http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9J9JPRHN87w
By Jeremy S.
In a land saturated with tacticool AR-look-alike .22 rifles, a couple of us may still be in the market for a semi-auto plinker that won’t scare Feinstein and her pals right to their misinformed cores. This market is dominated by the venerable Ruger 10/22, but it certainly isn’t the only option out there. A solid contender, Remington’s 597 is oft-overlooked but is deserving of a place on your short list, too. At the same time, it’s a tried-and-true design that’s just popular enough to have aftermarket support and to keep you from being called a hipster . . .
Remington is currently selling at least 13 variations of the 597, with different barrel profiles and lengths, stock styles/sizes/colors, accessories, and prices. Plus, some of the models are available in .22 WMR. In this review, though, we’ll take a look at the 597 HB (Heavy Barrel) with OD Green sniper-style stock chambered in .22 LR.
Upon opening the box at my LGS, we were all surprised just how short the barrel looked. Due to the heavy profile and the short receiver, it just doesn’t look like it’s really 16”, but fear not. It is. The rifle is also very light, coming in at about 5.75 lbs. It shoulders naturally and the shape of the grip is comfortable and allows for a solid hold. Combined with the forend’s mostly flat bottom and the recesses in its sides, you can really lock this baby in place. The HB’s receiver is drilled and tapped, and comes with an accessory Weaver/Picatinny rail already attached in addition to being grooved to accept some scope rings directly.
Another nice surprise: the 597’s trigger. If I’ve heard one complaint about the 597, it’s a very heavy trigger with poor feel. That certainly isn’t the case in the 597 HB, which Remington says has a sear and hammer that have been Teflon® and Nickel-plated for a “crisp, smooth trigger pull.” I’d have to agree, and guestimate the weight at just under 5 lbs.
The 597 may not look quite as good as Amber Heard, but its nice stock, multiple optic mounting options and more than decent trigger offer you few excuses if you’re not getting sexy shooting results. The 597 has proven to be extremely accurate with each of 6 brands of ammo tested so far, including a few variations of the cheap bulk stuff. At 25 yards, every one of the 5-shot groups pictured can be completely covered with a quarter.
Quality features that you won’t find on a lot of competitors’ alternatives include the dual, tool-steel guide rails on which the bolt rides, a last shot bolt hold-open feature, a true drop-free, double-stack, metal magazine that locks in as smooth as butter and releases with just a flick of your index finger, and even 5R button rifling on this and other models.
The barrel has a nice feed ramp, and the magazine lines ‘em up perfectly. The gun was taken literally right out of the box and it has run through about 240 rounds so far without a single failure of any sort. I’ve never gotten that many rounds in a row through the handful of 10/22’s I’ve shot without some sort of hitch – usually a failure to feed.
In short, I haven’t found a downside and I’m loving this gun. It’s more accurate than I’m probably capable of and it has that awesome, serious, tack driver look to it. All while still being light enough to carry around all day and to shoot on the move. As for carrying — no sling studs might be the only nit worth picking.
If you want tacticool, Remington has a couple 597 apps for that, too. If you’re looking for a semi-auto rimfire rifle, you probably already know about the 10/22 but the Remmy’s more than worth your consideration. The 597 is popular enough that you can find an OEM magazine for it at Walmart, but you still won’t be one of five guys at your local range shooting a 10/22 on any given day, if that matters to you. Nothing wrong with the ol’ 10/22, but I’m liking this gun more, and you can still find the, (and their mags) in stock at normal prices. Highly recommended.
Specifications (for 597 HB version):
Caliber: .22 LR
Capacity: Ships with 10-round magazine. Factory 30-round mags available. Multiple aftermarket options.
Sights: None. Receiver grooved, drilled and tapped (with rail attached) for scope.
Barrel Length: 16”
Barrel Diameter: 0.825” at muzzle
Overall Length: 36.5”
Weight: 5.75 lbs
Stock: Synthetic
MSRP: $249 (Street Price ~$219)
Ratings (out of five stars):
Style * * * * *
Love the OD Green, Hogue-style sniper stock and heavy barrel profile. It looks like it means business and shoots that way, too.
Ergonomics (firing) * * * * 1/2
Length of pull is on the short side for a 6’ dude, but otherwise, the ergos are great. I warmed up very quickly to the mag release and I like it a lot now.
Accuracy * * * * *
Tack driver. Period.
Reliability * * * * *
A little more than 200 rounds through it so far, but total reliability with three brands of bulk ammo and two better brands.
Customize This * * * * *
Okay so not as many options as the 10/22, but what has? Still plenty of stock replacement options, trigger/hammer upgrades, aftermarket mags, barrels, etc. Remmy makes a couple models with threaded barrels, and that opens up even more options.
