removed the wretched thing. Gun hasn't missed a beat since.

Mine never had a problem with the deflector. When I got it it had a problem with failure to fire due to light strikes. A little "tweaking" of the firing pin driver spring fixed it.
Perhaps it was a sporadic problem not encountered often. If Remington had found the deflector was a common problem, it would have been an easy enough solution; just leave the part off.

It's moot now, anyway, I guess.

 

[Glenn Berryhill]

Cool gun OP. I have had a number of guns over the years and like you, I'm old so I don't remember too good. I'm almost sure I had a gun like this at one time. If it shoots good, you got a good deal in my opinion.

 

[tws3b2]

Well, Turns out my 550-1 did not shoot so good. Many fail to loads. Thinking it was probably the cartridge stop. I ordered a factory new cartridge stop/carrier assembly for it. Waited two weeks to get that from Numrich. Seems somewhere in past somebody did some "work" on my gun. When I finally got the part I started to disassemble the action only to find that the sear spring case threads were stripped and the sear spring was damaged and unusable. Had to get the case and spring from Popperts. Two weeks to get the case and spring. I was trying to see how the spring would fit back into the gun when it shot out of the gun, into the air and down into the corner pocket of the pool table. Two days of looking through the pool table, no luck. Spring is absolutely gone. Nowhere to be found. That was when I realized that the gun was missing the breech plug retainer and screw. Ordered a new sear spring and plug retainer from Numrich. . Two weeks to get them. The retainer was a reproduction, not original. And, It did not work. It would not retain the plug. I thought all I needed to do was bend back a little. No,it broke in half. Had to order a new "original" plug retainer from Classic Firearms and parts along with a deflector. Well now, finally Im finished. Got the gun all back together. Near two months later and another $100 my Remington 550-1 is shooting like new.

 

[Tommygunn]

Quite the shaggy dog story there, tws3b2, but I'm glad your rifle works!

 

[tark]

Btw 550s work quite well with CB caps and low velocity long rifles

 

[SwampWolf]

I was able to date mine by calling Remington.

Those days, sadly, are over.

Near two months later and another $100 my Remington 550-1 is shooting like new.

Still worth the money you paid ($375.00) for a "classic" old-timer that was well worth the fixing.

 

[Tommygunn]

Those days, sadly, are over......

Maybe ..... but there might be a website or archive of company records where such information might be retained and available for people to search for their firearm's history. The trick would be finding it?

Also, there are books on Winchester Rifles by a guy named Madis who has published charts of Winchester rifles by serial ## and date of manufacture. I don't know if similar books have been published on Remington, but I'm not the expert on that company, unfortunatly.

 

[jar]

There's a Remington Society forum with a wealth of information.

I've been giving my old Model 241 a Spa Day. Was getting light strikes mostly from old gummy oil that stuck like cosmoline. It had been been just sitting though for at least 20 years so deserved a good Spa Day.





AbE:

 

[SwampWolf]

Neat little take-down Remington, for sure.

 

[Coyote3855]

There's a Remington Society forum with a wealth of information.

I've been giving my old Model 241 a Spa Day. Was getting light strikes mostly from old gummy oil that stuck like cosmoline. It had been been just sitting though for at least 20 years so deserved a good Spa Day.

Nice rifle and it looks great. Mine is a bit more used than yours, but it's one of my favorite rifles. I got a decent deal on mine at a gun show because it was very loose in the takedown joint and the seller didn't know how to adjust it. I did and it's been a great shooter.

 

[jar]

Nice rifle and it looks great. Mine is a bit more used than yours, but it's one of my favorite rifles. I got a decent deal on mine at a gun show because it was very loose in the takedown joint and the seller didn't know how to adjust it. I did and it's been a great shooter.

Wish I was in as good shape.

 

[Mars5l]

Where these tapped for scopes? My local range has one for $150, it has an old single power scope on it that's kinda due for replacement. Tempted on the price, but no little about them. Anything to check for, they might let me fire a few rounds to test it out before buying but leary on something this old and need to get new parts if its broken. Without a bore scope is there an easy way to check the bore?

 

[jar]

Where these tapped for scopes? My local range has one for $150, it has an old single power scope on it that's kinda due for replacement. Tempted on the price, but no little about them. Anything to check for, they might let me fire a few rounds to test it out before buying but leary on something this old and need to get new parts if its broken. Without a bore scope is there an easy way to check the bore?

TTBOMK the early ones were not tapped and some later ones had the grooved receivers for 3/8" mounting. If it's one of the takedown models then sure. just hold the barrel part up and look through it. the others hold the block back and shine light inside and look from muzzle end.