Remington 597 .22LR

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kolik1

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I'm finding it difficult to believe that there are hardly any threads regarding this rifle.

I recently bought one (Scoped Package) as I was getting fed up with not being able to find any 10/22's. I understand that in the past these rifles have had feeding issues, but I've run a box of Federal Bulk through mine along with about 100 rounds of CCI Stingers and haven't had any of the issues mentioned around the 'net about this rifle. I'm no sharpshooter but I was getting 1" groups at 50 yards with stingers (about 1.25-1.5" with the Federal's) sitting at the bench without a rest. No FTE's, no FTF's, just smooth sailing. I've purchased 2 of the infamous Remington 30 round mag's as well as a second Remington 10 round mag and haven't had any issues with them.

The scope that came with the rifle has held 0 after multiple trips to the range, and is nice and crisp to look through. I did have it bore sighted at the store and didn't have to move it too much to get it 0'd at 50 yards.

Did I just strike it lucky with this rifle and magazines, or are there any other 597 owners out there that have a gem in their rifle/magazines? Any horror stories?

Also, knowing that the aftermarket is limited for this model of rifle, if anyone has any info on where I can pick up the pro-mag Archangel 597 kit it'd be appreciated. I haven't been able to find it anywhere that would ship it to me. I've found it at a few online retailers in the states, but none would ship to Canada, and can't find any Canadian retailers with it.
 
Picked up my 597 from LeBaron's in Mississauga two summers ago. It's a solid little pckg. Paid 200$ OTD. I've had good experience with mine. I picked up factory 10 round mags from Walmart in the US to 11$ each as they feed better and hold the bolt open after the last round. Taking it apart to clean is a challenge though. Enjoy
 
I took it apart and cleaned it already. That Federal Bulk stuff isn't the cleanest stuff out there, just cheap to shoot. I was only presented with a challenge when getting the guide rod springs back on the rods. Took me a bit the first time around but now it's about a 20 minutes tear down, scrub and re-assemble.
 
HICAL for the kit. LeBaron/Sail for 10 rounders. 30 rounders looks like hit and miss for the LRHO. Bolt Handle tends to loosen up after several hundred rds. VQ hammer or Heggis Flip (Browning Buckmark) to improve trigger pull.

kolik1 said:
I'm finding it difficult to believe that there are hardly any threads regarding this rifle.

I recently bought one (Scoped Package) as I was getting fed up with not being able to find any 10/22's. I understand that in the past these rifles have had feeding issues, but I've run a box of Federal Bulk through mine along with about 100 rounds of CCI Stingers and haven't had any of the issues mentioned around the 'net about this rifle. I'm no sharpshooter but I was getting 1" groups at 50 yards with stingers (about 1.25-1.5" with the Federal's) sitting at the bench without a rest. No FTE's, no FTF's, just smooth sailing. I've purchased 2 of the infamous Remington 30 round mag's as well as a second Remington 10 round mag and haven't had any issues with them.

The scope that came with the rifle has held 0 after multiple trips to the range, and is nice and crisp to look through. I did have it bore sighted at the store and didn't have to move it too much to get it 0'd at 50 yards.
Did I just strike it lucky with this rifle and magazines, or are there any other 597 owners out there that have a gem in their rifle/magazines? Any horror stories?

Also, knowing that the aftermarket is limited for this model of rifle, if anyone has any info on where I can pick up the pro-mag Archangel 597 kit it'd be appreciated. I haven't been able to find it anywhere that would ship it to me. I've found it at a few online retailers in the states, but none would ship to Canada, and can't find any Canadian retailers with it.
Click to expand...
 
The only thing to remember is not to tighten the set screws that hold the guide rods. They should just touch and then back them off the rods 1/4 turn. Also keep the extractor clean, 22lr ammo is dirty and will build up and cause issues.
For modifications, get a Volquartson hammer and extractor. Thats all you need, the hammer will lighten the trigger pull and the extractor will improve reliability. By the sound of your report, you havent faced any issues, so you may not need one now.
Regarding archangel stock, contact hical.ca, Dave is very helpful.
 
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It seems that the 597 is not as popular as the 10/22 but that doesn't matter to me, I really like my 597 and have spent some money fixing her up.
Now granted there is definitely not as much aftermarket support as the 10/22 but there sure is enough that you could spend a ton of money on one.
Volquartsen, Jarvis, Kidd and a few other companies make some really good stuff for the 597!

Also, check out RimfireCentral for a ton of info as they have a really good 597 section.

