Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors 1941 Model 70 questions

This is my first model 70 and I don’t know how original it is, the rear sight is a replacement, the safety is updated etc, however I am unsure of the barrel. The barrel looks to be too highly polished and salt blued. I have yet to take it apart, but it appears there should likely be a barrel date on the barrel shank? Those of you more familiar with Winchester can likely tell just by the finish though, looking forward to your opinions.

Well I can’t get the files down small enough

Try postimage.

Themauserkid: Keep trying would like to help you out.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Thanks guys, I hope they aren’t too small, I could barely get them small enough, probably can’t see any detail now.

The barrel has definitely been reblued. Pictures of the whole rifle would be cool. Has it been drilled and tapped for scope mounts? Rear sight is definitely un original as well. Does it have the steel butt plate? I'd like to see pics of the safety, and bottom metal. Thanks.

Thanks for in the input, yeah it has a hole in the bridge and the later safety.

Thanks for your help posting them larger. I don’t have any overall pictures right now, these are what I took for now.

Nice looking pre-war
It does have an extra hole in the bridge

I’d like to see pictures of the aperture sight

I don’t have any close-ups, but the stock is not cut for this sight.

Nice rifle. It may not be as originally made, but it has been tastefully redone with later Winchester parts. Hunt it hard! Enjoy it!

Barrel is off a post 64 model 70 you can ready the safety warning. Still a model 70 and you can take this one out hunting.

I must be missing something, see no evidence that it’s a post64 barrel

Pocono is being gentle.

It’s marked … 30govt06

Exactly this^^^ I'll bet it shoots well too. I like it.. Nice that the stock was not cut for the aperture sight too. Man, I'd hunt that one!!

If that I pre 64 barrel I have a bridge to sell. Actually it’s a perfect Pre war model 70, one you don’t mind taking out hunting.

You seem to be arguing with yourself; a pre-War Model 70 is also a pre-64. There is no warning on that barrel. It has clearly been refinished, but that’s definitely a pre-War pre-64 Model 70 barrel.

Should have put my glasses on, not the first time I was wrong.

If one is going to have just one M70 it should be an early pre-war .30GOV’T’06 Standard Rifle, IMHO the standard against which all other M70’s should be measured.

It's a good thing we don't all have to agree on this. I think the best were the early featherweights. They are lighter, handier, and a lot of times, just about as accurate/precise. Plus the monte carlo stock is much better for scope use.. I'd take a '55-'57 FWT 30-06 over a std pre war 30-06. Plus, you play hell with scoping a pre war. Can't use modern mounts on them, unless you devalue them by drilling tapping the rear bridge. Such as what has been done to the OP's. That's one of the reasons why I said I'd hunt this one. Other pre wars, not so much..

I agree, tastefully done.