The Remington Model 81 was the successor to the very popular Remington Model 8 which was famously used by law enforcement in the ambush of Bonnie and Clyde in 1934. Designed by John Moses Browning, the famed inventor of the 1911 pistol and many other firearms, the Model 8 and 81 both used the long-recoil method of operation as used in the Browning Auto-5 shotgun and the Browning M2 .50-caliber machine gun. This type of operation was used due to its greater reliability over gas-operation which back then could not be done with the powders then available. The only drawback to this method of operation is, in addition to the primary recoil movement of the ignition of the cartridge, there is a second, smaller recoil bump from the barrel stopping at its rear most position before moving back into the forward position. While this may sound uncomfortable, from personal experience it is not is not even noticeable. Like the Auto-5, the Model 81’s magazine has a capacity of 5 rounds. In this case, it is a box magazine fixed to the gun and is not intended to be removable though both the 8 and 81 have been modified in the past to successfully use a detachable box magazine. The Model 81 was available in five different cartridges, all with interesting histories. These are the .25 Remington, .30 Remington, .32 Remington, .35 Remington, and the .300 Savage. For now, we’ll cover just the Remington rounds since this rifle is chambered for one of them. The .25, .30, .32, and .35 Remington cartridges were designed to complete with Winchester’s .25-35, .30-30, .32 Winchester Special, and .35 WSL cartridges. Winchester later introduced the improved .351 and .401 WSL cartridges in an effort to beat the .35 Remington. Ultimately, the only two cartridges that lasted into the 21^st Century were the already popular Winchester 30-30 (introduced as far back as 1894), and the very effective .35 Remington which quickly buried the .35 WSL, the .351 WSL, and even the .401 WSL. The .30 Remington however does have the distinction of being the basis for the modern 6.8 SPC cartridge. Although no longer popular, cases and reloading dies are available from a number of sources. It is effective on the same range of game as the .30-30 it was designed to compete with. The rifle shown here was made in 1950 and is in excellent condition for its age (70 years old) both internally and externally. Some of the finish has worn with use and the passage of time as with any firearm. This is confined mainly to the forward end of the receiver, the inside of the trigger guard, and the front of the pistol grip (from holding the rifle). The barrel shroud retains almost all of the finish. The rifle was drilled and tapped for a rear peep sight it seems. All four holes have been filled by flush 6-48 screws. As can be seen in the pictures, a Williams scope mount was added, and a Weaver-style scope mounted on it. The scope is in excellent optical condition. There are a couple of small spots of finish loss on the right side of the scope body. Scopes are usually mounted on an offset mount on the Model 81 to allow the shooter to still use the iron sights if necessary but primarily to allow the ejection of spent casings. The stock appears to be a replacement given the different finish compared to the forearm. Fortunately, the original Remington butt plate is still present. Mechanically, the 81 is in great shape, and operates as it should. The trigger pull is consistent and short. The bore is in pristine condition. Like most hunting rifles, this one was fired infrequently. If you are collector of Remington guns, Browning guns, or early 20^th Century firearms, this rifle would make a wonderful addition to the collection.