OT: Remington 81

[nemhed]

This is NOT a levergun but still a very interesting old rifle.
http://www.hoosiertopics.com/cgi-bin/af ... 2mw112247a
I wish I had the money or some small excuse to pick this up myself. Any of you guys have any experience or stories to tell about the Remington 8 or 81?

[t.r.]

Years ago, I hunted in Saskatchewan with a Cree guide. His rifle was a Remington 81 as you described. The rifle was worn but still shot and functioned well. This patient hunter felled dozens of caribou and moose for the pot with his antique rifle.
TR

This is a photo of a Remington 81 but not same one as my guide's rifle.

[CaptainFinn]

A friend of mine had one in .35 Remington. Not sure now if it was a Model 8 or a Model 81, but I got to put about ten rounds downrange with it and it was a seriously cool rifle. It's based somewhat on the same patents as the Browning Auto-5 shotgun, and it has the same 'slap' style recoil as the old humpback--definately not light-kicking, but not unmanageable either. His gun had some old weird side-mount with a Weaver K4 on it. It would shoot 2" groups all day long at 100 yards, which, I guess, is perfectly acceptable deer rifle performance.

[Hobie]

Oh, don't get me started. I have an M8 .35 Remington.

Slow Hand has a "very nice .35 cal Remington Model 81 ca 1936" he's trying to move. Unfortunately, it isn't this one...


Then again, if you find one of these for about $450-600 you might want to jump on it.

[nemhed]

Well, I've got myself all worked up now that I've done a little research on these. Where's my rich uncle when I need him?

[Hobie]

Your rich uncle and my rich uncle are probably having a good laugh at our expense...

[O.S.O.K.]

I've got one in 300 Savage. These are fun rifles to shoot - more recoil than you'de expect due to the mass of the entire barrel recoiling back to cycle the action. Here's a couple of pics:




Interesting gun - I like the easy take-down feature - you just unscrew the large captive screw in the handguard and then use a lever to unscrew the barrel from the action - viola' three pieces ready for packing into a compact case or bag.

I'd like to get a sling swivel for the barrel as show up thread - these all have a hole drilled and tapped with a plug screw that actually does something if I recall - but that's where you can attach one. Not sure what the thread size is - I could just make one...

$450 is a good price for one in good condition IMHO. And I think 35 Rem is probably the best caliber for these guns. Though, I like my 300 Sav.

[GEOFF]

I've got a Remington 81 in .300 Savage, purchased from an aging uncle shortly before he died.

Would really like to shoot it more but I can't make the bolt stay back properly. GREAT FINGER PINCHER!!

Hobie, or anyone could you please tell me the proper loading proceedure for the model 8 and 81. If the bolt is held back by the bolt stop, what keeps it from slamming home when you insert a cartridge??? That's not a detachable magazine is it????

From Hobies pictures, what kind of special magazine is that with the increased capacity.

Someone please educate me more on this model 81. The only reason I purchased the rifle is that my uncle was SO proud of it and needed money. His father had purchased it just before WW2 started and my uncle used it as his only deer hunting rifle his whole life. He sure liked it for whatever that is worth.

Also it looks like it was designed to be loaded from a stripper clip???????????????

Geoff

[Chris83716]

Geoff,

I have a owners manual from Remmington that I can scan in at work on Monday as well as the disasembly instructions I copied from one of the gun books if you are interested. The offer is open to anyone interested just PM me.

Those are some really nice looking 8's/81's. Mine is not nearly that nice looking.

Chris

[Hobie]

I've got a Remington 81 in .300 Savage, purchased from an aging uncle shortly before he died.

Would really like to shoot it more but I can't make the bolt stay back properly. GREAT FINGER PINCHER!!

Hobie, or anyone could you please tell me the proper loading proceedure for the model 8 and 81. If the bolt is held back by the bolt stop, what keeps it from slamming home when you insert a cartridge??? That's not a detachable magazine is it????

From Hobies pictures, what kind of special magazine is that with the increased capacity.

Someone please educate me more on this model 81. The only reason I purchased the rifle is that my uncle was SO proud of it and needed money. His father had purchased it just before WW2 started and my uncle used it as his only deer hunting rifle his whole life. He sure liked it for whatever that is worth.

Also it looks like it was designed to be loaded from a stripper clip???????????????

Geoff

On the left side of the rifle is a small tab which is the bolt release. With the bolt locked back you should be able to charge the magazine and then release the bolt without having it close on your fingers like an M-1 Garand. The guns were indeed cut for use with a charger clip like the Mausers. The darn things are hard to find. I don't have even one and seldom see them. The special magazines were made for the "police" models. Off-hand I'm not sure if the French (who bought some for trench use in WWI) used the big magazines. The standard mag is NOT detachable. You see a lot of them with plier marks from folks trying to get them out. There have even been some erroneous gun pubs which said they were detachable.

[GEOFF]

Chris,

You have a PM and thanks for the offer of additional info.

Hobie,

Interesting that you see 81's with plier marks on the magazine!

What kind of stripper clip was meant to load them? For my .300 Savage chambered 81, maybe a normal .30-06 clip meant for a Springfield would work. My bolt stop is not working correctly. I was hoping maybe I just wasn't operating the gun right but I was. I remember one time when I bought my all correct Krag military rifle, I tried to chamber a round from the magazine and it wouldn't feed!!! DUH, after a couple of FRANTIC MOMENTS thinking I had bought a lemon, I realized there was that lever to switch it from single shot to magazine fed!!!! WHAT A RELIEF! I was hoping for something similar on this 81 I got!

Thanks for your help and for moderating a great sight!

Geoff

[Hobie]

The Remingtons used their own stripper clip. I don't believe others will work, certainly not with the .35 Rem which has a larger case head.

[rangerider7]

Frank Hamer loved these Remingtons. Two were used in the killing of "Bonnie and Clyde".

[marlinman93]

I found a beautiful minty Model 8 earlier this year at my local gun shop. It had Marbles Sheard front sight, Marbles rear buckhorn, and a Marbles tang sight. Dealer wanted $350 and I got it for $325. Unfortunately I showed it to a friend and he hounded me until I sold it to him!

[Hobie]

I found a beautiful minty Model 8 earlier this year at my local gun shop. It had Marbles Sheard front sight, Marbles rear buckhorn, and a Marbles tang sight. Dealer wanted $350 and I got it for $325. Unfortunately I showed it to a friend and he hounded me until I sold it to him!

I'd have hounded you, too! $325!!!!!!

[airedaleman]

I found a beautiful minty Model 8 earlier this year at my local gun shop. It had Marbles Sheard front sight, Marbles rear buckhorn, and a Marbles tang sight. Dealer wanted $350 and I got it for $325. Unfortunately I showed it to a friend and he hounded me until I sold it to him!

I'd have hounded you, too! $325!!!!!!

I'd have gotten an Airedale involved as well. What caliber was it, Vall? Please don't tell me it was a .25 Remington. Please.