Here is what I have done so far;

Boyds Evolution SS stock (Pepper)
Volquartsen Target hammer (brought it down to 3lb pull)
Custom made Charging handle
3X9X40 Scope and Rings
Bottom mounted Picatinny Rail



I'm still looking for a Volquartsen Extractor but that may take a while to find one. In the mean time I am more than happy with it.
 
Had it out at the range today. I went through a full box of Federal Bulk and ran into about 3-4 FTE's. All of which were after I'd gone through 3 quarters of the box, the gun was filthy and gritty when I cleaned it after I got home. Probably explains it...:rolleyes:

Also took a video with the iPhone mount I made for the scope, worked pretty good.


I'll have to throw it on my .270 and see how it stands up.
 
Where did you get your VQ Hammer and how much? I emailed a couple of Canadian distributors and it costs twice as much from Brownells. Also, can you post pictures of your Custom Made Charging Handle. I am also looking into replacing or modding that particular par due to it being poorly designed. It works with a bit of annoyance. But if I can find a good bolt handle in the market, it will save a bit of time for 597 owners.
 
ambishooter said:
Where did you get your VQ Hammer and how much? I emailed a couple of Canadian distributors and it costs twice as much from Brownells. Also, can you post pictures of your Custom Made Charging Handle. I am also looking into replacing or modding that particular par due to it being poorly designed. It works with a bit of annoyance. But if I can find a good bolt handle in the market, it will save a bit of time for 597 owners.
Click to expand...

I got the VQ Hammer from a shop in Kitchener called Shooters Choice, I think I paid $90 bucks for it.

As for the charging handle, I got the idea from other 597 owners that did the same thing. All that I did was to get a spent shell casing (In my case it's a 40 S&W) and used the factory charging handle. I then ground down the handle until the shell casing fit over the handle and then just hot glued it in place, simple to do and looks good! Unfortunately there is very little in the ways of aftermarket support for the 597 so you have to get creative with a few things.

Later today I can post pics of the charging handle.
 
Gee! for $90 I'll have to find the extra one I got. My kid went 10-22 so no need for 597. I have a Yellow Jacket 597 that I enjoy a lot. It shoots well & is a blast in the gopher patch. Replacing the hammer was a good investment as it reduced the pull considerably. Just picked up 2 cases of mini mags for it so look out gophers. Although I have not been able to get 5 5shot 1/2 in groups in a row,(still trying) it does shoot well.
 
I have had nothing but trigger problems with mine. When it gets back again in a couple weeks I'm hoping it's fixed for good this time. I love the full size stock and it's very accurate, the triggers just keep breaking on me.
 
I've put about 2k rounds through mine, 2 FTF's in the first 20 shots, not a single FTF or FTE after that.
Modifications I've done are only the volquartsen hammer, "free floated" the barrel by sanding the channel out, I also put a front stud in to use my harris bipod.

I'm a fairly new shooter, but I can fairly consistently make 1" groups at 50yd's, I'm certain the rifle is capable of better.

My only complaint with the rifle is how much of a pain it is to remove the guide rods, I've seen videos of peoples just dropping right out (or coming out when the bolt is cycled) when the screws are removed.. mine just isn't so. Generally what i do to remove them quicker is take a zip-tie, and zip it tight around a guide rod and then use the zip-tie to pull the rod out. I'm sure there are better ways.

People love to hate on these guns, and I understand there were feed issues with earlier magazines (which has been resolved); I would recommend this gun to anyone looking for a semi 22lr.
 
I'm looking forward to trying mine out soon. Bbl is out being threaded. A couple more things to do, maybe some arma-coat paint, and it will be ready for the range:

9415206963_cd3696babe_o.jpg
 
Picked mine up at Bass Pro on a price match, had to go through three of them before I found one without machining waste in the chamber. I'm profoundly satisfied with mine. Right out of the box I was shooting 3" groups at 25 yds kneeling. Picked up some extra 10 rd mags at LeBarons (sorry I took all three of them) and popped in a VQ extractor that I bought from MilArm.
As far as pricing goes, hey that's what happens when a market gets restricted.
 
I was shooting mine yesterday and it was working well, but previously I was hating it. It seems to run better dirty, or just the fact its broken in, but after cleaning it well after every use I was having huge problems, now throw it in the cabinet, and it seems to appreciate that. Last round hold open not working, but I think I pinged the little spring off the trigger assembly while cleaning it. So ya, I have to say I like it. Like the way it looks and handles, and the price was right.
Tim
 
I am looking for a .22 for Squirrel, Grouse, and Rabbit. I am really leaning towards the 597 over a 10/22. If only I could find one in Sudbury!
 
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