Marksman
Member
Do any of the M/70 afficianados here on the forum know of a gunsmith who restores M/70's? Doug Turnbull is a little out of my price range, so I am looking for other craftsmen who can create appropriate wood and metal finishes.
A pre-'64 Model 70 Winchester thread **New info 3/10/11**
- Thread starter PALADIN85020
- Start date
OP
Ron, I'd have to agree with you with regard to the looks of the combination not being really "period." Perhaps sometime in the future I'll get some period mounts - BUT, the modern combination gives me perfect eye relief, fast mounting and re-mounting with return to zero, and rock-solid mechanics. It's kinda the best of both worlds - old-line craftsmanship with modern optics and mounting systems. Plus, the rifle itself is not changed in any way. Do ya think it would help the looks if if I took a Dremel cutting disk to the front part of the rail, and lopped it off even with the front edge of the receiver?
Shorty4T
Member
Very nice rifles to one and all. My grail rifle is a '63 Mdl 70 in 300 Win Mag, the birth year for the 300. Haven't tracked one down as of yet, however I did find a nice ol' squirrel gun...a '65 70 in 300 with open sights.
Since I was a boy I always loved the 300, don't really need one here in the SE, but then again I don't need most of the guns in my safe.
Anyone have a '63 winny they can show pics of?
Cheers,
Sam
Since I was a boy I always loved the 300, don't really need one here in the SE, but then again I don't need most of the guns in my safe.
Anyone have a '63 winny they can show pics of?
Cheers,
Sam
I own a '58 vintage standard M-70 in .30/06. It has had the stock shortened at some point in it's life, and it came to me with a side mounted Williams base and rings, and a Weaver K2.5 scope in excellent shape that another forum member now owns. It also had a nice old Lyman peepsight on it, which I still have. It has very good metal on it, and the stock while modified from original, is actually in quite good condition too.
I had a Williams Gunsight 'smith install a spacer and red buttpad and now it fits me just right, though it doesn't have the classic look anymore
. Mine is also extremely accurate, with 5 shot 1" groups at 100 yards not too hard to get with about any decent load.
I need to find the correct front sight hod and the rear sight for it though. have been looking for several years for the hood, and the rear sight I need is one of the later folding leaf type, instead of the long spring/elevator type. If anyone has one of either of these please let me know.
I don't have any pictures of mine right now though.
Shorty4T-
The man that lived next door to where I used to live owned a '63 in .300 Win Mag. I at least got to shoot it several times.
Since then, I have seen at least 2 others, but both were way out of my budget range at the time I found them.
I had a Williams Gunsight 'smith install a spacer and red buttpad and now it fits me just right, though it doesn't have the classic look anymore
. Mine is also extremely accurate, with 5 shot 1" groups at 100 yards not too hard to get with about any decent load.I need to find the correct front sight hod and the rear sight for it though. have been looking for several years for the hood, and the rear sight I need is one of the later folding leaf type, instead of the long spring/elevator type. If anyone has one of either of these please let me know.
I don't have any pictures of mine right now though.
Shorty4T-
The man that lived next door to where I used to live owned a '63 in .300 Win Mag. I at least got to shoot it several times.
Since then, I have seen at least 2 others, but both were way out of my budget range at the time I found them.
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300 win has always been expensive due to being made only 1 year. although they made a lot of them that 1 year,they are highly prized,both as collectors and shooters. finding 70's out of the woodwork these days is almost a thing of the past. anyone know where i could find a 1st year in 300 h&h? for some who just wants a pre-64,then an 30-06 std. or a 308 featherweight would be the most reasonable in cost. for the serial#1, i think there is an article in the roger rule model 70 book about it. the story about it being a pick-up gun is supposed to be true.
ElToro
Member
my current (only) pre 64 70 is a 30-06 from the late 50s i have a matte vari X 1 3-9 on it. shoots just fine. i also have a recent production super grade in .25-06 thats a nice rifle but the trigger is not that great.
a few pre 64 M70 stories....
a few years ago i saw a prewar 9mm mauser. seller had documentation and everything. i had no need so i didnt even ask for the price
for YEARS there was a .220 swift super grade barreled action in the corner of teh rack in a shop i frequent. apparently it came with the inventory when current owner bought it. nobody would give me a price as every time i asked if it was for sale. then one day it was just gone. i would have gotten a nice piece of wood for it if i could have gotten it at a good price. same shop for about 2 years had a target barrel 30-06 on consignment everybody thought it was too much at 2,500
a featherweight .308 woudl be snapped up if i can ever find one at a good price.
a older gent who frequented shop above had a small M70 collection that was pretty nice. the coolest thing i thought he had was a 7mm mauser carbine ( i know they didnt use the term "carbine" but you know what i mean)
a few pre 64 M70 stories....
a few years ago i saw a prewar 9mm mauser. seller had documentation and everything. i had no need so i didnt even ask for the price
for YEARS there was a .220 swift super grade barreled action in the corner of teh rack in a shop i frequent. apparently it came with the inventory when current owner bought it. nobody would give me a price as every time i asked if it was for sale. then one day it was just gone. i would have gotten a nice piece of wood for it if i could have gotten it at a good price. same shop for about 2 years had a target barrel 30-06 on consignment everybody thought it was too much at 2,500
a featherweight .308 woudl be snapped up if i can ever find one at a good price.
a older gent who frequented shop above had a small M70 collection that was pretty nice. the coolest thing i thought he had was a 7mm mauser carbine ( i know they didnt use the term "carbine" but you know what i mean)
minuteman
US Veteran
rufgr- Great Collection, I'm extremely jealous. I only have one pre 64 Model 70- a 1954 model 257 Roberts.
Minuteman
Very nice thread on the "RIFLEMAN"S RIFLE". It's always nice to see them still in action after all these years!
