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...
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...
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...