Overall * * * * *
Hard to find a fault. A well-deserved five stars for my 597 HB.
Eh, I originally loved the classic 870 Wingmaster. Still do. I ride with a 870 Police with 12 gauge 00 buck and a Vietnam era de-milled AR. The. I purchased a Benelli for clays. Lastly I got a 930 SPX for home defense and possibly 3 gun.
I don’t see any big advantage between the 500 and the 870. The Nova looks nice as well. Competition is a good thing, and so is the freedom of choice.
Walks in like a hard@$$,
retreats like a pansy.
Don’t these thugs realize a gun is a ranged weapon and you should keep your target away from said weapon?
I can’t see from the video but is the bouncer pointing the gunman’s own gun at him at the end?
FoRealz?, and that’s why I’m unnerved, I’ve seen things like this in third world countries, even when I went to Rio, we saw roving gangs of children. But like you stated, they are a product of thier environment.
Braenen, a SCAR 17? Man and I thought I had some firepower. I’m just worried that if I broke out my PredatAR and ended up using it, the liberal media here in Colorado would crucify me, therefore it stays at home, I do keep a couple extra handguns in my vehicle (glock 21 sf and glock 30) in addition to whatever I’m carrying. For my next vehicle I’m considering an SUV over a pickup so I could stash more stuff. For now I just have to make do with my emergency bag and the previously mentioned handguns. I actually kind of like keeping those pistols in the truck, if I need to run to the store I can grab the g30 from the console and tuck it in my waistband.
There is a downside to this firearm. It’s made by a company that sleeps with the Devil in New York. Boycott Remington.
The list of intolerable grievances grows by the day. Prepare!
I snagged a Marlin 795 a few months ago. It was fairly cheap but I haven’t been able to shoot it yet. I like the ergonomics of it so far with the large magazine release and bolt hold open feature. If it runs well I will scope it. My wife will be learning how to shoot on it.
Seven rounds? I can never manage to load more than five in my S&W 642.
Remington needs to go on the DO NOT REVIEW list, guys. I don’t care if they make the greatest .22LR known to man, they make in the People’s Republic of NY voluntarily and sold us all out to get the fat contract with the gov.
All of you! Seriously! Remington is one of the longest continuously operating gun and ammo companies in the Country, and they stayed in upstate NY because Ilon is where they have been located for over 100 years. They had to compete against 4 other rifles to get the contract so it has nothing to do with any back room crap. Do research, and don’t just throw crap out there and hope it sticks. The Remington 700 action is the most used action in the custom gun world and they build quality rifles and 1911’s. They also make some of the best ammo available commercially today. I spent 15 years in the US Army and once a program is approved and is running its up to the testers to give the final recommendation to the top brass, not the government to tell them which rifle to pick. I was involved in the M4 replacement program testing until it was shut down because the M4A1 performed just as well if not better than all other rifles.
I always see this in these comment sections on many review and blog sites. Everybody knows everything until someone shows up and proves them wrong. Of course you people will say I work for Remington or the Government so I am making this up, but no I work for neither. I was injured in Iraq in 2009 and with my busted up spine, nerve damage, right hip, and both shoulders given to the Army I am all done and stay home with the dog now. So I have plenty of time to do research and many people actually call me and ask me to research weapons, pricing, and condition, and companies. I also build AR’s when my body lets me, full custom.
I dont put much faith in the statements printed now days, yours seemed to be from experience. I am very disappointed in the Marlin 60, 22 caliber. I bought my first one in 1972 and still have it. My neighbor gave me a new Marlin model 60 for my birthday. What a far cry from my old one. Plain stock, no engravings on the wood anywhere, plastic trigger guard, plastic pin holding the internal action in place. Figure the price compared to the one in 1972 and the one sold today. Not worth it. Plain, cheap piece of crap.
I’d like to talk to you about a build…
The first .22 rifle I owned was a 597. Bought it at Dick’s. I picked it up before all this garbage started. So what I’m saying is I supported two companies that had I had the gift of foresight I wouldn’t have patronized either. That being said I freaking love my 597. Rarely ever a hiccup though I haven’t tried the 30 round mags yet( mainly because they are hideous and look foolish on a rifle of this style. The thing is incredibly accurate even though I don’t have the heavy barrel. Mine came with the bull barrel. When I’m done shooting in the woods I like to finish up the session by taking the tacks out of the target. Four tacks can usually be obliterated within ten rounds at about 30 yards. For a couple hundred bucks it is better than one could ask for.
Ban all umbrellas!! Hey, if it saves one hoplophobe from a panty-wetting hissy-fit accident, it will be worth it!
