Remington 550-1 issue

[hometheaterman]

So I helped a friend out by cleaning his Remington 550-1 .22 rifle for him. I have cleaned it for him before. For some reason it took forever to come clean. I kept on and kept on running patches through the bore.

Anyway, I noticed it seemed like the chamber was loose. I'm not sure if it's the chamber or what it is. The part right there where the bullet goes in. It would slide out and then if you touched it with the rod or anything it would slide back in to being flush like it normally is. However, if you pulled a patch or anything out it would slide out maybe a quarter or half of an inch. So it was like it would slightly slide in and out.

Is this normal for these guns or is something wrong?

When I got done I tried putting a shell in and cycling it by hand and while it kicked it out it seemed like it only went about a inch from the gun. It didn't kick it very far away like my 10/22 does. I thought it used to but can't remember. I can't shoot it right now to see how it does.

Did I break something or is the part that looks like the chamber supposed to slide in and out like that?

 

[rangerruck]

the 550 is a copy of the Carbine williams main invention; the floating chamber. It is what allowed this gun, and a few others, maybe the 552 as well, or any of the other 550 series, to fire short, long , and long rifle, not only flawlessly, but have them do so interchangeably , within the same tube feed or mag.
I think it may have been used , to some extent, on the 30 carbine,which he pretty much invented while in jail, and it was deff later used on a couple of his 22mag space guns, which you can go see, but we of course will never get to own. He purpose built them for use in Viet nam, to literally fire 1000's of belt fed 22 mag rounds, in close up jungle space, and without a hitch. Since the military tried to screw him on it, it never got made, and the patent never left his family , nor now his executors of his will/estate/ his museum.
But I digress,
So don't freak out...

 

[ricebasher302]

Keep in mind that cycling a loaded shell by hand will behave differently than shooting it, because the action cycles so much faster, and it is spitting out an empty shell, much lighter (and shorter) than a loaded shell. Just a thought.

 

[Topkick]

Rem. 550 - floating chamber

I once owned a mod. 550. It fired without a hitch for about 200 rds. then the floating chamber moved to the rear and each time I fired a LR found, it ringed the case, I would have to take it apart, cut off that portion of the case ( about 1/4") and after about four instances I gave up and traded it off. A piece of junk or what???. Any suggestions???:

 

[Jubjub]

That part that moves is the floating chamber. It is what enables the gun to fire short, long and long rifle cartridges interchangeably.

The floating chamber, the part that moves, is the length of a short case. When a long rifle cartridge is fired, it extends past the floating part of the chamber, and the gun functions like any other blowback .22 autoloader. When a short cartridge is fired, gas expands into the gap and blows the floating chamber back. This gives more backward thrust to the bolt that just the weaker short cartridge would provide, and provides enough energy to cycle the action.

Another gun that used the floating chamber principle was the Colt Service Ace, which used a floating chamber to enable .22 LR cartridges to cycle a 1911 conversion.

 

[rangerruck]

Topkick; either yours was really dirty, and was not being allowed to travel back forward, (back/forward?) or you had a return spring/parts that came off or broke. Not a usual thing for this rifle, they were very sturdy. I would not hesitate to pick up another , or a 552 for that matter.

 

[VA27]

550s ROCK! Try some CCI Target Shorts. If the gun is very clean and well lubed try some CB Shorts. Mine will cycle with 'em. It's like shooting a semiauto air rifle.