|
Post by calfed on May 31, 2009 19:04:44 GMT -5
I just got a Remington Model 81 at an on-line estate sale. I haven't received it yet, but the sale site had this picture of it: It is a 54,XXX serial number and is chambered in .30 Remington. It would have been easier to get a .35 Remington or 300 Savage from an ammo standpoint, but I just retired from the FBI and wanted to get one that was as close as possible to the kind that the FBI used in the 30's. I bought a Winchester 1907 last year for the same reason. Just ordered some ammo and brass from Graf's. I'm wondering if there are any spare parts that I should be looking for to keep this shooting. Any weak spots?
|
|
|
Post by Hardrada55 on May 31, 2009 19:15:34 GMT -5
Nice to have you aboard. There are guys on here who can give you really good advice. In my limited experience the parts on these guns are pretty tough. I haven't had one with a part that actually broke. What usually seems to happen is some gunsmith with limited experience with Remington Autoloaders gets hold of one of these and messes it up. The magazine follower was put in backwards in one of mine and the synchronization of the long recoil action was messed up too, so that the extractor dumped the fired case before the ejector could kick it out. Anyway, if something on one of these doesn't work right, it's more likely it's been re-assembled wrong or it's out of synchronization rather than it having a broken part. IMHO
|
|
|
Post by 81police on Jun 1, 2009 10:00:48 GMT -5
Welcome to the forum Calfred and great looking 81! It's always nice to see them original and unaltered. Hardrada is right, many gunsmiths are unfamiliar with these rifles and they do require a few special tools to work on properly without damaging, particularly the barrel nut. I wouldn't really worry about replacement parts, shoot it and have fun.
|
|
|
Post by calfed on Jun 1, 2009 15:30:33 GMT -5
Thanks, guys. I was happy to find a website that specializes in the old semi's. I' also collect military rifles and have found that sites like this one are a great source of knowledge about shooting old guns and keeping them in repair. I've ordered some ammo and reloading components from Graf's and will post the results.
I'm also interested in eventually finding "gangster era" vintage semi's that were used by law enforcement.
A new movie, "Public Enemies", is coming out soon. It is based on a non-fiction book by the same name and deals with the FBI's efforts to reign in John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, et al. It will be interesting to see if the weapons that are used in the movie are accurately portrayed and whether this movie will affect the demand for some of the older semi's, as "Saving Private Ryan" and "Band of Brothers" are widely believed to have affected the demand for WWII era weapons.
|
|
|
Post by tnrifleman on Jun 4, 2009 10:31:29 GMT -5
"Public Enemies" sounds like a good movie. Your Model 81 looks to be in great shape. I'd be interested to hear how it shoots. My 81 is a 300 Savage, which is excellent for hunting, but the 30 Remington is far more pleasant to shoot. The receiver sight is a plus.
|
|
|
Post by cwo4uscgret on Jun 11, 2009 22:29:49 GMT -5
I watched Jimmy Stewart in CARBINE WILLIAMS in April. A Model 8 played a prominent role in that movie...
|
|