thegreatmodel8.remingtonsociety.com

i am a newbie to this outstanding site and a recent proud owner of a model 81 woodmaster i have aquestion about the magazine that is in it it is detachable it is not flush with the trigger gaurd it has a button onthe back rib just below the trigger gaurd to detach like i said i just purchased it this week dies and brass comes tommorrow in 300 savage any help in identifying this magazine would be appreciated thanks

rhighno,

Welcome to the springpole forums! Congrats on your first Model 81, if you're not careful it won't be your last

From your description it sounds like you may have a Krieger conversion. Check out the page below to see if it matches the characteristics of your rifle. If the page doesn't open click on the Model 8 banner picture at the top of this page and then on "Krieger Detachable Magazines".

http://thegreatmodel8.remingtonsociety.com/?page_id=563

my gun has not beeen modified the release button is on the magazine i read that link i bought the gun at gander mt it did not have the magazine in it when she brought it from the back of the store i knew it was different but not be ing real familiar with these ididn't question it the button is just below the trigger guard on the magazine

I'm kinda stumped on this one honestly. If you can post pictures of the rifle or email them to me I'd be happy to investigate this a little further.

i took some pictures this morning i will try and post them this weekend i did notice this magazine has no spring on the side like most of the others i have seen no markings of any kind either as they say apicture is worth a thousand words

these are a couple photographs of rhighno's Model 81. I've personally never seen one done like this. I assume it's a one off by a gunsmith but I don't know for sure. The magazine release is on the back rib of the magazine and is similar to a Krieger button. The magazine itself appears to be a modified early Model 8 (no side springs) that could have been lengthened from welding 2 magazines together. Rhighno can't tell if it's made from two magazines and says capacity is 5 rounds.

Has anyone seen a version like this before?

Now this is really cool! I'm among the many that has never seen anything like this magazine setup! Is it possible this is one of those illusive Navy, FBI, Prison, Police, etc. versions or similar that we never hear of or have ever seen? The magazine surely looks one piece and professionally done in all respects. I commend whomever the builder was! Great piece and wonderful part of the ongoing history of the model 8 & 81. Thanks for sharing with the community and hope someone can bring forth some new light to this amazing item!

Some time back, I related a comment in Phil Sharpe's book "The Rifle in America" from the late 1930s about the Model 81 having a detachable box magazine. I wonder if it is possible that Remington may have made up some detachable magazine prototypes in this period, and that there may be a possibility that this 81 is one of them? If so, it may have a low SN representative of early M81 manufacture, but the SN or date code was not provided, and I can't make it out from the picture.

gun was mfg in 1940. No special markings found so far.

But that wouldn't necessarily dismiss it from being a factory prototype - or would it? Hard to say what was going on at Ilion on the eve of US involvement in WWII unless there were some factory records available about that specific SN. But neither can the possibility of fabrication by a custom gunsmith or machinist be excluded.

This is the text from my January posting re Phil Sharpe's book, and it suggests that there may well have been prototypes (if not production models) of the M81 having a detachable magazine:
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I just read something in Phil Sharpe's book, "The Rifle in America," which was published in 1938. What he said was that one of the differences between the Model 8 and the Model 81 was that the Model 81 had a removable magazine, and even talked about a hunter being able to carry a spare loaded magazine, I guess about like you can with the Models 740/742/7400, etc. I quote:

"The magazine (of the Model 81) is of detachable type on this and holds five cartridges."

"...the magazine assembly was made detachable and of the box type so that the magazine could be recharged entirely separate from the gun as a safety precaution. In addition. completely charged spare magazines could be readily carried in the pocket of the hunter."
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As I said, Phil Sharpe was one of the leading gun writers and firearms authorities of the day, and I'm sure he didn't just invent his observations about the M81.

This is the only reference I've seen to a Model 81 with detachable magazine (factory done). Perhaps Remington made up a few 81's for test purposes? With the date of this rifle a few things don't add up.

As early as 1935 Remington was already talking about a "Model 82" which was considered but never adopted due to lack of funding. This Model 82 had several proposed changes (to the soon to be Model 81) one of which a double stack detachable magazine. The last documentation known (from Henwood's book) is from 1938 where basically the end of the line is drawn for the Model 82. Who knows if any prototypes were ever made.

Rhighno's rifle was mfg in 1940 when Remington already knew the Model 81 was going to be faded out. They were currently dropping the semi-beavertail forearm to drop production costs so it doesn't seem logical they would invest more money on a dying breed.

Gene Myszkowski wrote a great article in the 4th quarter 2009 RSA Journal stating that Remington was already in development of the Model 740 as early as 1940. A prototype was available in 1944.

I guess what I'm saying is it's a mystery to me! I wonder why would Remington make up a detachable magazine using an early Model 8 magazine (no side springs) that hadn't been put on 8/81's for 33 years? I wish I knew because it's an awful cool looking job!

update: magazine capacity is 6 rounds.

For those who have not heard of Phil Sharpe, a little information about him can be found here: http://www.rifleshootermag.com/2010/09/ ... ne_200906/
There was also an interesting biography of him in one of the earlier editions of Gun Digest about 20-25 years ago.

How far back can the ownership or possession of this rifle be traced? The thought occurs to me that it could possibly have been made up by Remington (or someone else) for concept evaluation or trial purposes, maybe for the FBI, the military, etc., without any commercial marketing intent. If so, it seems strange the caliber would have been .300 Savage. But the .300 Savage was the father of the 7.62X51 NATO. Or maybe it was simply the product of a talented garage mechanic.

Does Remington have any factory records available from this period, such as S&W does, that provide information on date of shipment, to whom it was shipped, special equipment/features, etc.?

i bought this at gander mt i have been trying to get them to have the person that brought it to them contact me about its history haven't had much luck yet i am going in to see them tonight i will keep you all posted. it would be wonderful if the guy had the t8 mount that was on it just to cover them holes

rhighno,
Welcome to the forum. Terrific that you brought in a "new one" (an enigma?). Hope Gander Mt. helps out, might tell them there are a bunch of us counting on them as you start down the back trail.

i just got off the phone with gander mt the guy i talked to told me his manager said they could not do what i asked. although a friend of mine did the very same thing with a revolver he had bought there looking for the original grips so any suggestions i am open thanks

S & S - thank y'all for posting so many pictures of this gun here and on gunbroker. I've added the rifle to our growing list of "detachable magazine 8/81's" folder. I wish we would find some historical information on the history of these conversions. Very unique and very cool looking! Thanks again

I haven't been on here for quite awhile I see I'm not the only one with this type of magazine any other info would be appreciated