One of America's most controversial arms dealers was a pre-64 model 70 collector and we just acquired one of his guns. Researching this rifle unearthed a story we never could have anticipated.
]]>One of America's most controversial arms dealers was a pre-64 model 70 collector and we have one of his guns
"I would hate like all h--l to sell it to some clod who would think of it as just another gas pipe"
-Ned Kailing to Dr. William Wuester, August 1947
This is the story of an uncommon Winchester rifle, a rifle with just two owners since new. The first of these owners - a surgeon from New York named Dr. William Wuester - features prominently in the story below.
The rifle in question is serial number 56087, dating it to 1946 when it began life as a Super Grade .22 Hornet - Winchester catalog symbol G7051C. At the request of a client, a Winchester dealer in Milwaukee named Ned Kailing (owner of The Kailing Company) sent the rifle while still new in the box to Lysle Kilbourn in New York for rechambering into his new wildcat cartridge – the Kilbourn Hornet. The client had asked that the rifle be built to the highest standards and to be produced with the greatest possible accuracy. Kilbourn rechambered the rifle and returned it to Kailing for the balance of the work. Kailing bedded the action into the stock, test fired the rifle for accuracy, then re-bedded the action a second time before he was satisfied with the accuracy, which Kailing described as "exceptional" and "splendid". Kailing concluded the rifle was more accurate than the best of shooters, writing "It is our humble opinion that the gun will shoot better than the best holding". In the end, the accuracy of the rifle was no match for post-war economics: the original commissioning client fell on hard times and backed out of the rifle purchase, leaving Kailing holding an expensive and customized rifle with no buyer.
It is unknown how Kailing in Milwaukee made the availability of this rifle known, but Dr. Wuester of New York became aware of it and ultimately purchased it in September of 1947. All of the original correspondence between Kailing and Wuester has been preserved. It's an interesting story and one we hope our followers will enjoy.
First, the rifle as we received it, along with many of its original shooting and reloading supplies.
The story of this rifle is contained in the original correspondence between Kailing and Wuester, which has been miraculously retained with the rifle. As Kailing and Wuester worked through their questions and negotiations, the picture of a remarkable gunsmith and salesman comes to light, doing his thing to sell an expensive rifle to a well-heeled buyer.
It seems there is an original letter missing, which would be the inquiry Wuester sent to Kailing about the rifle. Perhaps the rifle had been listed for sale in a publication, which led to the original inquiry. Whatever the case, it appears the first thing Kailing sent to Wuester is a detailed breakdown of costs for the purchasing the rifle and associated accessories, as well as some history for the rifle and its modification. The letter is not dated, but presumably was sent in late summer of 1947. The notes added by hand belong to Dr Wuester for reasons which will make sense as you read on.
It seems we are likely missing an intervening note in reply to Kailing from Wuester, in which Wuester asks some clarifying questions about price, as well as questions about reloading for the wildcat Kilbourn chambering. Regardless, our dialogue picks up on August 22, 1947 when Kailing writes back to Wuester. The tone is different here. After answering Wuester's questions, the letter gets much warmer and Kailing shines through as a salesman of the highest order, going in for the kill on this sale. He praises the accuracy of the rifle, its weight, and almost anything else he can describe as truly perfect. His coup de grâce line is worthy of note:
"Like the Strad is to the fiddle business, this rifle is to the shooting fraternity. I would like to see someone own this gun who has a true appreciation; and I would hate like all h--l to sell it to some clod who would think of it has just another gas pipe"
Dr Wuester responds on August 27, 1947, and on hospital stationary. The letter is written via dictation to a secretary, which is likely how he retained a copy. His questions are around the price of the rifle and specifically about the retail price of catalog symbol G7051C and why Kailing is asking $156.00 for the original rifle when the retail price published by Winchester is $147.15. Based on a prior purchase of Wuester's, as well as knowledge of wholesale and retail pricing for the Winchester catalog, Wuester believes the price quoted is in error, stating "If you straighten this matter out, I will take the entire lot". Wuester also provides some interesting insight or at least a theory that Winchester distributers were cutting dealers out of the loop and selling directly to the end-user, capturing more margin for themselves - an explanation why dealers were having so much difficulty obtaining rifle inventory from Winchester.
Again, we seem to be missing a reply from Kailing, but the trajectory of the deal is sealed. In this final September 3 letter, Wuester and Kailing have settled on a price of $343.80 for the rifle and associated items and Wuester encloses a check for $347 (an extra $3.20 to cover shipping and insurance!). This sum is non-trivial, equal to $5,303.05 in 2023 dollars. Wuester finishes his letter with a concession his friends were already teasing him about his newest purchase…
"PS: I trust you won’t mind if I show that sales letter to my friends. One of them suggested I needed a good gun like this because now I won’t have to aim."
After the rifle purchase, Dr Wuester sent the rifle to well-known gunsmith Roy Vail who installed the Unertl target scope #802, and also tuned the trigger to Dr Wuester’s specs. The rifle remains in this Roy Vail configuration today.
Dr Wuester used the rifle intermittently from 1947 to 1957 for hunting small game. We do not have a record of how many rounds were put though the rifle, but we speculate it may have seen 400 rounds. We base this on both the excellent condition of the bore, as well as the fact there are 1200 S.P. Sisk 45 grain bullets remaining out of the original 1600 delivered with the rifle.
In 1963, Wuester gifted the K-Hornet to his then 26-year-old son-in-law, Mike Whitney of Pownal Maine. Mike put a few more rounds through the rifle, using it for the occasional woodchuck hunt, but mostly preserved it as the rifle's dutiful caretaker over the past 60 years. The world is better for people like Mike. In a world where so many 26-year olds would have jumped at the first opportunity to swap an expensive antique rifle for some fast cash, Mike managed to keep every part of this rifle package together, including what to most would have seemed like useless old paperwork. From Mike's diligence, we have the remarkable provenance of this rifle fully preserved. Because of this, when we took possession of the rifle, we received with it everything which Kailing originally delivered to Wuester, including the ammo, custom boxes, all the reloading equipment and what remains among the reloading supplies which came with the rifle.
In the end, perhaps Kailing's first words to Wuester say it all: "This rifle was built up by a gun crank for a gun crank". While we are always disappointed to see a scarce rifle rechambered or otherwise modified, this one has a story which helps give some meaning and make some sense to what usually seems like the senseless molesting of a rare rifle.
One closing thought: the documentation gives us a glimpse into post-war prices in the gun world. Kilbourne charged $10 to rechamber the rifle and the reloading dies, as well as restamp the barrel. In 2023 dollars, that's $152.83. By comparison, Ned Kailing charged $12 for 6 wooden ammo boxes with custom "K-Hornet" name plates - equivalent to $183.39. As cool as the boxes are, I can't help but wonder at the apparent injustice of Kilbourn's relatively low reward for the superb and skilled work he put into this rifle.
Around 7 billion dollars will be spent on firearms in the US this year and more than 70% of that money will go toward semi-automatic rifles and pistols. The growing popularity of “black guns” among all gun owners is undeniable, and nowhere is this more true than among the youngest generation of people purchasing firearms. It is rare among this demographic to find an interest in bolt action rifles and iron sights, let alone an appreciation for a nice piece of American walnut fitted to silky rust blued steel. So does this reality spell an eventual doom for interest in the model 70? Without further dissection, it would be easy to believe it does.
Don’t hit the panic button just yet. For 4 important reasons, we believe model 70 values will not only prove resilient, but we believe they will continue to grow. Here is why we hold this view:
Because it’s the pre-64 model 70
Before you accuse me of spewing nonsense, let me explain – this may be the most noteworthy reason model 70 interest will remain strong. Whenever a person reads about the history of great hunts in North America and Africa, the pre-64 model 70 is going to feature prominently in these stories. Any person studying the history and evolution of the hunting rifle is going to see how the orignal model 70 set a standard which influenced every American-built bolt action rifle to follow – even to this day. And whenever a gun enthusiast talks to a Professional Hunter or a custom gunmaker, or that graybeard in their world who seems to know everything about firearms, they will hear the pre-64 model 70 referred to with a measure of awe and respect which is reserved for royalty. The pre-64 model 70 holds a uniquely important and revered place in the world of firearms. It will always be the rifle which defined what an American sporting rifle should be, and this fact will sustain ongoing interest in the pre-64 model 70.
