The Great Remington 8 and Model 81 Autoloading Rifles
by John Henwood
Deluxe First Edition, 2003
304 pages, 291 illustrations (31 in color)
John Browning's last sporting rifle design, his long recoil autoloader, proved to be by far the best-selling and most popular autoloading sporting rifle in the world, and was kept in the Remington catalog for nearly half a century.
This first Collector Grade edition includes chapters on the genesis of the Remington Arms Company; Browning's five long recoil patents; the history of the Modèle 1900, the nearly identical clone produced by FN in Belgium, and the use of Browning, Remington and Winchester autoloading rifles by the French Air Service during World War I; the "cosmetic revamping" of the Model 8 which resulted in the Model 81; in-depth histories of production changes, markings, shipping dates, codes, and costs; deluxe-grade (engraved) and special models (factory experimentals, military, police and F.B.I. variants); contemporary autoloaders from around the world; notes on collecting the 8 and 81; how the long recoil autoloader works; disassembly, troubleshooting, and Model 8 and 81 component interchangeability; ammunition, ballistics, and reloading; factory options and aftermarket accessories (charger clips, magazine conversions, iron sights, scopes and mounts).
The last chapter, titled "The Legend", is a fascinating study of Remington advertisements, posters and sporting art, which have become increasingly popular collectibles in recent times.
