Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Do I really want a Pre-War .30-06 Model 70?

I am fortunate to have Model 70's in .243 FWT (1955), .270 FWT (1958) and .257 Roberts low comb (1949).



The obvious "hole" in my set is a pre-War .30-06.

One recently came up on Gunbroker in used but original condition and sold for about $1100

Pre War .30-06 that sold

It did not seem to make sense in light of what I already have.

What would you have done?

It depends on what your goal is. A pre-war gives you a better cross section of their design. They are the best of the line.
If you venture forth, I'd keep it clean and hunt with the irons as a throwback adventure.

Fun to own and shoot at the range. This might rule out an iron sight .30-06.

Be able to sell it without taking too much of a loss if I decide to sell.

I've owned several Pre-War M/70's over the years all were .30-06's. That is until I lucked onto a .257 Roberts at a gun show about 10 yrs. ago. It is tapped in the rear bridge and has a solid red Winchester pad, the price was more than right. As I was paying the dealer, he mentoned that he had a brand new in the box prewar stock under the table that was part of the deal. How sweet is that? I sold the stock, scope and mount that was on the rifle. The result was that I had a Pre-War .257 Roberts for a little more than $600.00, one of my alltime best M/70 deals.

If you have to ask then I'd say you're not ready for one yet.....

I'm getting tired of looking at the same old rifles I've seen a million times that you don't hunt with. If I were to post pictures of all my pre-64's you'd schit your pants. Just saying.

Would enjoy seeing your model 70's

Didn't mean to be a prick, don't really like to post pictures of the stuff I have.

What fun is having them if you can't show them off every now and then. Let's see some "stuff".

I will show mine if you show yours.

Where are all the bolts? Taking them all out seems like a good way to get them mixed up or misplaced.

Nice....!

I keep them out to make more room in the safe. As far as getting them mixed up, they are serialized to the gun as were all pre 64 70s.

No harm
No foul

But I respectfully suggest we reserve our ire for those who would grab our guns faster than you can say: "Heller was a 5-4 decision"

I've mentioned this before on here, but I picked up an all original pre-war '06 sitting up on its barrel in a crowded gunsafe in a dirty old pawnshop... serial #3x. If guns could only talk! I'm not even much of an '06 user anymore, but it is the gun I pull out of the safe to look at first, and likely the one I would part with last!

Those low serial # guns have become pretty scarce, especially ones in good shape. I have mentioned I have serial no. 216, the gun is in excellent almost original shape. The rear bridge had one tap screw drilled.

What did you decide bushy?.....