Remington 597 .22LR Reliability?

The 597 was unreliable when it first came out due to the mags. Current rifles and mags are reliable. While I am big 10/22 fan I have found my 597 to be very accurate and reliable shooting at Appleseeds.

I have the heavy barreled VTR version; the factory 10 round and 25 round mags feed just fine, and most of the aftermarket 22 and 25 rounders work well.

I consider the rifle itself superior to the 10/22, and the AR parts compatibility of the VTR makes it fun. It's also quite accurate with ammo it likes.

My 597 has been reliable for me. Mine is all stock. Even the original 3-9x scope that came with it. I can't vouch for any of the offer market stock either

I bought a new 10/22 Sporter in 1979, shot it for years and hundreds of shells through it. Too the point of getting just plain tired of it, traded it straight across for a NIB 597 at the LGS around 2005. I was amazed at the out of the box accuracy of the 597, and have not had any issues with the magazine either. I have not shot it for some time now, I need to remedy that this Summer. I,m still impressed by the overall package of the 597 when I take it out of the safe, a unique rifle like the old Nylon 66.

I'm not a fan with my limited experience. My brother in law won a 597 in a raffle, and my two nephews have shot it a lot....however, it has never been reliable, and the gunsmith they took it to said that if they ever got a decent offer to trade anyone...for anything...to take them up on it. He said he's seen several in his shop, and they just aren't as durable, in his opinion as the Marlin and Ruger semi-autos. A few people have told them it was worth every dollar they paid for it...considering it was won on a $1 ticket LOL Granted, they don't "baby" the rifle, but nor do they come remotely close to abusing it...and its always been a jamomatic. Maybe they ended up with a lemon, but it certainly soured me on the 597

I've enjoyed mine and even more lately since I put some new Tech Sights on it.
http://www.tech-sights.com/

If you'd like to read about potential problems, solutions and upgrades, I'd suggest starting here: http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=218

RFC members are rabid consumers of seemingly all things rimfire and they've helped me with several questions on off-beat and vintage .22s Know it all's in the best sense of the term.

One of the worst and most problematic guns (of any kind), that I have ever had. Tried all of the various "fixes" but nothing could help this gun from being at best an occasional single shot rifle. To add further insult to injury using Remington ammo in this gun only added to the already dismal performance factor.

I bought a new 10/22 Sporter in 1979, shot it for years and hundreds of shells through it. Too the point of getting just plain tired of it, traded it straight across for a NIB 597 at the LGS around 2005. I was amazed at the out of the box accuracy of the 597, and have not had any issues with the magazine either.

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It's not that the 597 is superbly accurate so much as the fact that the 10/22 is pretty mundane. Now, I have a stainless 10/22 and like it for what it is, minute of squirrel accurate with the right ammo, but it's not inherently and accurate gun. All I've done to mine, though, is a Volquartsen hammer (dramatic trigger improvement for not that much money) and put a Hogue stock on it that eliminated the barrel band for a good half inch at 50 yards improvement.

My 597 is a magnum, but it'll do at 100 yards what the improved 10/22 will do at 50. It's also got a Volquartsen hammer which it REALLY needed. The stock trigger was crisp, but miserably heavy. So, figure on another 35 bucks for that hammer. REALLY easy to install on the 597 vs the 10/22 and well worth the investment. There is no question which is the better shooter, but I sill like my 10/22.

Oh, another quality of the 597 I like is its size. It's an adult sized rifle, doesn't feel like shooting a kid's Benjamin. Like I say, mine's a magnum, but I've not had problems with it, only good times.

The keys to reliability, in my experience, are letting the bolt guide rods "float" a little (just barely snug the guide rod screws, rather than torquing them down) and lubricating the bolt guide rod channels and guide rods very well (I have been pretty successful withTetra grease, but a good oil will work). If you tighten the guide rods down, they will bind the bolt enough to cause short-stroking. I have used both 10- and 30-rounders successfully.

On the upside, this is a remarkably accurate little .22 for the money (I paid $140 used for mine).

When I screw the bolt guide screws in I leave them slightly proud so I can clearly feel them when I rub my finger over them. Never have a problem...except with Remington ammo. Most others works fine.

I also own the .22 MAG version and it is an excellent rifle for what it cost me NIB. Never an operational problem when using it and it is even quite accurate with low quality ammo which surprised me greatly when I was testing various ammo for accuracy.

I own the 597 .22HB, heavy barrel version with a 20" barrel, and aside from finding what ammunition it likes (like most .22 rifles or pistols), it has been reliable.

Mine is the most unreliable gun I've ever owned.