Sad to hear about the 597's problems!

1759 Views 19 Replies 16 Participants Last post by J Beede, Aug 2, 2005

coloradogeezer

Discussion Starter · Jun 30, 2005

Just got back from Gander Mountain and for the 1st time ever, I actually picked up one of the 597 Remingtons. Reason I never did before, was that the particular GRAY synthetic stock, has never even caught my interest whatsoever. However, once I picked up the little 597, I was immediately very impressed with the "fit" "feel" and "balance" of this little autoloader! WOW! It just felt great when I brought it too my shoulder! I also liked the stock, iron sights on this gun much better than most others that you see these days. My IMMEDIATE thought was this.....................IF, and I do mean IF, this little gun FUNCTIONS and FEEDS reliably "as is" and without modification, I would absolutely LOVE to go ahead and buy this gun for plinking and rabbit hunting. But if it does NOT cycle and feed reliably WITHOUT modifications and adaptions, then I don't want to mess with it. I have had WAY too many guns, that needed this and that, and this, and that, and that and that, to make them "right" and it's just something I don't want to mess with anymore.

After reading the other 597 posts here, it seems pretty clear to me, that while the 597 seems to have some REAL potential, it does seem to have a lot of annoying little problems with FTF or FTE's etc. That is too bad too, because if Remington could just get this little bugger to FUNCTION EXTREMELY reliably, and maybe lighten the trigger a bit, I honestly think that at this price-point, it could really be one of the best values in a 22 autoloader.

I know a lot of you guys LIKE to tinker with your guns, and I totally respect that, but it doesn't seem like all that much too ask, that a major manufacturer like Remington, can't just finally work out all the "bugs" on a given model like this one that otherwise seems to have a lot to offer, and then just sit back and let the great referrals, and testimonials from other shooters, start making them a fortune!

I do NOT enjoy buying guns that immediately need all sorts of tinkering, JUST to get them to function the way that they should right from the factory. It can be a real hassle to have to send a gun back to a manufacturer, and wait, and wait and wait for it's return. Same thing goes for so many of the Gunsmiths these days too.

Maybe I am wrong here, and honestly, I REALLY hope that I am! Are there any people here that have had a current production 597 work just about flawlessly, right from the start? I'm serious. Because, if there really are enough success stories of people who bought one, took it out to the field and just kept loading and firing magazine after magazine through the little gun, with almost no hicups, I would be VERY inclined to go get one, and soon!

Is that asking too much?

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1 - 20 of 20 Posts

addict

· #2 · Jun 30, 2005

Have Faith

I can happen! I purchased both a .22 LR and .22 WMR version the year after they were available. Original plastic mags, no problems. maybe 2000 rounds through the LR, 600 through the magnum. Installed a VQ hammer on the mag. version last year after I found RFC just to lighten it up. Both very accurate.
I expect the folks who have had no problems do not post as much as the people who have.
No one can guarantee you will get a shooter out of the box, but I sure did.

Rabbitkiller

· #3 · Jun 30, 2005

i had a 597 i wanted to bend the barrel on and throw in the trash. but i went out one day with it to see if it would work before i pulled the weaver scope off of it. and borrowed some of my friends federal bargain box ammo. WORKED LIKE A CHARM. the remington didnt work the cci's didnt work. only federal will cycle in that little pain in my butt. but. what the gunstore tells me. is that it sounds like most of people stovepiping problems are from the action spring being to stiff. to all the people like me who read this thread looking for confirmation of a crappy gun. if it wont work for you, just mess around with it and modify a couple little things to see if you can get it to cycle. but only if you know what your doing. no you cant make this one full auto. dont try it. dont try to argue that full auto thing with me either all you people that know about machining. cuz believe me. we know whats possible. the other people dont

dandy108

· #4 · Jun 30, 2005

2 things to do and you will have no problems with your 597.

Make sure you have the new mags. Read the stickey on top of the forum

Don't tighten the rods in the action too much.

vicg

· #5 · Jul 3, 2005

Mine was 100% right out of the box with all generations of mags! Tried 5 different ammo types and all were ok!

