CMP U.S. Property Remington Model 40-X Rangemaster 22 LR 28″ Rifle 1959 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1075
LSB#: 210527BB05
Make: Remington
Model: U.S. Property 40-X Rangemaster, Army Contract
Serial Number: 7473
Year of Manufacture: 1959 (FF 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 “FF 4” and has inspection marks. The left side of the chamber ring is marked “22 LONG RIFLE / 7473”. The left side of the receiver is marked “Remington / MODEL 40-X”. The right side of the chamber ring is marked “U.S. / PROPERTY”. The right side of the chamber has proof and test marks. The bolt is hand inscribed “12474”.
Barrel Length: 28″
Sights / Optics: There is a Redfield Olympic globe sight secured to a male dovetail screwed to the barrel at the muzzle, it has a circular aperture insert. The rear of the barrel has a male dovetail mount screwed to it. The top of the chamber ring has a pair of drilled, tapped, and filled holes. The receiver bridge has a male dovetail mount screwed to it. The left of the receiver is installed with a Redfield Olympic aperture sight installed on a base that is screwed to the receiver.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock is smooth walnut with a pistol grip, fluted comb, and with a serrated rubber Whiteline buttpad. The forend is a beavertail with a flat bottom which has an inlaid rail installed with a handstop. The top front of the comb is relieved for clearance of the bolt. There is a chip on the front edge of the pistol grip. There are some scattered compressions, dings, and nicks, some of the deepest are on the bottom at the floorplate, belly of the buttstock, and on the right side of the buttstock. There are a few scrapes, most noticeable on the belly of the buttstock and on the right side at the action. There are a few freckles of what looks like white paint on the left side at the action. The LOP measures 13 ½” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttpad. The buttpad shows light wear from normal use. 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 93% of its metal finish. There are some nicks and thin scratches through the finish and some scuffs that have thinned the finish, these marks are scattered over the barrel with a few on the chamber ring, and a couple on the trigger guard. The floorplate and trigger guard have scattered spots of light surface oxidation. There are some spots of light surface oxidation on the rear of the bolt and on the bolt handle. There is thinning and finish loss on the edges, most noticeable on the trigger guard and muzzle. The bolt handle has some discoloration. 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, CMP shipping box, and a handstop installed on the rifle.
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 1959 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 an Army contract for 2500 rifles from 1959 that specified the words “U.S. PROPERTY” needed to be used, other contracts have USMC 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!