U.S.M.C. Remington Model 40-X CMP Rangemaster 40X .22 LR Rifle 1958 C&R
SOLD FOR: $1524
LSB#: 220201BB005
Make: Remington
Model: U.S. Property 40-X Rangemaster, U.S. Marine Corps Contract
Serial Number: 5990
Year of Manufacture: 1958 (WE Date Code)
Caliber: .22 Long Rifle
Action Type: Bolt Action Single Shot Rifle
Markings: The barrel shank is marked “WE F” and with proof & inspection marks. The left side of the chamber ring is marked “U.S.M.C. PROPERTY / .22 LONG RIFLE / 5990”. The left side of the receiver is marked “Remington / MODEL 40-X”. The bolt is hand inscribed “5036”. The top of the butt is painted “B62”. The recoil pad markings include “WHITE LINE” and “MERSHON CO.”.
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. The front edges of the forearm are drilled for 2 screws which are part of the adjustable barrel bedding system. The screws bear against the free floating barrel. The wood shows several scrapes, scratches and compression marks. Many have damaged small portions of the surface wood. The LOP measures 13 1/2” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttpad. The buttpad has hardened. It shows cracks and surface loss. The stock rates in about Very Good overall condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright with crisp rifling. There is no erosion in the bore.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 85% of its metal finish. The metal shows scrapes, scratches, and oxidation. 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. Please see our photos as to the condition of these items.
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 theater 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!