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Picked up a left hand Remington 581 for 100$ the other day. The gun is in pretty good shape but ugly as hell imo. Seems to shoot rather well despite the heavy trigger.
It has what looks to be a birch or beech Wood stock on it....that I really don't care for.
Thinking of maybe having the stock refinished, metal reblued, and triggeter worked... in the end I guess it's all up to me and how much $$$$ I wanna sink into the rifle .. just wonder if the rifle is worthy of the work?
Anyone ever fiddle with the 581?
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Joined: May 2011
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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I have a LH 581. I had it re-barreled to a 17 Mach II. Gunsmith added another receiver screw and worked the trigger. It's very nice now.
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1. Never tell everything that you know.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Superb rifles and fun to work with. This one is/was a 581............... Older photo before it was rebarreled.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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That's a really nice rifle. I read your write up on another thread and it's very impressive. Well done.
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1. Never tell everything that you know.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Mine's just as it was when I got it for Christmas in 1967, except for the Williams shorty ramp installed to line up with a peep sight.
They're good rifles, but personally I'd not spend big bucks on restoring one, only what I could do myself, not with very nice CZs available for $300-$500. A custom job is another matter.
Start looking for magazines. I've got two; the original and one I plucked off a rack in an LGS a good while back for $10. The original still works, but is a little sluggish at times. I suppose after 49 years it's earned a cleaning, at least.
What fresh Hell is this?
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Pappy- I have a few CZ rimfire. But I just can't let this thing sit the way it is, it's too darn ugly lol.
OSU - do you have pics?
K22- I like that a lot. Can you give me some details as to what you've had done? I just want the ugly birch/beech stock gone. I would like a nice walnut. And it needs reblued. But I don't know where to begin looking for a stock? Or should I just have the current stock sanded down and refinished? Is there anything you can do to make beech/birch whatever it is more aestheticcally pleasing?
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Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
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Have the 2nd action screw added, stick it in a 541 stock, bed it and adjust the trigger. You will have a keeper.
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Campfire Tracker
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They were made as an inexpensive rifle, there were so many of them made that they will never have any real value to them. I just passed on a really nice LH one last week for $200, and I have seen quite a few of the RH ones in that price range. Leave it as is unless you are just looking for a money pit project, you can easily end up with more into it than it is worth. Just shoot it, if it gets a ding, or rust spot you will not feel bad.
If you google you can find a simple modification to make the trigger adjustable, it is easy to do and can get the trigger to the 2 lb. range.
Make sure your magazine works, a lot of them have feeding issues as the magazines get some use on them. If it doesn't someone on here is selling a metal replacement, $58.00 each if I remember correctly.
drover
223 Rem, my favorite cartridge - you can't argue with truckloads of dead PD's and gophers.
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About what I was thinking...^^^^. Maybe I'll just adjust the trigger and upgrade the trashco scope that came on it.
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Mine is a gopher killing machine. Beat up and ugly, but it will literally drive tacks at 50. Will never sell it.
~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
3-7-77
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^^^ if that's beat and ugly I wish mine were beat and ugly.
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Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
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Paint the barrel and action with Krylon satin black finish, paint the stock a color of your choice, or with a textured paint and you will have an instant $100 custom.
I have done that to some real beaters and it is surprising how good they look after nothing more than a few dollars worth of paint. Check out Home Depot or Lowes for spray paint, it is amazing how many colors and textures are available.
drover
223 Rem, my favorite cartridge - you can't argue with truckloads of dead PD's and gophers.
24hourcampfire.com - The site where there is a problem for every solution.
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I've never painted wood.......plenty of plastic though. What should I do before applying?
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Campfire Tracker
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Just degrease it, and if there are any nicks, dents, etc you can either sand them out or put a little filler in them. Bondo glazing and spot putty works well if they are just minor but give it time to cure completely before spraying. If I recall correctly it is about $3.00 for a tube of it at Walmart.
drover
223 Rem, my favorite cartridge - you can't argue with truckloads of dead PD's and gophers.
24hourcampfire.com - The site where there is a problem for every solution.
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This is exactly what I'm gonna do! Preciate it!
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Campfire Tracker
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You are welcome. I think you will be surprised at how good one can look with a bit of creativity.
drover
223 Rem, my favorite cartridge - you can't argue with truckloads of dead PD's and gophers.
24hourcampfire.com - The site where there is a problem for every solution.
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I'll post it after I momic it up
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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Ky221, I can take photos, what would you like to see? Just the overall rifle?
There are 2 rules to success:
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Campfire Ranger
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K22- I like that a lot. Can you give me some details as to what you've had done? I just want the ugly birch/beech stock gone. I would like a nice walnut. And it needs reblued. But I don't know where to begin looking for a stock? Or should I just have the current stock sanded down and refinished? Is there anything you can do to make beech/birch whatever it is more aestheticcally pleasing?
Ky, love that State, its my origin. The stock was an old Bishop stock I had from many years ago when they were still in business. Numrich's used to offer one very close to it. I finished the stock and pillar bedded it. Added a second action screw, replaced the trigger with a 541 3 screw. Went through a bunch of triggers trying to find one I liked.......reworked the original, then a Canjar, then reworked a Timney 788 Rem., then had a 581 setup with adjustment screws, and finally the 541 trigger. The action was faced and threaded along with the bolt plus lapped the lugs. Then a 541T sporter barrel was slugged, shortened to an aol of 21", rechamber to a Win. D52 match chamber and a 11 degree crown. I still haven't gotten around to checkering the stock, but thats next.
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Ky221, I can take photos, what would you like to see? Just the overall rifle? That would be great........
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