Remington 597

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Waterboy3313

Waterboy3313

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Just curious if anyone has one and what they think about it? I've had one for 20+ years. It was the first rifle I purchased when I was 18. I haven't shot it much in the last few years. Just curious more or less to if it's worth digging out of the safe or not. I was thinking it would be fun to get back into shooting rimfire since I spend a lot of time reloading everything else.

Mine is stainless and came with a synthetic stock and standard barrel profile. The trigger is not great. I understand this to be Remington's answer to the Ruger 10/22 before it was discontinued. I wish as a 18 year old I would been a little smarter and bought the Ruger.

Like I said just curious if I should get it out or save for something better or more accurate. Earlier this week I completely disassembled it, cleaned it and made a few modifications. Hopefully I will get a chance to try it out Saturday or Sunday.
 
Drop an Mcarbo spring and hammer in it. Check your mags some run great others not so much.

I vastly prefer the 597 to the 10/22, at least as far as the stock rifles go. Ive never managed to put together a 10/22 ive been thrilled with, but every 597 ive owned ive really liked.
 
Drop an Mcarbo spring and hammer in it. Check your mags some run great others not so much.
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Kind of funny you mentioned that. The other day when I took it apart for the first time. I noticed something while I was thinking the trigger was not so great. While looking at the trigger parts I had a deja Vu type moment and realized how the hammer spring was very identical to a an AR hammer spring. The Remington spring looked thicker and had an extra coil on each side for a total of two extra coils.

So me being me I decided to do a swap. I had an extra hammer spring due to swapping an AR trigger for a trigger tech unit. I had to trim the spring a bit as the AR spring was slightly longer on the straight part. It cut the trigger pull feel in half.

Then I decided to look at the mcarbo website just to see what was available. I noticed their kit came with aluminum bushings. So me being me again I used my metal lathe to replicate the plastic factory bushings out of some aluminum stock I had on hand.

I also swapped a 3x9-40 weaver scope onto it that I had in my junk collection. Now I just need a day to go try it out.

The whole reason I tore into it was because the barrel channel was tight and I was thinking about freeing it up as well as glass bedding it. The factory synthetic stock has a lot of voids and would probably require more glass bedding epoxy than it would be worth. So I basically ended up making some aluminum pillers. I made them so the action and barrel sit about .025 higher in the stock and gives me about .030 clearance between the fore end of the stock and the barrel.
 
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My experience is the same as the others. Rifle is fine, mags are not. 25 rounders jam every few shots. 10 rounders will usually only hold 9, but a little filing to the bottom of the follower helps sometimes.
 
@ford8nr hosted an excellent Rimfire challenge here on THR a few years back. While there were a very few surprising standouts, results showed what most already knew; plinkers is plinkers and target rifles out shoot them. That’s not to say a more accurate semi-auto couldn’t be found to supplant your Remington, but much of it is on par.
 
I bought this thing back when I was kid and didn't really know anything. The Ruger seems to be the one everyone has and says good things about. The Remington mags were junk. I'm in California so the 10 round magazines will be what I'm using.

I won't be using it for competition type shooting but I do like accuracy. Or I should say I try to be as accurate as I know how to be. I have a few different boxes of 22LR ammo. I opened a box last weekend of Winchester and was getting almost 1 failure per 6 shots in my revolver. It's too bad I have about 900 of them left. I do remember the the Remington brand ammo didn't like the Remington rifle.
 
There have been scant few rimfires that I’ve moved along over the years and I’ve added 4 more in the past 6 months. Nothing wrong with buying and trying as many as you please, especially during times like these when ammo is still available and cheap, relative to centerfire. I’ve known plenty of “kids” that spent money poorly, you did very well by comparison.
 
It's probably a crime to admit this but I've never had the chance to try out a Ruger 10/22.

The Ruger has been around forever and still being manufactured and has a great aftermarket support. The Remington 597 If I'm thinking correctly is not manufactured anymore and never had a great aftermarket support. This kind of made me start wondering if there was a good reason why.

I plan on keeping it for sure as it was my first new rifle. I used it about 5 years ago to get my son into shooting. My first rifle was his first experience and I pretty much told him it is his. I plan going to the range tomorrow morning. If it does decent out to 75 yards I will probably be happy enough with it and take with me more often. Although I wouldn't mind finding a decent bolt action either down the road.
 
