Remington 597?

voyager4520 · February 5, 2011, 06:10 PM

Someone I know is looking to get a Remington 597. (.22LR)
1. What have your experiences been with this rifle?
2. How reliable was it out of the box?
3. Did you have to modify it to make it more reliable?
4. Are there certain serial number ranges to avoid?
5. Are certain magazines more reliable than others?

From what I've read, you have to make sure to load the magazines so that the rim of each cartridge is in front of the rim of the cartridge below it. Also some people have said that the first-gen all-plastic magazines were not as reliable as the current third-gen. Also, that the 30rd magazines from Remington are far more reliable than the 10rd magazines. And some have said that they added a Volquartsen Exact Edge Extractor and that made the gun pretty much flawless in reliability.

cajun47 · February 5, 2011, 06:19 PM

save up and get a sig 522 and don't worry about malfunctions at all.

Rob3 · February 5, 2011, 06:49 PM

I bought mine when they first came out. It has been a huge disappointment. It jams constantly on anything I feed it, and I have tried at least 20 types of ammo. The original plastic magazine was crap and after a few e-mails Remington sent me a new metal one. It made no difference. I have tried loosening up the rails as some have mentioned but still no help. Every few years I drag it out to the range to see if it has magically healed, but not so far. I don't think I have ever got more than four consecutive rounds off. Newer ones may be better but mine is junk.

the rifleer · February 5, 2011, 07:26 PM

Dont buy it. I had one and put a couple thousand rounds though it without a problem, then one day the bolt didn't close completely and the round exploded and blew off the extractor. I took it to a gun smith to get it fixed. He charged me $40 and the next time I shot it, it did the same thing.

Save up and get a ruger 10/22.

Technosavant · February 5, 2011, 08:39 PM

I have two. One's been modded to a fare thee well (a 597 VTR, which did have an iffy barrel), but as for the box stock one (it's a camo stocked Walmart one).

It's been very reliable and astonishingly accurate. I've never had a problem with it that wasn't ammo related (Remington rimfire ammo tends to have really bad quality control).

I've not had to modify it at all for accuracy. As for the mags, so long as you have the 3rd gen ones (which should be what is in new production rifles), you should be fine.

The only thing you may need to do out of the box is to loosed the screws on the action guide rods- if the screws are too tight, they'll bend and bind the bolt. They should be just touching the rods- fingertip tight and no more (the stock keeps them from backing out and falling out, so no worries).

IMO, the 597 is a good rifle, but the execution by Remington has been uneven. I wouldn't discourage you from buying one, but it isn't the only good choice out there for a semiauto .22. However, when you get one that works well, it is likely to be the most accurate one right out of the box.

voyager4520 · February 5, 2011, 10:23 PM

Thanks guys!

Technosavant, thanks for the info! I was reading elsewhere about the 3rd Gen magazines, I know how to distinguish them from Gen2 now. I also read about the tightness of the guide rod screws.

If it were me buying the rifle I'd probably trend toward a different brand/make, as I especially don't like the idea of using screws that can strip out as well as the holes they screw into, but someone else I know wants it for a cheap plinker rifle and I figured I'd research it as much as I could.

Technosavant · February 6, 2011, 09:50 AM

The screws really won't strip out. You'd have to do something especially heinous, like cross-thread them with a vengeance. The heads on them are hex, and the only way to strip those is to torque them well past what should be done.

IMO, the 597 is a good rifle (out of the box it will outshoot the 10/22 all day long), but I certainly understand hesitation on the part of potential buyers. Remington hasn't really tried to do their very best with it.

smoakingun · February 7, 2011, 09:44 AM

I've seen dozens at appleseeds, the students that use them are at no disadvantage, I haven't seen them to be any less reliable than the more dominate 10/22's I see on the line.

ceetee · February 7, 2011, 05:24 PM

I'm more than happy with mine. I've got one of the camo versions as sold in Wally World, and the only thing I've ever done to accurize it was install a Simmons 22 Mag scope. I've had a few jams (out of several hundred rounds through it) but I have yet to see a .22 autoloader that's never jammed. This rifle and scope combination are way more accurate than I am, and it just feels better in my hands than a 10-22 or Model 60 do.

