Remington Model 8

[richhodg66]

Saw one today, not pristine, but decent. Caliber .35 Remington, only caliber I'd be real interested in. Had a Lyman tang sight on it too, pretty unusual.

What is the going rate for thse now? Asking price was close to $800 which seemed pretty high. Normally this guy is pretty fair pricing things.

[McFred]

It's worth what someone will pay for it and that's highly variable. Year of production, condition, caliber, stock grade, engraving/checkering, whether or not it has a rare tang sight, detachable/high capacity magazine conversion, POA/FBI model, whether or not it has been drilled for scope mounts, mix-matched parts, low serial number all affect perceived price. I got an 81 for $400, but it's in pretty rough shape.

That said, I've seen them fetch a lot more than $800 in good condition, matching parts. There's a lot of clockwork in a Model 8/81 that can go wrong or missing. There's a high probability it looks good outside but doesn't function as well as it looks. Get a guarantee or "inspection period" to scrutinize it.

[Mytmousemalibu]

Really want a model 8 or 81! Pretty rare here in Kansas it seems.

[Texas by God]

That might be a little high but a check over at the great model 8 site will tell. I’ve always wanted a model 8, I’ve had three 81s, two .300 Savage, and one that had been rechambered to .308. They are cool, JMB to the bone and they kick like a mule. I sold my last one for $500 if I recall, but the 81 .300 is a common one. A model 8 with the straight grip in any of the Remington Rimless cartridges would probably have me reaching for plastic, I’m afraid.....
Per the above; I have torn one down and reassembled it. It took a day or two to get it back together.- yikes. So if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Only one of mine gave feeding problems with reloads, the .308 was flawless with .300 level loads and factory .308. I wish I could report on the .308’s longevity but sadly it was stolen a few months after I got it. The craftsmanship and quality of these rifles is second to none IMO.

[rking22]

That is about the going price for a decent one around mid Tennessee, that is when you see one. If you like it and have the cash, then go for it. I rarely see one in person. When I do I think , man I should get me one. Then I pick it up and go, wow that’s heavy! Still don’t own one, yet.

Can check the GB for closed auctions that actually sold for a feel of real value.

[trails4u]

The tang sight alone is highly prized, assuming it's correct. I've seen them go for $200+ consistently. Mine's a Model 8 in 30 Rem....really good condition, pristine bore, but re-blued at some point (a long time ago). I was happily $500+ into it, minus the tang sight. Condition means a lot...a whole lot...but in fair+, including the tang sight, I might be bartering on that one.

[rbuck351]

About a year ago there was about 70 of the M 8s for sale at a local online auction house in varying conditions from rough to fairly nice. Most went for around $350 to $450. I managed to get a nice one for right at $350 in 30 Rem. I already had a very rough one in 30 Rem and a well worn (on the outside) one in 35 Rem. As far as price goes, they seem to be area specific as to what they bring. Most I've seen at gunshows in AK and MT are on the tables for $500 to $600. I got my first deer with the beater M8 when I was 13 or 14 almost 70 years ago. At that time you could get 30 Rem ammo but it's been harder to find the last 50 years or so. I've been picking up what I could find and now have about 400rounds, about 300 loaded. The 35Rem is still a very effective round to about 200yds on critters as large as elk. Neat rifles, been on the lookout for one in 25Rem that is in my price range. As hard as it is to get ammo or brass you wouldn't think they would be bringing as much as they do.

[trails4u]

25, 32 and 35 brass are readily available (Grafs), albeit not cheap. 30 is easily formed from 32, so they are very shootable, just not necessarily cheap to shoot.

[M-Tecs]

I've always wanted one. Every-time I get weak I borrow my buddies Model 8. They kick like the proverbial mule with the long action recoil system. That cures me for awhile.

[trails4u]

I've always wanted one. Every-time I get weak I borrow my buddies Model 8. They kick like the proverbial mule with the long action recoil system. That cures me for awhile.

But it's one of the coolest actions out there.... Nothing else like it, that I know of.

I want more of them.

[M-Tecs]

But it's one of the coolest actions out there.... Nothing else like it, that I know of.

I want more of them.

Yes they are very cool. Same for the Browning A5

[richhodg66]

Really want a model 8 or 81! Pretty rare here in Kansas it seems.

Well, I can tell you where one is in Kansas if you want.

Someone had scratched a serial number on the side of the receiver on this one with an engraver, but otherwise in pretty good shape and that tang sight was made for the rifle, contoured to the rear of the receiver.

With tax time right around the corner and other things in my life right now, timing is bad for me, otherwise I might try to work with him on a deal. I've known him a long time and bought several guns from him, and he's been pretty good to me in that time. He usually has a table or two at the Chisholm Trail show out in Hartman Arena in another three week, that rifle will likely be there if it doesn't sell local.

