Today's feature is from 2015 - about a great old gun from a great friend.

A fine old gun, the Remington Model 34 had a short manufacturing lifespan and had an interesting cartridge feed system.

Like many, I have fond memories of learning to shoot on “22s” in the days of my youth. Due to my occupation and job-driven obsession with defensive firearms, I lost track of the fun of just shooting for the pure joy of it.

I was chatting with our armorer one day and bemoaning the fact that I had no rimfire rifles around to just plink. Sometime later, he had me come out to his car. It seems he’d been carousing at a gun show and found an ancient Remington rimfire with one of the old side-mounted scopes on board. I looked it over and told him it was interesting.

“Good,” he said, “Because it’s yours now.”

Now I’ve been known to give stuff away but this was out of the blue. “Well, the stock is cracked but repaired,” he said, “and the deal was right but I really don’t need it.” I don’t recall what he paid but I never forgot the gesture.

And it promptly went into locked storage and there it’s stayed all these years. I’ve been going through stuff recently and my mind went back to that gift. I got it out and began studying it. The trip led me through Remington’s archive site and a few other internet locations and here’s what I found out.

The Remington Model 34 is a tube-fed, bolt-action .22 rimfire rifle capable of using Shorts, Longs and Long Rifle rounds – remember those days? The side-mounted scope, held on by two screws into the left side of the receiver, is a J.C. Higgins 4x of unknown vintage.

The Remington Model 34 was made from 1932 to 1935 – this gun has a manufacturing code of July, 1935. The gun was, at the time I got it out to study it and shoot it, 79 years and 11 months old. Only 163,000 of the guns were made – in three levels or grades: the standard was the M34A. There was a Model 34 N.R.A. “Junior Target” and a Model 34P with a peep sight.

The interesting shell lifter/carrier design was by C.C. Loomis of Remington. As the bolt reaches its rearmost travel, the lifter pops up forcefully and lines the cartridge up with the chamber. This makes for a smooth delivery and prevents deformation of the projectile.

The old gun was fired with Federal Champion, Remington Thunderbolt and CCI “Quiet” ammo. The Quiet ammo really is quiet.

The Model 34 was replaced by the Model 341. The safety on the Model 34 is a sliding lever on the right side of the receiver. Strangely, pulling the safety to the rear sets it to “fire.” Pushing forward puts it “on safe.” The safety on the Model 341 is a paddle at the rear of the receiver. Turning it to the vertical position locks the firing pin and obstructs the shooter’s view of the sights.

The Model 34 has a 24-inch barrel. Cartridge capacity of the tubular magazine (slung under the barrel) is 15 Long Rifle rounds, 17 rounds of .22 Long or 22 rounds of .22 Short. The iron sights are a forward mounted open notch and a “bead” front. The gun weighs in at five and a half pounds without the optic. A simple steel butt plate adorns the rear of the abused stock.

The gun had browned with age and it was anyone’s guess how it’d shoot. I took the nearly 80-year old gun to the range to see what would happen. The closest target stand was about 20 yards from the covering firing point. I taped up an NRA B-8 25 yard pistol target and loaded with five rounds of CCI 40 grain “Quiet” ammo. With the new Otis Technology “Ear Shield” in place, I tried those five rounds. Examining the target, I found that it was hitting about 4 ½” low and 3 ½” right. I loaded with five rounds of Federal Champion 40 grain ammo and fired.

The lower groups were the first fired – there are five rounds of CCI “Quiet” 40 grain ammo and five rounds of Federal Champion ammo in the same group. The higher group was made with the Federal Champion. A higher aiming point, visible by the “Ear Shield” trademark was used to make that group.

The resulting group covered the earlier group – same point of impact, one with a subsonic load and one with a conventional .22 LR round. The trigger was firm but not heavy and featured a clean break. The bolt action was slick and smooth.

I put an aiming point high and left on the target. My second group of Federal Champion rounds hit well inside the black, still a little low and right of the “X.”

I continued to shoot the Model 34 with the CCI Quiet .22 Long Rifle. Not capable of running some semi-auto rimfires, the Quiet load is great in bolt guns. I shot those rounds without the Ear Shield – when CCI says “Quiet,” you better believe it. I’ve fired pellet guns that were louder.

The old gun can still shoot – if the J.C. Higgins scope has enough adjustment range in it. If it doesn’t, I can remove it and leave the screws in the mounting holes to use the irons.

A magnificent gun from a great time in gun making, the old Remington Model 34 is just fun to shoot – truly a sporting rifle and a great gift from a great friend.

-- Rich Grassi