Remington  Model 597 Range Report


The rifle is the bottom of the line 597.

A few characteristic of the rifle I like are. It is very light, the barrel is free floated, And the stock is of a size large enough to make it feel like a full size rifle.

Know I am aware of all the bad press this rifle has had in the past. My brother had one of the older models with the plastic mags. Let me tell you I was not impressed with it at all. So I was a bit skeptical of purchasing one. But I was in the market for a .22 cal. while researching both the 10/22 and the 597 I learned that Remington had  upgraded to the metal mags. Knowing this and the fact that it was $ 20 cheaper than the 10/22 I went for the Remington over the Ruger.

At the range I shot  40 rounds of American Eagle High Velocity 38 Grain HP with copper plated bullet, with the gun straight out of the box. I did break the rifle down to examine the innards, But did not lube it. It appeared to have a slight coat of lubrication.

The first 10 round went of smooth. And were on target at 25 yard, but were 3 inches high. During the second mag, the last round failed to feed. I had read were this was some what common with the 597. No big deal to me. I took the mags apart and stretched the spring just slightly. This seems to have cured the last round FTF problem. At the 60 round mark I had a double feed, So decided it was time to lube the action. I was only able to shoot another 40 rounds. And did not have another stoppage of any kind.

As for the sights, I left them were they were. I am hoping to get to shoot it next weekend at 50 yards, and will sight it in then. As I stated earlier it was shooting high, but the groping was good. About 3 inches shooting off hand at 25 yards. I am not the best off hand shot, but was happy with the rifles performance.

All in all I am pleased with this purchase. The price was right $139 at Williams Gun Sight in Michigan. Extra mags are only $10. It shoots well and appears to be reliable.

I recently bought a 597 and love it.  I compared it to a buddies 10/22 and I think the 597 beats it hands down.  The clip is easier to remove and the bolt stays open after the last shot and the 597 has the feel of a real rifle.  The 10/22 feels like a carnival gun.  
As for the clip problem, I solved it.  The orange follower rides up and down on 4 slots (like a cross).  The tolerances in these slots is tight, so when the clip gets dirty, the follower gets stuck midway up the mag body.  If you remove the follower and lightly sand the 4 sides, where it guides up and down, you shouldnt have any more problems.  Basically, the follower needs more space between itself and the 4 guide rails.

Ive had a 597 for 4 years now and its been trouble free.  Great little gun that actually feels like it was designed for someone over the age of 12.

Thanks for the tip kingfish, I'll try it this weekend.

Sure is nice to have a rifle that I can shoot all day for $10, As opposed to $50 like the .223

Lucky me... I was at my dealer's shop just talking about life.  I walks in a young man with a 597 and asks how much to fix it.  He took the trigger assembly apart and could not run the gun.  

The dealer told him $50.00 and the kid asked if he wanted to buy it.  He offered the kid book wholesale.  Kid said no.  I said $50.00 and the kid said yes.  

I spent 30 minutes fixing the gun and it works and shoots great.  I was in the right spot at the right time.  I like the little 597.  It shoots dead on.

I've had my Remington model 597 magnum for about 3 years, runs great and only a problem when I slam the mag into the well or the occassion malfunction every 500 rounds or so (its been around 4k for the rifle).  I still have my original plastic mags and have two others that are less than a year old, they run fine and really don't cause problems.  Even when they are dirty as hell they still feed the rifle.

Only thing that I don't like is the trigger, its a little stiff but still get great shots in.