That 1955 vintage 71 will be taking a trip to Reagan Nonneman after the first of the year to get converted to .50 Alaskan. I like to be over-gunned when possible (too much Elmer Keith influence!) and this rifle will be the go-to once I've relocated to western Montana...should be good piece of mind against grizz.
If it's in original condition it would be worth keeping the Win 71 as it is or selling it and using a Browning 71 for your conversion. The Browning 71 and 1886 models had none of the drawbacks the later Winchester models had with rebounding hammer and tang safety. If you want the biggest possible, you should consider a 50/110 for your conversion instead of the 50 Alaskan. Starline make brass for both.
