Hello everyone. I’ve been wanting a model 8/81 for years now and I finally found a model 81 in 300 savage in a local pawn shop. I believe it is from 1947. Me and my dad were out at a couple gun shops last week but didn’t see anything we were interested in and I suggested going to a pawn shop down the road. I didn’t even notice the model 81 on the shelf until I walked by it going out and I saw the bolt handle and got super excited. The guy at the counter was surprised when asked about that model 81. I Asked to see it and it’s a got a spot of pitting in the rifling and the rifle looks like it was kept in a basement for some time but I hope it will clean up. I’m in the process of disassembling and have everything out of the receiver except for the safety.
No matter how I position the lever it doesn’t want to come out, and I don’t want to beat on it with a punch. Is there a trick to removing it?
Also there is some marks on the face of the bolt at 2 o’clock and 5 o’clock I am worried about. I have read that the .300 savage bolts are prone to cracking but these look to straight to be cracks.
A3B6972F-8C79-4E9C-8D46-A0A81E4CB067.jpeg (543.16 KiB) Viewed 1172 times
I was worried about that but I’ve read on a couple threads here that the .35 and .300s used the same extractor and that it is normal to have a .35 extractor in a .300.
Cant tell for sure about the face marks, but the dont look like cracks. My first of these rifles was an 81 .300 as well. I didnt have it long, just something about the Savage round that never interested me. I have a .25 Rem and a just acquired .32 Rem.
Cant help with the safety. Is there a particular reason to tear it all down?
There are some vids to watch on here on the home page that might help and also for when you decide to undo the barrel from the jacket, thats always fun.....
Sir, I believe that the 300 savage uses the same one as the 35. I’ve owned several 300 s and they all said 35. As for the safety, I never thought about tearing it apart. If it not broken, don’t fix it. Take that piece of advise from a retired remodeling contractor who has learned the hard way,several times.
Anyway,welcome to the forum. Most people here are very knowledgeable and helpful.
Thanks for your time, Roger
Welcome to the forum and congratulations on finding an 81.
As others have said before me, the extractor is correct. I personally wouldn't worry about the tiny impressions on the bolt face. I would keep an eye on it though.
Regarding the safety. Utmost care and respect must be taken when working on these rifles due to some parts being extremely limited/completely unavailable- until someone breaks one down in unserviceable condition to sell parts.
The safety is keyed on the back and must be positioned correctly for removal. The safety and safety rocker arm swing together. Approximately the 6 o'clock position, you SHOULD* be able to feel when it's at the right position. You can sometimes push with your thumb from the opposite side, sometimes it needs tapped through with a non-marring punch.
Go for it if you feel confident in tear down. If not, I suggest only doing what's absolutely necessary to your rifle to function properly. Do yourself a favor and study up on assembly disassembly of this gun before doing so and be sure to have appropriate tools and a good spot to work on it "don't want to lose any parts!"
Thanks everyone for the replies and information. Hibby83 I will try again to remove the safety and if that doesn't work I will leave it alone. The reason I want to take the safety off is because the whole rifle is covered in smalls specs of rust. I know I could probably remove the rust with some bronze wool but I want to do what Mark Novak of Anvil Gunsmithing does in his videos which is to tear the gun down and boil the parts in water which converts active rust to black oxide which is then easily brushed off. I have an old colt detective special which came out really nice after doing this. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rShG_F8 ... =MarkNovak
I've watched a lot of videos showing how people take the barrel out of the jacket and my plan is to use a wooden dowel with a piece of scrap wood on the end to catch all of the guts and springs. I also noticed that the bottle opener (covered with tape) on a swiss army knife makes a decent wrench for the barrel nut.
I'm sure this video has been posted before. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr6Hg7S ... =MarkNovak
With ammo being so expensive I'm not going to be shooting this a lot. I want to see how it shoots at the range and then maybe take it out deer hunting. I've always been a fan of John Browning's firearms and am glad to add another to my collection. Very few guns made today have character let alone the amount the older Remington and Winchesters do.
Have lots of fun with your new old Model 81. Whenever you feel like it, go and post some pics. We in the hobby love to see these guns!
Also, if others can take a look at the various markings and numbers and such we could help provide you with more data that you may find interesting.
Sounds like you've already received great advice. Keep us posted on your progress!
Adam Lee
I am a regular joe, consisting of 78% coffee, 12% hot air, 9% organizational abilities, and 1% luck.
WR
While I can't be certain about the "cracks" they could be just machine marks. The way to tell would involve a dye penetrate test. IE complete teardown.
One thing for sure, the 35 marked extractors are used for the 300S bolts, got 2, However the bolt faces are NOT the same. Yours is definitely 300Sav. You notice there is little or no cut from the ejector in the machine of the recess for the case. The 35 Rem (smaller) has more & the 25-30-32Rem have a lot more. You Might be able to use a 300S bolt for the 35R but NOT the reverse. Ejectors seem to all be the same location in all rifles. 300Sav is the same case diameter as a 308. If it did "close" on a 300S one couldn't be sure it was all the way seated. A recipe for headspace issues for the 300S in a 35R bolt.
I do recommend a limbsaver pad on the 300 for recoil, it is a little sharp. Got a 45-70 bolt that is easier on the shoulder.
Well I'm a bit late for the party, but 'Welcome' to ya from Iowa. As has been said, the 35 Rem and 300 Savage both use an extractor that is stamped '35'.Wondered about that also on my first 81 300 Savage. Everything I've read says they both take the 35 marked extractor and I've read 'alot'. My 2nd 81 300 Savage is the same. I've never read anything anywhere books, online forums, technical writings, etc that indicate or mention of 300 Savage caliber rifles having bolts that were susceptible to cracking.
How are you doing with your 81 disassembly, cleaning, and general beauty restoration?