Because a rising tide lifts all boats
While it is true that spending is increasing on black rifles, it is also a fact that consumer spending on all market segments in the firearm industry is growing. The 7 billion that will be spent this year on firearms will grow to more than 10 billion in 2027 – a growth rate which is more than double the current high inflation we are living with. This gives us reason to be optimistic investments in collectible rifles will at least keep pace with inflation, if not outpace it.
Because people pay more for things that are hard to get
Winchester produced 581,471 model 70s before the unfortunate change to the push-feed action design in 1964. The change to push feed increased demand for the already popular pre-1964 rifles, cementing their place in the world of collectible firearms. By the time Winchester made this change, countless pre-64 rifles – by virtue of being used as they were intended – had already had their stocks cut and fitted with recoil pads, their receivers drilled for scope mounts, their barrels threaded for muzzle brakes, and thousands more were damaged by use, abuse, weather, falls, and countless other ways which removed them from contention in the world of collectors. On any given day, a survey of rifles available for sale via online retailers will reveal fewer than 1 in 10 pre-64 model 70s presents in a condition and configuration which would interest a collector, meaning truly collectible model 70s are very scarce. There are probably less than 50,000 collector-quality model 70s in existence today. The science of microeconomics teaches us supply works with an inverse relationship to demand and that this connection let’s prices go up for things which are scarce. The relatively small numbers of truly collector quality model 70s will keep demand and values high for all model 70s.
Because we all eventually grow up
We’ve all experienced it. As we age our tastes refine and we often gain an appreciation for finer things we ignored in our youth. Black rifles have their place and in a world of instability and uncertainties, tactical weapons will continue to be popular. But those generations which today have an affinity for plastic and matte black finishes will one day have the mind-altering experience of looking into the silvery depth of a pre-war Carbonia blue finish. They will see the flames in a figured piece of walnut and their eyesight will be forever changed. They will try running their hands down the length of their HK416 and it will become as clear to them as it is to you and me – the HK416 has a place and a use, but it can never own a piece of the heart in the same way a fine vintage rifle can.
Over a decade of buying and selling pre-64 model 70s, we have a pretty good idea of what it will cost you to pick up a nice and all original .30-06 post-war standard rifle – the most affordable and easy to come by, but still collectible model 70. Tracing those values over time, rifle prices have just about exactly mirrored the value growth of the Dow Jones Industrial average. It’s a remarkable testament to the resilience of the model 70 as an investment, even against a stock market which has delivered record growth over the same period.
We are not financial advisors, so I guess I should end this by making clear I am not offering financial advice. It’s also worth noting that past performance means nothing about what may happen in the future. But from our little knothole to the world, we believe a new generation will discover the model 70, sustaining interest and creating future collectors for this rifle. With continued interest and the scarcity of truly collectible model 70s, we expect values will continue to grow. Great news for those of us who own model 70s, but not so good for all those future collectors who will someday be trying to put a few treasures into their safe.
It's been a special privilege to have Van Orden serial number 220619 in our shop these past few months. Today it will ship off to its final owner and it is only fitting that we properly close the loop on what we have learned during our time of studying this fantastic rifle.
Serial number 220619 is remarkable in several ways, not the least of which is that the rifle is in like-new original condition. In the absence of a proven chain of custody or documented provenance, our time with the rifle has been an exercise in patience, digging, and detective work to tease out a bit of this rifle's history. Paramount among the questions to be answered is who was the rifle's original owner.
Who was Robert E Gates?
Evaluator’s Ltd. Lists Van Orden rifle serial number 220619 as being shipped to an individual named Robert E Gates in July of 1952 and with a delivery address of Fort Bragg, NC. With little else to go on, researching who might have been the original owner of this Van Orden number has been a challenge. Admittedly, we were forced to make some assumptions to push the research forward. In the end, this put us on a path which led us to a reasonably high-confidence conclusion. Most interestingly, Robert Gates was not at all who we imagined he might be when we began searching for him.
The key assumption is that Robert Gates was a member of the US Army. We base this on the fact Fort Bragg has for all its history been an Army base and never a joint base. From what we can discern, Fort Bragg at most only ever housed a few scant members from other branches of the military on special assignment, but never was home to any meaningful numbers from any other branch of the military.
With this assumption in place, we went looking for anyone with the name “Robert E Gates” who was a member of the US Army in the years of 1951 and 1952. Although we do not know what the lead time was for ordering a Van Orden rifle, we made what feels like a safe second assumption that ordering a Van Orden with a special-order stainless barrel like 220619 would have taken more than the 7 months between the start of 1952 and the rifle’s July 1952 shipment date.
Searching US Army and US Department of Veterans Affairs records, we only find a single man with the name Robert E Gates in active duty with the US Army during the years 1951 and 1952. We initially imagined a seasoned USMC sniper purchasing this rifle for his own personal arsenal, instead we found something quite different in the real Robert E Gates. Here is what we believe to be true:
Robert Gates was born in Indiana and enlisted in the US Army in 1950. Rather than the seasoned warfighter we imagined, Gates was a young man and ranked just an E-2 Private when he was deployed with the 2nd Infantry Division in the fall of 1950. Gates was a light weapons infantryman and the 2nd Division included embedded USMC sniper units. These two facts may explain how Gates became aware of the new Van Orden sniper rifles being delivered to Marine Snipers.
Shortly after deploying in Korea, on May 19, 1951, Gates was badly wounded in a missile attack. Gates was not killed, but his injuries resulted in him coming home and being reassigned (at least for a time) stateside. This is where the trail grows cold and the details become difficult to follow, but being stationed at Fort Bragg would have made sense for his rehabilitation and possibly for reassignment to non-combat duty - there were as many as 50,000 Army personnel stationed at Fort Bragg at this time. In addition, Fort Bragg is the home of Womack Army Medical Center, which in 1951 had more than 2,500 beds. Fort Bragg was an expected place for a wounded soldier to be cared for during his recovery.
As noted above, the lead time to order a Van Orden rifle is unknown. It is possible Gates could have ordered the rifle before his deployment (up to 20 months before the rifle was delivered), or after his return (13 months before the rifle was delivered). Either seems plausible. Given the large sum of money required for the purchase (over $2,000 in 2020 dollars), Gates having both combat duty pay and compensation pay for his combat injuries may make sense for him to have placed the order after his injury.
From this point forward, everything becomes pure speculation. Particularly on the matter of why this rifle still appears in like-new condition. We can imagine a young man who lost his enthusiasm for military things after full weight of his combat experiences set in, and this may be why the rifle never saw any use. We also can imagine a young man who ordered the rifle anticipating levels of physical healing and future able-bodiedness that never came to be. Perhaps this is why the rifle remains in like-new condition. Whatever the case, we salute a young man who served and sacrificed on foreign soil for his country nearly 70 years ago. It has been an honor to be the custodian of his rifle for these few short months.
Justin
CEO pre64win.com
In July 1952 a wooden crate was delivered to the quarters of Robert Gates on Fort Bragg in North Carolina. The crate had a return address to Evaluators Ltd in Quantico Virginia - a weapons contractor which specialized in military and law enforcement firearms. 1952 was the year Evaluators Ltd began delivering on a contract with the US Marine Corps for the newest generation of USMC sniper rifles - a heavy barreled and accurized version of the Winchester model 70 target rifle. Per the contract, new model 70 target rifles were delivered from Winchester to Evaluators Ltd where they were modified and accurized to meet Marine Corps specifications.
Design of the rifles and oversight of the contract had been entrusted to USMC Brigadier General George Van Orden. Although retired, Van Orden was a natural choice to be brought back for this oversight role. 10 years earlier Van Orden had co-authored a Marine Corps report recommending adoption of the Model 70 rifle and the Unertl 8X scope for military use in WWII. While the intent of this 1942 report was ultimately unsuccessful and the Marines never did authorize the model 70 for combat use during WWII*, Van Orden's place and influence over the future of USMC snipers had been established. Following the unsuccessful 1942 recommendation, Van Orden was tasked with establishing the training program for USMC snipers and ultimately put in charge of the rifles they would use. As a result, Van Orden became known as "the father of Marine Corps snipers” and this new rifle from Evaluators Ltd became known as "the Van Orden sniper rifle”.
*Although not authorized for combat duty during WWII, some model 70s did make it into theater with USMC snipers. You can read about those rifles and their story HERE.