Remington does not deserve civilian business or reviews aimed at that market. Can’t believe you guys bothered. The govt will be using their weapons to shoot at their neighbors in the next war.
This entire “government” of ours is so broken that the only way to fix it it to competely start over from scratch. Thomas Jefferson warned us that this would happen, but to true to form, us FU**ING AMERICANS never listen.
It’s sad that my first thought is “GOOD”! It’s sad that I’m actually able to feel happy about violent crime rising. But it’s already been said; our sympathy buttons are on the fritz.
I like the rally race anlogy. And since you brought it up, reminds me of one of Jeff Coopers lines from some Russian friend: “Eez gon! Eez not safe!”
Check out Melissa Harris=Perry’s MSNBC Video at this url “Our Children are not Our Private Property”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/13/melissa-harris-perry-promo-children-msnbc_n_3076195.html
This was Broadcast last week. The Story includes the original video and her “defense” of the video after Fox News raised a ruckus about it.
I’m glad you posted this story. This is an issue around the country where college students can make a difference by being concerned about their safety. Currently I am an officer for my university’s chapter of students for concealed carry on campus. We have recently lobbied at the Texas legislator where house bill 972 (giving the right to university staff and students to conceal carry on campus with a valid concealed handgun license) has just recently been accepted in the committees and is about to be voted on by the house. Take your activism to your campus and to the state. Students for concealed carry on campus is a national organization and will help you start a new chapter. Good Luck!
1. Oiga amigos ! Oiga amigos ! Paco ! Enrique !
2. Listen to the last words of Hassan Sabbah,
3. The Old man of the Mountain !
4. Listen to my last words, anywhere !
5. Listen all you boards, governments, syndicates, nations of the world,
6. And you, powers behind what filth deals consummated in what lavatory,
7. To take what is not yours ,
8. To sell out your sons forever ! To sell out the ground from unborn feet forever ?
9. Listen to my last words any world ! Listen if you value the bodies for which you would sell all souls forever!
10. What am I doing over here with the workers, the gooks, the apes, the dogs, the errand boys, the human animals ?
11 . Why don’t I come over with the board, and drink coca-cola and make it ?
12. “For God’s sake, do not let that Coca-Cola thing out !”
13. Thing is right, Mr Whoever is responsible for that who done it !
14. Explain how the blood, and bones, and brains of a hundred million more or less gooks went down the drain in green piss !
15. So you on the boards could use bodies, and minds, and souls that were not yours, are not yours, and never will be yours.
16. You want Hassan Sabbah to explain that ? To tidy that up !
You have the wrong name and the wrong number !
17. “Don’t let them see us, don’t tell them what we are doing ! ”
18. Are these the words of the all powerful nations and syndicates of the earth ?
19. “- Don’t let them see us, don’t tell them what we are doing!
20. Not the cancer deal, not the green deal !
21. Do not let that out !
22. Disaster, disaster, unimaginable disaster !
23. Don’t show them out, these things take time and that’s my business.”
24. As usual, Mr Loose ! Short time to go. Minutes to go!
Blue heavy metal people.
25. “- Don’t let that out! Don’t show them the blues !”
26. Are these the words of the all powerful boards and syndicates of the earth ?
Show them the blues.
27. Crab men ! Pick worms ! Intestinal parasites !
28. Squeezing the air you did not shit it out and eat it again, forever !
29. “Don’t let them see us ! Don’t tell them what we are doing !”
30. Are these the words of the all powerful boards, syndicates, cartels of the earth ?
31. The great banking families of the world
32. French, English, American ?
33. Like Burroughs, that proud American name ?
34. Proud of what exactly ? Would you all like to see exactly what Burroughs has to be proud of ?
35. Short time racket, heavy metal gimmick ?
36. All right, Mister Burroughs, who bears my name and my words bear it all the way
37. For all to see, in Times Square, in Picadilly,
38. Play it all, play it all, play it all back !
39. Pay it all, pay it all, pay it all back ! …
40. Shall I show them the blues ?
41. Now! Now! Now !
42. “Premature ! Premature! Premature!”
43. Time for what ? Premature for whom ?
44. I say to all : these words are not premature . These words might be too late.
45. Minutes to go. Minutes to go. Minutes to goo ; Minutes to green goo.
46. “Top secret! For the Board – the Initiates..”
47. Are these the words of the all powerful boards and syndicates of the earth ?
48. These are the words of liars, and cowards, and collaborators and traitors,
Liars who always want more time and more
49. You stole to the sky what was not yours
Poisoning the bodies and the souls forever ! Look ! Look ! Look !
50. “Don’t let them see us ! Don’t tell them what we are doing !”