In 1998 I bought a 597 and a 10/22. The 10/22 went down the road the same year and I still have the 597. Not that the 10/22 was bad just the 597 is better.
Remington went bankrupt a few years ago, everything was sold at auction and the company that bought Remington firearms is only making the 870's and I think the 700's at this time.
 
Waterboy3313 said:
It's probably a crime to admit this but I've never had the chance to try out a Ruger 10/22.

The Ruger has been around forever and still being manufactured and has a great aftermarket support. The Remington 597 If I'm thinking correctly is not manufactured anymore and never had a great aftermarket support. This kind of made me start wondering if there was a good reason why.

I plan on keeping it for sure as it was my first new rifle. I used it about 5 years ago to get my son into shooting. My first rifle was his first experience and I pretty much told him it is his. I plan going to the range tomorrow morning. If it does decent out to 75 yards I will probably be happy enough with it and take with me more often. Although I wouldn't mind finding a decent bolt action either down the road.
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Going to bolt action .22s is the only reason i sold my 597s, i need space in the cabinet.
Ill probably get another at some point unless i find a semi .22 i like more, and ive already tried most of rhe common ones.
 
I use the AR version at work, killed so many coyotes with it I’ve lost count. Get the Mcarbo mag springs, and don’t look back. The factory springs were make out of flaming turds.
 
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LoonWulf said:
Going to bolt action .22s is the only reason i sold my 597s, i need space in the cabinet.
Ill probably get another at some point unless i find a semi .22 i like more, and ive already tried most of rhe common ones.
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LoonWolf, you need one of these,

IMG-1485-S.jpg

I have now replaced the Nikon with a Leupold and different mounts,

IMG-1487-S.jpg

IMG-0881-S.jpg

Melvin builds a GREAT rifle!

DM
 
DM~ said:
LoonWolf, you need one of these,

View attachment 1062397

I have now replaced the Nikon with a Leupold and different mounts,

View attachment 1062398

View attachment 1062399

Melvin builds a GREAT rifle!

DM
Click to expand...
Thats a fantastic rifle!


Ive had my eye out for any ULA/NULA rifles that i could afford (saving for stuff gets derailed by regular texts from my FFL buddy) for a while now.
Have not had much luck lol.
Ive got a Christensen Ranger and a modified 457, which are nice production .22s, but nothing like a Forbes built gun.
 
LoonWulf said:
Thats a fantastic rifle!


Ive had my eye out for any ULA/NULA rifles that i could afford (saving for stuff gets derailed by regular texts from my FFL buddy) for a while now.
Have not had much luck lol.
Ive got a Christensen Ranger and a modified 457, which are nice production .22s, but nothing like a Forbes built gun.
Click to expand...
Those are some nice rifles too...

Here's the ULA today,

IMG-2535-S.jpg

I really like the Leupold scope,

DM
 
I put an Archangel kit on my 597.It's a good shooting little rifle,but it's hard to find a mag that works in it.The factory 10 rounders will work if I don't put more than 8 rounds in them,and the Remington 25 rounder I have has never worked,even though I've tried to modify it to make it better.Right now,I'm working on hand making a mag out of the feed lips from a 10-22 mag and the 25 round Rem. junk.Nothing to lose,but it looks promising.
 
WVRJ said:
Right now,I'm working on hand making a mag out of the feed lips from a 10-22 mag and the 25 round Rem. junk.Nothing to lose,but it looks promising.
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I'm wondering if a magazine is something that could be 3d printed? That way feed lips, a follower and spring could be devised to assist the functionality. Trial and error would be relatively easy and configuration changes done quickly. Just a thought.
 
I'm wondering if a magazine is something that could be 3d printed? That way feed lips, a follower and spring could be devised to assist the functionality. Trial and error would be relatively easy and configuration changes done quickly. Just a thought.
Click to expand...

I have not used my 3d printer in months. Good idea if you are better at CAD than I am. If there isn't a file available for download I'm probably out.

I did go shoot my 597 this morning. I was having some problems with the scope I just put on it. Other than the scope not focussing correctly (lock ring was too tight to loosen so that the focus could me adjusted) and the factory stock being uncomfortable. I felt like the scope ruined the experience.

I was making about 4 inch groups looking at fuzzy cross hairs. Not having a way to break the lock ring loose I quickly gave up until next time.
 
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