22694

· #6 · Jul 5, 2005

I was having trouble with my 597 but tinkered with it a little and now I love it.

wmrimfire22

· #7 · Jul 5, 2005

coloradogeezer said:
Just got back from Gander Mountain and for the 1st time ever, I actually picked up one of the 597 Remingtons. Reason I never did before, was that the particular GRAY synthetic stock, has never even caught my interest whatsoever. However, once I picked up the little 597, I was immediately very impressed with the "fit" "feel" and "balance" of this little autoloader! WOW! It just felt great when I brought it too my shoulder! I also liked the stock, iron sights on this gun much better than most others that you see these days. My IMMEDIATE thought was this.....................IF, and I do mean IF, this little gun FUNCTIONS and FEEDS reliably "as is" and without modification, I would absolutely LOVE to go ahead and buy this gun for plinking and rabbit hunting. But if it does NOT cycle and feed reliably WITHOUT modifications and adaptions, then I don't want to mess with it. I have had WAY too many guns, that needed this and that, and this, and that, and that and that, to make them "right" and it's just something I don't want to mess with anymore.

After reading the other 597 posts here, it seems pretty clear to me, that while the 597 seems to have some REAL potential, it does seem to have a lot of annoying little problems with FTF or FTE's etc. That is too bad too, because if Remington could just get this little bugger to FUNCTION EXTREMELY reliably, and maybe lighten the trigger a bit, I honestly think that at this price-point, it could really be one of the best values in a 22 autoloader.

I know a lot of you guys LIKE to tinker with your guns, and I totally respect that, but it doesn't seem like all that much too ask, that a major manufacturer like Remington, can't just finally work out all the "bugs" on a given model like this one that otherwise seems to have a lot to offer, and then just sit back and let the great referrals, and testimonials from other shooters, start making them a fortune!

I do NOT enjoy buying guns that immediately need all sorts of tinkering, JUST to get them to function the way that they should right from the factory. It can be a real hassle to have to send a gun back to a manufacturer, and wait, and wait and wait for it's return. Same thing goes for so many of the Gunsmiths these days too.

Maybe I am wrong here, and honestly, I REALLY hope that I am! Are there any people here that have had a current production 597 work just about flawlessly, right from the start? I'm serious. Because, if there really are enough success stories of people who bought one, took it out to the field and just kept loading and firing magazine after magazine through the little gun, with almost no hicups, I would be VERY inclined to go get one, and soon!

Is that asking too much?

coloradogeezer,

I have two of them and generally they both work pretty good. You'll never have a 22 rofle that's close to 100% reliability as the ammo isn't. I mean manufacturers make 22 ammo by the millions per day so in each brick I'll bet you'll get at least 5 duds. The Remingtons I admit were made much better than these 597's BUT if you experiment with various ammo you'll come accross one that'll work just fine. My first one is slightly customized and my second I completely stock and intend to leave it that way. So far my two very picky on the magazines. What might work on one the other won't. You just have to take youtime and experiment. Keep it clean and you should be fine. Trigger pull will get better as it's shot more.

wmrimfire,22

Go4guts

· #8 · Jul 5, 2005

FWIW, that is my perception of the Ruger 10-22. I have owned at least 10 of them. NEVER had one I didn't have problems with the FTF, FTE and stovepipes. Maybe it is too much to ask for the price of a 10-22 but I do not think it is too much to ask that a gun manufacturer make a gun that cycles properly. I finally gave up on the 10-22's and sold them all and have never looked back. I now shoot 9422M's (and other .22's and a new Savage .17HMR) that are more fun and at least as accurate or more accurate out of the box than the typical 10-22. IMO the 10-22 was the most frustrating gun I ever owned and when I shoot gophers with friends shooting 10-22's they get tired of me ribbing them about all the fte's, ftf's and stove pipes. Frankly, it is frustrating for me to witness all of their repeated problems. When they see I have NONE of those problems they admit they are sick of the misfires, etc. As best I can tell the only difference between the 597 and the 10-22 is that there is a ton of aftermarket goodies for the 10-22.

There have been many occasions where my friends and I have collectively shot more than 2-3,000 rounds a day through a 10-22 and I can tell you there was always frustration with the constant problems. Friends of mine still using the 10-22's simply accept the problems as part of 10-22 ownership.

Now, I know I have probably stepped on the toes of some 10-22 owners here and I am the first to admit it is a pretty good bang for the buck and probably one of the all time favorite .22s. However. I will probably never own another 10-22 based on past frustrations. And, I have no interest in buying a gun that needs to be tweaked as much as the typical 10-22 to do what other guns do without modification.

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oquirrh

· #9 · Jul 5, 2005

I'm not a 10/22 fanatic...but

That's funny about the experiences people have with rifles. Must be really bad luck. I wonder if Ruger had a year or two of worn machinery or something.

I've got a stock '70s 10/22 that has viturally never stovepiped or jammed.--and I seldom clean it. It ejects the duds with a jerk on the toggle and just keeps going. Maybe all the stars were lined up the day it went down the assembly line.

