I've got a friend who has recently inherited his dad's Remington 81 in 300 Savage. We took it out shooting today and put 60 rounds through it. It shot fine, but had a tendency to jam (mostly failures to eject), especially towards the end of the session. I think it really needs to be stripped, but I have no idea how that would be done. Does anyone know if these are just unreliable as designed, or will a good cleaning likely be the fix? Also, are there any online manuals or websites that have good info on this rifle? I've googled it, but there doesn't seem to be much of a following for this thing.
Remington model 81 info
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cmb3366
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A good thorough cleaning and lubing should take care of any issues. The Remington 81 is a long-recoil autoloader derieved from the Remington 8. They are JMB designs so they are somewhat intricate, but once you get it cleaned up it should be dead nuts reliable. As for instructions, I dont have any sources, but hopefully someone who owns an 81 will help you with that.
Nice find!
The old girl probably needs to be taken down, cleaned, and lightly lubed. Once you get the forend screw out and the forend off, you'll find the takedown lever. Lock the bolt back, unscrew the takedown lever to separate the gun into the front and back portion, and you're in a wonderful position for cleaning both halves of the gun.
My next restoration project, slowly coming together, is a Remington Model 81 in .300 Savage. Here she is, I'm test-fitting the Lyman Alaskan scope and Stith scope mount system:
The old girl probably needs to be taken down, cleaned, and lightly lubed. Once you get the forend screw out and the forend off, you'll find the takedown lever. Lock the bolt back, unscrew the takedown lever to separate the gun into the front and back portion, and you're in a wonderful position for cleaning both halves of the gun.
My next restoration project, slowly coming together, is a Remington Model 81 in .300 Savage. Here she is, I'm test-fitting the Lyman Alaskan scope and Stith scope mount system:
Thanks Gewehr, that helps a lot. There are a couple exposed screws on the receiver, but I didn't want to just start unscrewing things. His is in really really good condition for having been untouched for 30 years. I'd almost think it was a new rifle. He'll be happy to know the reliability problems are not part of the design.
tbotts
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This book has complete takedown instructions on the Rem Model 8/81.
"The Gun Digest Book of Firearms Assembly/disassembly Part IV: Centerfire Rifles Revised Edition by J. B. Wood; published by DBI Books Inc."
"The Gun Digest Book of Firearms Assembly/disassembly Part IV: Centerfire Rifles Revised Edition by J. B. Wood; published by DBI Books Inc."
Gewehr
Where'd you get the scope mount? I was just given one of these(might be Model 8, produced Nov. 1929, maybe you can tell me which it is?) in .35 Remington. Do you think the single point scope mount will hold up? Mine kicks like a
mule. I don't really have much use for this gun, but it was a gift, so I don't really want to trade it (not that its apparently worth much anyway.) I can't use iron sights due to vision problems, need a scope.
Now, as for reliability...Mine had been hiding in a closet for 30-40 yrs. It had 2 problems when I got it:
1) If you let the bolt close slowly it wouldn't go all the way into battery.
2)The magazine follower was stuck in the bottom of the magazine well.
We (my buddy had one long ago, so he helped) removed the barrel, the rear stock, and magazine assembly (Only a coupla screws required for all that.)
I then "hosed" the action down with brake cleaner, and then oiled it up. We did not completely dissassemble the action. And a little "fiddling around" got the magazine follower loose. So off to the range we went.
Now I had been concerned that some of springs and such would be bad, from sitting so long. However, it worked like a champ with only one exception. It won't feed the last round from the magazine. So either the magazine spring lost tension from being compressed all those years, or the follower is buggered up (which we might have done, when we freed it, although we were very careful to be gentle.) Any way,from what I see this is a real rugged(as well as interesting)design.
Where'd you get the scope mount? I was just given one of these(might be Model 8, produced Nov. 1929, maybe you can tell me which it is?) in .35 Remington. Do you think the single point scope mount will hold up? Mine kicks like a
mule. I don't really have much use for this gun, but it was a gift, so I don't really want to trade it (not that its apparently worth much anyway.) I can't use iron sights due to vision problems, need a scope.Now, as for reliability...Mine had been hiding in a closet for 30-40 yrs. It had 2 problems when I got it:
1) If you let the bolt close slowly it wouldn't go all the way into battery.
2)The magazine follower was stuck in the bottom of the magazine well.
We (my buddy had one long ago, so he helped) removed the barrel, the rear stock, and magazine assembly (Only a coupla screws required for all that.)
I then "hosed" the action down with brake cleaner, and then oiled it up. We did not completely dissassemble the action. And a little "fiddling around" got the magazine follower loose. So off to the range we went.
Now I had been concerned that some of springs and such would be bad, from sitting so long. However, it worked like a champ with only one exception. It won't feed the last round from the magazine. So either the magazine spring lost tension from being compressed all those years, or the follower is buggered up (which we might have done, when we freed it, although we were very careful to be gentle.) Any way,from what I see this is a real rugged(as well as interesting)design.
The scope mount is a Stith.
It's really a two-point mount, with a side receiver piece, and the nosepiece that attaches to the Model 8/81 barrel shroud where the rear leaf sight used to mount. Very solid, no wobbles at all. For years I wondered what that odd 5-hole pattern on the left side of my Model 81's receiver fit. Then I finally found the proper Stith mount, and voila'! Finding a 7/8" tube Lyman Alaskan can sometimes get expensive, though.
It's really a two-point mount, with a side receiver piece, and the nosepiece that attaches to the Model 8/81 barrel shroud where the rear leaf sight used to mount. Very solid, no wobbles at all. For years I wondered what that odd 5-hole pattern on the left side of my Model 81's receiver fit. Then I finally found the proper Stith mount, and voila'! Finding a 7/8" tube Lyman Alaskan can sometimes get expensive, though.
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