A USMC “Van Orden" Sniper Rifle
The barreled action of the Van Orden sniper rifle was identical to a Winchester model 70 target rifle. This included the stripper-clip slot, specially tuned and ‘T’ marked trigger, as well as the 24-inch medium-heavy contour target barrel hand-lapped and chambered in .30-06 Springfield. The rifle featured a Lyman 48 WH receiver sight, Lyman 77 front sight, and Winchester scope blocks ready to accept a Lyman STS target scope, as recommended by Evaluators Ltd. The stock was similar to a straight comb standard rifle stock, including the “claw” style Winchester steel buttplate. It differed from the standard rifle stock in that it was uncheckered and the stock geometry was adjusted to fit a shooter more like the Springfield 03A3 match rifles - the drop of the stock was reduced and the pitch was increased, resulting in a slightly shorter length of pull than a standard model 70 stock. The actions were hand-fitted into the stocks, which were finished with boiled linseed oil rather than the lacquer acetate used on the civilian model 70. A variation of the Van Orden rifle was also produced with a marksman style stock. This second style of Van Orden rifle was called the “SPECIAL TARGET” model.
As Gates opened the crate, inside and wrapped in heavy cosmoline-impregnated paper was a new Van Orden rifle in the “SPECIAL TARGET” configuration. The serial number was 220619. Gates quickly checked to confirm his rifle had one unique feature he had special ordered for his rifle - a stainless steel barrel finished in Winchester’s distinct silvery satin “iron plate” bluing, rather than the standard chromoly steel barrel. The rifle was exactly what he had ordered and everything he had hoped it would be.
Until yesterday I could only imagine Gates’ excitement as he opened the crate and first laid eyes and hands on what he knew was truly a one of a kind rifle. Last night I was able to experience a bit of what Gates must have felt after a special delivery arrived here at pre64win.com. Inside was serial number 220619, still in the same pristine new condition as when Gates first received it. It is unknown why Gates would purchase this rifle at such great cost and then never use it, but 220619 is still completely mint, appearing to have never been used - the rifle is absolutely breathtaking.
I have included a few photos of Van Orden #220619 below, but you can view many detailed photos of the rifle at the listing on our website, which I have linked HERE.
The rifle is not yet for sale, as we intend to study it further and fully document it before making it available for sale later this year. In the meanwhile, we hope you have enjoyed taking a look at this truly remarkable part of the Winchester model 70's history.
We'd love to hear your thoughts on this rifle or on this article. Please send us a comment using the form below.
WWII changed all of this. With the war, optical sights took a huge step forward - both in terms of technology, and also in terms of public acceptance. In the span of a few years the average gun owner became interested in having a scope on his hunting rifle.
The rising popularity of scopes spurred Winchester to add two holes to the bridge of the model 70 receiver. In early 1947 the holes began to appear, but by this time there were around 70,000 type-1 and early Type-2 model 70s in the hands of hunters which had no holes for a rear scope mount. These rifles were not easily fitted with a scope without modification.
Long before anyone imagined the model 70 would be come a collectible, it was strictly a tool. As such, when scopes became widely available, most model 70 owners found a way to mount one on their rifle. The scope may have been a Lyman, a Unertl, a Weaver or any number of brands, but more often than not the scope was mounted used a Redfield JR base. The Redfield base was and is a great solution for the model 70, except that it requires the addition of a single 6-48 hole in the receiver bridge.
Redfield has contributed a great deal to our industry over the past 100 years with sights, scopes, bases and rings which helped enormously to advance hunting and shooting sports. The Redfield JR base has to rank among the most widely used and successful bases of all time. A one-piece design that spanned the cartridge ejection slot, the base was sturdy, had built in windage adjustment, and worked with a wide variety of rings. Tens of thousands of early model 70s were modified to accept the Redfield JR mount.
As good a solution as the Redfield JR mount is for the model 70, it has some drawbacks compared more modern mounting systems. Upgrading a type-1 rifle from the Redfield mount to something better is a frequent request at pre64win.com. This Campfire article shows how the Type-1 model 70 receiver which has been modified for a antiquated mount can be upgraded to a superior, modern mounting system.
Our first recommendation for a scope mounting system is always Talley. Long before pre64win.com became a Talley dealer, we were Talley users. In our experience Talley offers the best mounting system available for the model 70 at any price. This is why we recommend and sell Talley. It's purely a bonus that Greg and his team at Talley are fantastic people to do business with.
The author's rifle hunting in the central Cascades - a 1955 model 70 with a Leupold in Talley mounts
For our example in this article, we will show how a Type-1 H&H action drilled for a Redfield JR mount can be converted to use the Talley mounting system.
As long as the existing hole for the Redfield base is properly sized and centered, it can be re-used with the Talley base. In our example case, an H&H receiver has a single 6-48 hole properly centered and located at the extreme forward edge of the bridge.
To mount the Talley base we will need to add a second hole and before we can add the hole we will need to properly locate it. Modern mounting systems like the Talley system we are using do not have adjustments between the base and the ring, so location is critical. The base must be located such that when the rings are installed the front and rear ring are in precise alignment. We begin by installing the front base in the factory holes. This gives is a fixed reference for aligning the rear base.
With the front base installed, the rear base is installed using the one available screw hole.
NOTE: This base is designed to be installed in the other direction, with the larger edge margin portion of the base forward. However, the location of the existing hole has actually made it a cleaner installation to install the rear backward. The receiver has a constant section where the base mounts, which permits the base to be reversed without consequence. Generally speaking, Talley mounts on the model 70 are indifferent to reversing front or rear base.
With the base almost snug but still able to move with light force, a machinist's straight edge can be used on the side of the front and rear bases to achieve alignment. If the existing rear hole is properly centered, all that will be needed is to confirm the sides of the rear base are parallel and in alignment with the front base.
Now that the rear base is aligned, the existing screw is tightened and the entire receiver is placed in a fixture in the milling machine to be drilled. This could also be done with a good vise in a high quality drill press.
Using the open hole in the rear base as a guide and with a properly sized machinists round gauge fixed in the mill head, the receiver can be precisely located under the mill head for placement of the new hole.
Now with the rear base removed, the new hole can be drilled. The pre-64 model 70 receiver was manufactured from a forged hardened steel billet. The steel is very hard and will not treat a high speed steel drill bit very kindly. We always use carbide bits when drilling a receiver. The secret to a good hole with a carbide bit is high cutter speed and low feed pressure.
Because of the hardness of the steel in the receiver, we do tapping by hand. The spindly 6-48 tap is prone to snapping off in the hole and this part of the job is done slowly and gingerly to avoid the hassle of extracting a broken tap.
With the hole tapped and debburred, the receiver is ready for its new rear mount.
The completed Talley installation is all steel and very sturdy. Here the finished system is shown with the single screw fixed rings in 30mm and mounting a Leupold VX-R 1.25-4x20 Patrol scope.
We hope we've made this article both interesting and informative. If you've been looking for a way to upgrade your scope mounting system on an early rifle, we can't recommend the Tally solution highly enough and we hope this article can serve as a bit of a DIY for you to get the job done. If we can help you with advice, parts or service on your rifle, please reach us through the "Contact Us" link below.
The parts used for this conversion were:
EDITOR'S NOTE: A few times each month we are approached by a customer with an unmodified Type-1 model 70 asking how they can mount a scope on a rifle with no hole in the receiver bridge. Inevitably they will ask us to drill and tap the bridge for a scope mount. While we fully support every gun owner's right to do with their rifle as they please, we're not about to add a hole to a receiver that somehow managed to remain unmolested for 80 years. Usually we are able to steer them toward a Stith mount or some other mounting solution which gets around the need to put a hole in their rifle. If you own an unmodified Type-1 rifle, this article is not intended to help you modify it. If you do decide to modify your rifle, please be aware that adding a single hole in an otherwise unmodified Type-1 rifle will reduce your rifle's value by around 50%.
]]>Thankfully, shooting, hunting and most things which involve a rifle
all comply with the rules our state has adopted for "social" distancing"
The mountains, wilderness and rural areas remain exempt from the state lockdown order, which offers some welcome reprieve from being confined to home. Regardless, we find ourselves in a truly unprecedented situation.
With all church services suspended, the members of our church are staying in touch online
We are taking several actions to keep pre64win.com employees and customers safe from the Coronavirus. In compliance with the guidance of public health officials, the pre64win.com shop is now closed to the public. We will only be conducting business through our online storefront until it is safe to reopen. Only two employees will remain working in our main shop in Woodinville WA to process and ship orders - myself and one other. So far we are keeping up with your orders, but if there is any small delay in shipping we trust you will understand. Our master gunsmith continues working in our custom rifle shop in Arlington WA, so we do not anticipate any delays for custom rifles which are currently on order.
