Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General Winchester 71, 348 WCF, What is it?

I just received from a friend a Winchester Model 71 in 348 W.C.F. It is maybe 90% to 94%, unaltered. What is it? Is it a collector's piece? What is it worth? Will it knock down a moose, elk, bear? How do I find ammunition? The serial number is 36267; when was is made?

It is a mighty fine old rifle, the end of the line for Winchester's heavy lever actions. It was the final evolution of the Model 1886 lever action, but was only chambered for one round, the .348 Winchester. It will knock down a moose, elk, big bear, etc. The first ones were made in 1935, the last ones were made in 1957, yours was made in 1953. Ammo is still made by Winchester, but like the .458 WIN MAG and a few others is a limited production item (they make it every few years on an as needed basis). Brass is the same way - you buy it when you find it. Hornady and Barnes make jacketed bullets and Bear Tooth Bullet Co., makes some great gas checked lead bullets for the .348 WIN. When I owned one I horded brass and bullets (the Hornady's were always easy to order, the Bear Tooth bullets usually had a waiting period). I used IMR 4350 and IMR 3031 with very good results. I will try to find my old loading notes, but you will find data in Hornady's manual. Value, I don't know anymore, but I would say at least $1000.00 for the condition you describe - they made a carbine and a rifle in a standard and as a deluxe, so you need to be more specific on exactly what you have.

Yep 1k + at cabelas anywhere.

Odessa and Sharpshooter,
It is the Deluxe moldel with a long tang. Thank you for the information.

You have a very good friend indeed!
Browning also made a limited run of Model 71's back in the 80's
Check out Gunbroker the Model 71 is rising fast, deluxe models if clean are selling for closer to 3K or more.

Here is a picture of my Browning on top and Winchester below.

They're a nice gun. My Great Uncle had one that had been given to him. It was scoped. I sure wish I had that rifle, but it went to his grandson, as it should have. I just hope he appreciates it the way I would have. I've got both my Grandpa's .22's. I'll never get rid of them and they are precious to me, but they are junkers. Guess that shows years of honest use.

They're really nice rifles. I had wanted a Winchester 71, but ran across a NIB Browning deluxe carbine at a price I just couldn't pass up, so I am now shooting this beauty....

Just stopped by a gunshop in a small town nearby yesterday and found a Win M71 in .348 on consignment. It's original, the standard model with 24" bbl (didn't notice the SN) in 90%+ condition with a Lyman receiver sight. The asking price is $2200, which seemed high to me, but I'm no expert on these. Any ideas of market value? I'll try to find the SN if that would help.

Price seems fair to me.

I would love to have you original, and find one that somebody has defaced (drilled reciever...) and have it converted to
.450 Alaskan;
Now thats a bear hitter!

The 71s are a great iron sighted deer rifle..I had one as a kid for several years and loved it, shot a lot of deer with it..I have had a number of them since, but have not found one that was very accurate lately, so I peddle them off..If I find one that will group under 2 inches I will buy it and keep it.

Thor,

The guys up here that convert to 458 Alaskan prefer to use the Browning.....that way they aren't screwing up a collector and some claim better metallurgy.....a friend has one with full length magazine {10-11 rounds I think} and receiver sight....a load to carry but a real slayer. A coupel years ago, I saw two in Whitehorse....one in carbine and teh other full length magazine by prominent gunsmith.....trying to but a gun in Canada wasn't something I could pull off.

My Browning 71 will hold them under two inches all day long with factory ammo. More like 1.25 inches. It wears Lyman peep sights.

I have seen one 71 in .33 WCF...could have been a fake? Had a two digit SN with proper barrel/caliber inscription...

71's are the bomb. And yes they will drop moose bear and elk.

Your rifle was made in 1953. It is worth a minimum of $2K without seeing it, and probably could get more pretty easily from the right person.

Here's mine.....

Drooling here. A local gun store has had the twin to yours on its rack for at least five years. They have been asking about double Blue Book since then. As Blue Book goes up, so does the price, so I have not purchased it, and I doubt they will ever sell it at the price they are asking, but I sure would love to have it, or one like it. Best I could manage, about eight years ago, was a really nice (like new) Browning 71 in rifle configuration. I wish it had the checkering, though, and the sling swivels. I put the appropriate Lyman peep sights on it soon as I got it. I was amazed at its bench accuracy, keeping groups consistently just over an inch at 100 yards.

...The 71 is undeniably a great rifle. It has great power, decent trajectory, and is both a very strong, and durable design, that will serve through many generations of hunting use...The main criticism heard about it is it's heft. It is well balanced but quite heavy by modern standards. The popular rechambering of the 71 to Alaskan calibers like the 450 or 500, better justify it's heft, and should assure this old 'hunting horse' a lasting future as a big bear killer.
....It sure is great to see the fine 71's pictured in this thread. Thanks to all you guys for sharing. It's great to share just a bit in your enjoyment of owning such a great old rifle.

I had to do some digging to find a photo of my old Winchester Model 71. This is the only one I have, taken while hunting in Wilson County NC on 12/27/2000. The quality is not too good, you can barely make out that it is a Model 71. Fine old rifle, accurate too, but it went away to a collector in California.

...Hey Odessa, That's a vintage hunting get up too. Right down to the LL.Bean Maine hunting shoes! The photo came out good on the forum..

You beat me to it. I was going to say the same thing. Got to love a traditional hunting get up. I've always been a Filson man, myself.