It's accuracy is so-so but with ammo it likes, it can shoot 1" at 50, which is great for a plinker.

I would agree that this is the minimum a buyer should expect from an arms maker.

jrobb45

· #10 · Jul 5, 2005

About 3 years ago, I bought a .22lr laminated bull bbl. 597. Off and on for 2 years, this rifle had all the problems that people have referred to in these forums; mags., extraction etc.. But the worst problem was that it would not group with ANY ammo; it literally shot a pattern. I sent it back to Remington, they had it for 3 mos. and fixed the extraction problems, but it still wouldn't group, so I sold it.
Last November, Gander Mountain had the synthetic stock, sporter bbl. 597's on sale for $99, so my wife, who had never owned a rifle bought one. With a red dot on it and Wolf MT, the first group she shot at 25 yds. was one ragged hole slightly larger than a quarter of an inch. I was amazed, but also ticked because her rifle has run flawlessly and I had paid over twice as much for a bull bbl. gun that wouldn't run, or shoot.
I have a pencil bbl. CZ that will shoot a quarter of an inch at 25 yds. and dime sized groups at 50 yds, if I do my part. After seeing what these two sporter bbl. 22's can do, I'm beginning to believe that having to have a laminated stock, bull bbl. gun to get good groups is a waste of money.

jrobb

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9298

· #11 · Jul 6, 2005

My 597 is a tack driver with MiniMags, so much so that I would not even think about putting an aftermarket barrel on it. Why bother when I get .5 at 50. I do have it bedded and in a laminated stock. Have fun with you wife's rifle.

Picher

· #12 · Jul 6, 2005

Coloradogeezer: With all the information about 10-22 improvement information on this board, it's amazing to me why anyone would continue to have problems with FTF and FTEs. A simple fix to the extractor, or purchasing a Volquartsen Exact Edge extractor will solve 99% of extraction/ejection problems.

A few other simple fixes that can be done for little or no money can turn the little plinker into a real tack driver. Check out my Tips and Tricks on this board for some ideas.

As a gunsmith and tinkerer, I'm amazed at the quality of metals in the 10-22. Mine has hundreds of thousands of rounds through it and if it's not incredibly dirty, will feed and function flawlessly. A little time smoothing things and tuning is well worth the effort. A person doesn't need to get a bushel of parts, just read a bit and apply the knowledge. Your friends should try to do it and transform their rifles.

At the very least, the rifles may need a good cleaning, including removing the firing pin and cleaning the slot. Magazines need to be cleaned every thousand rounds or so also and people need to learn how to disassemble/reassemble them to do so. If people are not willing to keep blow-back semi-autos clean, they are much better off with an of action type that is not so demanding.

Picher

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wmrimfire22

· #13 · Jul 6, 2005

jrobb45 said:
About 3 years ago, I bought a .22lr laminated bull bbl. 597. Off and on for 2 years, this rifle had all the problems that people have referred to in these forums; mags., extraction etc.. But the worst problem was that it would not group with ANY ammo; it literally shot a pattern. I sent it back to Remington, they had it for 3 mos. and fixed the extraction problems, but it still wouldn't group, so I sold it.
Last November, Gander Mountain had the synthetic stock, sporter bbl. 597's on sale for $99, so my wife, who had never owned a rifle bought one. With a red dot on it and Wolf MT, the first group she shot at 25 yds. was one ragged hole slightly larger than a quarter of an inch. I was amazed, but also ticked because her rifle has run flawlessly and I had paid over twice as much for a bull bbl. gun that wouldn't run, or shoot.
I have a pencil bbl. CZ that will shoot a quarter of an inch at 25 yds. and dime sized groups at 50 yds, if I do my part. After seeing what these two sporter bbl. 22's can do, I'm beginning to believe that having to have a laminated stock, bull bbl. gun to get good groups is a waste of money.

jrobb

jrobb,

I had the same grouping problem with my first 597 rifle. Boy, did it group NOT!! I tried all kind of ammo and collected a wide assortment for usage later on. Right now I'm giving Remington another chance by purchasing another under their rebate and retry shooting groups using the factory barrel. Heck I'm even cleaning it every ten rounds or so.

wmrimfire,22

Calif. Hunter

· #14 · Jul 6, 2005 (Edited)

I have had a 597 since they first came out. I had an extractor blow out with the cheap Remington Thunderbolt ammo shortly after I got it, it was fixed under warranty and I have never had another problem. I have 3 of the plastic mags, and they work fine, too. (I find it ironic that people will complain about the 597's mags, and then rave about the 10-22s with their plastic mags.)

