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DWalt

I do not recommend crimping for the M81, and have never had a bullet movement problem in my .300 M81. If you do crimp, make sure that all cases are trimmed to precisely the same length for each reloading session. Otherwise you WILL have problems. Keep in mind that many .30 bullets either do not have...

DWalt

When I first got my .300, I was getting failures to eject fairly frequently with any brass (I form my own out of .308 & 7.62 cases). As I related here, I replaced the ejector spring and plunger, no ejection problems afterward. 1" (I guess at 100 yards) is phenomenal. With open sight, mine d...

DWalt

I wouldn't go for a full restoration on anything that wasn't both unusual and valuable enough to justify the substantial cost. However, there are many of those with enough moolah to afford such work to keep the restoration shops busy. In the case of your FN, I might go as far as determining what the...

DWalt

There's a huge difference between a Bubba job and a professional restoration (besides cost). A truly professional restoration of wood and metal can result in turning a basket case gun into one that can be worth as much as an original in the same condition - like Turnbull's work. Whether the cost of ...

DWalt

There are guys around that can do unbelievable repairs on wood. There is one such guy here in Texas that has repaired some horribly damaged wooden handgun grips for me so that they look like they just came from the factory - even those with missing pieces and deep gouges. I don't think he works on a...

DWalt

I see three flaws, but there may be more - receiver is tapped for scope mount (six holes), sling swivel studs on forearm and stock, and rubber buttplate. Otherwise, it seems in average good condition for a M81. But it's definitely nowhere near being in the collectable category. I think $300 is about...

DWalt

I'd say the peep might bring a little more than $80. I don't know what to suggest about the tube split. It might be repairable by welding, but one would probably have to re-cut the female bushing threads, and I don't know how well that would work out. A replacement tube would be the best solution if...

DWalt

Actually, that rear sight alone is worth much more than you paid for the rifle. I wouldn't attempt a re-blue. Just get some kerosene and wipe it down thoroughly. Some penetrating oils also work well, and some people recommend a product called Kroil - but I don't know anything about that. Wood looks ...

DWalt

Until sometime in the 1970s (or possibly later), factory chamber pressure testing used the old "Copper Unit of Pressure" (CUP) system. CUP was really a crude analog method, and could not be converted to actual pressure units (PSI). Numerically, CUP was always somewhat lower than true peak ...

DWalt

Not too much of a trick to it. First, you must disassemble the receiver and remove the bolt and carrier. There is a small diameter transverse pin running through the lower bolt lug. Carefully drive it out with a punch allowing the ejector plunger and spring to pop out of the hole. Be careful you don...

DWalt

I had an experience with a small local museum that had a fair collection of representative small arms examples ranging from the Civil War through WWII. I noticed that better than half the description cards provided for guns on display were either incorrect (misidentified) or incomplete, and brought ...

DWalt

Interesting - do you have any examples of misinformation you have discovered in the American Rifleman? I don't remember ever reading anything there that was factually at odds with my personal knowledge.

DWalt

From the Frank Hamer article in the September 2011 issue of the American Rifleman regarding the Bonnie and Clyde assassination: "Across the road, behind some brush, were Ted Hinton and Bob Alcorn, Henderson Jordan and Prentis Oakley, and Hamer and Gault. At least one man in the group, Hinton, h...

DWalt

Has anyone seen, or have pictures of, original shipping boxes and labels for an 8 or 81? I would like to see one. I would imagine they are very rare.

DWalt

Today, of 25 rounds fired, there were no ejection failures. Accuracy was the typical 3" at 50 yards for 10 shots. Therefore if anyone has ejection problems, it's worth installing a new ejector plunger spring and ejector plunger. A simple job that won't cost much.

DWalt

I'm taking the M81 out tomorrow to see if the new ejector and spring will solve the original ejection problem. If it does it will all be worthwhile, if only for the educational experience. Over more than 30 years, a Dremel tool has gotten me out of countless jams, and in fact I'm on my third one now.