Last Friday a wonderful older customer who is lives in the eastern part of our state ordered two beautiful Featherweight rifles for his collection. He normally visits our shop when he does business with us, but we did not want him traveling to this western part of Washington where there are nearly 2000 confirmed cases of Coronavirus. Instead, my wife and I offered to take the 3 hour drive and deliver the rifles in person. We are confident this was safe, as we have been isolating from the public for nearly 3 weeks. What a good day it was to drive through the Cascade mountains and be reminded of the goodness of our God to have placed us in this beautiful state and to have blessed us with this gem of a man to be our friend!
Our good friend Harold received free in-person delivery of his new rifles
While we are not able to offer door-to-door in-person delivery for every customer, we do want to extend a special shipping offer to all our customers. Shipping to US addresses on all pre64win.com orders over $100 will be free through at least the end of April. You can access this discount by using the code "OUTBREAK" at checkout, or by accessing our store using the button below.
If you are stuck at home due to the virus like we are, if nothing else, hopefully this post helps to break up the monotony of your day. If you still enjoy the freedom to safely leave your home, please take extra care to keep yourself and those you meet with healthy. I also encourage you to join me in praying for our country and for the world. Our leaders need wisdom, our healthcare workers need protective gear. Our hospitals need the vital equipment used to save the lives of those who are sick. And people need to regulate their behavior to slow the rate of infections in order to keep from overwhelming our healthcare system with more patients than it can care for. The challenges are daunting and we are doing our best best to help our community by complying with the requests being made of us. I do not in any way discount the advice of experts or the guidance we are receiving from government officials, but I have placed my trust in someone far more able to help. I am trusting God for our safety and for our ultimate deliverance from this very challenging situation. I encourage every person to do the same.
Warm regards from Washington,
Justin Hale
Owner and CEO of pre64win.com
The year was 1936. Winchester had just introduced a new sporting rifle - the model 70 - and a young journalism professor at the University of Arizona was making a name for himself as a prolific freelance writer on outdoor topics and especially on the subject of hunting. The professor’s articles were a unique blend of adventure and technical detail, telling gripping stories of the hunt yet without ignoring the science of the rifle, the cartridge, and the shot. His writings were punctuated with humor, clever plays on words, and an acerbic wit that only added to their appeal. As the popularity of the author and his articles grew, the professor's writings appeared in everything from Sports Afield and Field & Stream magazine, to Redbook and the Saturday Evening Post. By the end of 1936 the professor had signed an exclusive contract to write for Outdoor Life magazine and ‘Jack O’Connor’ became a household name.
Over the 50 years that followed, no individual contributed more to the legacy of the Winchester model 70 than Jack O'Connor. O’Connor was enormously influential in making the pre-64 model 70 desired, and also in making the post-1963 model 70 despised. As such, it is impossible to separate the legacy of the model 70 from that of Jack O’Connor.
Born in 1902 and a life-long hunter, O’Connor’s interest in rifles began long before the model 70, or even its predecessor - the model 54 - was ever imagined by the designers in New Haven. In O’Connor’s early years he hunted the deserts and mountains of the southwest US, carrying the surplussed military rifles which were so common for his day - often a Mauser or Springfield rifle. Unmodified, these rifles were awkward and heavy, but well-designed, reliable and accurate. When finances enabled it, O'Connor commissioned a sporterized version of the 1903 Springfield for his hunting rifle. It had a compact stock made by Adolf Minar of Colorado fitted to a modified 03 action with a 22-inch barrel made by by William Sukalle of Tucson. The rifle was chambered in 7x57mm Mauser. It was O'Connor's first truly custom rifle.
A young O'Connor with his Sukalle-Minar Springfield
In 1925 Winchester introduced the model 54. For all the shortcomings of the Mauser and Springfield rifles, O’Connor was drawn to the model 54 at least in part by his experience with and his appreciation for the military rifles which inspired it. Ignoring the weight and other limitations of the military rifles, O’Connor appreciated the quality of their build and the precision and reliability of their controlled round feed action design. It was these things which attracted O'Connor to the model 54. Winchester had brought the quality and technology of the Mauser action to the sporting rifle. It is no surprise that in the year it was introduced, O’Connor purchased a standard grade model 54 rifle chambered in .270 W.C.F. This purchase set O'Connor and Winchester on an intertwined course that would last the next 52 years of O'Connor's life, and for decades beyond his death.
In 1936 Winchester perfected the model 54 design with the introduction of the model 70. A ground-breaking safety design was incorporated, barrel steel was improved, and a trap-door floorplate was added to an already great model 54 design. O’Connor saw it for what it was - a further improvement to an already great sporting rifle. Writing about the new model 70 rifles, O'Connor said:
“My experience with the Model 70 actually goes back to the fall of 1925 when I bought my first Winchester Model 54 in .270 caliber. The Model 54 was really sort of a primitive Model 70, or the Model 70 is a refined Model 54.”
In the model 54 and then subsequently in the model 70, O’Connor found the sporting rifle refinements he desired, but without sacrificing the quality of the controlled round feed action design. From his earliest days at Outdoor Life O’Connor wrote often and favorably about the Winchester model 70.
But nobody and certainly no rifle received a free pass from O’Connor, not even the model 70. If he had one complaint about the model 70, it was the rifle's weight. O’Connor realized the sturdiness of any rifle came at a price, but on the topic of the model 70’s heft, he employed his classic sarcasm:
“She’s all rifle, a yard wide, and built like the brick edifice in Mrs. Kelly’s backyard. For mountain hunting she’s a bit on the heavy side, though, and with certain scopes and mounts she’s likely to weigh 10 or 10½ pounds.”
In 1939, O’Connor was promoted to the position of full-time gun columnist for Outdoor Life - a position for which he resigned from his professorship in Arizona. He was promoted again to the position of Arms and Ammunition Editor at Outdoor Life in 1941. O’Connor’s role at Outdoor Life magazine positioned him for enormous influence with hunters and shooters worldwide – influence he would hold and wield for his entire life.
O'Connor shoulders a model 70 varmint rifle
By the late 1940s, O’Connor had developed a deep affection for sheep hunting. The beauty and remoteness of sheep country, the ruggedness of the terrain, the intelligence of the prey, and the particular challenge of the shots sheep hunting required all combined to make hunting sheep into O’Connor’s life-long passion. O’Connor’s skill and enthusiasm for sheep would result in at least 3 grand slams before the term even had official meaning in the world of sheep hunters and his pursuit of sheep would eventually take him to 5 continents in search of his favorite game. This focus on sheep also set O’Connor on a quest to find the perfect sheep rifle.
With his influence in the world of hunting, O’Connor had access to pretty much whatever rifle he chose and whatever customizations he desired. It is safe to assume that for his personal sheep rifle, O’Connor hunted with the rifle he felt was best suited for the task. Beyond his affinity for the controlled round feed action, in his 1952 book The Big Game Rifle, O’Connor wrote about the ideal stock, saying:
“A good sporting stock should enable the shooter to get a shot off quickly and accurately, and it should also be a thing of beauty”
O'Connor added...
“Many fine sporting stocks are handsome but of little aid in accurate shooting. Many others that hold and shoot well are homely and clumsy. The very best sporter stock design results in a stock with handsome, graceful lines and one which also enables the man behind it to do his best work.”
From the time he purchased his first model 54, O’Connor had been a fan of the .270 Winchester and it grew to become one of his preferred hunting cartridges. Certainly, O’Connor owned rifles in many different chamberings. In the model 70 alone, O'Connor owned a .220 Swift, .257 Roberts, .270, .30-06, .375 H&H and at least 4 others. When the circumstances or the quarry demanded something other than the .270, O'Connor would oblige. Regardless, the .270 never lost favor with him. In the face of numerous new cartridges being introduced over his 5 decades of shooting and hunting - many of which O’Connor tested and wrote about - he found no compelling reason to move on from the .270 Winchester. For sheep and most other hoofed animals, O’Connor stuck with the .270 expressing his confidence in it when he wrote:
“If the hunter does his part, the .270 will not let him down”.