51. Are these the words of the great nations, the all powerful boards and syndicates of the earth ?
52. These are the names of liars, and cowards, and collaborators and traitors
53. Collaborators with insect people,
54. With any people anywhere who offers you a body forever, to shit forever.
55. For this you have sold your sons forever,
56. The ground under unborn feet forever !
57. Traitors to all souls everywhere !
58. You on the boards, who want others to pay for you,
59. With your deals to take what is not yours !
60. You on the board, who now say :
61. “Protect us from our our gooks
62. Protect us from our human animals.”
63. Are these the words of the all powerful boards and syndicates of the earth ?
64. And you want the name of Hassan Sabbah on your filth deals
65. To sell out the unborn ?
66. “Protect us from our gooks, our dogs, our human animals !”
67. Are these the words of the all powerful boards, your powerful syndicates
68. Your powerful governments and nations of the earth ?
69. Liars ! Liars! Liars! Cowards! Cowards ! Cowards!
70. Who cannot even face your own dogs !
71. Traitors to all souls everywhere ! Sold out to shit forever :
72. You, miserable collaborators,
73. Now ask protection of Hassan Sabbah ?
74. “Protect us from our gooks, our human animals ?”
75. No, no, no, I will not protect you,
76. And you will never use the name of Hassan Sabbah – William Burroughs to cover your green shit deals with crab-men.
77. My words are for all,
78 I repeat for all !
79. No one is excluded !
80. Free to all who pay , free to all who pay and pain for all to see , for all to see!
81. In Picadilly, in Time Square, Place de la Concorde,
82. In all the streets and plazas of the world !
83. Pay, pay, pay !
84. Play it all, play it all , play it all back !
85. Pay it all, pay it all, pay it all back !
86. See my writing the silent across all your skies,
87. The silent writing of Brion Gysin – Hassan Sabbah.
88. The silent writing of space, the writing of Hassan Sabbah
89. All out of time ! All into space ! Forever !
90. PRISONERS OF THE EARTH, COME OUT!
— William S. Burroughs
This may may very well contend for the most eccentric comment ever on TTAG. I am intrigued.
It’s so dumb that national reciprocity is controversial. It offends less than 10% of the states in the “union”.
lol
It is premature, yes. And it would be I daresay just as effective as any other current idea…I mean, look what you can do with nitric and sulphuric acid…
Banning loose gun powder to citizens would be pointless. There are plenty of ways to make IED’s that don’t involve gun powder. Propane and gasoline come to mind.
It will be hard to blame this on smokeless powder, as you would need a truck load to do the kind of damage that was done with that type of explosive. My guess is that it was a homemade variant of RDX, not hard to make; you can get all the components from grocery stores/hardware stores, was probably the most common type of IED explosive I saw in Iraq.
Although items like tannerite etc, may take a hit because of this.
Great review! The 597 has always been my favorite .22 semiauto, so much so that I currently own more than one (I won’t say exactly how many out of embarrassment). Thanks to Remington the 10/22 is dead to me. 😉
All you Remington haters: Remember Ruger in the ’90s, you bunch of self-centered hypocrites? Let me know when Remington supports another AWB.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/of_massacres_media_myths_iwxYulFJ9jKcrBTk50kpOL
Oh, by the way, all Remington 597s are made in . . . MAYFIELD, KENTUCKY. But go ahead and boycott them just the same, them Kaintuck hillbillies are a liberal bunch. Not.
umm every one has failed to mention rugers front page is covered with pro 2a stuff and some facts about ny stupid laws, remmy’s has nothing of the sort. i live in ny and itd suck if they left or went under. but they are NOT fighting for us. end of story. i dont support nor advise anyone to support them.
So, instead, you support Ruger because it has posted legislation that involves a state that various gun companies are based out of while ignoring the fact that Bill Ruger himself was a sleazy Benedict Arnold? He supported a 15 round magazine capacity limit because, at the time, his Mini 14 was the only firearm with a 15 round mag while the rest had 20+. He fought tooth-and-nail to make sure the Feinstein legislation went through in the 90’s and actually said that people who wanted more than a 15 round magazine weren’t law-abiding citizens.
WHAT A SURPRISE! Ruger, again, is following the bandwagon of political fury in order to promote it’s own products! Oh but I’m sure Ruger’s factories aren’t based in states with strict gun control, eh? NOT! The “Facts” in all of these arguments seem to be very conveniently subjective when someone’s arguing one company verses another.
Absolutely not. No compromise. I will only accept the status quo or less restrictions, never any compromise.
Oh they had an M4-Carbine? Do tell… I would love to hear how they got that…. *eye roll*
Again, another “ends justify the means” argument. Again I say “even if one is for UBC one should still have been appalled by this bill”
Could be good for my fiancee, who said she might let me get her a gun if it comes in a cool color (purple, check) and doesn’t recoil a lot (available in .32, check).
