Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Let’s see your custom wood stocked M70’s

Howdy Gents,
I do a lot of reading here and not much posting, due to not having a lot to contribute. You guys are usually way ahead of me! This thread caught my eye though, and I hope it is OK to post this info here, as I could not find a better place to do so. This is old work, nothing new, so the maker isn’t around anymore to make another one for you.



I thought I'd show you a Model 70 that is an oldie but a goodie that I got from my father recently. The stock was made by John L. Hutton, likely in the 1940's. The Hutton's were my next door neighbors when I was a kid growing up.




My dad purchased this rifle from Mrs. Hutton in 1965 when John passed away.



Hutton worked as a stock maker for Griffin & Howe before going to work for T. Whelen's The National Target and Supply Co. in the late 1930s. There is also a chapter on Hutton in M. Petrov's book Custom Gunmakers Of The 20th Century, Vol. 2.





Hutton's picture was featured on the cover of the Jan. 1939 edition of The American Rifleman magazine.




The action's serial number indicates it was made in 1938, and the .220 Swift's barrel markings indicate that it is stainless steel and was made in 1942.
The stock was a nice grade of French Walnut. The inletting, shaping and checkering were superb for the time.
What really makes this Model 70 interesting is that the action and a lot of the major components have been shortened by 3/4" to better fit the .220 Swift cartridge.




Where a normal Model 70 has a 7-1/2" CTC front/rear action screw spacing, this one is 6-3/4" CTC. Other components that also had to be shortened were the bolt body, the firing pin, the floor plate and the magazine box. All were expertly done, with even the Winchester logo being re-engraved on the action's LH side. When, where and by whom this metal work was done is unknown.
Thanks for looking! Clint