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I lived and breathed with a Remington Model 513T in High School competition. This was when rich suburban High Schools (and even poor urban High Schools) OWNED firearms that they allowed not only the Rifle Team to utilize, but the Rifle Club members could check out a fat-barreled Redfield-Sighted .22 and shoot it right then and there in the basement 50ft regulation range. Team Members could take their assigned rifle home for "dry fire practice" at any time they wished, and could ride home with the Remington butt on the school bus floor, muzzle to the ceiling, bolt open to their home, and back the next morning with it the same way. I was "Stranger in a Strange Land", being from Montana, but I thought this part of the deal (especially the rifle!) was pretty cool.
"Dry Fire Practice" at home was plinking and Robin/Starling control at the local holly orchard (a form of "gainful employment").
A good friend last week paid attention to my recent "Goin at it Backwards" adventure (whereby I purchased a "new old stock" rimfire scope and only then went looking for its rifle).
He offered to sell me a nice Remington 512. The action is identical to the 513T's that he and I operated with as partners on the High School Rifle Team. The Model 512 is a sporting version and tube fed (In fact called the "SportMaster" as inscribed on the barrel). These finely machined strong actions are also known as "Beehive" actions, referring to the cocking piece housing's shape (and perhaps the red "danger!" stripe on the cocking indicator coming out of that Beehive).
If I already sound like I know anything at all about these guns, I don't. I knew how to shoot a 513T enough for our team to take second at NRA regionals. Then. This is my second acquaintance with the gun, and now I'm not a 15 year-old kid. I am a bit more curious and observant.
The 512 was the 'lesser" of two my friend had, and though it obviously was complete, it had been "respectfully utilized" (feel free to use that phrase for any gun you might wish to sell), the buttplate was partially missing (we both agreed available easy), and there had been minor modification to the pistol grip arrangement. Nothing radical. More on that later. I cared less about the wood. What I saw was the action. For more than one flashback, I was On The Line.
The bolt handle is of a graceful acorn shape at its ball. If there is another bolt handle so "ergonomic" (before the word was invented), I do not know it. My Anschutz (later used in competition) didn't match it.
Gun collectors have an expression when exceptional wood is seen on a factory gun, more so with a "run of the mill" like a .22. They say, "That one got away!" This is one of those guns. A former owner modified the pistol grip to a "palm swell" of sorts (he was a shooter!). Evidence of a missing pistol grip cap shows. (These guns had none from Remington). But the wood is something I would pay for, if not die for. The stock modifications (minor) and refinishing apparently were done with the rifle attached (varnish appeared in flecks when I cleaned it). I cannot curse that Nimrod, as I was in his ranks with my first .22.
I got it home, stared at it and cleaned it, and today had a chance to turn her loose. Rummaged in my "Island of Optics Misfit Toys", and found a "like new in box" Bushnell Custom .22, 3x-7x. and it did this at 50 yards with my hunting ammo: CCI Mini-Mag HP.
My first reaction was, "This gun needs a better scope!" Then I thought, "For what"? Not now. Now it will be refinished. I wanna SEE that wood.
"Dry Fire Practice" at home was plinking and Robin/Starling control at the local holly orchard (a form of "gainful employment").
A good friend last week paid attention to my recent "Goin at it Backwards" adventure (whereby I purchased a "new old stock" rimfire scope and only then went looking for its rifle).
He offered to sell me a nice Remington 512. The action is identical to the 513T's that he and I operated with as partners on the High School Rifle Team. The Model 512 is a sporting version and tube fed (In fact called the "SportMaster" as inscribed on the barrel). These finely machined strong actions are also known as "Beehive" actions, referring to the cocking piece housing's shape (and perhaps the red "danger!" stripe on the cocking indicator coming out of that Beehive).
If I already sound like I know anything at all about these guns, I don't. I knew how to shoot a 513T enough for our team to take second at NRA regionals. Then. This is my second acquaintance with the gun, and now I'm not a 15 year-old kid. I am a bit more curious and observant.
The 512 was the 'lesser" of two my friend had, and though it obviously was complete, it had been "respectfully utilized" (feel free to use that phrase for any gun you might wish to sell), the buttplate was partially missing (we both agreed available easy), and there had been minor modification to the pistol grip arrangement. Nothing radical. More on that later. I cared less about the wood. What I saw was the action. For more than one flashback, I was On The Line.
The bolt handle is of a graceful acorn shape at its ball. If there is another bolt handle so "ergonomic" (before the word was invented), I do not know it. My Anschutz (later used in competition) didn't match it.
Gun collectors have an expression when exceptional wood is seen on a factory gun, more so with a "run of the mill" like a .22. They say, "That one got away!" This is one of those guns. A former owner modified the pistol grip to a "palm swell" of sorts (he was a shooter!). Evidence of a missing pistol grip cap shows. (These guns had none from Remington). But the wood is something I would pay for, if not die for. The stock modifications (minor) and refinishing apparently were done with the rifle attached (varnish appeared in flecks when I cleaned it). I cannot curse that Nimrod, as I was in his ranks with my first .22.
I got it home, stared at it and cleaned it, and today had a chance to turn her loose. Rummaged in my "Island of Optics Misfit Toys", and found a "like new in box" Bushnell Custom .22, 3x-7x. and it did this at 50 yards with my hunting ammo: CCI Mini-Mag HP.
My first reaction was, "This gun needs a better scope!" Then I thought, "For what"? Not now. Now it will be refinished. I wanna SEE that wood.
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