Oh..... you are breakin some collectors heart by shooting a new condition 141 with so many shooter grade 141s available. But hey, I see guns as tools, so more power to you.
If you handload, there are a few things to keep in mind. So speak up if that is the case. And I have posted previously on some of the things to watch for on the early 14s. But on a new condition 141, shooting factory loads, you shouldn't have any worries.
Marbles and Lyman both made tang sights for the 14/141s. The Marbles requires a hole to be drilled in the stock, in addition to the 2 screws at the tang. The Marbles also extends back farther, which some find interferes with their grip. The Marbles has the advantage of having a lock nut on the aperture adjustment. The Lyman is more compact and interferes less with the grip. It doesn't require any holes in the wood. When new, the Lyman came with a extra little flip sight that could be used for target work. Those are hard to find because they flip at the wrong time and so usually get removed and lost. Since your rifle is in such good shape, be careful in installing a peep sight. They can put pressure on a very thin portion of the wood and can cause the stock to break, or at least become indented.
Brand new (really) Model 141
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Rickster
Re: Brand new (really) Model 141
I did a fair amount of work with two 141/35s (one with a standard barrel and one with a chopped barrel). Not as much as with the lighter calibers, out of consideration for my shoulder, but enough to come up with some good loads. I am out of town right now, so I don’t have my data handy. Maybe later. At any rate, here are some notes, from memory.
Overall length and bullet nose shape are critical for proper feeding. The 35 seems more tolerant than the 25 Rem or 30 Rem, but is sensitive just the same.
My scoped 141/35 will easily shoot 1.5 MOA off the bench. Field shooting is a different matter. The recoil is has a substantial impact on field accuracy. Be sure do your final sighting the way it will be shot. You will probably find that the point of impact will shift 6 inches or more at 100 yds, depending on how the rifle is rested. This is not unique to 141's by the way. It just seems to be something most people overlook now that most shooting is done at shooting ranges.
Point of impact from the bench will drop as pressure is increased, or at least it has on all the 14's/141/ and 25s I have bench tested (in any caliber). This is the opposite of most guns.
As is noted in reloading manuals, the 35 works best at a lower pressure than its brethren (25 and 30 Rem). The reloading manual loads I tried worked well enough.
Best accuracy and function will be obtained in a fairly narrow pressure band. This is true of the 25, 30 and 35 Rems. If the pressure is too low, the primer will back out and cause the action to be sticky. It will feel like the pressure was too high. If pressure is actually too high, the case will stretch too much, also causing the action to be sticky, and shortening case life. You want the case to stretch (set back) and then spring back just enough to keep the primer seated correctly, but not so much that forces remain against the bolt after firing. Sorry if that sounds like reloading for these guns is difficult. It isn’t. But they do have a sweet spot. Basically, don’t baby it, but don’t hot rod it either.
Overall length and bullet nose shape are critical for proper feeding. The 35 seems more tolerant than the 25 Rem or 30 Rem, but is sensitive just the same.
My scoped 141/35 will easily shoot 1.5 MOA off the bench. Field shooting is a different matter. The recoil is has a substantial impact on field accuracy. Be sure do your final sighting the way it will be shot. You will probably find that the point of impact will shift 6 inches or more at 100 yds, depending on how the rifle is rested. This is not unique to 141's by the way. It just seems to be something most people overlook now that most shooting is done at shooting ranges.
Point of impact from the bench will drop as pressure is increased, or at least it has on all the 14's/141/ and 25s I have bench tested (in any caliber). This is the opposite of most guns.
As is noted in reloading manuals, the 35 works best at a lower pressure than its brethren (25 and 30 Rem). The reloading manual loads I tried worked well enough.
Best accuracy and function will be obtained in a fairly narrow pressure band. This is true of the 25, 30 and 35 Rems. If the pressure is too low, the primer will back out and cause the action to be sticky. It will feel like the pressure was too high. If pressure is actually too high, the case will stretch too much, also causing the action to be sticky, and shortening case life. You want the case to stretch (set back) and then spring back just enough to keep the primer seated correctly, but not so much that forces remain against the bolt after firing. Sorry if that sounds like reloading for these guns is difficult. It isn’t. But they do have a sweet spot. Basically, don’t baby it, but don’t hot rod it either.
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Rickster
Re: Brand new (really) Model 141
I almost forgot. Unless one of the true collectors chimes to to correct me, I think it is safe to say that the factory never put sling swivels on a 141. But then I am just an accumulator and a shooter.