It is recoil operated, and, since you are at the mercy of factory loaded ammo, you have to look at other things that can cause the problem such as the action spring assembly, or, "assemblies" in this case, or, excess dirt and/or lack of proper lubrication.
I would recommend pulling it down and giving it a good cleaning and a light lubrication and then see what it does. Inspect the springs and guide rails while they are out of the gun for cleaning to make sure they aren't kinked, bent or otherwise damaged. Dont forget to put a drop of oil on the action springs guide rails while you are at it. I believe the action springs are the same for 17 HMR as the 22 Mag, but I wouldn't worry about that until after the gun is cleaned and tested. If the problem still exists then I would look at the springs or the guide rails. But for now, unless damaged, you have to assume that the springs are correct. Be sure to use good quality ammunition. Good luck!
