by Travis Pike
Remington did a crazy thing in 1905. They produced the first successful semi-automatic rifle. Well, they produced a John Browning design alongside FN. FN produced the rifle outside of the United States, and Remington took it to the American market. The Remington Model 8 came first and was somewhat successful. It wasn’t a dominant market force due to the premium it demanded, but it sold well. Well enough that Remington did a few updates to the gun, which went on to become one of my favorite weird guns: the Model 81 Woodsmaster.
The changes were mostly cosmetic. The stock and forearm were changed. The stock got a pistol grip, and the forearm was enlarged. The Remington Woodsmaster would be produced until 1950. I acquired mine in a rather interesting way. The weapon found itself up on consignment at my local gun store. Someone had spray painted it black and hydro-dipped the wood. I was heartbroken. Who would ruin such a nice rifle?
I was more heartbroken at the cost. The seller clearly looked up the price on the Gunbroker App and assumed his model was worth as much as the mint models. I offered 100 bucks, and my friend from the gun store laughed and said he’d pass it on. As a joke, I’d offer a hundred bucks every time I was in. Months and months later, I made the same joke, and my friend said the seller said he’d take 150. That was a massive drop, so I counted 150 dollars outta my billfold, and the Remington Woodsmaster was mine.
The History of the Model 8 and Model 81
The Model 8 became a favorite for police officers, and special models were sold with 20 round magazines to law enforcement. Famed manhunter Frank Hamer carried a Model 8 in 35 Remington during the ambush of Bonnie and Clyde. The weapon became somewhat popular in law enforcement. The FBI even purchased several Reminton Model 81 Woodsmaster rifles after the Kansas City Massacre.
It was one of the first semi-auto rifles to be reliable enough for police use. It proved itself enough that the US Border Patrol, the Texas Rangers, and dozens of Sheriff and Police departments adopted the rifle. The rifle became popular with corrections agencies. This was at a time when men with guns would attack jails and prisons to free their criminal friends. It’s worth mentioning the French used a few Model 8s and FN M1900s in World War 1.
There are several reasons for this, not least the obvious one: a semi-auto offers fast follow-up shots. Rifle models with 15 and 20-round magazines offered a substantial amount of firepower compared to other contemporary weapons.
Calibers like .35 Remington ensured they were hard hitters. A set of open sights sat across the top of the barrel. They were simple but were fairly fast and easy to engage with. They work but don’t offer the same precision or accuracy that peep sights would offer.
How the Remington Woodsmaster Works
The Model 8 and Remington Model 81 used a long recoil system designed by John Browning. Compare the weapon side by side with a Browning Auto 5, and you’ll see similarities. The humpback nature of the guns shows that they share a common parentage. With a long recoil system, the barrel recoil rearward with the bolt for a short distance.
Two springs make the Remington Woodsmaster work. The first spring returns the barrel to its front position. This allows the weapon to extract and eject the empty case while loading a fresh case. The second spring returns the bolt to the forward position. Simple but effective. Like many weapons of the day, it is a take-down design. A single screw can be removed, and the barrel can detach from the receiver.
The Model 8 and Model 81 were available in a variety of cartridges. This includes the .35 Remington, the 300 Savage, the .25 Remington, the .32 Remington, and .30 Remington. Mine is in the classic .300 Savage.
The .300 Savage is like a slightly shorter .308. It’s designed for use within 300 yards or so, and inside of that range, it hits hard. The cartridge can toss a 150-grain projectile at over 2,600 feet per second.
The Remington Model 81 Woodsmaster used an integral magazine that held five rounds of your chosen cartridge. The Remington Woodsmaster’s bolt locked to the rear when the weapon fired its last round. With the bolt locked to the rear, the user could load it from the top with single cartridges. The safety is a manual design that sits on the outside of the weapon. Kalashnikov clearly took some influence from the gun.
The Remington Woodmaster In Living Color
The Remington Model 81 Woodmaster weighs a little over eight pounds. It’s a hefty rifle, but that’s what you get when it’s all about wood and steel. That weight helps somewhat with recoil. Shooting the rifle does deliver a good push, but it’s not a sharp, brutal recoil. The long recoil system does mean a lot of weight shoves itself rearward, and that’s where a good bit of that push comes from.
The Remington Woodsmaster trigger delivers a short takeup, very short, and then a slight wall and a gentle push make the rifle go bang. The good trigger makes it easy to shoot accurately. It wouldn’t win accuracy awards and seems to be a 2 MOA rifle, which isn’t bad by any means. Especially for a rifle close to being a century old.
The Remington Model 81 is fun to shoot and plenty reliable. Well, reliable enough. I’ve not torture tested the rifle by any means and fired less than a hundred rounds since I owned the rifle. The ammo is expensive, so it’s a rifle I only shoot here and there, but it is a rifle that delivers an enjoyable experience.
I need to replace the wood and clear off the spray paint, but that will take some time. Removing clear coated sealed hydro dipping is tough to do.
Boom, Bang, and Pow
The Remington Woodsmaster is a fantastic representation of a forward-thinking rifle. While it’s heavy and seemingly outdated, nothing would stop you from bagging a deer with the Model 81. It’s plenty accurate, easy handling, and certainly hits hard. The Remington Model 81 Woodmaster delivers today just as well as it did in the 1930s.
If you have a chance to go hands-on with one of these classic Remington Model 81 Woodsmaster firearms, I certainly suggest you take the opportunity.
About the Author: Travis Pike is a former Marine Machine Gunner and lifelong firearms enthusiast turned regular guy. Now that he no longer works the 240B like Charlie Parker did his sax across the “Graveyard of Empires,” he likes to write, shoot, and find ways to combine both activities. A self-proclaimed tactical hipster with an unhealthy flannel shirt addiction, Travis holds an NRA certification as a Basic Pistol Instructor and is the world’s okayest firearms teacher. You can connect with him on Insta if you’re so inclined: @travis.l.pike.
Check out more from our Blog section.
Want more posts like this one? Subscribe to Guns & Tactics to receive email updates and special offers direct to your inbox!
Social Links:
– The views and opinions expressed on this web site are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Guns & Tactics, the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.
– Affiliate Disclaimer: Guns and Tactics is reader/viewer supported. This post may contain affiliate links and we may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
