Remington 591M Problem - The Firearms Forum

ScottNky · 09-20-2009, 05:27 PM

This is my first time posting, and I hope someone out there can help me out.

I was recently given a Remington 591M 5mm, and I think it needs to be repaired. But before I take it into a gunsmith, I thought I might solicit opinions here to see if it might be an easy fix that I can do myself. It seems to have a problem with the trigger mechanism. The trigger almost feels as if it's locked up. When I first got it, the safety lever wouldn't move in either direction, nor could I get it dry fire. So I removed the stock and did what I thought was a really thorough cleaning of the trigger mechanism and put some oil in places where I thought oil should be put. It's a pretty old gun....I was but a wee lad when it was purchased, and now I have more forehead than hair. What I'm saying is that it was pretty gunked up in there, so I thought that might be the problem. After I put it back together, it worked.....sort of. The safety lever now works, and I can get the gun to fire, but it doesn't feel right. There is almost zero mechanical movement of the trigger when it releases the firing pin, although it does take a fair amount of pull to get it to fire. And, occasionally, the safety lever seems to bind up a little. On top of that, it (very occasionally) fires (er, dry-fires, that is) as soon as I close the bolt, with my finger nowhere near the trigger. Obviously, that's no good.

Now, I did a lot of shooting with my dad when I was a kid, but he always did all of the cleaning and repairing, so I'm a relative newby when it comes to gun maintenance and repair. So I'm looking for ideas. If the best thing to do is to take it to a gunsmith, so be it. That's what I'll do. The rifle has a lot of sentimental value to me, and I want to get it in proper working order.

Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated.

gdmoody · 09-20-2009, 05:49 PM

Scotty, first of all, welcome to the forum.

I do not know anything about that particular rifle. I will say that if it "fires" when you close the bolt, I would take it to a gunsmith to have it checked out. It could still have some of that built up gunk in it to cause it to fire, and another cleaning or two probably won't hurt it, but it would be better to be safe.

ScottNky · 09-20-2009, 06:17 PM

Gdmoody, thanks for the welcome, and for your input.

This thing has me pretty well stumped. It's very intermittent, so I can't pin down the cause. It only fires when the bolt is closed maybe 1 time out of 50.

I suspect that the problem is in the trigger mechanism, but if there is a way to get inside that mechanism, it's beyond my level of expertise. I probably will have to end up taking it to a gunsmith.

But I will try cleaning it a couple more times. Do you think it's ok to really douse the trigger mechanism with Hoppe's No. 9?

gdmoody · 09-20-2009, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottNky

Do you think it's ok to really douse the trigger mechanism with Hoppe's No. 9?

I really don't think it will hurt and if you can, hit it with an old toothbrush a few times, but I think I would still take to a gunsmith to be sure!

muddober · 09-20-2009, 06:34 PM

Scott: I know a lot about these little guns and it sounds to me like you just have a lot of crud in the trigger group. I don't know how handy you are but if you have a set of pin punches and a small hammer the trigger group is really pretty simple to take apart and put back together. Nothing like a watch. If not I suggest the following. Take the barreled action out of the stock. Get yourself some carburetor cleaner and liberally spray into the trigger group in every place you can. Wait about 5 minutes and do it again. As you do it let it drain on a paper towel and repeat the washing until it drips clean on the towel. Once done put just a drop or two of 3 in 1 or like oil. Lets us know, if 300 H&H sees this he will jump in as well. Kirk is a real fan of the Model 591 and my guess he would agree me even though I have the 592 tube fed.

Ron

muddober · 09-20-2009, 06:54 PM

gdmoody, your suggestion of the toothbrush usually does wonders but in this case the trigger stuff is not reachable with a brush. All of the trigger mechanism is housed in a little pot metal box. There are only about 8 parts in the box and not difficult to remove and replace but the carburetor cleaner washing I suggested should work and Scott you might want to clean the bolt the same way and then lightly oil it.

