Moving beyond the Redfield JR base on your pre-war model 70
Until until WWII, the model 70 had no factory holes in the receiver bridge. Scopes were not in general use for hunting, target scopes did not require a mount in this aft position, and there was no practical need for the holes on the bridge of the receiver. 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...