Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Remington Fans REMINGTON & PUMP RIFLE EDITIONS AS A GENRE

For some years I accumulated some Remington Models 14 and 141 rifles and one 14 Carbine in .35 Remington. That toad fostering learning a bit. So here, generally a bit of general background.

The Model 14 arrived before the Great War! My interest was of them in .35 Rem as the only existing chambering of cartridge production. In looking back, I passed up some nice ones in 'other' chamberings. Finally bent only to a minty 14 in .25 Remington, as having bent to a Model 30 also in such.

As I've said, these rifles were something of Swiss watch quality and precision. Nowadays marking part of their collector 'aura'. Conversely in "field" application, yet entirely useful, the dark cloud of "parts replacement and gunsmiths knowledgeable of their 'innards'. I 'covet' mine in collector context.

In historical perspective, there was also the "transition' period between the 14 and 141 Models. It was mostly defined by principal production in late 1835-36. Those editions defined in two principal visual aspects. "Nomenclature, as lack of". The "Remington Gamemaster" nomenclature missing as reflected in a plain left receiver sidewall with only serial number. That serial number as new to the 141 series. Such unmarked context and/or the barrel as reflecting a a yet model 14 configuration entirely. The barrel date coding as correct to the '35-36 period with Serial Number also below 4,000 or so.

The ability to fake a transition as unlikely in most contexts as insufficient economic motive. Such transition models as "novel" rather than "valuable" per se. A main feature itself defining the Model 14 barrel is in the sights. A unique screw-drive elevation system aft barrel sight, requiring a dovetail for leaf sight securing and a secondary "slot", for the screw base. The front sight a heavy milled base.

Quite different sights from the Model 141 barrel sights. A 'normal' leaf sight aft as a more traditional ramp. The front sight ramp as the Model 14 yet integral, but notably less massive as quite different to view. More "svelte" 141 result! The postscript to the Model 141 life and times, "postwar production" which it's credibly said to be considerably lesser of quality. Models into the fifties production era as recommended to be disdained!

Pump action rifles take unique advantage of the most elementary as favoured ergonomic factors of "linear action cycling. The limitation of the 14 and 141 series as restricted to mid-length, mid-powered 'era' cartridges of class approximating the similar rimmed Winchester iterations, termed the "30-30" series. In the early fifties, as the 141 production ceased in favour of the truly 'new & improved' Model 760 melding "Pump Action" with 30-06 class rounds, the great levelling of "modern & functional" as giving up that Swiss watch quality of the 14/141 era. My only 760 from 1957, as the introduction of the .308 Winchester. Further reducing the cycling stroke lengths, if marginally.

Other American Firms such as Savage and Noble made pumps too. I believe strictly postwar era. Not even claimed Remington quality but a price point advantage! The decline of the Pump Rifle as the same principles actuated not by arm strength, but by 'gas pistons!" "Humans as "middle men", literally eliminated from the functioning cycle. Like it or not!". Should there ever be a semi-auto ban, perhaps a great pump action revival! Arm-power actuated cycling alternate of just about as equal 'deadly effects' adding connotation of rapidly shootin' up all your several clip ammo pretty quickly!

As noted the great fall of the "Pump Rifles" as now the potential for revival in modern production design and technology. Shotguns have such, much in the name of "tactical", but functionally 'there'! Locking systems for the most powerful rifle chamberings, designs there for the adoption. Accuracy and 'tuning' potential not of bolt target rifle class. But ease of handling and efficiency of cycling, "tactical" in its own context!

Here's to the "pump precept!"
Best
John

there still is a couple left in PA woods. i figure it was 1995ish when the Amish Machine Gun aka m760 when they declined and went to a bolt action. my grandfather and my dad (RIP) used a m760 in '06 for years. my late uncle had a m7600 (which i think is scrap) in '06. before i had a stroke (i sold it), i used a m760 in 308 Win. i killed several deer and a 398 lb black bear.

a few years ago, at an auction i bought a Remington m14 in 30 Rem. i only got it because i like the fluted magazine tube, it just sets it off for me. i took it to my gunsmith who i found out that he just loves the m14, to strip down and clean. a few months later i got a Lyman tang sight (R14) with screws in a box of gun parts that i bought at an auction. i paid $30 for the box and i didn't know about the sight. i found out later that the sight is worth $300-350. i really like the "Swiss Watch Quality and Precision" that they put into this rifle. it is a shame that we lost quality when the rifle manufactures went to cheap "plastic" stocked rifles.

