Remington 597 semi auto 22lr any good ?

[grandad of the woods]

So just out of interest, my boys got £100 to spend on his first gin have found a Remington 597 semi auto 22lr, anyone have any experience with these are they any good or are they compleat dog **** ? Any advice would help don't want to buy him a crappy for his first gun

 

[enfieldspares]

There's more retrofit stuff available for the Ruger 10/22 and for a boy the first gun I'd buy would be a .22 BRNO (now CZ) with its iron sights and get him to learn to use it with those for a week on paper targets and then fit a decent 4x 'scope to it. You won't get better value in terms of accuracy for the £ spent than a good condition secondhand .22 BRNO (now CZ) and most you will see are also already factory threaded for a later ability to fit a moderator. I'd walk away from the Remington 597 even if it were given free. Your bolt action BRNO (now CZ) will shoot anything from CB Long or so called Zimmer Patronen to the hyper velocity light bulleted type Remington Yellow Jacket or CCI Stinger and, of course, Eley Tenex and Eley Match. It is far more versatile and ammunition wise far more tolerant of all power levels of .22 LR Rimfire.

 

[Greenmist]

Worst rifle I've ever owned, trigger so stiff it felt like the safety was on, poor accuracy and reliability, even when fitted with target hammers and springs, its still crap. If ever a rifle deserved to be wrapped around a tree, its this one, Gave mine away . My advice would be buy anything else

 

[Drum123]

Push him towards a bolt action.He'll get a reliable b/a for his hard earned. He'll probably end up with a dog of a s/a for that kind of money.

 

[enfieldspares]

Americans...I hate to generalise...use .22 LR rifles for "plinking". That's tin cans and the like for fun shooting. Europeans use .22 LR rifles for target shooting and for live quarry shooting. The former favour rapid shots over accuracy. The latter favour accuracy and reliability over rapidity of fire.

Indeed NOTE THIS WELL for some quarry species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 self-loading rifles (in .22LR as that is all Thatcher left us after the Tory centrefire self loading rifle ban) must have a restricted two shot magazine. This may not be an optional accessory for a Remington 597?

Woodpigeons, magpies (under the General Licence rules) rabbits, squirrel and hares in UK (excepting hares in Northern Ireland) can be shot with a self loading .22LR with an unrestricted magazine. Throughout the UK it cannot be used with an unrestricted magazine on ducks and geese or on game birds. So no culling cock pheasants with a Remington 597 on 1 February unless it has a two shot magazine.

 

[grandad of the woods]

Well that ****ed that idea then hahaha he dose know how to shoot he comes out with me shooting and the other kids, mostly been shooting a cz455 .17hmr but he decided he wanted to buy one of his own, I'll keep looking

 

[timbrayford]

Bought one new and happy to have traded it in for a cz. The 597 is mega fussy over ammunition, forget subsonics, generally unreliable , and the trigger group fills up with powder residue and is only accessible by driving out a pin with a punch. CZ, Anshutz or Ruger are better options.

 

[Tommy_gun]

I had one a few years ago, I remember it jammed constantly with any ammo I tried. I was glad to be rid of it, CZ bolt action all the way now.

 

[enfieldspares]

Well that ****ed that idea then hahaha he dose know how to shoot he comes out with me shooting and the other kids, mostly been shooting a cz455 .17hmr but he decided he wanted to buy one of his own, I'll keep looking

Then buy him a CZ 452 is my counsel....just make sure you check the numbers on the bolts and check the magazines and ammunition. Job done!

HERE? MAYBE?

Yorkshire

CZ .22 LR 452-2E ZKM FS | GunTrader

CZ .22 LR 452-2E ZKM FS for sale. Contact the seller today via the contact form or phone.

www.guntrader.uk

Derbyshire

CZ .22 LR 452 | GunTrader

CZ .22 LR 452 for sale. Contact the seller today via the contact form or phone.

www.guntrader.uk

Cumbria

CZ .22 LR 452 | GunTrader

CZ .22 LR 452 for sale. Contact the seller today via the contact form or phone.

www.guntrader.uk

 

[grandad of the woods]

Then buy him a CZ 452 is my counsel....just make sure you check the numbers on the bolts and check the magazines and ammunition. Job done!

Check the numbers on the bolts ?? Could you expand on that please

 

[enfieldspares]

Check the numbers on the bolts ?? Could you expand on that please

Yes. Each rifle if they are both CZ rimfires will likely have bolts that look virtually identical.

