Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Your Favorite Model of pre-64 Winchester Rifles

Jimmyd223: You know for once I TOTALLY agree with you - I have owned fine Rifles made by Colt, Browning, Weatherby, Sako, Anschutz, Marlin and many others but NONE of them have given me the pride of ownership that my old Model 70's do!
Even though I listed the long barreled Model 64 Deluxe in caliber 219 Zipper as my most dreamt about Rifle - the Model 70's give me the most pleasing and secure feeling when I buy them!
There is NO safer, stronger, better looking, consistently accurate and reliable factory bolt gun ever made than the pre-64 Winchester Model 70 - thats just a fact!
I have been lookig for over 30 years now and still have as yet to find a gunsmith who has ever replaced a broken firing pin on a pre-64 Model 70 Winchester!
I am sure theres ONE out there somewhere but I have as yet to talk to him - and I have talked to a LOT of gunsmiths!
I once owned an African Model 70 in 458 Winchester - I bought and then sold said Rifle before anyone knew exactly how RARE these were/are!
I nearly doubled my money on that one but if I had it today I could sell it for six times what I sold it for or 12 times what I originally bought it for!
Yeah I wish I had that one back!
I have a new in the box unfired 264 Westerner - this one is DEEP inside one of my gun vaults - get over Montana way sometime and I will show it to ya!
MAYBE even let you put the bolt in the action???
Thats interesting though - I think you are the second guntype that has the 264 Model 70 as your fav!
Long live the 264 Winchester Magnum!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

30Gibbs: I see - Mr. Coleman was/is being facetious then???
You know I always have had a soft spot for the Model 42 (410 gauge pump shotgun) myself.
I find myself without one these days as I turnt all my Winchester shotguns into Model 70's (via trade NOT by magic!).
I once owned a Model 61 with an octagon barrel!
I think it also might have been a 22 Magnum of some type???
The mind (mine at least!) dims with age.
Another Winchester I wish I had back was a Model 66 "Musket" complete with original bayonet!
I traded that one off to Felix Bedlan for cash and a Model 70 or two. I hope Mr. Bedlan is still among the living - I have NOT heard from him in some years now?
I was never much on collecting the "older" Winchesters like the 73's and 86's and the like.
That one 66 Musket was a notable exception to that though.
Need I say - I wish I had that one back?
The VarmintDaughter has a Model 77 "tube fed" 22 that I bequeathed to her some time ago - for some reason she just loves that one.
When I was teenager I owned a Model 12 "Duck Gun" (3" Magnum!)
- yep I wish't I had not traded that one off as well!
Many many years ago I bought a pre-64 Winchester Model 70 from the original Eddie Bauer store (yeah kids Eddie Bauer used to sell guns in their stores!!!) - anyway this was a mint condition Supergrade Model 70 serial #5354XX - which meant it had been special ordered in 1961 - or long after the Supergrade had been discontinued in standard production in that caliber. The "proof marks" are "right" on this Rifle - I'll never sell this one though so it doesn't need any further proving up than it has.
Yeah a Featherweight Model 70 in 257 Roberts would be a "cool ride"!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Best of the pre 64's for me is a post war 30/30. Those were really sweet handling.

BTW-Mickey is pulling your leg . . . . .

BMT

I have a favorite along with several pre 64's. I have taken a 1937 300 magnum to Africa twice.That old gun just feels like Africa. It shoots 1/2 inch groups with 190 gr hornady boattails at 3000 fps to boot. My other pre64 are a 338, another 300HH, 375 standard and a transition 375 supergrade that may be unfired!I just like these old rifles.

1954 Featherweight in .270, but then the .300HH is a killer,but the .264 is cool,the .338 has fallen a few,as well as the
.30-06 FW...the .300 Win is rare,but the .375 HH is..
oh I can't do this... I don't know!!

BMT: My lifelong friend Jack from Yelm, Washington is left handed and for decades there was not much out there for the "lefties".
Over the decades he owned in excess of 35 Winchester Model 94's ALL in 30/30 caliber - he loved them but he was always trading them around trying to find THE most accurate 30/30 Model 94 there was to be had!
We were Hunting together one time near Bonaparte Lake in north central Washington state - we dropped him off in the morning with one Rifle and that afternoon he came out of the woods with TWO Rifles - one in each hand!
As he walked towards the truck I said to myself "my gawd he found a Rifle out in the woods"!
Nope - he had found a Hunter in the woods who was bargging up to him how accurate HIS Model 94 was - Jack bought it from him there on the spot - there in the wilds of the Okanogan outback country!
Yep I like the "long wood" post war Model 94's myself. They bring a premium anymore.
I will have to talk some sense into this MColeman guy - NOBODY has owned more Remington bolt guns than I have and I tout their accuracy and prowess at the drop of a hat! AND I own a triple trunk load of them to this day - but on their best day a dandy Remington bolt gun of ANY Model won't make a pimple on the ass of a pre-64 Winchester Model 70!
Come out BCOleman - where ever you are hiding at YOU and I need to talk!
Long live the Rifleman's Rifle!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

