Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Remington 552 speedmaster?

I'm not much into auto 22s, I have a couple but they don't ever hardly see use. My neighbor came down a few weeks ago and had this little 552 speedmaster. Said he never fired it the time he had it, looks to be unfired to me. (Well it was until last night). If I dated it correct it appears to be made in the late 70s. Really nice wood grain, the checkering is superb as well, nice deep blueing, not a scratch on the gun. I'd call it 98%. Anyway. He wanted 200$ for it so I snatched it up. I'm really a bolt guy and doubt this replaces my CZ anytime soon but I'm trying to debate on to keep it or trade it off.


How do these things typically shoot? I know the iron sights blow, maybe it's my eyes these days but if I do end up keeping it, it will
Have to wear a 4x28 leupold. Value? I'm sure it worth more than 200$? Feels like a real rifle, not a plastic toy. I know nothing of these little guns, I've seen a bunch of them but never used them. So what's the good, the bad?

I've found the best way to find out how a rifle, that I own, shoots, is to shoot the thing.

No shiit?

Mine has fed anything I've put in it. Best accuracy has been with Wolf Match Target. I've killed a limit of squirrels with it.

How long is the barrel?

I'd guess 20-22". I'd have to measure it.

I think that the 552 Speedmasters and their pump action cousins, the 572 Fieldmasters, are very good rifles, proven designs and well made. Remington made them physically large enough to be good understudy rifles for their center-fire 740/742/7400 and 760/7600 series hunting rifles. If there is anything bad about them, it is probably that the triggers typically aren't real crisp, but you did well if you paid $200 for a 98% 552.

I've had a couple 552's and 572's.
Fun rigs.
Last 572 had HEAVY trigger. Changed sear spring. Helped.

IMO they're good rifles. Plenty accurate for small game and reliable if cleaned about every 500 rounds I've had a couple of them. The barrel on the one I still have, a 1967 BDL model, is a little under 24 ". The open sights on the BDLS are pretty good. I think they're the same open sights Remington put on their 700 centerfires. Right now I've got a Leupold M8 4x on mine. IMO it fits the rifle well and is all the scope I need for most of my 22 rimfire use.

As advertised the 552s will cycle Shorts, Longs and LRs. Mine is more accurate with LRs. Std. velocity LRs work pretty well for back east early season squirrel hunting when the leaves are on the trees and most shots are usually closer. I got good accuracy with CCI's std velocity LRs. Accurate enough for head shots with a 4x scope out to at least 50 yards and quiet.

If the trigger's too heavy cut a coil or less off the sear spring. Remington part # F 17518. I got an extra from Brownell's but didn't need it. I did this with both of mine. Probably got lucky but after cutting the sear spring both trigger's were/are as good or better than my 10-22 trigger with a Power Custom kit which is pretty good.

Watch out for the left side operating rod handle, if your hands not clear you'll know it. 552 takedown and reassembly aren't as simple as say a 10-22 but not bad once you've done it. There are good you tube videos on it.

Thanks much guys

Appreciate the info but I don't think I'm gonna hang onto it. Shot it some yesterday and wvile a nice little rifle, it's just not for me.

I got a 552 for Christmas in '65 and even with a fifteen year old shooting it usually would do 1" at fifty yards pretty easily even with R-P 37 gr Golden Bullets and IIRC they were about 65 cents for 50!

Mostly good.. Congrats. Basically, just keep the chamber clean and the action lightly lubed and you can use that rifle for many years.

Clipping/swapping the spring lightens the pull.........however, the creep and grittiness may be more more noticeable afterward.
Usable, but not as good as a full 10/22 kit IMHO. Did this to last two 572's.

The 552 and 572 feel pretty darn good to me.
Haven't had a 552 for yrs, IIRC once in a while it'd spit hot stuff on my arm.

My 552 rather liked Yellowjackets. Was a fun chuck popper (careful first shot- hose em after that)

I had a newer model that was NOT accurate at all. I have an old one that is a tack driver. I like em.

I have an old model. I fire lapped the barrel with 10 shots of std velocity cci with 600 grit al oxide, then 10 shots of 800grit. You get two flat pieces of steel, put some of the compound on the steel, roll the bullets between the two plates with the rim outside the plate.

The 552 shot about an inch at 100 yards with cci std velocity after that. Clean thoroughly when you are done fire lapping.

The ones I have dealt with were plenty accurate enough for hunting, the best one I seen would shoot about 3/4' @ 50 with standard vel ammo, dont remember what it was, long time ago, probably Fed at a guess.

Mine is extremely accurate with just about everything I've run through it, and has never once misfed, stovepiped, etc

And I've run a bunch of short, longs and long rifle through it. I need to hand cycle CBs.

I got a 1968 Rem 552 for $200 at a gunshow in January 2014


I got a 1972 Rem 552 for $220 at a gunshow in February 2014

Reducing recoil spring forcer to feed CB shorts will not work.

Get a pump 22 for that.

The Remington 550-1 is a semi auto with a segmented chamber so shorts will cycle. It will cycle a few CB shorts, and then jam.

Get a pump 22 for CB shorts in the back yard or in the garage.