Remington 572 pump: Durable? Reliable?

[CoyoteSix]

Hey all, recently got to fondle a 572 at my LGS. It looks and feels like an amazing rifle.

However with a hefty price tag of $525+ I'm skeptical.

I wanna know if it is going to be able to be a gun that I can take on several outings (In the Western Desert) and not have to worry about babying it. (Sure its got a wood stock but I happen to like the beat up look with some nice character marks )

So what I'm wondering is: With regular cleaning, will the gun outlast me while still be taken on outings in the dry desert and Idahoan winter? (I like to shoot in heavy rain and snow.... )

I don't mind the price of the rifle if it can out-live me and still see hard use.

P.S. This is going to be a Hiking Woods gun, and may see some time in the back of a jeep.
Thanks!

 

[CraigC]

They're excellent, classic rifles. My only issue is that on the new guns the comb is too high for use with iron sights. Something to check before you buy, if you plan on using the irons.

 

[sansone]

actually those remmies are NICE.. It's high price might be because it's real clean

 

[RainDodger]

All I can say is, "wow"... I bought my standard Remington 572 "Fieldmaster" brand new in about 1973 for $65.00.

It has never failed to function with anything I've loaded into it. I don't know what kind of changes have taken place over the years, but if the rifle is essentially the same now, it's a good shooting rifle.

 

[Nifty944]

There's one in our family we stole for $60 at a pawn shop in 1994 or so. It had about an eighth of an inch of crud covering every surface. After a thorough cleaning, it's a solid, accurate, well performing rifle. It's a blast to load it up with shorts and go can-killing.

I love the way it feels like a "big boy" rifle, compared to most other .22's on the market these days. I personally would pay $525 without hesitation for a new one if the build quality is the same as the one we've got.

 

[roklok]

I am going to be the dissenting voice here. I had a 572 bought new in 1990, and traded it on a 1941 121 Fieldmaster. Best trade I ever made. The 121 is a much better gun in my opinion, built from machined steel parts, not stamped sheet metal and aluminum. The 121 is slick and solid feeling, not cheap and rattley.

My 572 was not reliable, and I could not keep it zeroed with a scope, as the barrel is a slip fit into the receiver. The barrel-receiver interface was not solid enough for reliable retention of zero.

121s can be found in good condition for less than the new price on a 572. A good way to mount a scope on a 121 without drilling is to use a 10/22 dovetail rail screwed onto the factory rear sight mounting screw holes in the barrel. Then get an old Bushnell Custom rimfire scope with the built in rail system mount and mount it to the rail.

Or, if you are going to mount a scope, look for a 121 that is already drilled and tapped. They show up on gunbroker frequently.