[IrishCop]

I've had this in my gun safe for a while now. It needed some work that at first I didn't think I was capable of doing. Suffering a severe case of boredom, I pulled it out of the safe and got it up and running. Fired two tubes of ammo through it just for a function check, and the little lady sure felt sweet. I'll have to try it out for accuracy this weekend.

I take it this model has been out a while. Anybody here have any experience with one?

 

[Snake45]

Cool!

I've never had any particular desire to own one, but have from time to time thought it might be fun to set one up with just a bead front sight and use it as an 1100/870 subcaliber "trainer" to practice snap shots out to 25 yards.

Couple years ago I lucked into a sad High Standard semiauto rifle of similar configuration for just $40, so I took a chance with it. After cleaning several pounds of .22 crud and ick out of the action, it turned out to shoot well and be pretty accurate (and its stock does feel a great deal like a Remington shotgun), but has one damning flaw: It shoots several inches to the right at 25 yards for no reason I've been able to determine. To get it zeroed, I have to drift the rear iron sight almost out of its slot to the left. Which means that my front-sight-only usage scheme is no good with it.

The barrel does not seem to be bent, and there is no discernable deformity at the muzzle that could explain the wild windage discrepancy. It's a bafflement to me.

 

[IrishCop]

That's a shame about your High Standard. Mysteries like that can drive a guy nuts! :grumble:

Mine already has a bead front sight dovetailed into the barrel.

The barrel codes (if I'm reading them right) dates it to 1960. There really wasn't as much wrong with it as I thought. It needed a new screw to secure the magazine tube, and the the bolt was binding. I didn't realize the recoil spring used the magazine tube as a guide rod :dunno:...who knew? Cleaned out a lotta crud and she perks right along.

You got you a convert here, Snake. Never owned a lot of .22's. Now I think I'll keep my eye open for some other old used .22's that need another home. Damned thing is fun!

 

[Snake45]

You got you a convert here, Snake. Never owned a lot of .22's. Now I think I'll keep my eye open for some other old used .22's that need another home. Damned thing is fun!

Cheap is fun!

 

[stand watie]

Irish; Snake,

fwiw, i like the Speedmaster better than ANY other .22. - mine (ONE of the VERY first of that model) belonged to my grandfather, then my uncle, then my dad (briefly) & now to me.
(it's in my will & will be passed on to my nephew at my death. = hopefully NOT too soon!)

yours, sw

 

[IrishCop]

I'd like to do the same with this one, SW. I picked it up for a song 'cause it was "broke". Without that little bitty screw, the mag tube pulled right out and the recoil spring got all twisted up making it feel like the bolt was binding. Taught me a lesson. These little .22's just ain't that complicated. Even a shmoe like me was able to get her up and running. There's some anodizing (or paint or whatever it is) missing from the left side of the received and scratches in the wood, along with a little rust on the barrel (which cleaned up okay but now needs some cold blue).

Both my grandsons had a blast shooting it. My oldest one had a grin a mile wide on his face after emptying the 15 round tube rapid fire.

 

[William R. Moore]

Snake, there are several reasons why your HS may shoot way to one side. Botched crown doesn't seem likely to cause that much divergence. Anyhow:

1. Barrel/receiver shoulders not square with bolt raceway.

2. Receiver bore off center.

3. Barrel shank undersize, allowing barrel to cock slightly in receiver.

4. Bore not centered in the barrel (note- .22 rf barrel bores generally aren't straight, they may be centered front & rear, but they won't run straight in between.). I recall a 1911 with this issue and the chamber was over 0.030 off center, the bore ran at an angle through the barrel.

 

[Snake45]

Snake, there are several reasons why your HS may shoot way to one side. Botched crown doesn't seem likely to cause that much divergence. Anyhow:

1. Barrel/receiver shoulders not square with bolt raceway.

2. Receiver bore off center.

3. Barrel shank undersize, allowing barrel to cock slightly in receiver.

4. Bore not centered in the barrel (note- .22 rf barrel bores generally aren't straight, they may be centered front & rear, but they won't run straight in between.). I recall a 1911 with this issue and the chamber was over 0.030 off center, the bore ran at an angle through the barrel.

I'm beginning to thing it might be something like the bore cocked in the barrel.

If it were shooting to the side with a scope, or even with a receiver-mounted peep, I'd think it was something to do with barrel/receiver alignment. But the fact that it shoots so far off with the open sights, the rear one of which seems to be mounted center several inches down the barrel, means something else is going on.

 

[451 Detonics]

I don't have the 552 but I do have the 572, the pump version of the 552. Mine is a variant with a smoothbore barrel and simple bead sight. (would love to find a vent rib to put on it...just for looks)

It's primary duty is wing shooting the big Cicada Killer wasps at our range. While they are very non-aggressive towards people they are a pain buzzing around and shooting them on the fly is great practice.

I was very happy to find the 572 works best with the crimped shot shells rather than the expensive CCI. I think without rifling to cut the plastic capsule the CCI perform poorly but the crimped has great patterns.