Welcome again for the ultimate installment of our Remington 550-1 exploration! We’ve lined the history, variations, dating, and technical specifications of this versatile .22 rimfire. As we speak, we’re placing concept into follow with precise vary time to see how this 75+ yr previous design performs when the rubber meets the highway.
Curious Relics Protection on AllOutdoor:
Welcome to our recurring sequence of “Curious Relics.” Right here, we need to share all of our experiences, information, misadventures, and fervour for older firearms that one may categorize as a Curio & Relic – any firearm that’s at the least 50 years previous in keeping with the ATF. Hopefully alongside the best way you’ll be able to garner a better appreciation for older firearms like we do, and concurrently you’ll be able to train us issues as properly by way of sharing your individual experience and ideas within the Feedback. Understanding the firearms of previous, their significance, and their improvement which result in lots of the arms we now cherish at present is extremely fascinating and we hope you take pleasure in what we now have to share, too!
Vary Time: Remington 550-1
Taking my grandfather’s 550-1 to the vary was a sensible analysis and a form of private mission. This rifle had been in items for a decade or two, so I wasn’t certain what to anticipate from a 75-year-old mechanism that hadn’t seen common use in years. The rifle proved clean and dependable proper from the primary shot. I examined quite a lot of .22 LR ammunition, and each single spherical cycled with out challenge. No jams, no mishaps, simply constant operate shot after shot. The floating chamber system labored precisely as marketed, dealing with every thing I fed it with mechanical precision.
I additionally ran fairly just a few .22 Shorts by way of it to check the floating chamber’s well-known multi-cartridge functionality. My grandfather at all times bragged about what number of .22 Shorts this tube may maintain – seems he wasn’t exaggerating. I by no means counted precisely, however I used to be at all times informed it holds 22 rounds of .22 Quick, and from loading it up, that appears about proper. The rifle cycled each single Quick with out hesitation, proving the system’s versatility isn’t simply advertising hype one bunny fart at a time. I assumed I had some .22 Longs readily available for a whole take a look at, however I will need to have misplaced them, so no cube there. Nonetheless, the efficiency with Shorts and Lengthy Rifle was sufficient to show the floating chamber’s effectiveness.
For accuracy testing, I used Remington New Customary V ammunition that they despatched over – thanks, Remington. Taking pictures from a bag at 25 yards, I managed a few 3-inch group with a full journal. My POI was operating larger than my POA, however the group stayed constant, which tells me the rifle’s mechanical accuracy is stable and the problem is simply sight adjustment.
The rifle’s operation is refreshingly easy and intuitive. There’s not rather a lot occurring with it, so loading, charging the deal with, and taking it off secure is a breeze. Every little thing falls naturally into your palms with out having to consider it. The set off has a little bit of squish to it, however the reset is good and tactile.
I did discover one quirk when loading that truck load of .22 Shorts into the tube. Reinserting the journal meeting was a bit tough – I may really feel it get caught on each rim all the best way down. It’s not a significant challenge, simply one thing to concentrate on when loading to capability.
The rifle balances and shoulders very properly, although it’s a bit front-heavy as a result of that 24-inch barrel. Not sufficient to be a detriment, however you positively discover the load distribution. For prolonged capturing periods, this may develop into extra obvious, however for typical vary use or looking purposes, it’s completely manageable.
One factor I saved desirous about through the vary session was how that small ejection port and distinguished brass deflector may complicate malfunction clearance if one thing did go unsuitable. Fortunately, this wasn’t a problem for the reason that rifle ran flawlessly, but when it ever bought tremendous soiled and began having extraction issues, that tight ejection space may make issues attention-grabbing.
The brass deflector itself works precisely as designed, sending empties out to the suitable in a constant sample. It’s an oddly formed piece in comparison with fashionable designs, but it surely does its job successfully with none brass coming again on the shooter.
Remaining Ideas: Remington 550-1
After spending time with the 550-1 on the vary, I really like this rifle. It’s every thing good about American firearms manufacturing from this period – stable development, dependable operate, and sensible engineering that solves actual issues. The floating chamber system isn’t only a novelty. When shooters wanted to shoot no matter .22 rimfire they may discover, ammo wasn’t at all times assured, particularly in rural areas. A rifle that might cycle any .22 rimfire cartridge you discovered on the native retailer? That mattered.
What will get me is how easy the rifle appears whereas being cleverly engineered inside. The controls make sense, the operation is easy, and every thing works. Disgrace rifles like this aren’t made anymore. This 550-1 connects me to each firearms historical past and household historical past. Each time I shoulder it, I consider my grandfather and when this rifle was new.
Most significantly, it’s nonetheless enjoyable to shoot. The rifle does every thing it was designed to do with the identical reliability and accuracy it had a long time in the past. I extremely suggest it if you’ll find one.
In closing, I hope our Curious Relics phase knowledgeable in addition to entertained. This all was written in hopes of continued firearm appreciation and preservation. We didn’t simply notice how guns have been presupposed to look and performance. It was an extended and tedious course of that has formed the world we reside in. So, I put it to you! Is there a firearm on the market that you just really feel doesn’t get a lot notoriety? What ought to our subsequent Curious Relics subject cowl? As at all times, tell us all your ideas within the Feedback under! We at all times recognize your suggestions.
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