Paladin- Is there a story as to why your '49 rifle has a monte carlo stock?
Dick Burg- The article on M70 #1 is in the June '90 Rifleman (what else?). #2 is mentioned in Rule's book, but not in my first edition ('82), as the gun didn't come to light until '87.
BTW, you'll be interested to know that it was purchased in a hardware store in Durango, CO., around a year and a half after it was made.
Of my M70s, the favorite is a Special Order '54 .308 FWT. my father ordered with a factory installed Lyman 48 and a leather covered pad.
Good M70 shooting!
Paladin- Is there a story as to why your '49 rifle has a monte carlo stock?
Dick Burg- The article on M70 #1 is in the June '90 Rifleman (what else?). #2 is mentioned in Rule's book, but not in my first edition ('82), as the gun didn't come to light until '87.
BTW, you'll be interested to know that it was purchased in a hardware store in Durango, CO., around a year and a half after it was made.
Of my M70s, the favorite is a Special Order '54 .308 FWT. my father ordered with a factory installed Lyman 48 and a leather covered pad.
Good M70 shooting!
Minuteman- Thanks, I have had a lot of fun collecting M70's. The first one I purchased was about 1973 form an Army officer stationed at Ft. Harrison in Indianapolis. It was a 300 H&H magnum he had purchased new in 1959 in anticipation of being transferred to Alaska. His transfer never happened. He purchased the rifle at Em-Roe Sporting goods and paid $139 for the rifle and $210 for a 4-10 power Pecar scope. When I went to look at the rifle he told me he had just thrown away the box and paperwork. I thought nothing of it at the time. I gave him $350 for the rifle, scope, 100 rounds of Norma ammunition and a set of reloading dies. He apologized for how high the price was but said it was because of the scope. I am sure that when I got it the rifle had never been fired as the 100 rounds of Norma ammunition was shown on the receipt he gave me. I still have the rifle it is the one in a vertical position on the left side.
Great story, but what a shame about the box!
gunlovingirl
Member
A commemorative 94 "made in Japan". That's just not right.
To chime in with Homie; I have a 1952 Standard '06 with a Leupold 2X7 on with a monte carlo stock that I believe was the first year that that stock was available. Swapped a 1st year .243 Featherweight for it. Not smart I suppose, but deliberately done.
Regards,
Tam 3
Regards,
Tam 3
OP
The old gentleman I bought my '49 vintage Model 70 from said he had it for decades, and I have no doubt it's the original factory stock. Correct metal buttplate and all. The receiver is factory drilled and tapped for scope mounts, so it sure was intended for scope use. I'm not enough up on proper stocks to know if Monte Carlo stocks were an option or standard equipment in 1949. Maybe someone who has a '49 Winchester catalog, a '49 Stoeger's Bible or a '49 Gun Digest could tell us.
I have a '49 Shooter's Bible, but can't get to it at the moment. However, the Monte Carlo stock was for sure listed in my '53 edition, so it stands to reason that it was also available in '52 when you consider lead time needed to get the Bible printed and out on shelves in early '53. This corresponds with the post Tam 3.
Paladin,
The monte carlo stock was introduced in late '51 and first catalogued in '52. The other change made with the MC stock was to change the leaf spring rear sight to a folding leaf.
Nothing to really worry about, just background information about the rifle.
The serial number range for '49 is 101680 to 131730.
Hope this helps- good shooting.
The monte carlo stock was introduced in late '51 and first catalogued in '52. The other change made with the MC stock was to change the leaf spring rear sight to a folding leaf.
Nothing to really worry about, just background information about the rifle.
The serial number range for '49 is 101680 to 131730.
Hope this helps- good shooting.
feralmerril
Absent Comrade
My 300 H&H that I showed on page two has the monte carlo stock and rear folding sight, and was built in 1952. It is serial # 239536.
I checked my '48 Stoeger's and it does not show the Monte Carlo stock in that year. Also, neither of my '40's-vintage rifles has it. Both have the standard stock with no Monte Carlo or cheekpiece.
wraco
Member
Pre-64 Model 70's and pre-64 Model 12's have had my admiration for a quite a spell. It seems to run in cycles; pre-64 M 70's. M12's and early S&W revolvers and maybe the odd Colt.
Currently I'm dealing on a 2nd owner 1955, 220 Swift with a long tube scope. The barrel and throat are like new so he wants plenty for it. $1600. Waiting for more pictures and info.
Roger Rule's book, "The Rifleman's Rifle", is a great source of knowledge on the M70.
My pre-64 M 70's consist of:
- 1940 30 Gov't 06
- 1951 30-06
- 1953 30-06
- 1953 270 Win
- 1952 257 Robts.
- 1952 300 H&H mag
- 1959 338 Win mag
- 1959 375 H&H mag
- 1959 308 Win fwt.
- and their Grand Pappy: 1936 Model 54, 30 Gov't 06
Only have one picture on the H/D, but here it is:
1952, 300 H&H magnum
Regards:
Rod
,,,
Currently I'm dealing on a 2nd owner 1955, 220 Swift with a long tube scope. The barrel and throat are like new so he wants plenty for it. $1600. Waiting for more pictures and info.
Roger Rule's book, "The Rifleman's Rifle", is a great source of knowledge on the M70.
My pre-64 M 70's consist of:
- 1940 30 Gov't 06
- 1951 30-06
- 1953 30-06
- 1953 270 Win
- 1952 257 Robts.
- 1952 300 H&H mag
- 1959 338 Win mag
- 1959 375 H&H mag
- 1959 308 Win fwt.
- and their Grand Pappy: 1936 Model 54, 30 Gov't 06
Only have one picture on the H/D, but here it is:
1952, 300 H&H magnum
Regards:
Rod
,,,
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