I live in California and this very disturbing and it pisses me off to no end. But the only thing you can do is write your congressman and keep writing them. This is what the liberals do all the time. Don’t just get angry with a rant and post on some web site how this sucks. Write them and tell your friends to write them and keep writing them. I have joined the NRA this year and just donated $25.00 to the Firearms Policy Coalition. My voice will be heard !!!
I think this article overlooks a key fact. To be effective in an emergency situation, you must be familiar with what you are shooting. In an emergency situation, such as an intruder in your home, your ability to think clearly and solve problems is reduced. If the situation reaches a point in which you need to fire, you do not want to realize that you flipped the safety switch the wrong way (turning it on, instead of off) because you are not familiar with it.
I have been shooting handguns for years, but only recently started shooting AR’s and other rifles. Getting a good grip and aiming with a handgun is in my ‘muscle memory’ now. Aiming with a pistol is easy and I have done drills and know how different postures affect my aim. However aquiring a target with a rifle and ensuring I have good contact with that rifle still takes much more focus for me. I am much more likely to forget to do something, such as turn off the safety or put a round in the chamber with one of my rifles.
When it comes to self/home/family defense, you have to be familiar with what you are shooting.
Bashing Remington for the recent decision to stay in NY and accept a gov’t contract is one thing. Passing along rumors that have been disproved is a shame. The rumor that Freedom Group’s owner, Cerberus Investment Group, is anti-gun has been researched by the NRA and an announcement was published by the NRA stating the rumor is false. If we propagate lies, how are we any better than our opponents?
I fail to see how boycotting Remington does a thing for the pro-2A cause. As others pointed out, if one does a little research it is hard to find a company that hasn’t done something you disagree with at some point. If they haven’t, just give them time.
With that out of the way, let’s get back to the topic at hand, the 597. I own several 10-22s. None of them are as-purchased. I like modifying stuff, and that is one great thing about the 10-22. If there is a part on a 10-22 that someone doesn’t make an “improved” version of, it has to be the spring for the bolt release, but I wouldn’t bet on it. The 10-22’s popularity is evidenced by the aftermarket for it.
My father bought a 597 after I had tried to sway him towards a 10-22. He isn’t smitten by the modification bug as badly as I, so the aftermarket didn’t matter to him. He wanted a 22 rifle that felt more like a sporting rifle and he didn’t want to change everything on it to accomplish that. I scoffed a bit, then I shot it. Now I own a 597 too.
That isn’t to say the 597 is perfect. I did rework the trigger to get a decent 3.5 lb pull and limit the over-travel, but I haven’t yet felt a trigger in this rifle’s price range that was acceptable to me. The trigger is a little narrow, making the trigger pull feel slightly heavier than it actually is. The 30-round mags aren’t worth the headache, in my opinion, but extended mags just get in the way for the majority of shooting I do. I have gotten the 30-round mags to work reliably, but it took a fair bit of work.
The 597’s size was made for an adult male. You can make a 10-22 carbine fit an adult male or you can spend significantly more money for a stock 10-22 made to adult male proportions (i.e., the target models). You can just buy a 597 and be done with it.
The only malfunctions I’ve witnessed with two 597s have been ammunition issues. In my experience, 10-22s are pickier about the ammo than the 597s.
Both the 10-22 and the 597 are great rifles and I’ll not be parting with either. I like them both for different reasons and recommend the purchase of one or the other to people based on their desires and intended use.
Great review on the HB model. I’ll have to add one to the collection.
I have the 597 and to be honest I am still waiting for the first jamup, stovepipe, what ever. I have two factory 10 rd. mags and they work flawlessly, I also have the Remington 30 rd. and have had nothing bad happen with it. And to tell the truth I have been using old, real old 22’s of mixed mfg. just junk rounds and it pumps it thru the barrel like hot butter. Granted even a Roll has an issue now and then, and a bad one will get out of the factory, but for the most part I will highly recommend the Remington 597, I am very happy with mine..
I have a 597, and I’ve only ever had one fail to feed issue. It was a Remington Yellow Jacket. I’ve put thousands of cheap Federal bulk rounds through it. As for the magazines, mine must be okay (purchased in 2012 sometime) because one magazine laid in some mud for a week and when I found it, I shook the dirt out of it, threw some rounds into it and fired away without a hiccup. As for the accuracy, I’m a terrible shot so it isn’t my place to comment. I’m not a huge fan of how my hand fits around the grip; it sets my trigger finger up in an awkward position but maybe that’s just me. The trigger was absolutely horrible, but ten minutes and a file fixed that.