TexasMark: Whewie! I bet that "transition" Model 375 Supergrade is a beauty!
Good for you on owning that one!
And yes how COOL would a 1937 vintage 300 H&H Magnum be to Hunt with in Africa - many happy returns of that experience!
Years ago I found a "transitional" Model 70 that was in pretty good shape - it had been made in July 1947 - the month I was born!
I had the wonderful custom Riflesmith Dan Cowen of Renton, Washington make a custom Rifle from it for me in caliber 280 Remington!
To this day this is one of my all time favorite Hunting Rifles!
The action IS as smooth as glass!
Man o fire your 300 H&H is shooting WELL - again, good for you!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

The rifle was made in 1887. It is a mishmash of new and old parts. The rifle when I got it had been hot-dipped over the old case colors. I recolored it. The barrel was pitted to almost unshootable condition so I replaced it with an identically profiled barrel. It was a .38-55, it is now a .38-72.

The sights are Montana Vintage Arms 108 Vernier. Front sight is a.. I forget. Probably a Lyman 17a at that time.

The lever is a Helm style lever. They were originally made by Winchester but this one is a clone.

I have three 85s. This one, a .22 (rebuilt) and a reproduction (by Ballard Rifle Company) in .45-70. The latter is somewhat further along and has now shot about 6 matches. But still not quite finished. Checkering and engraving this winter.

Why have a favorite rifle thread with NO PICTURES. That SUCKS! Even bolt rifles are better than nothing to look at.

Rifle: "I" would NOT criticize your choice of the Model 70 Featherweight in 270 Winchester one bit!
I have a set of Model 70 Featherweights (including a Gopher Special" in 243 Winchester) and believe it or not the most difficult for me to find in "mint condition" was the 270!
People bought them, shot them and then HUNTED with them - in other words they all got USED a LOT!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

BrentD: Wow!
What a beatiful set of Rifles you have there!
And great photgraphy also!
Enjoy your "beauties" to the max!
And thanks for the info on your Rifles as well!
More later - dinner bell!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

M64 " Deer Hunters Special"



Ingwe

I regret selling a Winchester 54 that had been reworked from 30-30 to 30-40 Krag. As was common prior to WW2, it had a Lyman Alaskan in a G&H side-mount that was set forward far enough such that the bolt handle didn't need to be modified and a Lyman 48 receiver sight.

I always thought that the coned breach on the 54s and 70s was a negative in the strength department, as it left a portion of the case unsupported. I think that the post-'64 70 FWTs are far better looking than 99% of the pre-'64s that I've seen and I've seen a few of them.

Jeff

Model 94

model 52

Well I only have three of them.

My Dads 32 Win special
My Grandfathers sweet 16 model 97
My Uncles on my mothers side Model 70 first year .264 Win

ingwe

I picked up a M64 last year, what a sweet rifle it is.

I'll go with the Model 69; it was my first rifle and I received it for Chistmas 1956. It is more accurate than either of my 2 Browning Model 52 sporters.

The favorite of the one's I own: Low four digit pre-war .30 Govt '06 Standard Grade.

It currently sits in a Rimrock stock but still has the original bluing.

My favorite of all time? Apre-war Super Grade in .300 H&H It belonged to a farmer I hunted elk with a few times. No finish from the back of the grip to the red pad. Looked like a 2x4. The rest of the stock was probably 90%. Amazing workmanship, inletting, etc. Bausch & Lomb scope too.

It was complete as posted. I am not a fan of the Model 70 no matter what the year. (I kinda posted it as a gouge at Redneck but all in fun).

I am, however, a great fan of the Model 94 Winchester. I had four but am down to one (in pieces) and a 94AE that is ready to go. I've never owned a 94 that was not accurate.

I hate the claw extractor model of the 70 like God hates sin. (I have a ruined Lilja barrel in my scrap pile that makes me hate 'em.)

MColeman, there are OTHER Winchesters besides the M70 you know.