Ron

Ron

ScottNky · 09-20-2009, 06:54 PM

Muddober, thanks. I may try to take the trigger group apart, but I'll try the cleaning method you suggest first.

In previous troubleshooting attempts, I got as far as taking the safety mechanism off of the trigger group. I did notice that there was a lot of white-ish gunk or grease on the spring-loaded safety pin (sorry if my terminology is incorrect....I hope you understand what I'm talking about). So, yeah, it probably is pretty gunked up in there.

Thanks again for the hekp.

muddober · 09-20-2009, 07:06 PM

Scott, you are welcome, please lets us know if you get it up and running. Also in case you didn't know that little 5 MM is much more potent than a 22 mag and 5 MM ammo is again now available in a 30 grain bullet which is running just a little shy of 22 hornet velocities.

Ron

ScottNky · 09-20-2009, 07:19 PM

Ron, I will let you know how it comes out. Yes, I did know that 5 mm ammo is available again. I happen to have about 1000 rounds of original Remington ammo (hope it's still good). I'm really looking forward to shooting this gun again. The last time I shot it was 30+ years ago.

muddober · 09-20-2009, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottNky

Ron, I will let you know how it comes out. Yes, I did know that 5 mm ammo is available again. I happen to have about 1000 rounds of original Remington ammo (hope it's still good). I'm really looking forward to shooting this gun again. The last time I shot it was 30+ years ago.

Scott: If it looks good it is good even if the cases are a little tarnished. I look forward hearing back from you on what I am sure will be your success.

Ron

ScottNky · 09-20-2009, 08:53 PM

I'll run out tomorrow and get some carb cleaner. I have high hopes

Edit: Because, if the carb cleaner doesn't work, my next post will most likely include a photo of trigger group parts that I can't figure out how to put back together

300 H&H · 09-20-2009, 10:18 PM

Just saw this post,

ScottNky,

Have no fear about taking the trigger apart...I think we can get a blow up drawing of your trigger if you do...Just don't loose any of the parts!!! Sounds like a good cleaning should do it.

Regards, Kirk

ScottNky · 09-21-2009, 06:16 AM

Kirk, thanks. I think you guys are right on the money on this. I poured some No. 9 into the trigger group last night, and it seemed to be working ok. But when I got up this morning, it had dried out and it seemed to be bound up again. It took a few operations of the bolt before I could get the trigger to work. I think the trigger group is full of old grease or something. I'll try the carb cleaner tonight.

ScottNky · 09-21-2009, 06:17 PM

Success!

The thorough cleaning with carb cleaner seems to have done the trick. I'm going to give it a few more sprays just be sure, but the trigger is now working like it's supposed to, so I'm sure it's going to be ok now. I got a ton a gunk out of it. After I'm sure it's as clean as it can be, I'll put a couple of drops of oil in there and button it up.

Thank you guys a bunch for your help. Weather permitting, I'm going to get out and put a couple hundred rounds through it this weekend.

Thanks again.

ScottNky · 09-21-2009, 08:15 PM

Whew! I almost managed to flub it up. As I was putting everything back together, I nearly lost the little C-clip that holds the safety lever in place. I had it partially on, and I reached for a screwdriver to push it the rest of the way on, and it sprung off the pin and flew across the basement (damn!). Well, after an hour of crawling around my basement on my hands on knees, I found it, and was able to finish putting it back together.

Everything seems to be working fine. I re-mounted the cheap little Tasco scope, wiped everything down (cracked open a beer), and admired my handiwork.

Kirk, Ron, Gdmoody, thanks for your help.

muddober · 09-21-2009, 09:01 PM

Scott, thanks for sharing your success and FYI NAPA auto parts has all kinds of c-clips.