[georgerkahn]

In my neck of the woods, when they (rare!) show up at gun shows, one (a shootable model) with a price tag less than $850.00 is indeed more of a rarity. At a major show ~80 miles southwest of me in the fall were two: one (a Model 8 in 30 Rem) having an $1150 tag on it; the other (a Model 81 in same calibre for an even "grand". I jocundly asked (with neither money, nor intention to buy it ) if he'd take $999 -- with his reply that if I gave a dollar more with it, it might be mine. This was (give or take a half-hour) about 10:00AM. When we were leaving the show -- ~ 2:15PM -- we walked past dealer's table -- and the Model 8 was gone...
geo

[Ajohns]

Seems high but I haven't bought one in years. Have two 8's in 35. In northern Mn if you had money back in the day you owned one. Cold weather hunting people hated guns with exposed hammers up here. They shoot nice, idk if the kick is so bad? But we're usually wearing jackets. If it justifies anything, the one I have is a three digit number starting with a 2. Paid about $400 at Grand Forks gun show about 15 years ago and is in good shape.

[Petrol & Powder]

While not a rare gun, the Remington Model 8 has clearly reached collector's status.
The Model 8 (or later 81) is a cool piece of history. A Browning long recoil action, the first successful semi-auto full power rifle and a marvelous example of early 1900's quality.

There are still model 8's out there being used as working guns, but not many. The prices are now being set by collectors and not by users. Buying a Model 8 today is essentially either: buying a 98% + collectors grade gun OR buying a shooter grade gun. The shooter grade guns cost too much to be considered an investment. You buy one of those because you want it, not because it will increase in value (at least not in your lifetime).

I've paid more than I probably should have for guns that were important to me. (rounding out a part of a collection or seeking a particular variant of a model). I made those purchases with my eyes wide open.
$800 for a Remington Model 8 is either a really good deal if it is an all original, all matching gun with a nearly perfect finish OR it is way too much money for a shooting grade Model 8 with lots of wear and limited parts availability.

[Mytmousemalibu]

Well, I can tell you where one is in Kansas if you want.

Someone had scratched a serial number on the side of the receiver on this one with an engraver, but otherwise in pretty good shape and that tang sight was made for the rifle, contoured to the rear of the receiver.

With tax time right around the corner and other things in my life right now, timing is bad for me, otherwise I might try to work with him on a deal. I've known him a long time and bought several guns from him, and he's been pretty good to me in that time. He usually has a table or two at the Chisholm Trail show out in Hartman Arena in another three week, that rifle will likely be there if it doesn't sell local.

Im kinda waiting for tax season too. I plan on being at that show so perhaps I'll see it.

I actually stumbled into one on the used rack a couple years ago at Cabelas. Someone had traded 2 of them in, both were about $700 and someone bought the nicer one about 30min before I got there. The other one still on the rack looked like it had been used for scope mount testing. It had holes drilled & tapped all over the receiver. I wasn't above adopting a red headed stepchild but not for what they wanted for it.

[JSnover]

A Lyman "tang sight" is probably aftermarket. The sight offered by Remington was held on by a single screw and sort of nestled into the humpback receiver. I have a Model 8 and the correct sight (they sell for $250-$400 on auction sites). The correct screw will be a different matter; not as expensive but hard to match the thread.

[richhodg66]

Whatever it was, it's a quality, well made rear sight, looks like the tang sights I have on some older Savage 99s.

Never understodd why Remington made such strange arrangements for after market peep sights. I have a 141 pump, which has a flat sided receiver and could easily have been drilled to use the same after market sights as the Winchester 94 and Marlin rifles, but they had to have their own system with those two weird holes in the back end of the receiver. The Lyman sights for those are rare and expensive. I did manage to come across a King rear sight which I think will work, seems to have the same hole spacing and contour. I need to get back to that rifle.

This outfit has a lot of stuff including odd ball screws for the 141, you may find what you need there;
http://www.aperturesnmore.com/

[Drm50]

My 1st deer rifle was #8/35 when I was 12 and about 100lbs. I still have it and a 81 in 300sav. I've had several over the years but only kept 35s. I got a 141/35R a few years later and it became my favorite woods rifle, still is. Have 14 in 35 too. 8 & 81 both have Redding reciever sight on the hump. 14 & 141 have Lyman Deluxe tangs. I wouldn't drill one but it would be nice to see what a scope would do on any of these rifles.

[Texas by God]

Most desirable to me would be a model 8 in .32 Rem.non collector grade. The factory sights are pretty good on these as is but I understand the benefits of a receiver sight. Long ago an electrician working on my brothers house hauled out a m8 .30 Rem. that had a Weaver J2.5 mounted neatly on the left side. He let my brother and I shoot two shots apiece at cow patties about 80 yards off. No misses. He did not reload. He said he’d let us shoot more, but didn’t want to waste his ammo. He allowed that he had killed several deer with it- before and after his dad passed it down to him.