I can understand that you American’s are scared of gun laws
but you have it not bad over there
its a your right to have gun
in Holland its really hard to get one
you have to train 2years at a gun club to get a license
and your stuck whit a 22 single shot for a year
it takes 3/5 years to get a semi auto ore a large caliber gun and max 5 guns
gun are expensive ammo is cheaper over here
I like the review and I think I gona get one
I enjoyed the reviews even though they seemed a little one sided to me !
I’ve got both a regular 597 and an HB. Both are great shooters. Can’t really say that the HB is any more accurate than the standard. I’ve used both at a few Appleseed shoots and have about 1200 rounds through the HB now. Can consistently shoot in the 240’s on an Appleseed AQT with both using CCI mini-mag HP’s. Here’s what I can report:
Like most .22lr’s, very ammo sensitive. Both shoot great with anything CCI, from cheapo Blazer to Mini-mags (the best). Mini-Mag’s are 1.5- 2MOA for 5 shot groups off a bench and I can hold the 10 ring in rimfire sporter in unsupported slow prone, no problem. Never get flyers with CCI. Even Rem golden bullets are fairly accurate (but lots of first strike duds). Fed automatch and american eagle are lousy. 3-5 MOA 5 shot groups. Lot’s of flyers.
The good:
Great out of the box trigger (my HB measured 3.2 lbs. with wheeler gauge. Standard 597 was 5.5 lbs)
More accurate out of the box than most 10/22’s or Marlin 795 based on my Appleseed experience
Adult sized stock (for a .22)
Good balance in hand
Action and barrel clamp screws don’t come loose after hundreds of rounds
No FTF or FTE problems with HV ammo. (with a FTF magazine exception listed below)
Double stack drop free mag – minimal mag protrusion – good for slung prone shooting and target style offhand.
Good, intuitive, easy to use mag release
last round hold open (LRHO)
The bad:
– Comb of the stock is too low for scoped use. More of a low cheek/high chin weld even with low rings
– No sling swivel studs (but a molded in tower in the forend can be drilled out to install one)
– Several mag problems (all easily fixed and listed below). One of these problems will cause a FTF of the last round in 4 of the 7 mags I’ve had.
– Terrible LRHO spring (have broken in both of my 597’s). Very easy to damage when removing the trigger group and hard to get right when re-installing it. Springs cost $4.44 at Brownell’s. The LRHO will drop out of the way due to gravity though as long as the rifle is help in the normal upright position when cycling the bolt. I’ve run dozens of mags through both of mine without the springs, no problem.
– My HB won’t reliably cycle Standard velocity ammo (the Standard 597 does a bit better). Federal gold medal match was particularly problematic. Bolt short cycled about half the time, causing a FTE and or/FTF. The hammer reset seems particularly rough. The 1200+ FPS stuff cycles perfectly.
– Scope mount is too far to the rear. Presents eye relief problems with standard scopes in prone and seated positions for almost all shooters. The Leapers bug buster scopes are a nice cheap alternative to take care of this without spending $40 for an EGW extended rail, due to their shorter eye piece. However the rings they come with won’t fit the 597HB rail (spacing isn’t right) so you need narrower rings. The fixed 6X bug buster is a nice inexpensive choice for shooters wanting to get into CMP rimfire sporter as it has resettable target turrets, AO, the right eye relief for this rifle and won’t push you over the weight limit.
Several mag problems and fixes:
– Some mags won’t accept 10 rounds when new and you’ll dent the 9th trying to get the 10th in.
– The plastic orange follower often gets hung up just before trying to feed the last round, causing a FTF on the last round. The forward edge of the follower will catch the die parting line flash inside the mag body.
– The 30 round mags suck. Plastic feed lips easily damaged and hard to load more than 22-3 rounds.
Here’s what I do with all of my new 10 round mags:
Disassemble them and sand off about 0.040″ from the bottom of the follower (allows it to fall that much deeper so it will accept the 10th round).
With a small jewelers file, I file down the forward wall (where the bullet points) of the inside of the mag body to eliminate the die casting parting line flash that catches the follower and causes last round FTF. Also have to file the small groove on that wall.
Re-assemble and load 10 rounds. Let sit for a few days to lighten the spring up just a touch. Always load the mags holding onto the sides rather than placing the mag bottom plate down on a table. This gives a little more play for the last round to load.
A bit shocking to me that Remington hasn’t fixed these common mag problems, They’re on their 3rd generation mag design and it still sucks. And the fixes are very simple. Also shocking that they haven’t addressed the bad eye relief of their scope rail. Another easy fix. Or the problems cycling standard velocity ammo.
Now this is a review! Thanks for leaving the soapbox at home.
Looking at this list http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_suicide_rate
What the heck is going on in Greenland?
