Model 81 Safety

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Accumulator
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 2:31 pm

Model 81 Safety

Post by Accumulator »

New to Forum. A week and a half ago I picked up 2 model 81's at a gun show. I have been wanting one for sometime. Did not plan to buy 2 just could not stop myself. Maybe I will eventually get rid of one and pick up a model 8 to replace it.

Researching on line I notice that some 81's have a screw on the right side that goes through the safety lever and others do not. Both of mine have the screw and both, I think, were made in 1941. In fact their serial numbers are only 215 apart. If I remove the screw I assume the external safety lever can be removed. If I do, what happens inside the receiver. I would like to remove the safety lever on one gun so I can take out some dents and straighten it out.

Why do some guns have the screw and others do not?
big al
Posts: 45
Joined: Tue Feb 10, 2009 12:33 am

Re: Model 81 Safety

Post by big al »

Hello Accumulator
The reason some safeties have the screw and others don't is just a change at Remington. I think this was the last style of safety lever. I think the early lever had two little tabs or ears on the front.then they went to one with one tab on front and finally to one with the screw head on the outside.
Hopefully someone with more knowledge on these changes can help out.

I don't think the screw has anything to do with removing the safety. You have to remove this type the same as the others. There is a keyway gut into the receiver that the safety has to be aligned with in order to remove it form the gun and the safety rocker inside the gun.
When you do start to remove your safety arm remember to place an index card or similar paper underneath the safety lever to prevent scratching the receiver.
Hope it helps
Big Al
Accumulator
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 2:31 pm

Re: Model 81 Safety

Post by Accumulator »

Big Al,
Thanks for your coments. You are correct that the screw has nothing to do with removing the safety. I took the screw out of both guns. Under the screw head of the rifle in excellent condition it is finely finished and looks like one piece which of course it is not. On the other rifle you can clearly see that it is 2 piece assembly with an attempt to stake the lever to the hollow shaft that the screw threads into. Unfortunately the oustide lever moves relative to the attached part inside the receiver. Unfortnately unless I figure a way to stop the relative rotation I will have to replace the safety, bummer!
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81police
Posts: 2613
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 12:12 pm
Location: TEXAS

Re: Model 81 Safety

Post by 81police »

Accumulater,

big al is correct, the little screw was just some engineering change which is a fancy way of me saying I don't know what it's for! But all the safety levers will require disassembly of the rifle. The safety lever is linked to the internal safety rocker and again, like big al said, the safety arm must be rotated 90 degrees to fit out of the key way in the receiver. Occasionally you'll see an 8 or 81 with dimpled punch marks on the left side of the receiver where a person was trying to punch the safety out from the opposite side. Unless it's lined up with that key way, it's not coming out. I have a most excellent American Gunsmith Institute Model 81 diassembly video I'd love to post on here but it's copyrighted. Check out the links below for help taking your rifle(s) apart. Follow the steps and go slow :D

http://thegreatmodel8.remingtonsociety. ... sembly.pdf

http://thegreatmodel8.remingtonsociety.com/?page_id=842
Cam Woodall
Site Co-Administrator
Accumulator
Posts: 8
Joined: Tue Apr 30, 2013 2:31 pm

Re: Model 81 Safety

Post by Accumulator »

81 Police Thanks for the info. I had already found all of those videos and they all provided useful info. Too bad that the one video did not remove the safety. I made my own barrel tools and dissasembled the barrel. Cleaned it and oiled it up and sucessfully reassembled it. I also took out the better rifle which is in .35 Remington and put 20 rounds throught it. The rifle would fire, extract, eject and cock but the bolt would lock back on all but 2 round (numbers 8 and 17) which functioned properly. Any idea why it was not cycling. I was using brand new Hornady ammo with 200 grain bullets.
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