Ron

09-20-2009, 05:27 PM	#1
ScottNky Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 16	Remington 591M Problem This is my first time posting, and I hope someone out there can help me out. I was recently given a Remington 591M 5mm, and I think it needs to be repaired. But before I take it into a gunsmith, I thought I might solicit opinions here to see if it might be an easy fix that I can do myself. It seems to have a problem with the trigger mechanism. The trigger almost feels as if it's locked up. When I first got it, the safety lever wouldn't move in either direction, nor could I get it dry fire. So I removed the stock and did what I thought was a really thorough cleaning of the trigger mechanism and put some oil in places where I thought oil should be put. It's a pretty old gun....I was but a wee lad when it was purchased, and now I have more forehead than hair. What I'm saying is that it was pretty gunked up in there, so I thought that might be the problem. After I put it back together, it worked.....sort of. The safety lever now works, and I can get the gun to fire, but it doesn't feel right. There is almost zero mechanical movement of the trigger when it releases the firing pin, although it does take a fair amount of pull to get it to fire. And, occasionally, the safety lever seems to bind up a little. On top of that, it (very occasionally) fires (er, dry-fires, that is) as soon as I close the bolt, with my finger nowhere near the trigger. Obviously, that's no good. Now, I did a lot of shooting with my dad when I was a kid, but he always did all of the cleaning and repairing, so I'm a relative newby when it comes to gun maintenance and repair. So I'm looking for ideas. If the best thing to do is to take it to a gunsmith, so be it. That's what I'll do. The rifle has a lot of sentimental value to me, and I want to get it in proper working order. Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated. -->

09-20-2009, 05:49 PM	#2
gdmoody Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Northeast Georgia Contributor Posts: 6,354	Re: Remington 591M Problem Scotty, first of all, welcome to the forum. I do not know anything about that particular rifle. I will say that if it "fires" when you close the bolt, I would take it to a gunsmith to have it checked out. It could still have some of that built up gunk in it to cause it to fire, and another cleaning or two probably won't hurt it, but it would be better to be safe. __________________ NRA Endowment Member GeorgiaCarry.Org Member Retired US Army Postal Worker Personally, I carry a gun because I'm too young to die and too old to take an ass whoopin'.....author unknown (but obviously brilliant)

09-20-2009, 06:17 PM	#3
ScottNky Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 16	Re: Remington 591M Problem Gdmoody, thanks for the welcome, and for your input. This thing has me pretty well stumped. It's very intermittent, so I can't pin down the cause. It only fires when the bolt is closed maybe 1 time out of 50. I suspect that the problem is in the trigger mechanism, but if there is a way to get inside that mechanism, it's beyond my level of expertise. I probably will have to end up taking it to a gunsmith. But I will try cleaning it a couple more times. Do you think it's ok to really douse the trigger mechanism with Hoppe's No. 9? Last edited by ScottNky; 09-20-2009 at 06:20 PM..

09-20-2009, 06:34 PM	#5
muddober Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,436	Re: Remington 591M Problem Scott: I know a lot about these little guns and it sounds to me like you just have a lot of crud in the trigger group. I don't know how handy you are but if you have a set of pin punches and a small hammer the trigger group is really pretty simple to take apart and put back together. Nothing like a watch. If not I suggest the following. Take the barreled action out of the stock. Get yourself some carburetor cleaner and liberally spray into the trigger group in every place you can. Wait about 5 minutes and do it again. As you do it let it drain on a paper towel and repeat the washing until it drips clean on the towel. Once done put just a drop or two of 3 in 1 or like oil. Lets us know, if 300 H&H sees this he will jump in as well. Kirk is a real fan of the Model 591 and my guess he would agree me even though I have the 592 tube fed. Ron Last edited by muddober; 09-20-2009 at 06:38 PM..

