1968 Remington 552 Speedmaster .22 Semi-auto Rifle

Tony2much · Dec 17, 2016

I found a nice, older (1968) Remington 552 Speedmaster semi-auto (23" barrel) on a local gun site. I was actually looking for a bolt action .22, but the asking price was reasonable and it looked really nice.

I asked the seller about function and reliability, he said "it works fine most of the time, but occasionally jams and probably just needs to be oiled". We worked out a fair price and I bought it. (It also came with a Weaver 3-6x scope and mounts)

When I got it home, I removed the trigger group and barrel for my standard firearm inspection and cleaning.

I think I may have found the problem...

I can't believe this rifle even fired at all. I doubt it was ever disassembled for a cleaning since it was new almost 49 years ago.

I completely de-gunked and cleaned all internals to like new. I haven't had it to the range yet, but I'm betting the jamming problem is solved.

RV4driver · Dec 17, 2016

SCORE!!!!!

BTW, that is the MOST gunked up receiver I've ever personally seen.

Vulcan Bob · Dec 17, 2016

Egads, wonder it worked at all! This post should be mandatory reading for the "you never have to clean a .22 folk".

fyimo · Dec 17, 2016

I had my Fathers 1968 Remington 552 BDL Speedmaster 22LR semi auto and it had less than 200 rounds through it. I cleaned it up and gave it to my 9 year old Grandson. His Dad takes him to the rifle range and he gets to shoot it and then locks it up until the next range visit.

italiansport · Dec 17, 2016

These Remington's are great guns and IMO very much underrated when compared to Winchesters.
Jim

chud333 · Dec 17, 2016

.22 rimfire is a dirty cartridge.
I've never owned one of those Remington 552's
but always admired their look.
Congrats on a nice pick-up. It will work fine after
a good cleaning i'm betting.

Chuck

Cardboard_killer · Dec 17, 2016

italiansport said:
These Remington's are great guns and IMO very much underrated when compared to Winchesters.
Jim

I think they are better, but the winnys look cooler, so they are more popular. Remember, it's always about looking cool. . .

Texas Star · Dec 17, 2016

The M-552 is certainly a classic design and I think those shown are of the best vintage, with checkering (impressed) but before they changed the stock to a Monte Carlo comb. The blue jobs I saw on some a few years ago were so poor that it almost looked like Parkerizing. As I recall, those older ones were better finished.

The first photo just below the filthy trigger group shows what looks like two long cracks. I hope that these were just scratches in the debris and cleaned off okay?

Texas Star · Dec 17, 2016

fyimo said:
I had my Fathers 1968 Remington 552 BDL Speedmaster 22LR semi auto and it had less than 200 rounds through it. I cleaned it up and gave it to my 9 year old Grandson. His Dad takes him to the rifle range and he gets to shoot it and then locks it up until the next range visit.

Fyimo-

Tell us about the 'scope. Is that a Leupold? Which model?

That looks like a terrific small game outfit.

fyimo · Dec 17, 2016

Texas Star said:
Fyimo-

Tell us about the 'scope. Is that a Leupold? Which model?

That looks like a terrific small game outfit.

Know that scope was an old Tasco 3x9. When I sent it to my son I did trade out the scope for a 3x9x40mm Leupold Vari-XII.

Tony2much · Dec 17, 2016

Texas Star said:
The blue jobs I saw on some a few years ago were so poor that it almost looked like Parkerizing. As I recall, those older ones were better finished.

The finish is excellent and the bluing is much higher quality compared to what's typically found today. It had some very light surface rust near the end of the barrel. I took some 0000 steel wool with oil and lightly rubbed the area. The rust disappeared and you can't see the spot at all.

Texas Star said:
The first photo just below the filthy trigger group shows what looks like two long cracks. I hope that these were just scratches in the debris and cleaned off okay?

Not cracks. Just many years of caked on oil, grit, burned and un-burned powder residue. The trigger group and receiver cleaned up beautifully and now look like new.

Thanks!

targetchief · Dec 18, 2016

A 552 was my first rifle. I got it for Christmas 37 years ago. Thanks for the memories.

DWalt · Dec 18, 2016

For almost 10 years I carried a junky M552 in my car trunk. I think I paid maybe $40 for it sometime back in the late 1970s. The stock was broken at the wrist, and I epoxied it back together. Probably half the finish was gone. But it still functioned just fine. The M552 is a little unusual as it can fire .22 S, L, and LR, and without the floating chamber of the earlier Model 550 and 550-1. I don't have it any longer, and for the life of me, I don't remember selling or trading it. But I must have.

THE PILGRIM · Dec 18, 2016

Had one, gifted it to my SIL.
He really likes it!

shouldazagged · Dec 18, 2016

I think you're right, that's forty-nine years of gunk, crud and filth.

And now you'll probably find that a really sweet-shooting rifle.

Old Corp · Dec 20, 2016

I have it's predecessor, the M550. Same story. Found it in a shop in the mid-90's, all gunked up.
Disassembled, cleaned....good as new.
Guess the recoil spring is worn, as it will spew out CCI .22 CB caps as fast as you can pull. Sorta fun.
Great old guns....

crsides · Dec 21, 2016

My son married earlier this year, and the wife's grandfather brought along 4 guns to pass down to him. One is a very nice 552.

Charlie

1968 Remington 552 Speedmaster .22 Semi-auto Rifle

Tony2much

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RV4driver

US Veteran

Vulcan Bob

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fyimo

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italiansport

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chud333

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Cardboard_killer

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Texas Star

US Veteran

Texas Star

US Veteran

fyimo

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Tony2much

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targetchief

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DWalt

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THE PILGRIM

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shouldazagged

Absent Comrade

Old Corp

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crsides

US Veteran, SWCA Member, Absent Comrade

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