With the .270 being the second most popular chambering for the model 70, O'Connor had more than one reason to like the rifle. But the heft of the model 70 remained a concern. Not just for O'Connor, but for the sporting rifle in general. In 1952, rumor of a forthcoming lightweight model 70 was circulating and in anticipation this "Featherweight" model 70, O'Connor would write:
“Now, chaps with varicose veins and fallen arches find lugging standard Model 70s over hill and dale a bit burdensome. So these rumors of a light musket interested me vastly, not only because my own legs have been worn off halfway to the knees by lugging heavy rifles over sheep mountains, but because many of the letters I’ve had plead for a rifle light enough to be transported by elderly characters without the aid of a dog team.”
As much for himself as anyone else, O'Connor was hopeful the rumors were true and wrote hilariously about Winchester's ability to keep the new rifle under wraps.
"Never let it be said that Winchester can’t keep a secret. Once at the factory a hired hand drew me aside and was about to spill the dope. He glanced furtively about, his eyes rolling in fear. Then he drew my ear close to his lips and began to whisper, “Now this is absolutely confidential, but I’ll tell you what we plan to do.”
Just then a secret porthole in the wall slid open. There was a flash and a hiss through the air, and a silver-mounted Malay dagger buried itself in the wall within an inch of my pal’s head. He fainted dead away, and when he finally revived I did not press him further.
For as much as O'Connor had the inside scoop on the soon to be introduced Featherweight rifle, his hunches about the chambering of this new rifle were not only incorrect, but were personally disappointing. The Featherweight rifle was not offered in O'Connor's preferred .270.
With my well-known feminine intuition, I had it doped out that the Winchester featherweight, if and when it materialized, would be in the .270 and .30/06, the best selling calibers in the good Model 70. That seemed only logical, but alas, the world does not always operate on a logical basis.
The featherweight has now arrived—and with it a mysterious new cartridge, the .308 W.C.F. It’s this cartridge, for which the rifle’s chambered, that’s the real surprise."
Unfortunately for O’Connor (and perhaps for Winchester as well), the new model 70 Featherweight rifle would be introduced in a new cartridge - the .308 Winchester - and was not initially offered in O'Connor's preferred .270. Wary of the new cartridge and not about to let it replace his beloved .270, O'Connor steered clear of the new lightweight model 70.
O'Connor with a 6x6 Rocky Mountain elk and a model 70 standard rifle
In 1954 Jack O’Connor would settle on the perfect combination of rifle and stock, choosing an exceptionally accurate Winchester model 70 standard rifle chambered in .270 Win as his sheep rifle. The Winchester barrel was shortened, removing the sight ramp, and a Stith Kollmorgen scope was added in Tilden mounts. The action was fitted to a straight-grain French walnut stock which eliminated the barrel screw. The stock had a straight comb, raised cheekpiece, finely checkered panels with sweeping curved edges, and an ebony forestock tip. At just over 8.5 lbs, the rifle was light enough to be carried into difficult terrain, while the shortened Winchester barrel and .270 cartridge with 150 grain partition bullets delivered consistent 1 MOA performance. O’Connor was thrilled and referred to the rifle as “sheep rifle No 1”. O’Connor both hunted with and wrote about his number 1 rifle in the years that followed.
By 1959, and partly out of concern for how much use No. 1 was seeing, O’Connor was looking for a second sheep rifle. O’Connor had left his native Arizona a decade prior and was living in Lewiston Idaho. It was in Erb Hardware of Lewiston that O'Connor picked up a Featherweight model 70 in .270 and decided to see how the rifle would shoot. He was surprised and elated to find the 22” Featherweight could outperform his heavier number 1 rifle. He purchased the rifle and delivered it to Al Biesen in nearby Spokane Washington for customization. Biesen removed the sight ramp, checkered the bolt knob, jeweled the bolt shaft, extractor and follower, revised the tang to look more like the pre-war model 70, added a custom trigger bow, and tuned the trigger. Other than these fairly modest and mostly cosmetic modifications to the barrel and action, Biesen left the Winchester parts alone. For a stock, Biesen fitted the action to a fine piece of French walnut. The stock had a straight comb with a raised cheekpiece and featured finely checkered panels with fleur-de-lis accents with an ebony forestock tip. Biesen added a grip cap engraved with the head of a moose and a trapdoor buttplate ornately engraved with a bighorn sheep. The rifle was topped with a Leupold Mountaineer 4X scope in very compact Tilden mounts. The completed rifle was handed back to O’Connor in 1960 weighing right at 8 lbs. After testing and load development, O'Connor found the rifle liked 130 grain Nosler partitions and would punch the paper at slightly less than 1 MOA. O’Connor was delighted. He christened the rifle “sheep rifle No. 2” and it would become the one rifle O’Connor never moved on from. The most famous and best documented of all his rifles, O’Connor would hunt with and write about sheep rifle number 2 until his death in 1978.
O'Connor's Sheep Rifle No. 2 - a 1959 Featherweight in .270 Win
O'Connor with a Stone sheep and Sheep Rifle No. 2
For all of its greatness, the model 70’s undoing came at the hands of inferior rifles. In the late 1950s, Winchester was facing competitors offering rifles which cost much less to produce and this pressure on Winchester margins was weighing heavy on the company's bottom line. By 1960 and in response to a failing business, Winchester had begun making changes to reduce its cost to produce the model 70. The quality of wood used in model 70 stocks went down and hand checkering of the stocks gave way to machines which produced small, lifeless checkered panels. These things were anathema to O’Connor, who always believed the stock was of central importance to a rifle. But the final straw came in 1964 when Winchester abandoned the controlled round feed action design in favor of the simpler push feed designs used on all other sporting rifles. O’Connor was utterly unimpressed. For all the praise he had heaped upon the pre-64 model 70, his measured comments dripped with disdain for the new 1964 design. Of the new model 70 he would write:
“Winchester has probably run the wants of rifle purchasers through a Univac and has come up with exactly the answer as to what the lads with $274.95 to spend dream about. The new stock is not exactly my cup of tea, but that is neither here nor there. I am a mean, opinionated old mossback, and if they made stocks to please me they’d go broke.”
It is not disputed that O’Connor played a central role in making the pre-64 model 70 the most desired and respected bolt action sporting rifle in history. It is equally true that with his vast following, O'Connor's thinly veiled contempt for the revised 1964 design was equally powerful in creating an overwhelming preference for the pre-64 rifle. In a phenomenon rarely seen, the new rifle design created instant demand for it's predecessor. 56 years later, O'Connor's influence and the phenomenon of preference for the pre-64 rifle continues.
O'Connor with Sheep Rifle No. 2 and a nice full-turn ram
O'Connor passed away in 1978 and never had the opportunity to see how the model 70 would evolve beyond the push feed design of the late 1960s and 1970s. But if he had, this writer believes he would be pleased. In the 1980s finishes and many of the materials used in the model 70 were dramatically improved. In 1992 Winchester began reintroducing many of the pre-64 design features, including the controlled round feed action design O'Connor preferred. In 2006, all model 70s returned to the pre-64 style action, which continues to this day. The modern model 70 has returned in many ways to its former glory, with superb levels of quality, the legendary pre-64 design, and the critical acclaim it rightly deserves. No doubt, in very measurable ways, Winchester's decision to return the model 70 to some semblance of its former glory was a result of O'Connor's enormous clout. Even decades after his death, O'Connor's influence unquestionably still shapes how the world views what a model 70 should be.
Winchester's Jack O'Connor tribute rifle
At Shot Show 2012 and in celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the model 70, Winchester unveiled a limited edition Jack O'Connor tribute model 70. It was a modern controlled round feed action mated to a featherweight barrel and chambered the only cartridge that made sense - .270 Winchester. The stock was made from fancy grade French walnut with a black forestock tip and finely checkered panels featuring fleur-de-lis accents. It was a modern day version of O'Connor's Sheep Rifle No 2. This tribute was a bold move that would have seemed preposterous if Winchester had done it with the rifle they were producing at the time of O'Connor's death. But as it is, we believe the tribute rifle is worthy of its namesake and a rifle Jack would be pleased bears his name.
The tribute rifle is a fitting symbol of O'Connor's place in model 70 history. From the larger-than-life writer who made the pre-64 model 70 into the must-have sporting rifle for all serious hunters, to the influence of a legend in reshaping the model 70 even decades after his death; In ongoing and very tangible ways, O'Connor's legacy remains inseparably intertwined with the Winchester model 70.
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Guest authored by pre64win.com customer P. Dawson
This article was written by a pre64win.com customer who kindly related their experience re-barreling a cherished family heirloom rifle. The article is presented here without editing or revision. We have added a few comments at the end of the article to help any who may attempt to use this article as a DIY guide for replacing a barrel.