And each will also likely fit into the action of another CZ rimfire albeit .22LR and not .17 Riimfire. Except that of course when each rifle was made the bolt it was sent out with will have been fitted to that rifle and, more importantly, headspaced accordingly and set up to engage safely with the sear on the trigger.

Therefore make sure (check the serial number) that the rifle you are taking with you that day has its bolt and not its brother's bolt. As in my force area the bolts must be stored in a separate cabinet from the rifle when put away.

I know this as I once went out to shoot with my .270 WCF only to find I'd taken the bolt from my 6mm Remington with me. Both rifles being Parker Hale M81 Classic models that used identical Mauser 98 type actions and bolts. When I got home out came the electric pencil and the serial numbers on the underneath of the bolts were made easier to see.

Now I normally as soon as I take a rifle out put the bolt into it. But that day I was likely to stop for a "comfort break" on the motorway so put the bolt into my jacket pocket as I took it from the cabinet. Only then at the final destination to realise the error when time came to put bolt into rifle. It's why I never use those daft bolt holster devices.

 

[Geoff9]

I had a 597 in .22 wmr a good few years ago. The trigger was appalling but as I had a trade account at Brownells USA a replacement sear or something was easily and cheaply obtained. The trigger was thus hugely improved, the 3 round bursts were bit of a worry though.

 

[Gaz_68]

I have a 597 bought from Holts auctions so only cost around £70 - its fun to shoot at paper targets if your not doing bench rest, but as everyone else has commented trigger pull is herendous (appx 6 1/2lb).
Have a 25 round magazine that can be fun to use - if you can be bothered to load it - takes ages to load and then you spend longer picking up the empties.
Wouldn't want to use on bunnies prefer the pcp air rifle.

 

[kenbro]

Americans...I hate to generalise...use .22 LR rifles for "plinking". That's tin cans and the like for fun shooting. Europeans use .22 LR rifles for target shooting and for live quarry shooting. The former favour rapid shots over accuracy. The latter favour accuracy and reliability over rapidity of fire.

Indeed NOTE THIS WELL for some quarry species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 self-loading rifles (in .22LR as that is all Thatcher left us after the Tory centrefire self loading rifle ban) must have a restricted two shot magazine. This may not be an optional accessory for a Remington 597?

Woodpigeons, magpies (under the General Licence rules) rabbits, squirrel and hares in UK (excepting hares in Northern Ireland) can be shot with a self loading .22LR with an unrestricted magazine. Throughout the UK it cannot be used with an unrestricted magazine on ducks and geese or on game birds. So no culling cock pheasants with a Remington 597 on 1 February unless it has a two shot magazine.

I never knew that!
Ken.

 

[Freeforester]

The stock trigger in a bolt action BRNO or CZ can be rather heavy, but can be markedly improved fairly easily by judicious polishing of the sear faces via a small sharpening stone, once removed from the rifle; if you’re not confident you can do this a decent gunsmith should be able to undertake the work.

The polished sears transform the performance and shooting experience, but take care not to overdo the polishing, or the trigger could become dangerously light.

I believe there are or were also aftermarket trigger tuning kits available for CZ rimfire rifles, containing a lighter gauge spring and pre polished sears.

 

[timbrayford]

The stock trigger in a bolt action BRNO or CZ can be rather heavy, but can be markedly improved fairly easily by judicious polishing of the sear faces via a small sharpening stone, once removed from the rifle; if you’re not confident you can do this a decent gunsmith should be able to undertake the work.

The polished sears transform the performance and shooting experience, but take care not to overdo the polishing, or the trigger could become dangerously light.

I believe there are or were also aftermarket trigger tuning kits available for CZ rimfire rifles, containing a lighter gauge spring and pre polished sears.

I've used the rimfire magic kits on both my CZs, they're easy to install.

 

[HonestJohn]

Gun shops have piles of Brno mod2’s! Great rifles, and you should be able to pick one up for not much more than £25-£50. Trigger is easy to tune with a spring kit, but it’s not ‘needed’

 

[Smellydog]

I had a 597. Jamamatic magazine design in LR. Functioned better on HV ammo.
I improved the trigger but it wasn't much better.
Only rifle that ever shot CCI stingers bizarrely.
Would I have another? Never!

 

[Smellydog]

If one wants to also do some fast fire fun shooting as well as have reliability consider a pump action and or a leveraction.

 

[grandad of the woods]

Ok so think going to be looking at the brno/cz bolt actions or the if he wants a semi auto the Ruger 10/22