DWalt

I actually tried something like that before I reached for the Dremel tool. I used a large C-clamp with duct tape to protect the metal. Clamping it down between the upper and lower tangs as much as I could with the stock in place still did not allow the screw to start. I also considered chucking the ...

DWalt

As this is a problem that others before me have experienced, I will record the easy solution here for posterity. It did not occur to me immediately, but after wasting another hour or so on the problem and a bit of hard looking, the solution came to me. I took my trusty Dremel tool (I can't function ...

DWalt

I'll try the clamping trick first. If that doesn't work, I'll bore out the metal sleeve as a last resort. A job for tomorrow that I do not look forward to.

DWalt

I had to order quite a few parts for various guns from Numrich, so I also ordered a new ejector and ejector spring for my M81. I had previously had problems with my 1949 M81, as once every 8-10 rounds there would be a failure to eject (or maybe the empty falling back into the open action as the bolt...

DWalt

One more thing about a missing barrel nut washer. I was also missing one, and made one up, fairly simple to do. I used a bench grinder (to reduce OD) and a Dremel tool (to increase ID), starting with a washer for a 1/2" bolt. Only took a few minutes to do. Anyway, it's not like the factory wash...

DWalt

Amazingly, I found a spring case for my 1949 M81 in .300 Savage locally and installed it. I took the opportunity to measure some barrel assembly dimensions as I had to take it apart. Here they are: Recoil spring: Free Length - 10-3/4" (of course, this one has been in place a long time, so a new...

DWalt

Might be interesting to explore the dimensional differences (with measurements) and interchangeability of those parts which are different in M8/81 rifles of different calibers. Would probably be valuable in answering questions like "Can I use a (part name) from a (caliber) rifle in my (caliber)...

DWalt

The presence of the spring case makes a little more sense if the barrel nut and washer contacts the spring case, in that recoil energy near the end of the stroke would be directly transferred to the buffer spring via the case rather than through the compressed recoil spring column, which would ease ...

DWalt

It seems the case diameter is about the same as the buffer spring. I guess I could scale it from the picture, but how long is the case, and how thick is the case wall? I may try to make up one. I still don't see its presence or absence as making much difference, as the spring is limited in its movem...

DWalt

I have a 1950 Model 81 in .30 Rem with a SN in the low 55,900s. No idea why the "Official" last SN given is obviously incorrect.

DWalt

As I said earlier, back when I was growing up in the 1950's these 14/141 rifles were common. I had several friends whose dads had and used used them. I haven't seen one for a long time, the exception being about 6 months ago when I saw one in .30 Rem at a gun show that was maybe a 1 or 2 on a scale ...

DWalt

Very interesting. The reason for my confusion is that neither of my 81s have that part in place, and the recoil spring just sits directly on the buffer spring. Is there anything critical about the presence or absence of it? I guess I can't see what function it is intended to perform, but there must ...

DWalt

I'm a little confused - what is a recoil spring case? Mine have only the washer between the spring end and the nut.

DWalt

Well, I went to a gun show today, and on one of the tables were four boxes of the Remington white-box .30 Remington ammunition (160 grain RN-FMJ) with a Bridgeport address, as previously posted by 81police. All cases had R-P headstamps, which, along with the Bridgeport address, would indicate manufa...

DWalt

There are some other possible uses for FMJ bullets. At one time, earlier in the 20th century, it was considered good hunting practice to carry a few rounds lightly loaded with FMJ bullets to use as close-up finishing-off shots, the purpose being to minimize meat damage or hide damage. Such ammunitio...

DWalt

Then there are two Buckeyes here. OSU '64 & '71

DWalt

Good in what respect? Performance or durability?

DWalt

I can tell you a little. Plain white Remington boxes with FMJ bullets are known in several calibers, including .351 WSL, .30-30, and .35 Rem, in addition to .30 Rem. Perhaps not coincidentally, rifles in those calibers were also used by many LE agencies and by prisons back before the M16 types becam...