My first barrel replacement on a pre-’64 Winchester model 70.
Disclaimer: Don’t believe anything you read here and don’t try any of this ever. You have been warned.
Blaine Rorabaugh was a Navy Sea Bee stationed in the South Pacific during WWII. He was also my maternal grandfather and perhaps the most colorful person in my childhood memory. When he died in 1978, I inherited his 1957 Winchester model 70 chambered in .30-‘06. It would be 17 years before I took custody of his rifle. A trip to the range was scheduled, and a group formed on a paper target. It became immediately apparent that this gun was not living up to its reputation for accuracy. The gun was carefully stored for over another decade before I took some interest in improving its performance.
Although the gun was well used, it appeared to be in pretty good shape on first glance. A borescope, however, showed heavy pitting throughout the barrel bore. I suspect this gun was not stored properly after my grandfather’s death. In any case, this barrel would never again shoot the kinds of groups that inspire confidence. As I searched the interweb for replacement options, I stumbled across a jewel of a site at pre64win.com. Lock your credit cards away before visiting this site. They have a lot of information on these guns, with complete rifles and original parts of varying conditions for sale. They seemed to welcome inquiry, so I composed a short note stating the nature of my problem and asking how to go about repairing it. When I woke the next morning, an apparently knowledgeable guy named Justin had replied to my inquiry in startling detail. He had barrels in stock that were in far better condition than mine.
The barrel on this gun has a threaded tenon that rotates into the receiver on assembly, and the barrel is notched at 3 o’clock to accept the extractor on the bolt. My primary concern was if the barrel would index properly to the receiver when torqued into place. Justin responded, “… replacing the barrel with another original barrel is usually very straightforward with no complications. Model 70 barrels almost always torque correctly with proper indexing, and 9 times out of 10, they will headspace correctly to the bolt as well.” He had earned a sale, and given me a plan.
A second inquiry to Justin resulted in a tool list and other advice. The tools would exceed the cost of the barrel by multiples, but my local gunsmith was booking six weeks out, and I was on a mission. The barrel was ordered, and the first Brownell’s order was placed. The barrel arrived in a few days, and in advertised condition. There was a “24” stamped into the front sight dovetail, which was also the approximate barrel length in inches. It was nearly 3 inches longer than the barrel I was replacing, but all of the features required for mounting were in the right spots. Score. The borescope found a lot of copper in the bore along with some localized pitting, but after a bit of bore cleaning I had convinced myself that the replacement would be worth the effort.
I photographed the receiver and barrel from every angle for reference, but the extractor slot would be the final determinant for proper indexing. There appeared to be an index mark at precisely 6 o’clock on both barrel exteriors, but with no corresponding mark on the receiver. A Sharpie would solve that problem prior to disassembly.
The action wrench that had been ordered clamps onto the outside of the receiver and has no easy accommodation for torque measurement, so I built a tool to engage the inside of the receiver on one end and a ½ inch drive socket on the other. The tool had a functional torque limit of about 70 lb.-ft., and the receiver seemed to be laughing at me when the tool started to bend. I would need to wait for the proper tool to remove the receiver. In the meantime, the parts would be soaking in penetrating oil.
“Give me a lever long enough and a barrel vise, and I will remove the barrel from a Winchester 70.” ~Archimedes, slightly paraphrased.
The first shipment of tools arrived on Saturday morning and I mounted my new barrel vise to the workbench. The inside of a toilet paper roll would be a rather unsophisticated layer of protection between the vise and barrel finish. The action wrench was very robust, and fit the receiver precisely and securely. A six foot cheater handle would have been helpful in place of the pitiful twelve inch handle that was welded in place. A full body workout complete with involuntary noises ensued for about the next 40 minutes.
So as to spare my own embarrassment, I won’t share the final chain of mechanical advantage required to loosen the barrel. Let’s just say it involved at least multiple levers, an inclined plane, and a pulley system. I’m estimating breakaway torque at well north of 250 lb.-ft. My unanchored workbench finished nowhere near where it was when I started, and may have been suspended in midair at some point. When the assembly finally loosened, the receiver unthreaded easily from the barrel. There was no observable damage to the exterior of the old barrel, so the toilet-paper-insert-barrel-protection-method was verified, if not dignified. The receiver and new barrel threads were thoroughly cleaned with mineral spirits and compressed air, and anti-seize was applied judiciously prior to assembly.
My receiver insert would be used to measure torque on assembly, if only to determine an insufficient amount for proper indexing. I started at 30 lb.-ft., and increased in intervals of 10. To my surprise, when 70 lb.-ft. was applied, the assembly was clocked precisely by every measure I could find. The bolt engaged perfectly, and a once-fired brass was easily chambered and extracted. Things were going well.
I’ve never measured chamber headspace in my life, but this seemed like a prudent project on which to start. A set of headspace gauges would be engaged to properly estimate the chamber clearance. The three gauges in the set represent a total spread of .010 inches, so there is a relatively precise window of acceptable operating conditions. The gauges used properly with a naked bolt and in the following sequence, provide this summary:
While awaiting arrival of my gauges, I stumbled upon an AGI Winchester 70 trigger course on YouTube. It was way better than I thought it would be, and gave me some items to work on while my remaining tools were being shipped.
When my headspace gauges arrived I began my measurements in a fit of enthusiasm. The bolt closed easily on the GO gauge. Good result. The bolt also closed easily on the NO-GO gauge. Not a good result. The bolt did NOT close on the field gauge. This was not the overall result I was hoping for, and meant some real gunsmith work would be required to restore the headspace dimensions. What next? It was time to run some ammo through the gun and check for changes in performance.
A reliable optic was mounted to the receiver and boresighted to get my shots on paper. A box of factory ammo was opened and the first round was loaded. A hole formed 2 inches to the left of center. The brass was ejected and inspected. The primer strike was solid and no case distress was apparent. The second round landed ½ inch to the right of the first. Again the primer strike was normal and brass was not distressed. The third shot formed a keyhole with the first, and this part of the project was declared a success.
There are more improvements to make on this rifle. But for now, the barrel replacement was a great first step. I know my grandfather is pleased.
We want to thank Phil for this great article and for sharing his experience re-barreling his rifle. For the most part we think he did things exactly right. We would only add these few comments:
A factory original and all correct Type I-1 rifle from 1936
Pre-64 model 70s are commonly classified into one of three production groupings, framed around WWII. These groups are "pre-war" and "post-war", with a small number of rifles between these two groups referred to as "transition" rifles. In Winchester parlance, these three groupings of rifles are referred to as "Type I", "Type II" and "Type III" rifles.
Production Period | Approximate serial number range | Notable characteristics |
Pre-War |
1-66350 | A receiver featuring a cloverleaf tang, a clip-loading slot, and a recessed and roll-marked rear bridge. Also present is a distinctive flag shaped safety lever and a stepped bolt handle shaft. |
Transition or Type II |
66350-87700 | A receiver with a mix of pre-war & post-war characteristics - often a cloverleaf tang, but always a non-recessed rear bridge. No clip loading slot. No step on the bolt handle. Some transition rifles have a unique paw-shaped safety lever. |
Post-War |
87700-581471 | These rifles have a tapered oval receiver tang and a non-recessed rear bridge which is drilled and tapped for a scope. These rifles also have the dog-leg shaped safety lever still found on current model 70s. |
While these three broad production periods can be a useful frame of reference to differentiate between major production eras, you will need additional information to fully understand your rifle.
Within the three major groupings above, there is a much more refined breakdown of the model 70 which takes note of numerous minor style changes. These refined groupings divide the pre-64 model 70 into ten sub-types
Generation | Approximate serial number range1 | Distinctive features |
Type I | ||
Type I-1 | 1-3600 | A square, un-beveled magazine release button |
Type I-2 | 3600-8850 | Changed from square magazine release button to beveled |
Type I-3 | 8850-20500 | Added the safety retaining pin to the bolt sleeve |
Type I-4 (Std) | 20500-66350 | Changed from carbonia charcoal blued receiver to bead blasted black oxide bluing |
Type I-4 (H&H) | 20500-63200 | Changed from carbonia charcoal blued receiver to bead blasted black oxide bluing |
Type II | ||
Type II-1 (Std) | 66350-87000 | Clip loading slot eliminated2. Receiver bridge changed to smooth |
Type II-1 (H&H) | 63200-87000 | Receiver bridge changed to smooth |
Type II-2 (Std) | 87000-87700 | Changed to dogleg safety and bolt handle modified for safety clearance |
Type II-2 (H&H) | 87000-1217003 | Changed to dogleg safety and bolt handle modified for safety clearance |
Type III | ||
Type III-1 (Std) | 87700-180000 | Receiver tang change from cloverleaf to rounded / tapered with bridge drilled and tapped for a scope4 |
Type III-1 (H&H) | 121700-180000 | Receiver tang change from cloverleaf to rounded / tapered |
Type III-2 | 180000-225000 | Bolt release changed from notched to rounded |
Type III-3 | 225000-445000 | Hole added to bottom of bolt handle knob |
Type III-4 | 445000-581471 | Right side of bolt sleeve changed to rounded |
1 Serial numbers represent when the change was first introduced. It is common for older features to continue to appear until existing parts were depleted, resulting in some overlap of features.
