When they first came out( when I was a teenager) I saved all spring and summer to buy one. I read every magazine article/add about them, and lusted after one all spring and summer. Right before squirrel season started in the fall, I finally saved enough to buy one. My brother took me to the store, and we picked a brand new Remington 597, a 3x9 scope, and a brick of ammo. I was as happy as a pig in $#!+.

Then I took it out to sight it in. Jammed nearly every magazine. I thought I was doing something wrong, but just so happened a Guns and Ammo article came out that month saying that they too experienced magazine jams. They said Remington said it was all how you loaded the magazine. Paying careful attention, I loaded the magazine per instructions and went squirrel hunting.

Well, the damn thing continued to jam, and cost me squirrels. I sold it at a yard sale, and bought a Marlin Model 60.

At the time the Remington 597 was 139$ new, and I bought my Marlin for 95$ new.

My favorite 22 rifle is the Remington 552 Speedmaster. Fantastic rifle. Tube fed. Big Game sights, nice wood stock. shoots short long and long rifle interchangeably. Mine is accurate as hell, and it was only cleaned once since 1977. Super reliable.

Rem 597 is a P.O.S.

Ruger 10/22 is a fine piece of machinery.

That's the short answer.

I purchased a 597 when the first arrived on the market and had a long list of problems. I sold it to Gander Mountain, and had no regrets. I went home and picked up my 25 year old 10/22 and was happy to be handling a reliable .22 lr again.

I have a model 60 which is great but wanted a .22 mag semi-auto. Bought a CZ 512, had some trigger work done and it is awesome. I'm thinking about buying another .22 mag semi-auto in the near future. If I do it will be a 597 if I can purchase an after market trigger or find someone to get the trigger pull below 3 lbs.