DWalt

I can't say about the US Brownings, but I once had a 20 Ga M11 (early 1930's, as I remember) that had a solid (not ventilated) matted rib on the barrel. I had been told that feature was a little unusual, but not unknown. That's one gun I wish I had not sold, but I bought it for my wife, and she did ...

DWalt

I got curious and went back to the 1944 First Edition of Gun Digest. It shows that the Remington Model 11 was indeed available with a factory-installed Cutts Compensator with spreader and full choke tubes - ALSO available with Poly Choke. Of course, there were no sporting guns being made in the US i...

DWalt

A rarity on GB. So often the starting price or reserve is ridiculous. That's why there are so many re-listings, sellers just waiting for possible suckers to come along. I don't believe I have ever seen anything I have been interested in that had a realistic starting price. When I list there or on eB...

DWalt

Too bad it has a Cutts, but far better that than a Polychoke or a Herter's. Did it have the Cutts tubes?

DWalt

Your scope looks like a later Weaver K2.5, probably from the mid-1950s, maybe even after that. That scope model was first produced by Weaver in 1947, but the windage and elevation knob design was somewhat different on the early ones. It should have some markings stamped on it. In any event, it is mu...

DWalt

My LOM case more closely resembles the darker one, but it has no tooled design. I guess I really should dig mine out and at least get an estimate from someone as to about what it would cost to get it back into shape. I have a first-year-of-production Winchester Model 1912 in 20 Gauge (this is before...

DWalt

As I said earlier, I just got back my 12 Ga Browning Citori from my son after about 10 years. I have a Browning 2-gun case, and decided to see if my M81 fit - it does. The Citori is at the bottom. Note compartments on each side for ammo, etc. So, another option for those of you wanting a carrying ca...

DWalt

Not in my two 81s. Definitely 10-32.

DWalt

Then that information is likely incorrect. I personally tried a 10-32 screw in both of my 81s (late ones) , and it fit perfectly. It may have been true for early 81s or later 8s, as I don't have either to check. Maybe someone else should try it independently to verify.

DWalt

You mean that they actually stated the .35 Rem was the caliber used to assassinate Bonnie & Clyde? I think they need a fact checker on their editorial staff.

DWalt

I think I'd try 9X23mm cases before the 9mm Win Magnum, which is sort of costly and would require a lot of trimming. Might not be a bad idea to contact Starline, explain your problem, and ask them what their actual as-manufactured case length specs for all of their 9mm cases are. And of course you c...

DWalt

Having been a one-time owner of a Belgian Browning Superposed from the 1950's and currently the owner of a Browning Citori made in Japan in the late 1980's, I'd say the Japanese materials, workmanship, and finish is every bit the equal of the Belgian product, if not better. The same is true of Japan...

DWalt

Regarding the Standard - It seems very strange to me that the rifle would have been designed for failure. If they KNEW that it was unreliable in semiauto mode (and how could they not have known?), and it couldn't have been made, through a design change, to function properly as a semiauto, why wouldn...

DWalt

I have read that using "inside pipe wrenches," available in several sizes, used by plumbers to remove threaded pipe broken off at a fitting work well on stuck choke tubes. The idea is the same as an easy-out, but the design is different. I would think the use of an IPW or easy-out for remo...

DWalt

One of the strangest rifles contemporary with (and a competitor to) the Model 8 was the Standard Rifle (Standard Arms Co,), 1909-14. It was chambered in the same calibers as the Model 8, and could operate as either a semi-automatic or as a pump gun. No idea why someone thought that this capability w...

DWalt

This is not specifically about a Remington, but could be if your shotgun takes the Browning "Invector" style choke tubes, and many non-Browning shotguns do (I think Remington does). These tubes are flush with the end of the barrel when screwed in place. Two weeks ago I got back my 12 ga. B...

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