Good video. Thanks. Man, that sure is a wicked mean brake you got on that puppy. Hate to catch that thing in the pie-hole with a muzzle strike.
I’ve managed to stave off Tavor-itis to this point, but we’ll see about long term… Love the compactness of a ‘pup, and Tavor sure feels nice shouldered, but I guess I never got over the trigger thing. I’ve been able to use that and ‘Tavor-face’ as mental barriers to save me a few K jumping into a new platform – so please don’t tell me the trigger doesn’t suck (even if it doesn’t 😉 )
Well, I was very excited about buying my first rifle. Remington 597 seemed like a great purchase. Unfortunately, so far I’ve been very disappointed. I’ve already tried 3 different types of ammo. Constantly jamming up. Will not eject properly. Only had it for a month now. Hopefully the dealer can do something for me.
Sell it on gunbroker to some other sucker! LMFAO!!!!
My .597 has the same ejecting issues with seemingly all types of ammo. Do you have the combo rifle (with the scope)? Mine came with the scope. I solved the issue with mine:
Take the scope rings off and shoot it. It should shoot fine after that. What was happening is the manual lever to the receiver (finger pull manual breach opener attached to the bolt) is jamming up against the bolt on the scope ring. When you manually open the breach there is enough give that you probably don’t notice this problem but if you look close you will see that it bumps against the forward scope ring bolt. At the time of fire the bolt opens the breach enough to allow the empty shell to pass back to exit the receiver but not enough to fling it outside the breach.
It was poor thinking on the manufacturer when they installed the scope. All you need to do is get a new set of scope rings that won’t be in the way of the breach.
This was the ejecting issue for my gun. I hope that’s the issue for everyone else too.
SELL all your guns from any manufacturer who has ever had a gov contract, built in a anti gun state or foreign country. do not buy any ammo made in anti gun states tied to gov contracts or foreign countries.
I enjoy buying evil used guns & ammo, while I am sure you will enjoy hunting flies with your American made bug-a-salt gun
I bought a 597 HB just like the Story, out of 500 rounds I have had 2 FTF’s, both have been failures to extract. I have an old Marlin Model 60, I have had it for over 30 years. It is absolutely the most accurate 22 plinker I have ever owned. A few years ago I traded for a 10-22 International. Beautiful gun, because I had the 2 22lr’s I let a nephew take my Marlin 60 home with him. I started shooting the 10-22 and learned why you have to fix them up. They aren’t comparable as far as accuracy but compare as far as function. So I traded the 10-22 and bought a Marlin 795. I was hoping for the same performance I got out of the 60 with the 795. It was ok but still not as accurate as my old model 60.
I saw some advertisements for the 597HB with the 5R barrel and I sold the 795 and purchased a brand new 597HB. I haven’t purchased any 30 round magazines but have a few of the 10’s. I have found the rifle can be very accurate but with some ammo types the groups do open up. Due to my life’s situation I have to buy what I want when I can afford it. So Remington kept part of its operation in NY. I would look at that as employer/employee loyalty. They already were moving to other states and need to keep the machines humming in order to pay for the moves. I do not begrudge Remington for some of its business decisions, where I live I can buy their products, may not be able to afford them but I can buy them.
Bottom line I love my 597HB, I love my old model 60 Marlin more but they are two different creatures.
I bought a 597 Heavy Barrel for myself and a Pink camouflage one for my daughter in November of 2012. I let her decide between a 10/22 and the Remington and then I decided, why buy 2 different sets of magazines and I picked up the 20′ HB for myself. I was really frustrated with them because they would consistently have Failure To Feed! My daughters was fixed by cleaning/smoothing out the internals of the magazines. Mine still had issues. I researched the problem on dozens of threads and then decided to polish the guide rods and the bolt on mine and that stopped the FTF BUT, THEN IT STARTED STOVEPIPING! I was so mad I was about to wrap it around a tree when I decided to try the Volquartsen extractor. Best $20 I’ve ever spent on a gun!!! Now this thing will eat any ammo I put through it. Golden Bullets, Winchester, Federal Bulk, 25 year old plain lead I found in the bottom of an ammo can and quickly wiped the corrosion off, etc. So…. should mine have run better from the factory? Yes it should have but, when you’re talking about a mass produced rimfire semi-automatic (Made in the USA and bought at retail for $249) that has a heavy 5R barrel and a decent scope, you shouldn’t expect every single one to run perfectly out of the box. Several people I know have had them run 100% out of the box with no tweaking. I’m confident I could have sent it back to Remington and they would have corrected it but I would rather do it myself. With the $20 extractor, $5 worth of valve grinding compound and 45 minutes of my time, this is one of my favorite firearms and I will never get rid of my 597.