I took my son and nephews out a couple of weekends agao, and the 597 with a red dot sight was the biggest hit. They liked it much better than my 10-22 with a red dot sight. A brick of .22s was gone in no time, with 400 of them through the 597. Not a jam, FTF or FTE in the bunch with Winchester Wildcat ammo.

Go4guts

· #15 · Jul 6, 2005

Picher-your point is very well made. You are correct that a person who will not tolerate ftf or fte problems should not have a 10-22--a position I have elected to take! I think it is great there are so many enthusiasts for the 10-22 that it is possible to "build your own". If I had that inclination I am sure it would be fun. But, I just want to shoot and occasionally clean a gun--not make it a vocation! I am not at all critical of those such as yourself who enjoy creating a fine tuned gun that shoots well. For many that is more fun than the shooting itself. But, for myself, I think it is too bad Ruger does not make the necessary modifications to the gun from the factory so that the guns do not have ftf and fte problems.

jrobb45

· #16 · Jul 6, 2005

I'm not a die hard fan of any one particular brand, but the synthetic stocked 597 sporters handle real nice and they are pretty much on sale for $99 somewhere all the time. I think they are a good deal; not the bull bbl. ones.

jrobb

Picher

· #17 · Jul 7, 2005

Go4Guts: You misquoted me. I said, "If people are not willing to keep blow-back semi-autos clean, they are much better off with an of action type that is not so demanding."

That covers ALL blow-back semi-autos, not just the 10-22. Blow-backs, of which all semi-auto rimfires such as .22LR, .22 Mag, .17 HMR, etc. are classed, are notoriusly dirty and need to have bolt faces and barrel faces cleaned regularly. Magazines must also be cleaned. If they're not, the guns just won't shoot well. In addition, oils must not be used in the action, since they attract grit and make matters worse. Only dry lubes such as Moly should be used.

Teflon lube should not be used, since it's a carcinogen and people don't need that blown into their faces and breathed in.

Except for new guns that may need some shooting in or minor adjustments, dirty actions and magazines are the prime reason for jams and poor accuracy. If people don't want trouble and don't want to clean guns often, try a bolt or lever action and be happy.

Picher

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23120

· #18 · Jul 18, 2005 (Edited)

extractor shooting

Calif. Hunter said:
I have had a 597 since they first came out. I had an extractor blow out with the cheap Remington Thunderbolt ammo shortly after I got it, it was fixed under warranty and I have never had another problem. I have 3 of the plastic mags, and they work fine, too. (I find it ironic that people will complain about the 597's mags, and then rave about the 10-22s with their plastic mags.)

I took my son and nephews out a couple of weekends agao, and the 597 with a red dot sight was the biggest hit. They liked it much better than my 10-22 with a red dot sight. A brick of .22s was gone in no time, with 400 of them through the 597. Not a jam, FTF or FTE in the bunch with Winchester Wildcat ammo.

Hi all.
This is my first post so please go softly on me

Calif. Hunter says that his 597 extractor when flying out when firing! this happed to me also, and with the same Thunderbolt ammo. After reasembly it happend again three times within 15 rounds. i noticed that the ammo cases were split near the base yet on firing the bolt was fully forward.

I had only had the rifle 2 weeks and returned it, saddly due to the paper work here in the uk i did not replace with another and just stayed with my other rifles, but am getting the feeling again

Has any one else had this problem? exept for this problem this rifle felt really sweet.

sorry this is off topic

Sensei_pt

· #19 · Jul 18, 2005

duvetdave said:
Has any one else had this problem? exept for this problem this rifle felt really sweet.

Yep. Mine blew off the extractor when it was brand new too. The shop returned it to the importer and they changed the mechanism. And they said it wasn't the first time this had happened.

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92201

9097

· #20 · Aug 2, 2005

I've had two new Rem597s--a base synth and a LSS--two of the least fun guns I've ever owned. They failed to cycle under every and all conditions. It was so bad that I gave up on rimfires for two years. I picked up a RRR last week and it beautifully cycled ~500 rounds on its first outing this past weekend--the first time I can remember having fun at the rimfire range. It was cycling with mini-mags, Win XPert, Rem golden, you name it.

Bottom line: I guess low end semiauto rimfires are a real crap shoot. At least with the 10/22 there is a large knowledge base that increases the chances of getting one to cycle rounds. I was very surprised to find out that Remington was willing to ship a design that clearly does not work out of the box. The local Rem service center suggested I get rid of the gun and try something else. That was not encouraging.

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