Remington 550-1, worn out?

[Will52100]

I recently got a remington 550-1 for a good price at a pawn.  A little stock work to get rid of the crappy varnish and the black walnut looks and feels good.  I had to replace the firing pin early on.  

It had a problem jamming, didn't like Remington ammo, fed Federal just fine.  The problem turns out that Remington ammo is almoust half a 'thousanth bigger than Federal.  Federal miked out exactly .22, and the chamber also had what looked like a bur, posibly a ringed chamber from 40-50 years of firing short or longs instead of long rifles.  I turned a 1/4 brass rod down to 22LR size on one end and with a little valve lapping compound and a battery drill polished the chamber.  A bur still showes a little, but Remington or Federal eigther one will chamber just fine now.

Well after 3 or 4 hundred rounds the firing pin fell out of the lug, I at first thought it broke, I turned a new one from 1095 and hardned and tempered the end and shoots fine so far.  Less than 50 rounds through it though so far.

The bolt seems pretty loose compared to my father's 550,(it's close to 40 years old) and initial feed, loading first round wants to bind a little, but after it cycles automaticly just fine.

The is clean, but the rifling is rather shallow, though 99% of the shots are off hand at less than 100 yards, so match grade acuracy is not a big issue, though I do love a tack driver.  I have a Marlin 22 auto with micro grove rifling and it's a tack driver, though there is way to much plastic and die cast aluminum for my taste, and the Gum stock is crap.

I can't find a new bolt anywhere.  Is there any thing I can do to get this gun in top notch working order?  I wish they still made this model, I'd just buy a new one and know that it'd probly last me the rest of my life and then some.

Any idea's?

Thanks,

Will

[Will52100]

Also I wonder if anyone knows of a smith or outfit that would re-work this rifle to like new function?

[gunnut69]

The 550 is an early auto loading design.  What you saw was probably not a ring but the front end of the floating chamber.  The 550-1 used a floating chamber to amplify the recoil impulse of the 22 short round enough to function the rifle.  The chamber is the length of a 22 short, allowing powder gases to impinge on the front and the entire assembly to push on the bolt.  This allowed function with shorts, longs or long rifles.  They are not expensive rifles and fairly good condition specimens can usually be found for a very reasonable price.  Almost any smith can probably repair your rifle.  Restoring it may be a costly venture.  Probably better off finding a better condition sprcimen..  Check around locally..

[Will52100]

Thanks Gunnut, I guess it's more sentimental than anything, but almoust all the 22's I've seen have plastic in them, some more than others.  Plus the 550 is the first rifle I ever learned to shot, and after no telling how many rounds and close to 40 years my father's is still going strong.  I know it's primitive design by todays standards but there is an elegance and feel that is lacking in most of todays mass produced, injection molded, and die cast guns.

I've been looking for several years and this is the only one I've seen for sale.

I think though I'll take a close look at the Ruger 10/22.  Acording to there site they have a new one out that looks close to what I'm looking for, now if I can just get them to put an oil finished walnut stock on it.

Thanks again,

Will

[gunnut69]

check out AuctionArms and GunBroker.. as shown below they have some accasisionally..

http://www.auctionarms.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=5551021
http://www.gunbroker.com/auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=16305228

I doubt the rifle you have is worn out.  But these rifles are not precision made and if not cleaned and lubed the fouling from any 22 autoloader mixed with a bit of oil is very abrasive..    I believe the feeding problems were a result of a carboned up floating chamber...  remove the chamber from the end of the barrel and clean it and it's recess well.  The 550 action is complicated and too much oil will cause problems quickly.

[Will52100]

One of the first things I did was a soak in mineral spirits,  I've got it working good with Federal ammo, but it rubs a little off one side of the bullit when loading.  When I got it it apeared to have never been cleaned, and was full of old oil and fouling.  It's as clean as posible now, but the flotting chamber has a good bit of side to side play and the action still feels rough.  Plus there is visible wear on the bolt wear surfaces, more on the front ring than rear of bolt.

I think now that I've got it working good it can go back where I found it and I'll see about purchasing a barrled action, posibly a Tompson Center-I handled one today and it feels like a it's built like a vault, and I've got a large slab of black walnut.  I still need to do a little research.  I'm not looking for a match grade rifle, but something along the old lines that will last a few decades.

Thanks for your help,

will

[223Shooter]

I received my 550 Remington as a gift from my aunt in 1953. (My Dad was not too happy about that !)I still have that rifle and it shoots and functions just perfectly with just about any ammo. It has taken many crows, rabbits, gofers, squirrels etc in its lifetime. I would never sell it.