I realize this is an old thread, but here is 2 cents worth. I recently purchased a 597 AAC-SD. I now have almost 1000 rounds through it with not one single issue. I use only the factory 10 round mags, they just look better. This thing has eaten everything I put through it to find out what it shoots best. It REALLY likes min-mags and the thing rocks with Winchester’s new 42 gr. power point. I keep it clean and well oiled. With the cheap Barska scope on it now it will stack these 2 rounds in 10 shot groups at 50 yards on a nickel! Maybe I got lucky and got a good one. In closing, my only complaint about this rifle is I can’t get the darn thing away from my wife at the range!!!
Bought a Rem 597 against advise of my friends. I went directly to the range right after I picked it up. Didn’t get one shot fired, the barrel was loose, the Range Officer and I removed the stock, right there, two pieces of the receiver’s fore end had broken off, I was stunned, the barrel was only held in place by the friction of the recoil springs and the tension on the stock, What or whoever let this rifle out of the factory is appalling, …still waiting on a reply from Remington.
What do you expect with union labor? They aren’t there to do good work, they are there to be in the union and be a leech. LMFAO!!!!
i have a totally tricked 10/22, but now i shoot in a rim fire league, open sights only….so 10/22 was a no go. did research on what would work for me, it narrowed down to the savage mark 2 or a Remington 597, went with the semi auto, i never looked back, ended up taking league champions( fall league 2013), I’m defending the title now 2014, mods to 3 597’s VQ hammer and extractor, tech sights, free floated barrel, full internal polishing, wolf mt ammo, this year we have a long range optional shoot, so i bought a 597 ac ssd mod’s are the same as the open sight league but no tech sights add center point 4-16 x 40 w/ med rings, i’m shooting 2.5″ 150 yds and 2.25″ 100 yds 10 shots each 20 shots total, 20 x for 220 score first time out, sighted for 150 with a hold under at 100…stan clark county
DID ANY OF YOU EVEN KNOW THAT THE 597 IS BUILT AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN BUILT IN KY……… PLUS NOW REMINGTON HAS LEFT LIBERAL NY AND MOVED TO GUN FRIENDLY ALABAMA…. JUST SAYING !!
bought for wife for xmas. shot ethan 200 rounds and lever fell off. called Remington for help put on list for new bolt assm. been waitng over 6 weeks for parts . told 2 to 6 weeks more .because to many guns have same problem. would not buy again
If any of you morons had ever been through the plant in Ilion it would be obvious why they didn’t just drop everything and run from NY when the politicians went stupid overnight.
Remington has been in the same place since 1816(for those of you who can’t do math, that will be 200 years in < 2 months)and the place is massive.
They have a workforce there that you can't leave, much less replace overnight and I would not expect them to do so. I doubt that the entire work force would pull up stakes and move either. Judging by the comments here I suppose these points may be recondite for some of you.
Remington has facilities in AL, KY(2), NC, and others.
Remington has supported the shooting sports for years and has stepped up to support 3gun in a big way.
You can complain about their products but before passing judgement on their business practices give it some thought…..if you are capable of that.
my 597 story: I ordered a 597tvp, waited weeks for delivery and when I took it out of the box the stock was literaly crushed . I actually got a splinter in my hand when I picked it up. sent it back to the wholesaler got I back 3wks later. took it home ,mounted a proven leupold scope on and couldn’t keep it on paper at20 yds. removed the stock and found a cracked receiver. took it to the nearest rem repair center. they returned it to Remington and I got a replacement rifle 3wks later.mounted the leupold, shoots 1 hole groups at 25yds but it wont feed more than 2-3 rounds without extraction problems or stovepipes. I tried several ammo types and 2 mags. didn’t help. I wont give up, I’m taking it back to the rem repair center. I love the gun, sure it can be reliable.
all these remington haters are nuts,that kind of thinking is is the reason china and other countries are getting our manufacturing jobs,buy remington support the american worker.
I’m not from the US and in my country there are strict gun laws. Citizens are not allowed to carry / own firearms at all unless there is a special circumstance eg for business purposes. However I have heard of the pending legal changes that the Obama admin is trying to get done. I will not give an opinion as I do not live in the States or understand their way of life. However what i have always found most weird and peculiar is the crossing of state lines with legal firearms. The United States of America is one country . How and why do they have different laws for different states is beyond me. One President presides over the entire country with its congress and Senate but laws for different states apply to themselves.. I can protect myself and my family in one place in the US but I am not authorized to do so in another state in the same country. Simply just have some mechanism for informing the ATF or whatever governing body of where the firearm and user are on those occassions
Didn’t have any problems with my Remington 597, nice rifle which works pretty good.