thegreatmodel8.remingtonsociety.com

I always thought the brass cartridge-looking thing on the left side of the receiver on my model 14 was more or less a badge or decoration. When I started looking at auction sites and GA I noticed that the "primer" is missing on many of them. I was hoping that someone could enlighten me on this. Does it serve any other purpose? Thanks.

Anyone???

Just saw your post. I have been told that it serves as a pressure relief in the event of a case rupture. The early guns had the port covered with a disc resembling a primer. Later guns were just left open. Kind of a nice touch to make it look like a case head with the caliber of the gun on it. Dont see cool stuff like that any more.

It is a common misconception that the brass piece on the left side of the Model 14 is a cartridge head. It is not. It is actually a filler piece that is there to fill a hole drilled int he side of the receiver to facilitate the manufacture/machining of the receiver. The very earliest ones were installed flush with the receiver. Later Remington installed them with the brass proud of the steel. They were all stamped to appear as if they are a case head for the correct cartridge for that particular rifle, but in fact were machined from a single solid piece of brass. The last of the production had the center of the brass missing where what appeared to be a primer would have been. This too was most likely a means of decreasing manufacturing costs.

I have a Model 14 in 30 Remington manufactured in 1918. It is all original as far as I can tell and functions as well today as it did when it left the Remington factory. What a pleasure it is to hunt with this magnificent rifle.

Thanks for the replies guys! That's good information. I'd heard the pressure relief idea before and wondered if all the guns I've seen with no "primer" had failed case issues at some time or other "used hard" issues -didn't seem likely to me because it seems that half the 14s and 141s I've seen have no center.

I know there were also Remington Model 14-1/2 rifles of the same design as the Model 14, but I think in .38-40 and .44-40 instead of the larger rifle calibers. I don't remember if those also used the cartridge head brass filler, as it has been a great many years since I have seen one.