Welcome, in case you are a newcomer to this enjoyable bi-weekly section of AllOutdoor.com! For many who have been following alongside, our final 4 articles explored the Winchester Mannequin 1911 SL, infamously referred to as the “Widowmaker.” We dove deep into its historical past, relationship, variations, and vary time, together with all of the mechanical quirks that earned it such a infamous nickname. Right this moment, we’re shifting gears to look at one other great piece of American firearms historical past – the Remington 550-1 .22 rimfire rifle.
Curious Relics Protection on AllOutdoor:
Welcome to our recurring collection of “Curious Relics.” Right here, we need to share all of our experiences, information, misadventures, and keenness for older firearms that one would possibly categorize as a Curio & Relic – any firearm that’s at the very least 50 years previous in accordance with the ATF. Hopefully alongside the best way you’ll be able to garner a better appreciation for older firearms like we do, and concurrently you’ll be able to train us issues as properly by means of sharing your personal experience and ideas within the Feedback. Understanding the firearms of previous, their significance, and their improvement which result in most of the arms we now cherish immediately is extremely fascinating and we hope you take pleasure in what we’ve got to share, too!
Private Connection: A Grandfather’s Legacy
Earlier than diving into the official historical past of the Remington 550-1, I need to share a private connection to this explicit firearm. Within the fall of 2023, my grandfather gifted me his 550-1 – not merely as a hand-me-down, however as a aspect challenge that might check the gunsmithing abilities I’d realized a decade prior. He offered me with a field of disassembled elements, explaining that certainly one of my kinfolk had taken it aside for cleansing however couldn’t get it functioning once more when reassembled.
The problem was clear, and fortunately, diagnosing the difficulty didn’t take lengthy. Quickly sufficient, the rifle was again collectively and operating easily. Once I handed it again to my grandfather, he instantly returned it to me with a easy gesture that stated it was now mine. He all the time bragged about what number of .22 Shorts this tube-fed marvel might maintain and what a dependable shooter it was in his fingers.
My grandfather handed away final summer season (2024), forsaking not simply recollections however this tangible connection to his life. I’m honored to have this piece of his historical past and to maintain it in correct working order. It’s firearms like these – handed down by means of generations – that usually spark our curiosity within the tales behind these mechanical masterpieces. This one is for you, Grandpa John.
The Delivery of The Remington 550-1
The Remington 550-1’s story begins within the early Nineteen Forties, throughout a time when America’s manufacturing would possibly was largely targeted on wartime manufacturing. Whereas precedence went to army arms, Remington acknowledged the persevering with civilian demand for versatile rimfire rifles that would serve a number of functions on farms, ranches, and in leisure capturing.
The collection truly started with the Mannequin 550A round 1941, which featured the progressive “floating chamber” design – the important thing engineering factor that might outline the whole 550 collection. Manufacturing of the 550A was comparatively restricted, with roughly 34,577 items manufactured between 1941-1946 in accordance with collector documentation. These early fashions featured twin extractors and a particular shell deflector that might change into a recognizable trait of the collection. The true manufacturing success started after World Conflict II with the introduction of the Mannequin 550-1. Early variations produced from 1946-1948 have been marked merely as “550 1” with no sprint, whereas these manufactured from 1949-1971 carried the extra acquainted “550-1” designation with a touch – a delicate however essential element for collectors and historians immediately.
What made the 550-1 particular was its distinctive “floating chamber” design – a separate sleeve that moved independently throughout the bolt meeting. This mechanism allowed for the efficient biking of three completely different rimfire cartridges (.22 Quick, .22 Lengthy, and .22 Lengthy Rifle) with out requiring any adjustment from the shooter.
David Marshall Williams – Overview. http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/williams4.html. Accessed 13 Might 2025.
To understand why this was outstanding, contemplate the problem: .22 Quick, Lengthy, and Lengthy Rifle cartridges fluctuate considerably in size, powder cost, and recoil impulse. Most autoloading firearms are optimized for a selected cartridge and wrestle with others. The floating chamber solved this by creating an intermediate recoil transmission system that successfully harnessed the power from even the modest .22 Quick rounds to cycle the motion reliably.
David Marshall Williams – Overview. http://www.uscarbinecal30.com/williams4.html. Accessed 13 Might 2025.
