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 has a capacity of 5 rounds. The Model 8 and 81 both use a fixed magazine although rare police-only versions do exist with detachable 15-round magazines. 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. 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 1947 and is in good condition for its age (73 years old) internally and for the most part externally as well. This 81 retains nearly 98 percent of the finish. There is a small amount of bluing reduction at the bottom edges of the receiver, the front tip of the magazine well, and the barrel shroud’s tip edge. The butt plate shows some loss, but no rust or pitting. There are a few shallow scratch marks on the top of the receiver. As can be seen in the pictures, a Stith scope mount and rings were added, and a Weaver scope mounted. The scope is in excellent optical condition. It has some minor scratch from where the scope comes close to the rear sight, and one near the ejection port. Scopes are usually mounted on an offset mount on the Model 81 to allow the ejection of spent casings. This has the added benefit of allowing the shooter to switch to using the iron sights if necessary. The stock has six parallel notches on the bottom, and 2 smaller notches just in front forming a cross or plus sign. Most likely, the first six notches were intended to denote the number game animals taken while hunting. The purpose of the two remaining notches is more difficult to discern. These notches represent the only notable abuse this rifle has seen. Interestingly, a small miniature compass has been installed in the top of the stock. It still works. The white dot represents magnetic North (most compasses do not point true North, something to remember when using a compass). The white tip of the needle points in the direction you are currently traveling. Mechanically, the 81 is in great shape, and operates as it should. The trigger pull is consistent and short. The bolt and charging handle are in excellent shape with rust and pitting being visibly non-existent on the former, and only minor remnants of rust on the latter. The rifle has been owned by diligent cleaners it seems. The bore is in pristine condition. Outside of the possible six kills as denoted by the stock markings, this 81 has likely had very rounds through it given the otherwise pristine condition it is in. This rifle would make a nice addition to any Remington collection. It is certainly one with a history to it.