Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Interesting Pre64 Model 70

Not exactly sure if it's legit or not but it it does look interesting.
http://www.gunbroker.com/item/661138032
I have more pics the seller sent me so if someone wants to post them I can forward the email. Worst case I can always hunt with it.

The recoil pad is probably not original. Not sure about the barrel
length either. Otherwise it looks great.

I have the same rifle in 270 with the same scope system if you
want another one. Lower price too.

What struck me was how bad the checkering looks on an otherwise nice looking rifle.

More pictures......
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/12130457#Post12130457

Yeah, the checkering does suck royally doesn't it.

The 'standard' grade M70 in 30-06 with it's heavy 24" barrel were a ton to carry.

The M70 Featherweight rifle with it's trim 22" barrel is much nicer rifle.

Compare the sixth picture in the album with page 254 of Rules book.

Well, it looks a lot better in person. The butt pad looks like some I've seen on Model 21s, ill see if I can get some pics up.

Does it have SUPER GRADE on the floor plate?
Pictures of the roll markings on barrel would be good to see.
Apparently drilling and tapping for a side mount just drops the price like a rock. That has always seemed weird to me because it hurts the function not at all, but the market is the market.

Nope no super grade on the floor plate. The Griffin and Howe mount looks to be installed by Griffin and Howe, which makes me think that they may have installed the Silvers butt pad and gold plated initial plate as well. According to Rule the mount, buttpad and initial plate were all special order features that could be ordered from the factory. It either came without a Super Grade floor plate or a previous owner swapped it out for some reason. Regardless, it would be tough to impossible to prove anything. It is a very nice rifle though!

Scratch collector value. Barrel length wrong for 30-06; should be 24" (bolt face to muzzle). Side mount scope holes; huge collector minus. The stock after-market OR 'possibly' complete rework & refinish. Something of a 'look-alike' to Supergrade, yet different. Checkering not right and far too extensive on forearm.

Pricing as to nice looking customization. Not exactly a negative, but far more variable value; whatever the worth to particular buyer. As to custom shop, a strike against/tilt, in terms of what's there. Also without provenance (generally unavailable from Winchester records), lacking credibility.
Enjoy a handsome rifle for what it is!
My take

Slight hijack. Does it surprise only me that there are comments by BSA1917hunter, ismith, and pal about the pictures in post 12130462 that you can read ONLY when looking at the pictures? In other words, those comments are not easily seen from this thread. I wonder what else I may have missed in the past?!?

Is the barrel 24" of 25"?
I would still like to see the rollmarking on the barrel.
Also of interest would be any stamps on the barrel beneath the stock.
I also wonder if the stock is a super grade or as iskra opines, aftermarket or extensive rework of a super grade stock?
The drilled receiver is what it is.
If the rifle functions well and is accurate, it is a pretty nice looking hunting rifle,

The barrel is indeed 24". Before it showed up I was pretty set on having it rebarreled to something a little more exotic than 30-06, but i just can bring myself to do it. I've gone over everything with a copy of Rule's book and it all looks right and proper for a 1954 super grade, save for the lack of "Super Grade" on the floor plate. Even the Lyman Alaskan is correct for the mid 50's, having an A prefix. Pictures really don't do the rifle justice, it looks completely different when you have it in your hands. I am going to compare it to my Dad's 50's Super Grade the next time i visit, but collectability isn't really a factor for me at this point. I think an bull elk or kudu would look pretty nice engraved on the floor plate. The orange butt pad gives it an African plains game look.

That would be akin to vandalism.

Some thirty years ago,I bought a nice 70 (don't recall super or std) that had a G & H mount, minus the ring half. I called G &H for help. I felt like they really tried as I had several calls from them over a few month period, but no luck. Once having had a delux 64 with four plugged holes on the left side of the receiver, I knew that I would never be happy with the rifle, so I moved it along.

The stock is French Walnut.