2 Clip loading slots were retained on National Match/Target Model/Bull Gun receivers in 30-06 only.
3 From 1948 to 1949 the serial numbers of type II-2 and III-1 H&H magnum actions overlapped.
4 The bridge of H&H length actions was not routinely D&T for scope mounting until late 1950, well into type III production.
A final reference point which is important for you to know regarding your rifle is the production year.
Most Winchester factory records for the model 70 have been lost or destroyed, which means there is less production information available for the model 70 than for most other Winchester rifles. What records do exist leave some room for interpretation about the exact production date of any given pre-64 model 70.
In the absence of factory records, it may seem logical to regard the date stamp under the chamber area of the barrel as a way to date a rifle (these stamps were present on the model 70 until 1956). However, these stamps indicate the year of barrel production only, and not the rifle. Barrel production preceded the rifle and these barrel dates commonly precede the manufacture date of the rifle by a year, and sometimes by many years.
This 1933 stamped barrel was delivered from the factory on a 1942 rifle
The cross reference below provides an estimated production date by serial number, based on model 70 polishing room room records. Polishing room records documented when each receiver was polished and are the most complete model 70 records in existence. However, polishing was just one step in production, and not the final step. As a result, the polishing room dates somewhat precede the date each rifle was completed and ready to leave the factory. The list below is based on polishing room records, but adjusted based on other available information to provide a very close estimation of when any given rifle left the Winchester factory.
Year | Serial number range | Quantity produced |
1936 | 1 - 2238 | 2238 |
1937 | 2239 - 11573 | 9335 |
1938 | 11574 - 17844 | 6271 |
1939 | 17845 - 23991 | 6147 |
1940 | 23992 - 31675 | 7684 |
1941 | 31676 - 41753 | 10078 |
1942 | 41754 - 49206 | 7453 |
1943 | 49207 - 49983 | 777 |
1944 | 49984 - 49997 | 14 |
1945 | 49998 - 50921 | 924 |
1946 | 50922 - 58382 | 7461 |
1947 | 58383 - 75675 | 17293 |
1948 | 75676 - 101680 | 26005 |
1949 | 101681 - 131580 | 29900 |
1950 | 131581 - 173150 | 41570 |
1951 | 173151 - 206625 | 33475 |
1952 | 206626 - 238820 | 32195 |
1953 | 238821 - 282735 | 43915 |
1954 | 282736 - 323530 | 40795 |
1955 | 323531 - 361025 | 37495 |
1956 | 361026 - 393595 | 32570 |
1957 | 393596 - 425283 | 31688 |
1958 | 425284 - 440792 | 15509 |
1959 | 440793 - 465040 | 24248 |
1960 | 465041 - 504257 | 39217 |
1961 | 504258 - 545446 | 41189 |
1962 | 545447 - 565592 | 20146 |
1963 | 565593 - 581471 | 15879 |
In a future Campfire article, we will dig into the wide variety of model 70 rifles Winchester manufactured and will cover how to determine the Winchester catalog codes for each of your rifles.
]]>On May 29, 1942, eager to do their part in the war effort, Winchester shipped 373 model 70 standard .30-06 rifles to the US Marine Corps. Winchester requested the Marines evaluate the rifles generally for suitability of use in combat, and specifically for use as sniper rifles. Two months later the Marine Corps replied to Winchester in a memo which stated:
Based on the Marine Corps response, the door appeared closed to the Model 70 ever seeing use by the US military during WWII. However, where the USMC procurement brass failed to see the merits of the Model 70, the Marine Corps marksmen did not. These relatively few Model 70 rifles soon became favored for their lighter weight, refined handling, and superior accuracy compared to the Springfield rifle. The Model 70s also drew the attention of USMC snipers and their chief sponsor - Brigadier General George Van Orden. Van Orden would go on to author a report recommending adoption of the Model 70 for sniper use. This effort was ultimately unsuccessful from a military procurement standpoint, but cemented the Model 70's place in USMC sniper history. An unknown number of additional Model 70s were eventually purchased for military use - both standard rifles and the marksman style target rifles. Their official role was for use in marksmanship training, but that's not where they would all end up.
At the direction of Van Orden, USMC armorers began modifying some of the sporter weight rifles, fitting them with heavy Douglas target barrels and Unertl 8X scopes. Van Orden had envisioned the Model 70 as the ultimate platform for a highly accurate sniper rifle, but which was light enough to be carried into battle. And it was as a sniper rifle the Model 70 ultimately earned its stripes. The rifle excelled in USMC sniper trials and target competitions, making it the preferred rifle of most USMC snipers.
Although the model 70 was never officially approved for combat service during WWII, a number of Model 70s made their way into combat with USMC snipers. These marines were unwilling to leave their preferred rifle at home and carry the approved, but less accurate Springfield M1903 into battle. It was in this way the Winchester model 70 found its way into unauthorized sniper duty during the WWII, primarily in the Pacific Theater.
Following WWII, popularity of the model 70 with Marine Corps snipers grew, eventually drawing the attention of other snipers from other branches of the military as well. The precision and reliability of the model 70's controlled-round-feed action meant a cartridge could be slowly and quietly chambered with a single hand - something which was more difficult with a push-feed action. Additionally, the simplicity of the model 70 action permitted it to be completely field stripped in a matter of minutes, and the unmatched adjustability of the model 70 trigger also contributed to the model 70's popularity.
The US government eventually purchased additional model 70s and officially sanctioned them for combat duty. And they did see duty. Model 70 sniper rifles were used by US Marine snipers continuously from WWII, through the Vietnam War.
Carlos Hathcock, the most celebrated US sniper in history, preferred the model 70 over a host of other rifles at his disposal, using it extensively in combat during the Vietnam war, and in Wimbledon matches at Camp Perry in the years that followed.
Carlos Hathcock, in Vietnam (left) and receiving the Silver Star (right).
While most early model 70 sniper rifles were standard rifles, modified by the Marines for sniper use, this would not be the case for subsequent Winchester rifles coming into US military service. These later rifles were delivered to the US military already modified to be sniper rifles, including a heavy barrel and accurized stock. These later rifles only added to the popularity of the model 70 among US snipers.
Known as Van Orden rifles, these model 70 sniper rifles were at last procured under the watchful eye of Brigadier General George Van Orden. The rifles were a special order spec sent from Winchester to Evaluators Limited of Triangle, VA, where they were fully accurized to meet Van Orden's detailed sniper specification.
A Van Orden sniper rifle
Eventually, there were likely thousands of model 70s in military service, with the exact number unknown. In addition to sniper rifles, model 70s were used extensively in marksmanship training and in match team shooting. Remarkably, a few remain in service to this day. In 2016, an armorer with the Pennsylvania National Guard contacted us regarding a .308 target rifle used by their competitive match shooters. It was missing a bolt part and the National Guard had designated it for "decommissioning" (a.k.a destruction). Not only were we pleased to help supply them with the correct part, but we were more pleased to see this aging model 70 remain in active service, rather than face an inglorious ending as scrap metal.
A marksman model 70 still in active use with the PA National Guard
A handful of the original USMC model 70 rifles survive to this day, and 76 years later hold enormous collector interest. The scarcity of these rifles mean few of us will ever get a chance to own one. The value of these rifles mean that even if we did own one, we'd probably be reluctant to shoot it. For these reasons, we regularly get inquiries about building "tribute" and "replica" USMC Sniper rifles. Tribute rifles have the general appearance and build spec of the original Marine rifles, where replica rifles attempt to be correct to the original rifles in every way, including a serial number which falls into the correct date range. To avoid contributing to the prolific problem of counterfeit rare model 70s, we decline to build replica model 70s of any kind. However, we are happy to build tribute rifles and were very pleased to recently complete a USMC sniper tribute rifle.
