Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Pre-64 model 70 question

I found a really almost new Pre-64 model 70 while brousing the gunshops yesterday. It was a 375 H&H, but the gun had alot of engraving over the action and some on the barrel, and had a moose or elk on the floorplate that was engraved with gold. Does anyone know if Winchester ever offered anything like this or is it most likely someone had it done?

Yes, Winchester surely did offer fine, engraved custom Model 70s from their custom shop, particularly before 1960, and the work was carried out by some very famous, talented, and gifted artists. Such rifles are worth a great deal of money today, and I've examined some of these rifles first-hand, back in the days when I collected pre-64 Model 70s in a semi-serious way.

Winchester made over 581,000 pre-64 Model 70s between 1936 and late 1963. Of those, only a tiny fraction came out of Winchester's custom shop, and out of that tiny fraction, only a very, very few featured engraving of any kind, but especially elaborate engraving with gold inlays, etc.

The VAST majority of engraved pre-64 Model 70s that you'll see were engraved AFTER they left New Haven, and they are NOT factory-original, engraved custom shop rifles. The quality of work varies from incredible (in a very few cases, from guys like John Warren) to mostly atrocious, and it's usually priced accordingly.

But Model 70s with factory-original engraving are astoundingly valuable today, but they should ALWAYS be documented with factory-original paperwork that details the enrgaving and other custom features. If such a rifle does not come with documented-type paperwork, you must assume that it's not factory-original.

I can't tell you how many times, back in the late 70s/early 80s that I'd hear about a pre-64 Model 70 that was for sale, and described as either an original "custom shop" specimen, or else a "Super Grade". In almost EVERY case, those rifles turned out to have non-original factory stocks, non-original engraving, abaloney-shell inlays in the stock, were poorly reblued, and without exception none of these rifles were as desirable or valuable as a top-condition, original, but plain, off-the-shelf specimen.

Proceed with caution..........

AD

allenday is correct on that one,as always. However, I sure wished I'd snapped up some of those low dollar, modified (poorly at times) guns. They're kinda like old hot rods are now. Cool in their own way. Also could easily and without guilt make many of them into customs for less than guys are paying to modify other receivers into pre 64 wannabes. If the $ is right you may need to look again. Let us know what happens.

NAW... you don't want this rifle.... tell me where it is and I will make sure it gets off of the market and is no longer a temptation to you. Anything for a 24hrcf bud, ya know.....

Soooo, what's the price on this beauty???? And, is it NOW in your safe???? If not, why????