February 5, 2011, 06:10 PM	#1
voyager4520 Senior Member Join Date: April 1, 2009 Location: SE Colorado Posts: 840	Remington 597? Someone I know is looking to get a Remington 597. (.22LR) 1. What have your experiences been with this rifle? 2. How reliable was it out of the box? 3. Did you have to modify it to make it more reliable? 4. Are there certain serial number ranges to avoid? 5. Are certain magazines more reliable than others? From what I've read, you have to make sure to load the magazines so that the rim of each cartridge is in front of the rim of the cartridge below it. Also some people have said that the first-gen all-plastic magazines were not as reliable as the current third-gen. Also, that the 30rd magazines from Remington are far more reliable than the 10rd magazines. And some have said that they added a Volquartsen Exact Edge Extractor and that made the gun pretty much flawless in reliability. Last edited by voyager4520; February 5, 2011 at 06:20 PM.

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February 5, 2011, 06:19 PM	#2
cajun47 Senior Member Join Date: May 28, 2007 Location: swamp people Posts: 539	save up and get a sig 522 and don't worry about malfunctions at all.

February 5, 2011, 06:49 PM	#3
Rob3 Registration in progress Join Date: January 2, 2011 Posts: 218	I bought mine when they first came out. It has been a huge disappointment. It jams constantly on anything I feed it, and I have tried at least 20 types of ammo. The original plastic magazine was crap and after a few e-mails Remington sent me a new metal one. It made no difference. I have tried loosening up the rails as some have mentioned but still no help. Every few years I drag it out to the range to see if it has magically healed, but not so far. I don't think I have ever got more than four consecutive rounds off. Newer ones may be better but mine is junk.

February 5, 2011, 07:26 PM	#4
the rifleer Senior Member Join Date: March 5, 2008 Location: Sunny California Posts: 1,281	Dont buy it. I had one and put a couple thousand rounds though it without a problem, then one day the bolt didn't close completely and the round exploded and blew off the extractor. I took it to a gun smith to get it fixed. He charged me $40 and the next time I shot it, it did the same thing. Save up and get a ruger 10/22.

February 5, 2011, 08:39 PM	#5
Technosavant Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2007 Location: St. Louis, MO area Posts: 4,040	I have two. One's been modded to a fare thee well (a 597 VTR, which did have an iffy barrel), but as for the box stock one (it's a camo stocked Walmart one). It's been very reliable and astonishingly accurate. I've never had a problem with it that wasn't ammo related (Remington rimfire ammo tends to have really bad quality control). I've not had to modify it at all for accuracy. As for the mags, so long as you have the 3rd gen ones (which should be what is in new production rifles), you should be fine. The only thing you may need to do out of the box is to loosed the screws on the action guide rods- if the screws are too tight, they'll bend and bind the bolt. They should be just touching the rods- fingertip tight and no more (the stock keeps them from backing out and falling out, so no worries). IMO, the 597 is a good rifle, but the execution by Remington has been uneven. I wouldn't discourage you from buying one, but it isn't the only good choice out there for a semiauto .22. However, when you get one that works well, it is likely to be the most accurate one right out of the box.

February 5, 2011, 10:23 PM	#6
voyager4520 Senior Member Join Date: April 1, 2009 Location: SE Colorado Posts: 840	Thanks guys! Technosavant, thanks for the info! I was reading elsewhere about the 3rd Gen magazines, I know how to distinguish them from Gen2 now. I also read about the tightness of the guide rod screws. If it were me buying the rifle I'd probably trend toward a different brand/make, as I especially don't like the idea of using screws that can strip out as well as the holes they screw into, but someone else I know wants it for a cheap plinker rifle and I figured I'd research it as much as I could.

February 6, 2011, 09:50 AM	#7
Technosavant Senior Member Join Date: May 29, 2007 Location: St. Louis, MO area Posts: 4,040	The screws really won't strip out. You'd have to do something especially heinous, like cross-thread them with a vengeance. The heads on them are hex, and the only way to strip those is to torque them well past what should be done. IMO, the 597 is a good rifle (out of the box it will outshoot the 10/22 all day long), but I certainly understand hesitation on the part of potential buyers. Remington hasn't really tried to do their very best with it.

February 7, 2011, 09:44 AM	#8
smoakingun Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2009 Location: melrose, fl Posts: 634	I've seen dozens at appleseeds, the students that use them are at no disadvantage, I haven't seen them to be any less reliable than the more dominate 10/22's I see on the line.

February 7, 2011, 05:24 PM	#9
ceetee Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2002 Posts: 141	I'm more than happy with mine. I've got one of the camo versions as sold in Wally World, and the only thing I've ever done to accurize it was install a Simmons 22 Mag scope. I've had a few jams (out of several hundred rounds through it) but I have yet to see a .22 autoloader that's never jammed. This rifle and scope combination are way more accurate than I am, and it just feels better in my hands than a 10-22 or Model 60 do.