A 582 was one of the rifles I learned how to shoot with as a kid and one was always on my list to buy when I got a chance. Well, a couple years ago it happened. While on shift at the gun shop I used to work at, I noticed a .22 rifle on the rack in the back where we put used guns after buying them. This one had a haggard looking black spraypainted stock. Looked like opportunity. I pick it up and immediately realize it was a 582! Made in 1981. Metal looked good, minus the mag tube it was missing, and the stock... yeah...
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Shop policy was every used gun had a lifetime warranty so the gunsmith went over it and fitted a new mag tube, but it still looked awful. Was also missing the rear sight leaf. So as you may guess I was able to buy the rifle for a very low price since nobody else wanted to do with it. Ran the gun down to the private 25yd in the basement and initial testing was very promising. I was thrilled, probably the happiest person to buy a rifle with a stock looking like that. Immediately went looking for a replacement stock and got a semi-inlet from Gunville. I call and they said there were two in stock, one just straight grain walnut and the other with some spalting in the butt.
"Excuse me- spalting?"
You see it in maple but I'd never heard of spalted walnut before. So it got even better, this 582 was gonna wear a unique piece of walnut. Me happy.
I got the stock, fitting and finishing went smooth, and I ended up carrying it around squirrel hunting last year. I took the original trigger guard and buttplate off the old stock. Was given a Redfield 2-7, which I installed in Warne 7.22 rings, and the lil rig shoots extremely well. So... before some pics of working on the stock, here's my 582 after putting a few hours into it.
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Proof of shooting, here's a couple targets from 50 yards... one lil 5-shot group and one where I dumped 25 rounds on it from a standing offhand position.
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If you're familiar with these 580 series rifles you probably aren't surprised, the lil pencil barrels are hot ones!
Enjoying success afield with it.
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Shop policy was every used gun had a lifetime warranty so the gunsmith went over it and fitted a new mag tube, but it still looked awful. Was also missing the rear sight leaf. So as you may guess I was able to buy the rifle for a very low price since nobody else wanted to do with it. Ran the gun down to the private 25yd in the basement and initial testing was very promising. I was thrilled, probably the happiest person to buy a rifle with a stock looking like that. Immediately went looking for a replacement stock and got a semi-inlet from Gunville. I call and they said there were two in stock, one just straight grain walnut and the other with some spalting in the butt.
"Excuse me- spalting?"
You see it in maple but I'd never heard of spalted walnut before. So it got even better, this 582 was gonna wear a unique piece of walnut. Me happy.
I got the stock, fitting and finishing went smooth, and I ended up carrying it around squirrel hunting last year. I took the original trigger guard and buttplate off the old stock. Was given a Redfield 2-7, which I installed in Warne 7.22 rings, and the lil rig shoots extremely well. So... before some pics of working on the stock, here's my 582 after putting a few hours into it.
Proof of shooting, here's a couple targets from 50 yards... one lil 5-shot group and one where I dumped 25 rounds on it from a standing offhand position.
If you're familiar with these 580 series rifles you probably aren't surprised, the lil pencil barrels are hot ones!
Enjoying success afield with it.
And it's a shooter too. I kinda wish I had left one of my 581s with its original barrel. They are sweet.
