Remington model 14

Infobox Weapon
name= Remington Model 14


caption= Remington model 14 action illustration. Image from Pedersen Patent
origin= flagcountry|United States
type= Rifle
is_ranged= yes
designer= John Pedersen
design_date= 1913
manufacturer= Remington Arms
production_date= 1913-1934 (Model 14 and 14 ½)
1935-1950 (Model 141)
number= ~126,000 (Mode 14 and 14 ½)
~77,000 (Model 141)
variants= 14 ½, 141
weight=
length=
part_length= 22 in or 18.5 in (Model 14R)
cartridge= .30 Remington, .32 Remington, .35 Remington
.25 Remington (Model 14 only)
.38-40 WCF, .44-40 WCF (14 ½ only)
action= Slide action
feed= Tubular magazine
sights= Open

The Remington model 14 was a pump-action repeating rifle designed for the Remington Arms company by John Pedersen.

History

John Pedersen was a Danish born arms inventor who worked for Remington Arms and for the United States Government. Well known for the military Pedersen device, he designed numerous sporting arms as well. Pedersen was asked to design a gun that would compete with the Winchester model 1894 lever action. Pederson's design was novel and had several advantages over the Winchester.

The model 14 was made from 1913 to 1934. The model 14 was produced in .25 Remington, .30 Remington, .32 Remington, .35 Remington calibers. Another version, the model 14 1/2, was produced in .38-40 W.C.F. and .44-40 W.C.F. calibers. Over 126,000 model 14's were made. In 1935, the model 14 was redesigned and renamed. The Model 141 was produced from 1935 until 1950. Over 77,000 examples were produced in three calibers, the .25 Remington having been dropped from the line.

Design

A pump-action centerfire rifle was a peculiar choice to compete with a lever action. Most hunters preferred the simple lever-operated repeating rifles produced by Winchester, Marlin, and Savage. Remington tried to take the high ground by introducing the semi-automatic model 8 in 1906 along with a new line of cartridges for it. This Browning designed gun didn't sell overly well and Remington felt that a manually operated gun would sell better. Since Winchester had a near lock on the lever-action market, Remington chose a sleek-packaged pump action along with the same four calibers introduced with the model 8 rifle.

This design incorporated several 'innovative' concepts. Among them was a spiral magazine tube to prevent bullet tips from contacting the primer of the cartridge in front of them. This magazine moved with the fore-end when pumping the action. Loading was through an opening in the magazine itself located between the fore-end and the receiver. The bolt unlocked via a button pressed through the ejection port though firing the gun automatically unlocked the bolt. The model 14 was a takedown rifle that featured a single knurled screw on the left side of the receiver that was withdrawn allowing the trigger group and buttstock to be removed from the bottom of the gun.

Original prototypes were chambered for the 30-30 cartridge, but the gun was only offered for sale in the above mentioned calibers. The 30 Remington was basically a rimless version of the 30-30 and load data from that cartridge is interchangeable.

*US patent|963171 describing basic operating mechanism of the model 14.

References

* [http://www.remington.com/library/history/firearm_models/centerfire/model_14.asp Remington firearm history page]
* [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BQY/is_5_50/ai_114283922 Guns Magazine article]