First year Remington Autoloading Rifle

Place your vintage Remington autoloader photo's here..
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stopsevencharles
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Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2013 8:09 pm

First year Remington Autoloading Rifle

Post by stopsevencharles »

I bought this rifle last May for a good price. The serial number is in the low 1400's. Bore is shiny and clean. No rust. Only the usual dings you'd find on any stock. The guy at the shop I bought it from actually called the old man who had consigned it so I could ask him about the history - he said he'd bought it in the 60's sometime in upstate NY, which is where I also live. Neither the old man who was selling the gun or the shop owner seemed to realize just how old and unique this model is.

I put 20 rounds through it at some point over the summer and I was very pleased with it. I am curious to know what the value of this example is to the experts and aficionados here. I am not a collector, and presently this is the only rifle I own. I would consider selling or trading it for a more practical or every-day kind of firearm if anyone is interested.
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rem81auto
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Re: First year Remington Autoloading Rifle

Post by rem81auto »

Is that damage at the toe of your rifle ??
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Roger
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Re: First year Remington Autoloading Rifle

Post by Roger »

What caliber is it?
Thanks,
Roger
Roger
raw4555@gmail.com
stopsevencharles
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Re: First year Remington Autoloading Rifle

Post by stopsevencharles »

rem81auto wrote:Is that damage at the toe of your rifle ??
No, the toe is intact and forms a contour to the butt plate as it appears it should.

It is .35 rem.
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rem81auto
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Re: First year Remington Autoloading Rifle

Post by rem81auto »

stopsevencharles

I am not sure how familiar you are with these rifles. I copied your picture and took a close look and it appears to me at some point a chip has been broken off and most likely dressed down with a file to make it look better ... is there a flat spot by chance at the rear of the toe line ... please take a few more pics of the toe ... from straight behind the buttplate ... a good close up side view of toe only... and the underside/toeline of the buttstock. tks
stopsevencharles
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Re: First year Remington Autoloading Rifle

Post by stopsevencharles »

Sorry about the rather poor quality of these photos. I had trouble with the autofocus on my old digital camera.

The contour of the stock appears to smoothly meet the butt plate, which looks to be appropriately sized. The butt plate meets the toe of the stock so smoothly that nothing about it suggested to me that it has been modified. The butt plate itself does not appear to have been shaved down or otherwise reshaped. It reads:

Remington
Arms Co.

Also, as you may be able to see, the fore-stock underside cracked at some point and it was repaired fairly neatly with some kind of resin.

Sorry about the crummy pics, if there is more interest in this firearm I will try and borrow a more suitable camera to take photos of the markings and bore and such.
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rem81auto
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Re: First year Remington Autoloading Rifle

Post by rem81auto »

As I suspected the toe has been chipped and repaired. I think you should be able to find a picture of the buttplate you have unaltered in the Model 8 Gallery pics.

The damage to the toe and the repaired crack in the forend will hurt the value quite a bit.
stopsevencharles
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Re: First year Remington Autoloading Rifle

Post by stopsevencharles »

Ah yes, I can see now comparing the buttplate I have to pictures of originals that it has indeed been modified. The repair was done quite well in my opinion.

If it's not going to fetch a premium then it just makes me feel better about using it for its intended purpose. I didn't want to put any more wear on it if it happened to be worth more than I bought it for.

That said, would it be sacrilege of me to modify this rifle as I see fit? I was toying with the idea of having a custom 10 round fixed magazine made to replace its current one but people on another forums seemed to cringe at the idea. I know that there's that guy who makes carbines and reproduction police models out of Model 8's.
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Adam Lee
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Re: First year Remington Autoloading Rifle

Post by Adam Lee »

Mo' better pics!

Serial number - caliber - barrel jacket markings - and that's simply because I like this gun, just as I like each and every 8/81 ever made!

IMHO, I would not consider the effort towards converting this early 8 to a POE-style carbine. It is too nice to begin with, stock repairs notwithstanding. There are "parts guns" that can be devoted towards such endeavors - after all, it's your gun - you should do what you want.

If you really just want to fix it and flip it, look at the Gun Broker and similar auction sites for past auctions to get a feel for dollar values. For an "only rifle", the 8/81 probably isn't the most "practical" thing out there in the gun world. You are limited on selection of available cartridge loadings, with .35 Remington in the early 8's as the only one really available in current production.

If I was limited to one rifle, I'd be thinking of a common caliber that served my shooting needs rather than an antique and unique gun like these great old Remingtons.

Just my opinion!
I am a regular joe, consisting of 78% coffee, 12% hot air, 9% organizational abilities, and 1% luck.
stopsevencharles
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Re: First year Remington Autoloading Rifle

Post by stopsevencharles »

I hear what you're saying. I really was only toying with the idea of making any changes to the rifle. I don't go shooting or hunting very frequently so even though .35 rem isn't the cheapest or most accessible ammo, I find this model 8 to be a perfectly utilitarian fit for my purposes, just as it was designed for. My last rifle was a run-of-the-mill Mosin-Nagant 91/30, and compared to that, this autoloader and the ammo it uses have given me much more satisfaction.

I'm not really eager to flip it if it isn't worth much more than what I bought it for (475$). Selling it would be more hassle than the payoff, and then I wouldn't have a rifle handy!

I'll try and secure some more detailed photos in the next few days to satisfy the interest.
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Adam Lee
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Re: First year Remington Autoloading Rifle

Post by Adam Lee »

Just keep it.

Enjoy it while you can - hold off on the urge to sell - if it's your first and only, especially.

Again, my opinion - Adam
I am a regular joe, consisting of 78% coffee, 12% hot air, 9% organizational abilities, and 1% luck.
jim8008
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Re: First year Remington Autoloading Rifle

Post by jim8008 »

One day the conversions will all be originals.
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S and S HUNTCLUB
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Re: First year Remington Autoloading Rifle

Post by S and S HUNTCLUB »

jim8008 wrote:One day the conversions will all be originals.
That is the sad truth Jim! Ten to fifteen years down the road someone will be fooled by the copies. It's just the sad truth. It's just part of the game in today's world with the original authentic firearms, demanding such a "High Dollar".

It really pays to know what you're buying and on the other hand, it really pays when you can pass off a copy, as an original too! That's the real bummer for the unsuspecting buyer, when a copy gets passed off as an original.

It pays to do your research, when your investing your hard earned money and to know exactly what your getting for your investment.

I think we have all been burnt once in the past, when we purchased something & found out later, that it was not the real deal.

Enjoy Life, Bob @ S and S HUNTCLUB
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Roger
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Re: First year Remington Autoloading Rifle

Post by Roger »

Hey Bob,
I feel the same way that you do about fakes or re-doos. Unfortunately, some people are dishonest in their gun dealings. I'm much better now in my older years,when it comes to spotting these redoos. But I still get burnt once in a while. If we think it's too good to be true, then usually it is. That goes for anything in life in general. I tell my customers all the time,that you get exactly what you pay for in the remodeling business. And believe me when I say that in my business, there's always somebody out there waiting to take advantage of you. It's a sad reality.
Try to keep faith in good people,cause they're still around.
Thank you for your time,
Roger
Roger
raw4555@gmail.com
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