New Member in North Texas

[TX_Metal]

New guy from North Texas checking in! Picking up my first ever Model 8 this weekend and decided I had better start getting educated on them. From the brief browsing I have done, it seems like there is no shortage of information at hand on this forum.

Looking forward to a break down and thorough cleaning of the rifle over the weekend, then the long hunt for ammo begins

[81police]

New-to-you Model 8? GOOD ON YA!! Welcome to the forums, you picked a VERY cool rifle!

[TX_Metal]

New to me indeed! Saw one on the rack at a local shop and decided I had to have it. Picking it up after work tomorrow for a breakdown and clean session

[Texas by God]

Welcome to you. The people on this forum are amazing. Where did you get it and what caliber? We'd love pics as well. Best, Thomas.

[TX_Metal]

Welcome to you. The people on this forum are amazing. Where did you get it and what caliber? We'd love pics as well. Best, Thomas.

Small shop in Dallas, and the caliber is 30 Remington. As soon as I have it cleaned up I will do my best to get some pictures of it up. May have to shanghai the wife's DSLR...

[Robinhood]

Congratulations on your model 8. I have my dads 30 caliber model 8. I have found most of my ammo at gun shows and just by chance. My last purchase was at a show in Ocala, Florida. The man had several boxes and was selling them for $ 20. He was very surprised when I bought all he had (only 5 boxes). I wish he had more. I would have paid twice. Some were even in the original boxes. Have fun with your new purchase and good luck with the ammo.

[Adam Lee]

My last purchase was at a show in Ocala, Florida. The man had several boxes and was selling them for $ 20. He was very surprised when I bought all he had (only 5 boxes). I wish he had more. I would have paid twice. Some were even in the original boxes.

Darn Skippy! What year was this, Robin Hood? 1987? LOL....I'm sure you were at the right place at the right time!

And welcome to the forum, 'nother new guy from Texas! What, is Cam on some sort of Texas recruitment drive?

Please by all means show us some digital snaps of your Remington(s) - especially the markings/serials/odd symbols! Love that stuff.

Take care all
Adam Lee

[Adam Lee]

Texas Metal,

Hope that soon we learn your Christian name LOL....

anyway, those .30 Remington/.32 Remington Model 81's and 14's I started collecting forced me to go on and start looking for a good ol' .30-30 Win lever action all over again! Dang!

Yeah, once I found my multiple machinist friends with lathes and such I realized I just had to start shooting .30 WCF and save the brass for conversion. Even got my little collection of Lee Loaders going....really basic stuff.

So TM, you're gonna love the .30 Rem since it shoots as soft as the .30-30 Win. I recently did some ammo swapping and horse trading (Carl, was that you?) and now have a "convertible" Model 81 with .30 and .32 Rem options.
I love these obsolete rounds man!

Now I hope to see some pics! I'm back from New Hampshire, can't afford another trip to Jack's Model 8/81 Round-Up, and can't wait to hear what them guys are up to!

By the way, TM, you have found the realm of the Remington 8/81 and John Browning fanatics. Glad you made it!

Adam

[TX_Metal]

Well, good news and bad news. I picked the rifle up and I was able to take it apart no problem. Gave it a good scrubbing with some Simple Green as the insides were filthy. The area beneath the safety was caked with mud and I found dead grass inside the receiver...

Bad news is that there is something that is keeping me from assembling the rifle. I can get all of the mechanics back into the receiver, but they are incredibly stiff to operate. I followed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7z_KHNCwFg this video as a guide, however at 15:25 when he is pressing lightly on the barrel lock, I have to exert considerable force in order to get the parts moving. There is almost no play at all. If I manage to get the bolt back into the receiver, it feels like it is hanging up on something and I can only with draw it maybe 1/3 of the way. I've been at it since Saturday afternoon with no luck yet.

Any ideas gentlemen?

[Adam Lee]

Texas Metal,

One thing that I learned with my 8's and 81's is that since these guns are fairly complicated designs - even to those of us who have patience - with more parts that interact, there are that many more possibilities for failures to feed/fire/etc.

Sometimes one of my 8/81's is also difficult to get back in battery for the very same reason, it is that barrel lock relationship. It will eventually go into battery, but it sometimes takes extra encouragement usually with a screwdriver or similar tool.

I'd also recommend going back to see if your Simple Green clean-up was as thorough as you wanted it to be - not knocking your elbow grease, just bear in mind that you can sure find it tough to get all the baked-on crud out of the insides of these old guns. Might be once it is all back put together you're just needing a touch of your favorite gun lubricant at the right points to get it moving for ya.

I love these complicated tinkertoys - every time I get stuck on one I just take it apart and go back to look at what parts are impacting with each other, and what parts might be bent/broken/missing. That's the fun part for me - getting a gun to run right I dunno just like the challenge from a gearhead point of view!

Have fun, don't be discouraged, and post some pics - or it didn't really happen!

Adam

[TX_Metal]

Well, finally got it sorted out and put back together. Everything functions properly now and lockup seems tight.

I will try and get some photos up shortly. Sadly, it was drilled for at least two different aftermarket scope mounts and the holes were filled, so she definately looks a little rough
on the left side of the reciever.

Other than that, seems to be in great shape with what looks like a brand new bore, I can't wait to get it to the range!

[Phyrbird]

Welcome TexM,
Enjoy the range time, I know I did at Jack's. There are a lot of possibilities with the 30 Rem, including reloading a saboted 22. You Will have to load for this one as factory rounds are almost non-existent. And a lot of the newer 30 cal bullets are a lot better than the ones in the originals. A Hornady Mono flex has me intrigued for now.
Adam, Yes that was me with the swaps, how accurate is the 32 barrel? We haven't seen any targets yet. Joe (Sarg) got most of my 32 cast at the Event. I'm still trying to make time to pull bullets and anneal cases to prevent neck cracks. My 35R 81 made us all proud a the range; that gong wished Bob and I had stayed home. The 223 match rifle was extra fine too, I probably owe some rounds to (???) I don't recall whose it was. Burned thru almost a whole mag at the gong. Perhaps next time I can bring my Colt. (Sorry to bring up that other manufacturer)

TexM, hope your inoculations are up to date. You know Jackitis is transmitted by fondling old Remington semi auto rifles. Sometimes you get it by handling hump back Brownings, too. There seems to be no cure.

[Texas by God]

Saw pics of the event and I certainly want to make it next year! Still looking for my model 8 .32 to appear and adopt me....Best,Thomas.