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Buddy asked me to post up and help him out. He just picked up a Model 70 in 30govt03. He said it's dated to 1948.

I know that's the old 30-03 so curious as to why the barrel would be marked like that?

Any info I could get would be appreciated. Oh, and I haven't seen the rifle either so can't comment on condition.


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Since MO is the "Show Me" state, I'd want to see it.

The only Winchester rifle that I recall seeing in 30-03 was the 1895 lever action. I doubt that the Wincehster 54 or 70 were ever cataloged in 30-03 and would think that it would even be less likely for a post-WW2 70 to be chambered in 30-03. If it is real, it must be really rare. My Father was a serious Winchester 54 and 70 collector, having at least 1 in every cartridge ever cataloged, plus a few proto-types that weren't cataloged, but no 30-03s.

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If I can get a photo of it I will. I did a google search earlier and did find a few of them out there.

Yeah, it floored me also when he said what it was marked as.


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I think that upon further inspection he will find that it is marked .30Gov't06. I had an early model 70 with this marking.

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Nope, it's 30Govt.03. He double checked and got back with me.

I'm thnking Winchester put both of them out there.

From what I've been able to dig up, there is a 'range' of serial numbers where these were produced in a 'batch'.


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There were no Model 70s ever built in that caliber, at least none that I can find in Roger Rule's book. Mr Rule is a member here and maybe he'll chime in. jorge


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I have a very early Model 70 [Under 2000]. It is marked .30 Govt '06. I doubt the '03 was ever chambered.

Good luck though.

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Originally Posted by jorgeI
There were no Model 70s ever built in that caliber, at least none that I can find in Roger Rule's book. Mr Rule is a member here and maybe he'll chime in. jorge


Out of curiousity, what is mr. Rules screen name??


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Very well could have been someone ordered several and then rebarreled them.

Hopefully I'll have some pics on Monday for viewing.


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Darned near anything could have come out of R&D...or the custom shop.

I never thought they made the M70 in 405 Winchester....but they did.




The 280 Remington is overbore.

The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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Well, even if it ain't orginal, he still came out good on it. He came out smelling like a million roses on the deal. I ain't saying what he paid for it cuz we'll all be puking. grin


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I would ask him to pull the stock off and double check the caliber stamp and year of manufacture on the underside of the barrel next to the indexing line...for instance, the 30'06 was stamped 1906 .....

I would also check and see if it's not a (believe it or not) 30-30!! There are factory verified specimens in this caliber and there were 3 different roll marks for it.

Last edited by BlackDog1; 07/06/12. Reason: added text

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Could it possibly be a '95 levergun barrel in a mod 70 action? I have no idea if the threads are the same.

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I did ask him to pull the stock off of it.

I'm just as perplexed as you all.


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Originally Posted by BobinNH
Darned near anything could have come out of R&D...or the custom shop.

I never thought they made the M70 in 405 Winchester....but they did.



Dang, that would be a really, really cool rifle

Steve




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Originally Posted by dogzapper
Originally Posted by BobinNH
Darned near anything could have come out of R&D...or the custom shop.

I never thought they made the M70 in 405 Winchester....but they did.



Dang, that would be a really, really cool rifle

Steve




Steve: It was a cool rifle, a pre war.It was in a glass case at a store I visit once in a great while here in New England....I could see it was a pre war but the barrel was a heavy contour,not unlike a 375H&H or 458, but shorter.Something about the length and contour of the barrel seemed out of place, and and I could not figure what it was,since the 458 was a later cartridge and the action was clearly pre war.

I asked the proprietor if I could see it....and it was indeed factory marked as a 405 Winchester.He told me it was one of two from the custom shop;he had factory letter authenticating it,and no one really knew what happened to the second one.

Price at the time was $17k.The rifle was mint.... There is a footnote or other reference to the 405 having been made in Rule's book somewhere but has been awhile since I looked it up.At one time or another I have seen the hard to find 9mm,the 7.65,and some otherrare birds, but that's the rarest M70 I have yet run into.

This 30Gov't03 thing has me curious....I have seen the 30Gov't06 marking...never '03




The 280 Remington is overbore.

The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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Friend Bob,

I worked in a gun store, working my way through college (while also apprenticing goldsmithing and watchmaking).

Ond day a little old man came in with a trade-in; it was a pre-war Winchester Model-70 .30-'06. The stock was really, really light colour walnut and exquisite grade. Serial number 125.

The little old man told me that during the first year of the Model-70, his next door neighbor was the local Winchester representitive and that he'd bought the rifle from the rep.

I bought the rifle from the old man for some rediculous sum ... like $50. And I held onto the rifle for a while. I still remember how very small the low serial number looked upon that really wide receiver bridge.

Eventually, I needed money for another term of college, or maybe it was one of my two apprentice-ships, so I sold the rifle.

The buyer was Lou Leonard, the local pipe shop owner and the guy who had perhaps the finest firearms collection in our area. Lou died not long ago ... he was a fine man and a good friend, but we never discussed Number 125 ... I wish we had; I wish I knew where that incredible rifle ended up.

Off to bed, it's 3AM here. Good night, my friend.

Steve



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Steve: We let too many good one's get away....there is a pre war 30Gov't06 with a 5 digit number I wish I had back.... frown




The 280 Remington is overbore.

The 7 Rem Mag is over bore.
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This is very interesting. I look forward to seeing how it turns out.


Sounds like a fantastic old rifle.


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Originally Posted by Heeler
Very well could have been someone ordered several and then rebarreled them.

Hopefully I'll have some pics on Monday for viewing.


Or, it might have been custom shop job.

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