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After a bit of research which had given me some cause for concern, I finally had a chance to take my new Remington 597 rifle to the range and put it through its paces.
As noted previously, the Remington 597 had originally acquired a somewhat "mixed" reputation for operational reliability, owing largely to the original magazine design, which proved to be woefully defective. Reviews of recent model 597s, which incorporate a substantially revised magazine design, have been decidedly more positive. Never content to rely on the third-hand reports of strangers, my goal was to hit the range and run through a 500-round box of ammo, in order to determine for myself whether the Remington 597 was truly worthy of the "Remington" name.
I used Federal Champion High Velocity, 40 gr solid, which set me back about ten bucks for a brick of 500. After running this first brick of ammo through the rifle, I'm happy to report only a handful of minor operational issues, all of which occurred in the first 200 rounds. I'm willing to give a gun a certain amount of slack during the "break in" period. A malfunction on the 2000th round through the gun gives me much more cause for concern than a malfunction on the 20th round through the gun.
In this case, all of the malfunctions occurred early on in the test. There were 2 or 3 failures to feed within the first 200 rounds. Once I got through the first couple hundred, though, it was all smooth sailing. There was not a single malfunction in the last 300 rounds out of 500.
Hands-on Impressions of the 597
I found the rifle comfortable and enjoyable to shoot. The synthetic stock is a full-size adult stock. The rifle is well-balanced front-to-back. The scope is clear and relatively bright. The controls are well-placed and intuitive. The rifle sights in on target quickly. Operation is smooth and precise. The trigger pull is a bit stiff, but not uncomfortable. Overall, this is a well-designed and well-built gun.
As far as accuracy, I can tell you that the accuracy of the gun is beyond my abilities. Granted, that may not be saying a whole lot, but take it for what it's worth. The Remington 597 has come under a fair amount of criticism for its operational reliability, but its superior accuracy has never, to my knowledge, ever been in question.
Operation of the Remington 597
The Remington 597 has a fairly conventional magazine release, designed to be operated by the trigger finger:
As noted previously, the Remington 597 had originally acquired a somewhat "mixed" reputation for operational reliability, owing largely to the original magazine design, which proved to be woefully defective. Reviews of recent model 597s, which incorporate a substantially revised magazine design, have been decidedly more positive. Never content to rely on the third-hand reports of strangers, my goal was to hit the range and run through a 500-round box of ammo, in order to determine for myself whether the Remington 597 was truly worthy of the "Remington" name.
I used Federal Champion High Velocity, 40 gr solid, which set me back about ten bucks for a brick of 500. After running this first brick of ammo through the rifle, I'm happy to report only a handful of minor operational issues, all of which occurred in the first 200 rounds. I'm willing to give a gun a certain amount of slack during the "break in" period. A malfunction on the 2000th round through the gun gives me much more cause for concern than a malfunction on the 20th round through the gun.
In this case, all of the malfunctions occurred early on in the test. There were 2 or 3 failures to feed within the first 200 rounds. Once I got through the first couple hundred, though, it was all smooth sailing. There was not a single malfunction in the last 300 rounds out of 500.
Hands-on Impressions of the 597
I found the rifle comfortable and enjoyable to shoot. The synthetic stock is a full-size adult stock. The rifle is well-balanced front-to-back. The scope is clear and relatively bright. The controls are well-placed and intuitive. The rifle sights in on target quickly. Operation is smooth and precise. The trigger pull is a bit stiff, but not uncomfortable. Overall, this is a well-designed and well-built gun.
As far as accuracy, I can tell you that the accuracy of the gun is beyond my abilities. Granted, that may not be saying a whole lot, but take it for what it's worth. The Remington 597 has come under a fair amount of criticism for its operational reliability, but its superior accuracy has never, to my knowledge, ever been in question.
Operation of the Remington 597
The Remington 597 has a fairly conventional magazine release, designed to be operated by the trigger finger:
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The magazine release is pulled to the rear of the rifle...
...allowing the magazine to drop free from the magazine well...
The standard .22 magazine holds 10 rounds in a staggered configuration:
After the magazine is loaded with ammo, it is reinserted to the magazine well from the bottom...
...and clicks into place.
In order to chamber a round in the rifle, the bolt is retracted...
...and released, thereby chambering the rifle.
At this point, the rifle is ready to fire...and fire...and fire.
Based on everything I've experienced so far, I'm very happy with this rifle.
...allowing the magazine to drop free from the magazine well...
The standard .22 magazine holds 10 rounds in a staggered configuration:
After the magazine is loaded with ammo, it is reinserted to the magazine well from the bottom...
...and clicks into place.
In order to chamber a round in the rifle, the bolt is retracted...
...and released, thereby chambering the rifle.
At this point, the rifle is ready to fire...and fire...and fire.
Based on everything I've experienced so far, I'm very happy with this rifle.
By 2008-05-07 20:25:10
I recommend this gun, with the caveat that the owner take it down (which isn't hard) and make sure the guide rods are only finger tight. It should function perfectly then. The design is sound. Just use decent ammo and give it the occasional cleaning. And, as with most .22 autoloaders, don't overlube and you'll be fine.