Just bought a Pre-War Model 70, s.n. 35**. Very nice condition, but has a hole drilled and tapped in rear receiver.
This is the earliest Model 70 I own.
My question is this, the receiver does not appear to be as "matted" as my later model 70's.
Were the very early guns finished differently than the later guns?I will try to get some pictures up later.

Yep, it was a totally different process. More of a polished type of bluing. Roger Rule discusses it in his book, "The rifleman's rifle". It was a lot more complicated process, so they stopped doing it in the 40's (actually got the change orders in early '39) and went to the oxide blue process.

BSA, would the gold bead front sight be correct for this rifle?
I thought they were reserved for Super Grades.

This is one of those times where the model 70 collecting and buying waters become muddy. The two standard rifle front sights were the LYman 31W ( 1936-1941 roughly) and the Winchester 103C (1941-1963). The 31W had a brass bead, the 103C had either a silver or gold bead, which the silver bead being the standard variation.

Soooooo the gold bead was a Super Grade front sight and it was a Redfield during this time frame.

Could someone have ordered a rifle from the plant with the supergrade font sight??? Could have. Only way to know is too have the build sheet really.

Sorry for the rambling. Just trying to help you sort it out.

Thanks for the help.

Timely thread. Wondered the same thing myself as I saw a 4 digit rifle this weekend and was trying to remember if the blue on the receiver was different from later rifles. It was very clean for such an old rifle and I suspected a re blue....but I guess not!

I'm jealous. That's a first year model 70. That in it's own right makes it one cool ol gal!!!

It's pretty nice. I almost don't mind it being drilled and tapped. Now I can hunt with it. And I didn't do it.
It also has a mount for a Lyman receiver sight, and one that used factory holes and didn't require the stock be notched.
The sight is missing the slide, and after a quick look at e-bay, I'm not finding a compatible sight.