This adaptability wasn’t only a advertising and marketing gimmick – it was genuinely helpful at a time when ammunition availability might fluctuate, particularly in rural America, the place these rifles typically served as important instruments. The flexibility to make use of no matter .22 ammunition was obtainable on the native basic retailer made the 550-1 notably versatile for farm use, small sport searching, and pest management.
Industrial Success and Competitors: Remington 550-1
Between 1946 and 1971, Remington manufactured roughly 700,000-730,000 Mannequin 550-1 rifles, making it a industrial success even when it by no means achieved the enduring standing of some later rimfire designs. When launched, it competed in opposition to rifles like Winchester’s Fashions 74 and 77, and later the Marlin Mannequin 60 (launched in 1960) and Ruger 10/22 (launched in 1964).
The 550-1 occupied a considerably premium place out there. Its all-steel development and machined elements represented conventional high quality gunmaking at a time when extra producers have been transitioning to stamped elements and cost-saving manufacturing strategies. The rifle’s strong development contributed to its sturdiness, with many examples nonetheless functioning completely immediately, greater than half a century after manufacturing.
Apparently, as .22 Lengthy Rifle ammunition grew to become standardized because the rimfire cartridge of alternative in post-war America, the 550-1’s multi-cartridge flexibility step by step grew to become much less of a promoting level. Options just like the Ruger 10/22’s rotary journal and fashionable styling started to enchantment extra to shooters than the flexibility to shoot three completely different cartridge sorts.
Market Place and Reception: Remington 550-1
The 550-1 was positioned as a flexible and dependable software somewhat than a specialised competitors or goal rifle. Its main markets included:
- Small sport hunters who appreciated its reliability and capability
- Farmers and ranchers who wanted a reliable varmint management software
- Leisure shooters who loved its clean biking and accuracy
- Younger shooters studying firearm fundamentals (the rifle was reportedly utilized in Boy Scout camps in the course of the Fifties and 60s)
Modern evaluations praised the rifle’s reliability and flexibility. The floating chamber design, whereas progressive, did require common cleansing – maybe the one constant criticism present in interval literature. The flexibility to cycle completely different ammunition sorts reliably was persistently highlighted as its standout characteristic.
By the late Nineteen Sixties, altering manufacturing economics and shopper preferences have been placing strain on Remington’s product lineup. The 550-1, with its machined parts and sophisticated floating chamber design, was costly to supply in comparison with newer designs with stamped elements and less complicated working techniques.
In 1971, Remington discontinued the 550-1, changing it with the Mannequin 552 – the same design that maintained the multi-cartridge functionality however used extra fashionable manufacturing methods and supplies. Many collectors and lovers contemplate the change a downgrade, because the 552 by no means fairly captured the strong high quality that made the 550-1 particular.
Finish of Half One: Remington 550-1
Right this moment, the Remington 550-1 occupies an fascinating place within the collector market. Whereas not uncommon in absolute numbers, well-preserved examples command respect and curiosity from collectors who recognize its engineering and historic significance. The rifle represents a transition interval in American firearms manufacturing, bridging the hole between conventional gunmaking with its emphasis on machined elements and sturdiness, and the extra fashionable approaches that prioritized effectivity and cost-effectiveness.
For a lot of households, like mine, these rifles aren’t simply collectibles however treasured heirlooms that join generations. The tales of searching journeys, pest management on household farms, or just plinking with tin cans are woven into the historical past of those firearms as a lot as their technical specs.
In our subsequent installment, we’ll dive deeper into the assorted fashions and variations of the 550-1 that emerged throughout its manufacturing run, analyzing how the design developed over its quarter-century in manufacturing. We’ll take a look at the specialised variants just like the 550P goal mannequin and the 550-2G gallery gun, together with the delicate adjustments that occurred all through the usual manufacturing fashions.
In closing, I hope our Curious Relics section knowledgeable in addition to entertained. This all was written in hopes of continued firearm appreciation and preservation. We didn’t simply understand how weapons have been alleged to look and performance. It was an extended and tedious course of that has formed the world we dwell in. So, I put it to you! Is there a firearm on the market that you simply really feel doesn’t get a lot notoriety? What ought to our subsequent Curious Relics matter cowl? As all the time, tell us your whole ideas within the Feedback beneath! We all the time recognize your suggestions.
