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

Back in the 50's when I was about 8 years old I had a beautiful cap gun rifle that was modeled after a Winchester Model 64.
I showed it off to one of my aunts and she said she had one just like that. Next time I visted her house she showed me her's and I was forever convinced that this was what a real deer rifle looked like.
I never could afford a real Model 64 as they continued to go up in value, but 10 years ago I found someone who wanted to trade my pre-64 Model 88 for a really nice Model 64. SN shows it was made about the time I had my plastic model 64 cap gun. So now I do own a REAL deer rifle.

The only other pre 64 I own is not a Winchester, but I love it just as much. It was 100 years old this past April and I still hunt with it.
1909 Parker Brother 16ga. VS grade. These are two great classic long guns.

What does one of those 64s go for and what calibers are they found in? Any chance of a .38-55 or possible a .40-65?

You won't be finding one in .38-55 or .40-65...

IIRC they were made in .219 Zipper, .25-35, .30-30, and .32 Win. Spl.

Depending on condition etc...they'll start at about $600+ and I'd guess an original one in good shape in common caliber would be pushing over $1K now.......
Ingwe

What would a mint 1953 Model 70 Supergrade 257 Roberts go for nowaday's?

Don't bother me one bit. I've been raised to pray for those who are 'limited' in intelligence. :)<grin>

I freely admit that I was the one that screwed up the barrel. Never claimed otherwise. Having to cut that confounded extractor slot was the reason I screwed it up.

The Remington 700 is proven to be stronger and stiffer than the Model 70. As to 'better looking' that's up to the individual. There are people who like flat chested women so there's no accounting for taste.

If you prefer the Model 70 then by all means go for it. I'm not about to argue with you over the point.

MColeman: I take your reluctance to answer the question "just exactly which factory action IS stronger, safer, better looking and more versatile than the Winchester pre-64 Model 70" as being an admission you are wrong.
You sir have now stepped into a trap of such overwhelmance that there is NO escape!
Pretending you have not been trapped is a futile endeavour - I must point out that you are trapped and your tangential statement that "if VarmintGuy prefers the Model 70 then go for it" is simply NOT sufficient!
It's not myself that "prefers" these wonderful actions but hoardes of collectors, shooters, Hunters and Riflesmiths - literally around the world!
Your baseless and erroneous "toutations" of the Remington 700 as being "stiffer and stronger" than the pre-64 Winchester Model 70 are just that!
I have been shooting, customizing, buying selling, trading and Hunting with pre-64 Model 70 actions for 50 years now and have as yet to see one of those actions fail in any way shape or form - so AT BEST the Remington 700 COULD be as strong - but certainly not stronger in any regard!
I can not say the same for my extensive experiences with Remington bolt actions - yeah they have failed myself and my friends on rare occassion!!!
Again, I take your acquiescense regarding the Model 70 as a reluctant admission that indeed the pre-64 Winchester Model 70 IS the most versatile, strongest, most handsome and BY FAR the sfaest factory Rifle ever made!
IF you ARE touting the Remington 700 as the "safest, strongest, most versatile and most handsome factory Rifle ever made" (and your tentativeness regarding this confuses me to a point!) then I declare you to be WRONG!
Am I correct in my assumption of your tentative position?
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

1885
1886-71
1892-65
63


Late pre-64 Model 70's have never impressed me any more than a GOOD Mauser or 1903. No experience with early 70's.

Bruce

Nice looking rifle, what range would you say you are accurate to with that old girl?

Accuracy? As far as one cares to shoot. I use that rifle or ones similar out to 1000 yds. But I think you probably mean as a hunting rifle. In that case, 300 yds is pretty straight forward if you are practiced at range estimation. Beyond 300, it is not so much the accuracy that's the issue. It is the time that the bullet is in the air. Long enough that an animal that is stationary when you break the shot could move a substantial amount in an unpredictable direction.

So far, 260 yds is about as far as I have ever shot an animal. Never had to shoot further. That buck was about 80 yds.

Brent

My favorite Pre-64's are the M21, M70, M94, and M88. But I like many more of them too.

You need to read Stuart Otteson's books 'Bolt Action Rifles, Vol 1 and Vol 2.

It's obvious that you are a fan of the Model 70 and want to deride anyone who does not agree with you.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You are free to like whatever rifle you like and I have the same option. I don't care what another person likes or doesn't like, especially you.

My 270!!

Beauty. I wish like hell they would have made a few in lefty.

Done!

I like so many of them I have to keep buying them. Here is a picture of the oldest guns...