09-20-2009, 06:54 PM	#6
muddober Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,436	Re: Remington 591M Problem gdmoody, your suggestion of the toothbrush usually does wonders but in this case the trigger stuff is not reachable with a brush. All of the trigger mechanism is housed in a little pot metal box. There are only about 8 parts in the box and not difficult to remove and replace but the carburetor cleaner washing I suggested should work and Scott you might want to clean the bolt the same way and then lightly oil it. Ron Ron

09-20-2009, 06:54 PM	#7
ScottNky Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 16	Re: Remington 591M Problem Muddober, thanks. I may try to take the trigger group apart, but I'll try the cleaning method you suggest first. In previous troubleshooting attempts, I got as far as taking the safety mechanism off of the trigger group. I did notice that there was a lot of white-ish gunk or grease on the spring-loaded safety pin (sorry if my terminology is incorrect....I hope you understand what I'm talking about). So, yeah, it probably is pretty gunked up in there. Thanks again for the hekp.

09-20-2009, 07:06 PM	#8
muddober Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,436	Re: Remington 591M Problem Scott, you are welcome, please lets us know if you get it up and running. Also in case you didn't know that little 5 MM is much more potent than a 22 mag and 5 MM ammo is again now available in a 30 grain bullet which is running just a little shy of 22 hornet velocities. Ron

09-20-2009, 07:19 PM	#9
ScottNky Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 16	Re: Remington 591M Problem Ron, I will let you know how it comes out. Yes, I did know that 5 mm ammo is available again. I happen to have about 1000 rounds of original Remington ammo (hope it's still good). I'm really looking forward to shooting this gun again. The last time I shot it was 30+ years ago.

09-20-2009, 08:53 PM	#11
ScottNky Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 16	Re: Remington 591M Problem I'll run out tomorrow and get some carb cleaner. I have high hopes Edit: Because, if the carb cleaner doesn't work, my next post will most likely include a photo of trigger group parts that I can't figure out how to put back together Last edited by ScottNky; 09-20-2009 at 08:59 PM..

09-20-2009, 10:18 PM	#12
300 H&H Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Iowa Posts: 1,796	Re: Remington 591M Problem Just saw this post, ScottNky, Have no fear about taking the trigger apart...I think we can get a blow up drawing of your trigger if you do...Just don't loose any of the parts!!! Sounds like a good cleaning should do it. Regards, Kirk

09-21-2009, 06:16 AM	#13
ScottNky Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 16	Re: Remington 591M Problem Kirk, thanks. I think you guys are right on the money on this. I poured some No. 9 into the trigger group last night, and it seemed to be working ok. But when I got up this morning, it had dried out and it seemed to be bound up again. It took a few operations of the bolt before I could get the trigger to work. I think the trigger group is full of old grease or something. I'll try the carb cleaner tonight.

09-21-2009, 06:17 PM	#14
ScottNky Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 16	Re: Remington 591M Problem Success! The thorough cleaning with carb cleaner seems to have done the trick. I'm going to give it a few more sprays just be sure, but the trigger is now working like it's supposed to, so I'm sure it's going to be ok now. I got a ton a gunk out of it. After I'm sure it's as clean as it can be, I'll put a couple of drops of oil in there and button it up. Thank you guys a bunch for your help. Weather permitting, I'm going to get out and put a couple hundred rounds through it this weekend. Thanks again.

09-21-2009, 08:15 PM	#15
ScottNky Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 16	Re: Remington 591M Problem Whew! I almost managed to flub it up. As I was putting everything back together, I nearly lost the little C-clip that holds the safety lever in place. I had it partially on, and I reached for a screwdriver to push it the rest of the way on, and it sprung off the pin and flew across the basement (damn!). Well, after an hour of crawling around my basement on my hands on knees, I found it, and was able to finish putting it back together. Everything seems to be working fine. I re-mounted the cheap little Tasco scope, wiped everything down (cracked open a beer), and admired my handiwork. Kirk, Ron, Gdmoody, thanks for your help.

09-21-2009, 09:01 PM	#16
muddober Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,436	Re: Remington 591M Problem Scott, thanks for sharing your success and FYI NAPA auto parts has all kinds of c-clips. Ron