Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Source for Pre '64 M70 Stock

My new to me sweet standard '49 in 300 H&H showed up with its stock snapped in half.... I've not had a chance to inspect it all but the metal appeared to be in very good shape at least before the mishap. If I opt to keep it and replace the stock, suggestions? Was all original, no extra holes, original buttplate, "300 Magnum", low comb.

If it has a cloverleaf tang that will be very hard to replace. Also I do believe only another 300 HH stock will work. Magazine/action is longer. Sry about your loss

Also it should NOT have a recoil pad

Thank you fellas. ‘49 indeed was non-cloverleaf and had original buttplate (steel)

I wouldnt make that assumption. Ive seen some '49's with the clover leaf tang.

Action is the same length as any other pre 64, only the mag box is longer. Easy to modify that on the stock he finds, if he cant locate an H&H stock.

Some 'prevailing facts' & thoughts re the "transition era "300 Magnum" as the factory 300 H&H chambered barrels were yet so marked.

First, the prevailing collector fact set suggests that your Model 70 in 300 Mag, of 1949 vintage should not be drilled & tapped. My nearest, of 1948, SN 110K range also is, but should not be even moreso! And with recoil pad. Being in decent used condition, a three time loser for collectability. The thought prevailing, factually a smaller bridge area of the magnum models, That as top mount manufacturers of the day not settled on a standard pattern. Such and demand being filled by both Stith and B&L. Both utilizing the aft receiver sight mounting screws which were ever standard on the Model 70 from beginning. Prevailing collector thinking, figuring about SN 169K, as I recall, before Winchester settled upon and routinely tapped the 'big mags'. The additional problem nowadays for your rifle and mine, given non-factory mounts standard, just what mounts they may have been drilled to accommodate! Hopefully done into the fifties as mounts standardized!

Realistically, some seventy years after production and the convenience of scopes pretty much SOP for decades now, few "original", untapped Model 70 rifles yet exist. Add too the matter of original finish in collector-acceptable grade condition.

My point, even if our rifle were "within factory correct specs, unless all metal pristine including original blue; paying an often-considerable premium for an original stock, Discrepant results! Best to carefully calculate the investment/return situation of investing in a decent, unaltered stock. Conversely buying a decent "also ran stock" in terms of with recoil pad, making sense. Where the metal isn't in collectible category, the H&H factory ammo with noticeable wallop. A pad makes sense. Just on average, expect to replace the more often than not aged & hardened pad. The caveat, once pad installed, don't depend on length not also 'trimmed'. You need to have the precise length of pull from which to decide whether such a stock will work for you!

Your rifle presumably retains considerable valuable for great pre '64 heralded "field use". Add the stock 26" barrel and svelte era integral forged ramp front sight... With customization as subset of that really nice mode! The "also ran" factory stock perhaps refinished, or opportune time for custom replacement! Many possibilities! If you're bound for 'collectability or bust', patch it up, sell it & start over!

A short moment for Attribution. Louis Luttrell, preeminent pre '64 Winchester Model 70 expert; such for his contribution concerning pre '64 model 70 "postwar transition era" scope mount situation. I'm merely pinging off 'the master'!
"Non-collector aspect, as my take.

A few shots of my 1948, SN 110k. Yet if with new pad, a fine "field use" candidate!
Best & Stay Safe
John

EBay has them sometimes

I will be selling a post war in a couple weeks. It belongs to a friend and since he doesn't own a computer, I will put it up for him. He says it is a standard rifle stock that is unmodified, but I'll make sure when I get it in my hands. I will post here when I have it in my hands.
Phil

Thanks all. Standing by TenX.....

That sucks about your rifle. The seller did not ship it in a hard case? I'm hoping he refunded you for the cost of a new stock... You should also post pics of the tang of your rifle.. Like I posted the other day, I've had 2 '49's and they both had clover leaf tangs... Yours may not be, but it might still be a good idea to post a few pics. I know if it isn't, you'll have a much easier time locating a good stock and it won't cost you as much either...

The rifle is sitting with the transfer dealer while we figure out a resolution. I saw it in person for the first time today. The wrist is snapped clean through. Non-cloverleaf as I indicated before...No hard case was used.

That sucks man. Always a good idea to use a hard case when shipping. Those mother fuggers at the UPS are hard on chidt..

Back when I was an active shooting coach, I was at a seminar at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, and they demostrated that a hard case wasn't adequate. This was years ago, before the Pelican and other high tech polymer cases came about. Your standard Gun Guard hard plastic case could be run over by a truck, destroying the gun inside and then bouncing back to shape as if nothing had ever happened to it. We were advised to always open the case in the shipper's (airline, etc.) presence They recommended aluminum cases in those days because if you ran over the aluminum case it stayed all crushed. It seems like you can't protect stocks enough these days!

What was the gun shipped in?
Who was the carrier?
Shipped by a rookie?

It was shipped in a cardboard box with minimal packing by someone that surely didn't much care via UPS.

I figured UPS. Properly packaged in a hard case and it would be safe if you threw it off a building. Getting ran over by a truck and that is a different story. It would be pretty damn obvious if that happened.