Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Where's it Made?

I'm looking at a good looking M70 270 in Super Grade...new one. Is there a way of telling by the serial number if it's one of those Pakistani Winchesters or not? There's a good shot of the serial number was the reason I asked.

Pakistani M70???????

Look on the barrel. It will have "Assembled in Portugal".

Pakistan, Portugal. Same thing...

The Portuguese address on my model 70 is stamped on the bottom of the barrel shank and is not visible when the rifle is assembled. However, if it is a new rifle and the box is available, the bar code label will provide assembly point verification. CP.

The only thing that's sharp and visible is the serial number. There's a shot of the box but not the end of the box where all the info is located. I don't know when the decision was made to have these farmed out to Pakistan or Portugal.

I cannot help you with a serial number differentiation, but I would recommend that you call the Browning folks in Morgan,UT and ask them about the specific serial number of the rifle in which you are interested. From some anecdotal evidence, I believe that there was a short transition period with rifles being assembled concurrently on both sides of the pond. So, I am speculating that a clean serial number change did not occur during this period. As MichiganScott has indicated, many of the recent rifles have the Portuguese assembly note in the exposed barrel address. However, I know of several NIB 70s on local shelves and on GunBrokers that have hidden Portuguese addresses- I have seen their bar code information. CP.

The 3 alpha letters in the serial number will help determine the year...i.e. 35AMP (2008 Ltd. Edition...1st yeat FN)...35CZY...etc. Just call Winchester and ask them.....always pretty helpful.

What is the alpha letters in your serial number?

EZX are the letters on my Portuguese 70. CP.

Why does it seem to matter so much to people.

Their still great Guns made in America, with american raw materials...

Yep, this one starts 35EZX...bummer. And it was a good price on a new M70 375 H&H.

They're not made in America if they're assembled elsewhere. It reminds me of an attic fan I bought years ago at Home Depot. USA stamped in large letters all over the box. got it home and found the most important part, the motor, was made in China.

I expect a Nikon to be made in Japan, a Leica to be made in Germany, a Sako to be made in Finland and a Winchester to be made in the USA. that's the way it's been and that's the way it should be.

I don't think we've reached such a low IQ we can't totally assemble rifles here like always. Winchester's shooting their self in the foot and taking American jobs away by farming any of their work overseas. As Forest Gump would say, that's all I have to say about that.

As I understand it, one of the reasons for farming them out to Portugal is they could not get wood that met their specifications and required quality in the US.

So, they're just farming out the stock fitting elsewhere?

can't comment about the wood, but I have spent time in Portugal and if it came down to buying one assembled there or say Detroit,
hands down, Portugal. if you want one built exclusively here in the states, step up and pay for it. want one we all can afford? that's why they went to Portugal.

Can't comment on the Portugal assembled rifles, but if they are just like the other FN Model 70's with the exception of being put together overseas, they're pretty darn nice rifles for the money. I have several pre Portugal, all with beautiful wood on them, including a couple JOC's which in my opinion just feel absolutely perfect in hand.

Have seen pictures of a few new Portugal rifles in Super Grade with beautiful stocks. I'd be willing too bet probably every bit as good. No different than Miroku made guns, which in my opinion were every bit as good if not better than most comparable rifles and shotguns.

All of browning high end stocks for their shotguns come out of the same plant portugese plant that's making the model 70 stocks now. Winchester outsourced the stocks here in the good ol U.S and the qc was very bad. So now they send them to Portugal for final finishing.

That says it all.

Here is a Portugese Supergrade.





We haven't forgotten how to assemble anything it's simple cost. Of the big manufacturers Winchester is already one of, if not the most expensive. If you add costs of assembly here in the states that retail price goes up even more. And wventualky we see the 70 go Hewhaven all over again


I've also heard the issue with the wood

Made in the US, assembled in Portugal. I see no reason to split hairs over it. I own one of the FN-made rifles, a Featherweight, that's a tackdriver. I recently tested one of the Portugal-assembled guns, an Ultimate Shadow Hunter SS, and it produced single ragged holes. Same gun, essentially. Same quality.

Photos here:

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/9279483/3