Award for the filthiest .22 rifle ,552 speedmaster

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Pat C
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Award for the filthiest .22 rifle ,552 speedmaster

Post by Pat C »

I've been cleaning /shooting all my rimfire collect one by one. Finally had time to take a look at Dad's old 552 speedmaster . Many many thousands of rounds fired through this rifle. It was cleaned on the outside and bore but never broke down completely.

At first glance its a very clean rifle but signs of heavy fouling was evident, but never in my wildest dreams thought it would be this bad.
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Pat C
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Re: Award for the filthiest .22 rifle ,552 speedmaster

Post by Pat C »

Now for the not so pretty interior.
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gcs
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Re: Award for the filthiest .22 rifle ,552 speedmaster

Post by gcs »

:shock:
Alan Wood
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Re: Award for the filthiest .22 rifle ,552 speedmaster

Post by Alan Wood »

Wow that is indeed filthy. How was it running in that condition?
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Pat C
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Re: Award for the filthiest .22 rifle ,552 speedmaster

Post by Pat C »

Finally got it spit shined today ,what a project to get all that fouling ,filler,copper,lead,brass flecks out. No way to clean these without pulling barrel assembly .
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Pat C
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Re: Award for the filthiest .22 rifle ,552 speedmaster

Post by Pat C »

It still functioned although it would fire two and three round bursts at full automatic fire every tube full.And your never new when.Dad passed away in 2006 ,its been hiding in back of the safe ever since. Last time I used it was back in the 80's.
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Pat C
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Re: Award for the filthiest .22 rifle ,552 speedmaster

Post by Pat C »

This is a blowback automatic so any waste just blows right into receiver and barrel extension . A true testament of the design that it still functioned. Amazing how slick it is now. Range report next week hopefully.
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Re: Award for the filthiest .22 rifle ,552 speedmaster

Post by AJMD429 »

.
I had a Ruger 10/22 that was in that kind of condition at one point, and it functioned fall asleep except with the 1970's Remington ammo, which it turns out I don't think was very reliable anyway.

I gave it a thorough cleaning and lubed what I thought I was supposed to lube with whatever the best gun lubricant was supposed to be at the time, and took it out with a box of the Federal ammo that had always been reliable and pretty much all of my 22s, and of course it would start failing to feed and occasionally misfire.

I'm guessing I should blame myself and not the gun, because evidently I over cleaned it or over or under-lubed it, because it was pretty happy until I started 'taking proper care of it'. :D

I went back to shooting the crappy Remington ammo in it since it wasn't working that reliably anyway, and occasionally sprayed it with WD-40 in a fairly random manner. After a few hundred rounds it was reliable again. I have no idea if it's gotten cruddy again, and it probably hasn't gotten too bad because I haven't shot it that much. I know I'm very hesitant to take it apart and try to do anything 'constructive' at this point though... :lol:

I have a friend who has a Remington Nylon 66 that is really full of gunk but it still works so I don't think he's intending to take it apart either unless he gets ready to sell it.

It's really cool you got to rehabilitate and still use your dad's gun though...!
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Re: Award for the filthiest .22 rifle ,552 speedmaster

Post by AmBraCol »

A fellow I knew in college had one of those. Not nearly as bad off, though! He picked it up for a Grant from a non-ffl pawnshop that had it hanging on the back wall. We were at a revival down in OK and he had the rifle along. I pulled it apart for him and gave it a good cleaning, then suffered a bit getting it bac together. Eventually got it going again. Never heard whatever happened to it afterwards, lost contact after he left school.

Had a Taurus tip up barrel pistol at the range one day when it started doubling or tripling. A lot of fun, but too many witnesses. So I took it to the car, grabbed a can of brake cleaner and spritzed it down real good, had gunk and stuff flowing out of it in a black river. Then I ran the slide a few times, popped in a magazine and the doubling stopped. :( :D I'd have loved to keep playing with it, but a public range isn't the best place to do so when there's a malfunction going on - too many witnesses and I'm allergic to getting pulled over for a supposed firearms violation.
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Re: Award for the filthiest .22 rifle ,552 speedmaster

Post by Ysabel Kid »

AmBraCol wrote: Sat Dec 03, 2022 7:59 pm ... I'm allergic to getting pulled over for a supposed firearms violation.
You and me both! :shock:
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Re: Award for the filthiest .22 rifle ,552 speedmaster

Post by GunnyMack »

The floating chamber in the 552 is part of the reason these get so filthy, but they keep running! Great guns no matter who you are.
Clean a rimfire when it stops operating has always been my mantra.
I'd say it was time yours got cleaned.
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Re: Award for the filthiest .22 rifle ,552 speedmaster

Post by Bill in Oregon »

I've never seen any rifle as bad as that. Very wise of you to do deep cleans on heavily used rifles. Remington used to advertise its Speedmaster and Fieldmaster .22s in Boy's Life. Always wanted one ...
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Pat C
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Re: Award for the filthiest .22 rifle ,552 speedmaster

Post by Pat C »

Really other than some hammer face wear ,everything was good shape .Range report next week hopefully.
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Re: Award for the filthiest .22 rifle ,552 speedmaster

Post by gamekeeper »

Somehow I don't feel as guilty about my Magtech semi auto now I have only stripped it down once but then it doesn't get used too much anyway.
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Re: Award for the filthiest .22 rifle ,552 speedmaster

Post by 308magtip »

Every now and then guns should be disasyambled by a master GS amd gone over.I averted much trouble in my 60 plus years of shooting.Only time I had failure to fire/function was because of the ammo.Everything from .22 singleshot 45.70 trapdoor including shotguns. Most of the time was because of old type oils which dier and all but glued the works together.
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Re: Award for the filthiest .22 rifle ,552 speedmaster

Post by 2ndovc »

My grandfather's 63 was like that when my dad inherited it. Grandpa would spray them all down with wd-40 about once a month when he got older. His guns were all perfectly preserved, but really gunked up. The little 63 would do the same thing with 2-3 shot bursts, progressing to a whole magazine. Works perfectly now. My dad gave to me for my 50th birthday. Lots of rounds through that little rifle.

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Pat C
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Re: Award for the filthiest .22 rifle ,552 speedmaster

Post by Pat C »

These rifles are great shooters but just not that user friendly on maintenance.And probably dirtiest shooting rimfire out there. I knew it was probably bad but Dad kept the outside and bore spotless .Soon as I dropped FCG my jaw dropped.
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