U.S.M.C. Property Remington Model 40-X Rangemaster 40X .22 LR Rifle 1958
SOLD FOR: $1350
LSB#: 210802BB01
Make: Remington
Model: U.S. Property 40-X Rangemaster, U.S. Marine Corps Contract
Serial Number: 5519
Year of Manufacture: 1958 (OE Date Code)
Caliber: .22 Long Rifle
Action Type: Bolt Action Single Shot Rifle
Markings: The left side of the barrel at the receiver is marked “OE K” and has inspection marks. The left side of the chamber ring is marked “U.S.M.C. PROPERTY / .22 LONG RIFLE / 5519”. The left side of the receiver is marked “Remington / MODEL 40-X”. The right side of the chamber has proof and test marks. The bolt is hand inscribed “4456”. The bottom of the pistol grip is stamped “5214”.
Barrel Length: 28″
Sights / Optics: There are no iron sights. The barrel has male dovetail bases at the front and rear. The top of the receiver has a pair of drilled, tapped, and filled holes at the front and a male dovetail base at the rear. The left side of the receiver has an aperture sight base screwed to it.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock is smooth walnut with a pistol grip, fluted straight comb, and with a serrated rubber Whiteline buttpad. The forend is a beavertail with a flat bottom which has an inlaid rail. The top front of the comb is relieved for clearance of the bolt. There are some scattered compressions, dings, nicks, draglines, and some scratches. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP measures 13 ½” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttpad. The buttpad has hardened and is cracking apart. The stock rates in about Very Good overall condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright with sharp rifling. There is no erosion in the bore.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 90% of its metal finish. There are scattered nicks and scratches. There is thinning and finish loss on the edges, most noticeable at the muzzle. There are some scuffs that have caused thinning and finish loss, most noticeable on the bolt handle. There is some standard operational wear. The screwheads are sharp to lightly worn with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: Included is a CMP certificate of authenticity, CMP receipt, and CMP shipping box.
Our Assessment: Since the beginning of breech-loading service rifles, militaries had been looking for more affordable marksmanship practice. Some of the solutions they devised were light loading regular ammo or converting service rifles to .22, both of these options not being ideal. In WWI a solution was devised, to buy commercial .22 rifles for marksmanship and then use standard service rifles for drills. The idea was a good one, in WWI over 200,000,000 rounds of .22 RF were acquired for training. This freed up supply of .30 cal and also let more service rifles get into the theatre of war instead of training use. This is a later Remington 40-X Rangemaster built in 1958 for just that purpose. The Rangemaster was introduced in 1955 and military procurement started just after its introduction. The Rangemaster was shipped with quite a few variations in the markings, this one is a Marine Corps contract for 2200 rifles from 1958 that specified the words “U.S.M.C. PROPERTY” needed to be used, other contracts have “U.S. PROPERTY” markings, some are simply marked “U.S.”, and others have none. This is a fantastic target shooting rifle and a great opportunity to add a premium trainer to your collection. Please see our photos and good luck!