This rifle came to us as a standard sporter rifle, with a Douglas barrel blank. Douglas still produces the same barrel they supplied to the Marines in the early 1940s, which makes easy work of getting one key aspect of this build exactly right. The owner had provided us with the stock already featuring a nicely aged appearance, which we maintained in the build. The machine work, barrel channel and bedding were completed in our shop. The metal finishes were done by Ken Pederson of Pederson Arms in Arlington, WA.
Enjoy the photos and let us know if there's a special model 70 project we can take on for you!
For nearly 80 years, the pre-64 Winchester model 70 action, with its bulletproof controlled round feed mechanism, quality of manufacture, and elegant simplicity, has been the standard against which all other bolt actions are judged. As a result, there is no mystery why the pre-64 action is widely regarded as the ultimate starting point for a custom rifle build.
Once you have settled on a chambering for your new rifle, you are ready to select the appropriate receiver. We cover this topic in detail HERE, but some quick rules of thumb are:
With the correct receiver selected, you'll need an appropriate bolt housing, plus a laundry list of other parts to finish your action. The full list of parts for a complete action are:
** these items are specific to the chambering of the rifle, so it is important to select the correct part for the chambering of your build.
Individually purchasing every part needed to complete a pre-64 action is not cost-efficient, which is why we recommend builders pursue one of two lower-cost alternatives:
Now that you have your action, here are three things to consider before purchasing and installing a barrel:
We're making good progress toward completing your rifle, but we still need to get your new barrel mounted to your action and complete your rifle with a stock. Selecting a stock will largely be a matter of personal preference, but your barrel installation will again require precision machine work, both for a proper mating to your action, and also for proper finishing of your chamber and the final headspacing to your bolt. Selecting a good shop with a qualified machinist will ensure the barrel installation and completion of your chamber are properly accomplished.
The final step will be to furnish your completed barreled action with a stock. The material and style of your stock will largely be a matter of personal preference and this choice alone will not meaningfully affect the finished accuracy of your rifle. However, almost every rifle will benefit from some "accurizing" of the stock. No mater how precisely your stock is inletted, it is nearly impossible for machine-cut (let alone hand-cut) inletting to form a perfect contact surface for your action and barrel to mate with. This is where you should consider some form of bedding for your stock. While bedding should never be done to an original and collectible model 70, it makes little sense to carefully accurize an action and fit it with a precision barrel, only to screw it into a non-bedded stock with uneven contact points and the associated stress and distortion this will put into the action. In most cases, we recommend a fully floated barrel with a fully bedded action, using Devcon Plastic Steel epoxy, or some other very stable (and non-glassed) bedding material.
We hope this article is helpful and useful for you as you consider a custom rifle build. If you are considering a custom build, or have questions about it, please don't hesitate to send us a note - we're very happy to help.
Happy shooting!
Justin
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Here's a gratuitous shot of my elk rifle, taken this winter at the start of elk season, high in the Cascade range of Washington state. It is built on a 1955 standard action, with a Lilja barrel and McMillan stock. We finished the hunt this year in a blizzard, where the stainless barrel and composite stock on this rifle granted me guilt-free hunting, despite the conditions.
Beyond the quality of the rifle you end up with, building a custom rifle is a personally rewarding experience. Builders gain knowledge and a pride in their rifle that can't be substituted by buying the finest of rifles off the rack. Considering the twin actions I shipped out this morning, it occurs to me that a custom rifle project is also a fantastic way to invest in a friendship.
My middle daughter Amanda recently began helping us in the shop at pre64win.com. If you've purchase parts from us in the past couple months, it's almost certain they've passed through Amanda's hands. Recently, Amanda has begun setting selected parts aside, saying "I want this one to go into my rifle". Apparently she has caught the builder bug! As a dad who loves his daughter and who loves the model 70, I'm more than pleased at the prospect of taking on a custom rifle project with her. And we're happy to help you with your custom project as well. We have the parts you need. We also offer expert advice and can provide world-class gunsmithing services to help you get your custom project done right.
The nature of a custom build typically involves starting with a "donor" rifle to acquire the action, or purchasing a large quantity of parts from which to build out a rifle. For builders taking this latter approach, pre64win.com is pleased to announce a special discount to help offset the costs associated with embarking on a custom rifle build. This "builder discount" offers a one-time 15% discount for qualifying orders which include the essentials of a custom build - a receiver and a bolt.
If you'd like to take advantage of our builder discount, simply use the discount code "BUILDER" at checkout for any order that includes a receiver and a bolt. We'll knock 15% off your order and you'll be well on your way toward the owning the rifle of your dreams. If you have questions about how to get started, shoot us a note though the website and we'll be glad to help you get your next project underway.
Best regards from all of us at pre64win.com,
Justin
One of the most common questions I get is from customers wondering where we are hiding the "short action" receivers. The trouble with this request is that Winchester did not produce a "short action" receiver in the pre 64 years. This Campfire article will address the most common misconceptions and answer the most common questions about the pre-64 receiver differences, as they relate to chambering.
Separate from the generational changes to the "styling" of the receivers, Winchester produced 3 different variations of the pre-64 receiver, based on chambering. They are the "standard", "short magnum" and "H&H magnum" receiver. All three of these receiver designs are identical in length and bolt pattern, the differences being in the size of the magazine box, the shape of the feed rails, and size of the top opening for cartridge ejection.
Here is a quick overview of how the three variations of model 70 receiver relate to chambering:
STANDARD: The "standard" receiver is used for all non-magnum chamberings from .22 Hornet right up through the .30-06. If you are building for anything other than a full-length magnum cartridge, this is the receiver you need. If you wish to shorten the action, a shorter bolt throw is accomplished via a short action extractor ring (more on this below).
SHORT MAGNUM: In the pre-64 era the term "short magnum" had a very different meaning than what we think of today. The "short magnum" receiver has a slightly wider magazine box and the feed rails are missing the characteristic step which is present the standard receiver - this is in order to accommodate the higher and wider shoulder of magnum cartridges. The short magnum receiver is used for all true magnum cartridges (belted magnums) other than the very long H&H magnums. Factory Winchester chamberings which used this receiver include the .264 Win mag, .300 Win mag, .338 Win mag, and 458 Win mag. Besides the differences described above, an easy way to identify a short magnum receiver is to look for the numbers ".458" stamped into the bottom of the recoil lug. This receiver will accommodate cartridges with an unfired length of up to 3.35 inches.
H&H MAGNUM: The "H&H Magnum" or "long magnum" receiver was designed to accommodate the exceptional length of the .300 H&H and .375 H&H magnum cartridges. This receiver accepts a longer magazine box and also has a longer case ejection opening. This receiver can eject an unfired round up to a staggering 3.7 inches in length and is ideal for any cartridge based on the H&H parent shell casing.
Returning to the question we introduced in the beginning of this article, let's get to the bottom of how Winchester produced "short action" pre-64 rifles, but without a short action receiver.
As discussed above, all pre 64 model 70 receivers are "long action" and are identical in length. Regardless of chambering, every model receiver has the exact the same screw spacing and (other than the tang style differences) will drop into the same stock inletting.
Winchester did, however, produce short action rifles in the pre-64 years. Unlike in more recent years, Winchester did not achieve this short action by creating a unique short action receiver. Shorter cartridge rifles like the .243 Win, .308 Win and .220 Swift use a standard receiver (the same as the .30-06 Sprg and .270 WCF), but with the throw of the bolt shortened by means of a special extractor ring and a unique, longer ejector. In this way, Winchester was able to shorten the throw of the bolt by about 1.5 inches, but still use the standard receiver.
There are other minor receiver variations which are primarily of interest to collectors, but knowing which generation and chambering design you need in a receiver will help get your rifle build off to a great start. pre64win.com has a wide variety of receivers in inventory and we would be thrilled to help you get your custom build project off the ground. You'll find our inventory of available receivers HERE.
If you'd like to build a custom rifle, but aren't sure where to start, shoot me a note; I'd be glad to talk about what's involved and what kinds of options are available to you. If you'd like a custom rifle built to your specifications, but really aren't interested in doing the build yourself, we'd be more than happy to quote you a price on a completed action, or a completed rifle, to your custom specifications.
Happy building!
Justin
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