Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Winchester 70 Super Grades from early 90's - some questions...

Though this might be the place to ask this and gain some intelligence/background.

I am looking at potentially acquiring what looks to be an early 90's Winchester Model 70 Super Grade with the CRF action.

I know that the CRF "aka the pre-64" action was introduced in 1991 and then only on the Super Grades. I found print ad which state this and that they were only in 7 mm RM, 300 win and 338. I have seen these before and they have all been stamped "Super Grade" on the floor plate and have Super Grade roll marked on the barrel. The stocks are feature a thick red recoil pad, a rear only cross bolt, no black forend tip and regular swivels.

I am looking at a 300 Win Mag where the serial dates it to 1994 (I called Winchester) the stock is exactly as described above but the metal work is NOT marked super grade anywhere. It does have a 24 in bbl as well. So, the question is whether or not this is a genuine super grade model.

A couple of question for the Winchester aficionados.....

Have you ever seen a Super Grade from this era that was not marked as such on the metalwork?

What would the correct configuration for the 1994 Super Grade be? Did they still feature the early style stock? wasn't sure when they transitioned to the version with the black forend and inletted swivel studs.

Any ideas of suggestions as to how to verify what it is?

Thanks!

BB

What markings are on the barrel? If it is a Super Grade it should say so on the barrel and floor plate.

It does not say Super Grade anywhere on metal. Floor plate is clean with nothing at all and barrel roll mark says "Winchester Model 70 300 Win. Mag."

That is the puzzle/question. Stock is definitely a Super Grade version but metal is unmarked and owner believes it to be all original.

I had an early Super Grade that was marked Super Grade on the Floorplate and barrel. It had no black foreend tip

Plenty of Winchester supergrade stocks around.
Do you happen to have any pictures?

I had one in. 338 WM and it had standard sling studs vice the recessed ones on my P64 SG and was roll marked Super Grade and had it on the floor plate. The stock was shaped the same as the P64 SG I have but as I recall it did not have a black forend.

Times were odd at Winchester then so who knows what escaped from factory captivity but I'd be suspicious.

I have a SG from that era in 30-06........... it does have Super Grade spelled out on the floorplate, & on the barrel.

Original stock had no black fore end, bought a newer one that did & eventually, it now resides in a McM Edge stock.

MM

It has a supergrade shaped stock. I do not remember what type of studs were on it . It was in a box FWIW and that was marked Super Grade

Did the box have a serial # that matched the rifle?

Sounds like a standard Winchester barreled action in a Super Grade stock. I would pass on it if you're a collecter. If you want it for hunting make the person an offer.

Guys - Thanks for the thoughts and responses.

MontanaMan - If I could ask, what is the serial # range of your rifle, wondering when it may have been produced and if is from a similar time frame.

I don't have good pictures yet, just a grainy overall pic. Am trying to get more details on various markings. In particular, I want to find out if it is marked "Classic Sporter" on the right side of the barrel opposite the cartridge marking. If so, this would tell the tale.

My suspicion is that this rifle may be an anomaly of sorts, as Pugs suggests. I am trying to gather some facts about what was introduced when but have learned that the serial numbers on these very early CRF rifles may not be totally reliable for tracking production year. When I called Winchester they said it was a 1994 production but I am guessing that this might be a late 1993.

Just thought that one identifier might be the trigger guard. On these Super Grades the trigger guard should be steel, not the pot-metal type, correct?

Another reference point is this rifle that is posted over on the AR site, and no this is NOT the one I am looking at. Just happens to appear to be the same thing. Fellow claims to have bought it new yet has no markings on metal to indicate Super Grade.

http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5451078981/m/4161008452

Thanks for the input, gents

Any chance it is a custom shop gun?

It's been a while but I usually check that stuff and I believe it did.

I have a 1991 SG in .338 WM and as the OP stated, it was available only in 7mm Rem mag, .300 WM and .338WM. I chose the .338 as the first of them and a Win ctg. I have never fired it; thought at the time I should get one because who knew if Win would continue the controlled feed action; it was limited production after making 99 actions for Safari Club Intl. and supplying one for one of the 5 special custom rifles. Mine does say Super Grade on the floorplate and Winchester Model 70 Super Grade .338 Win Mag on the barrel. The stock is a high grade marble cake walnut.

G225xx

MM

It is either a Classic Sporter in a Supergrade stock, or a custom shop special order. I have a six digit custom shop 308 with a 24" Sporter barrel and Supergrade stock. The right side of the barrel says nothing, the box says "Classic Custom".

That is exactly what it is. I had a couple of the early Super Grades. As I recall they came out in 1990, and the same action “Classic”s in 1992. That is, they started calling them Classics and changed to the David Miller LT stocks. The Fwt with the CRF action also came out in ‘92.

The early Post-90 super grades and sporters, push feed or CRF, are exactly the same profiles. Any of them will drop into the others stocks including those early super grade stocks.

Those early “Super Grade” stocks are clubby, all the grace of a 2X4. “thick red recoil pad, a rear only cross bolt, no black forend tip and regular swivels.” Exactly.

I wouldn’t go out of my way to own one again.

I have a Super Grade from that era from the Custom Shop in the classifieds and photo gallery. Barrel and plate are marked SG.

What I and Winchester 70 were alluding to is that not all custom shops were marked SG.
Have you had a chance to check to see if it has a custom shop stamp?

Circling back on this to let you guys know that the rifle I was considering was, in fact, a Classic Sporter in a Super Grade stock.

I appreciate all the input and learned a bit in the process. There was some variability in how winchester marked these in the early 90's, but it looks like all Super Grades were marked as such somewhere. One of the interesting variations was that some early SGs were marked "Classic Super Grade" on the right side of the barrel where it would normally say "Classic Sporter". I found at example of that that was either 93-94, just FYI...