Couldn't agree more about the demise of quality from a once noble proud company. After WW2 everything they did was a result in "how cheap and fast can we build it" philosophy. Prewar Remington's are some great guns.

I think that the Remington 14 and 141 were nice rifles that show a lot of mill work and real craftsmanship, but they weren't strong enough to handle cartridges loaded at 30-06 level pressures, so a new, stronger, action was required. Remington leveraged their experience building weapons during WW2 and were able to produce 2 new models that met that criteria and shared some parts, the 740 semi-auto and the 760 pump. Remington must have done something right, 'cause they made and sold a lot of semi-auto and pump action centerfire rifles in the 740 and 760 series. No other manufacturer came close to their dominance in the pump action market and only the Winchester 100 came close in the semi-auto market niche. These were game hunting rifles, not target or varmint rifles, so MOA or better accuracy wasn't necessary, but a lot of 760 series rifles have proven to be as accurate as the average bolt action rifle.

When I was a small boy, our next door neighbor was an older hunter whose deer rifle was a Remington 141 in 32 REM. John was the first person who I ever met who had an understudy rifle, a Remington 121, set up with the same sights, Lyman tang peep sights, as his primary deer hunting rifle. John explained to me that he was able to shoot his 141 as well as he did, often at moving deer, because every week he practiced by putting 50 rounds through his 121.

I have become a fan of the model 14, This is my second one, a 30 Remington. I also have one in 35 Remington. This ones no collector piece as it was reblued and the forearm was cracked through both set screws which necessitated repair and of course refinishing. The Lyman that came on her was rusted stiff and required a week long bath in some penetrating oil, but she's cleaned up too and working almost like new.These 14s are a pain to load and unload, but for me, the are so easily carried and point so well for me I am going to do my best to make meat with it this fall on it's 110th birthday. A little drift of the front site and she should be minute of whitetail for as far as I can reasonably see in the woods we hunt.

bbassi brings up the point of post WWII Remington quality which I'd agree in part and disagree in part. Remington, the firm, postwar strategy was two fold. First, the Remington Model 720, successor to the Model 30 high power bolt rifle, was not resumed. Such ending Remington's affair with the CRF rifles for decades until the use of the Model 98 Mauser resumed. The Models 81, semi-auto and 141 pump resumed, but to a new era and new environment. The luxury - by postwar standard of inexpensive labour and inefficient production as consequence of the Swiss watch complexity and quality of prewar times, couldn't be sustained. Postwar, the Firm's efforts were divided. Keep the the Plant doors open and workers employed and design new sporting rifles with the technology and materials replacing a lot of hand labour and complexity. The use of stamped parts was "the new tach".
So, shortcuts and simplifications became the rule in residual Models 81 & 141. The "rep" following and problems ensuing. Yet both those rifles, on their way out!

Reference bolt actions. The "new & improved Model 721 & 722, WERE the "new & improved. Moreover, Remington was correct in moving to that cost effective technology. So the 81 & 141 hung-in there until the newer said bolt design and the 741 and 760 made their debut. Why was Remington right? First the "price point". Their Bolts were about 3/4th the cost of the Standard Grade Winchester Model 70. Not the quality, but the very thing that makes the "Pre '64 Model 70 the heralded rifle it is today was, frankly, excess quality. It yet exuded all the features, super metallurgy and prewar 'aura'. The problem with the Model 70, it didn't compete well in a price competitive market. The "wedge" which harmed the Model 70 even more... "Milsurp Sporters! The Remington price point offered real milsurp sporter competition by the time such "tricked out". The Model 70 and its more expensive brethren didn't compete well at all. Winchester "hung in" until 1964 as their Castle collapsed! Remington chugged right along with evolution beyond 725 into 700 series.

Those 721/722 Bolts & 741/760 models competed considerably better with those noted milsurp sporters. So two judging-standards emerged. Compared to Winchester super "package" the original Model 70 represented and the 1964+ edition which to me makes those fifties era truly "new & improved Remingtons" look pretty good! The fact of the Model 700 coming along proximate to the demise of the "pre '64 genre of Winchester demise... A quiet Remington victory of that 'day'.

Just my take
John

Interesting how the Push Feed M70s of the late 60s are regarded.
Fugly pressed checkering, but have you looked closely at a “deluxe” 725 ?

Anybody remember a 740 or 742 with an engraved whitetail buck on the left side of the receiver?mb

Correction 742 woodsmaster with engraved buck on right-side and bear on the left?mb

I've seen them. One of my uncles has one