A couple of Model 70's, a 1949 270 and a 1950 30-06...




I have also just ordered this nice pre-war 22 Hornet...





And my 257 Roberts in the field

Mickey - you are one funny dude - LMAO!

MColeman "I" OWN Mr. Otteson's books!
I am looking up at one of my bookshelves in my library at his two volume signed set, right as I type this.
In fact LET me quote from Mr. Otteson's book regarding THE Winchester pre-64 Model 70 - if you don't mind?
Page 97, writes Mr. Otteson in Volume One, "The coned barrel, combined with the MASSIVE non-rotary extractor, receiver mounted ejector, and partial bolt-face rim added up to form a system tailored to feed, extract and eject cartridges with the utmost speed and CERTAINTY! Purely from that standpoint, there has NEVER BEEN a better system! AND to try and prove this cone breech unsound from a cartridge head support standpoint is POINTLESS! IT has proven adequate through decades of HARD use"!
End quote!
Some capitalization and emphasis added by me to give you direction!
Mr. Otteson goes on to explain many "strong points" of the Model 70 but as do you he does NOT admit that the safety mechanisms built into the Model 70 make it the safest factory bolt action ever made!
Mr. Otteson lists 8 specific and impressive "strong points" regarding the old Model 70 (YOU sir should REVIEW these points!) and then he really has to dig/stretch things to even come up with 3 possible weak points to this action!
One of his "weak points" is that the action has "an inconvenient floorplate release" - I directly disagree with this assessment of his, after many decades of use - I declare that the magazine release IS convenient and it is almost immune to accidental release OR release due to recoil! Those shortcomings are MUCH MORE prevalent on Remington bolt Rifles!
Are they not?
Another of his "weak points" regarding the wonderful old Model 70 action is that the Rifle has a "two piece trigger guard/floorplate assembly" - well at least this statement is true but I again can find NO WEAKNESS or detrimental effect what so ever in this fact!
Beauty is INDEED in the eye of the beholder - AND it can be in the eyes of hoardes of beholders as IS the case for those that love and seek out the exquisitely handsome old Model 70's!
I have many many dozens of Remington bolt action cenetrfire Rifles in my possession right now and NONE of them can be described as anything but passingly plain and simple when it comes to esthetics!
I again state that: Your baseless and erroneous "toutations" of the Remington 700 as being "stiffer and stronger" than the pre-64 Winchester Model 70 are just that!
Ever hear of a factory stock (untampered with!) pre-64 Winchester Model 70 bolt handle breaking off?
Me neither, but I have heard of MANY Remington bolts breaking off!
The Model 70 is more than "strong enough" where strength counts!
Ever hear of a Model 70 trigger part breaking?
Me neither!
I know of several Remington triggers that HAVE outright broken though - I was even served warning (via a registered letter from the fine folks at Remington Arms Corporation) that a Remington 700 PSS I had bought some years earlier had been made with "inferior metal" inside the trigger and was in danger of "doing bad things on me" (I forget the Remington folks verbage here but that is exactly the message they relayed to me in the registered letter).
They sent along directions for me to ship said Rifle back to them so they could replace the trigger at their complete expense!
"Factory recall" in other words from the folks at Big Green!!!
Yeah the Model 70 is much stronger and much safer and much better looking, more versatile and more desirable than even the best of the Remington bolt guns!
And I base that NOT on some gun rags utterings but ON MY own personal experiences with over 100 of the pre-64 Winchester Model 70's and, over 180 Remington centerfire bolt guns I do and have owned!
I want you to know I am not letting you off the hook - I want you to publicly state your choice for the strongest, safest, most versatile, best looking and most sought after factory bolt gun!
I will add "please" to this simple request this time.
This is the third or fourth time I have asked and I will NOT hesitate to ask again and again UNTIL you make that side of the YOUR argument that for some reason, you are "skirting"!
I have stated my choice publicly - why won't you?
Long live the Riflemans Rifle!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Schrapnel: What a great set of pictures!
I especially like the one with the 257 Roberts and the Mule Deer!
Great work there on the harvest and keeping that Roberts alive and well (in good condition!).
Clean the buttplate off on that Roberts especially well will ya - it looks like it was in the blood and ice!
Again thanks for posting the great pics!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Well said..!! Wish I had a hat or something to send you....
Any Remington's I used to own were traded and booted to get Winchesters and Mannlichers,I miss them NOT...
Those that I could not trade off,I gave to people I don't like much anyway.. now ex in-laws...