Hello,

Looking for info on this sight, and, more importantly, has anyone ever seen a Pre 64 Model 70 375 HH with a 25 inch (not a heavy barrel) with a dovetailed rear barrel sight? I am stumped... Why would a barrel be altered this way, if not from the factory? Do the roll marks look like this has been polished and reblued?

Thanks

Ben

I have studied this model for a few decades now and have a working knowledge. First, yes the bluing appears to be too high polished for Winchester. Next the stock barrel channel appears to be larger than the barrel, leading me to believe the barrel may have been turned down. Lastly the rear sight is not a Winchester sight. The photo was too distant to get a good look but these are my guesses at a distant. My guess is some previous owner had this work done after leaving the factory.

The barrel looks kind of shiny, but there isn't enough detail there to work with. It would have to be very early production gun to have antiquated sight like that. Didn't Savage Arms of NY use something like that on their 1899s around World War One?
The nicest sight on pre-64 I have ever seen was like that found on modern Weatherby Dangerous Game Rifle. A single blade that was regulated by turn wheel perpendicular to it. Pretty cool and functional.

Stuvwxyz,

Excellent point about the barrel channel, and good eye; the barrel is especially shiny in the area where the barrel may be thin. The proof mark is still there, however. Strange to invest in such an alteration.

Thanks for sharing-

The 375 H&H with dovetailed barrels was 1936 to 1945. The rear sight would be a 22-G. The early barrels were marked 375 Magnum until 1950 when they started using 375 H&H.

That barrel dovetail is an oddity for sure; whether Winchester did it (doubtful) or a gunsmith, it is not a standard offering for a 1950 and later C1 barrel.

ETA: The barrel looks like a regular 25" C-1 contour barrel. The blue is hard to say if original or reblued from the pic.

Is there a 6-48 hole drilled on top of the barrel approx. between the G and N in Magnum? Look close as it may have been repaired. If no evidence of a hole there, I will venture a guess that it was a factory Special Order.

The pictured rear sight is either a Savage or a Marbles. Neither would be a standard offering. The Marbles could have been part of the Special Order.

Who would order such sight on that rifle? I say BS to special order. This was put on because they had nothing better to use at the time. The chance this is factory job is next to nothing.

Slavek, Maybe you should do a little home work ! That is a Marbles barrel mounted sight, called a Number 63 with a flat top,number 64 with semi buckhorn profile or a number 65 with the full-buck-horn outline, all 3 could be had by special order!
Folks if you had the correct change there is very little Winchester would not do! Im betting a number 65 BUT I would need better photos, I have learned from several oldtimers, hardwarestore owners ect.. Again Mr Rule was correct 99% of the time BUT I have seen documented changes that are not in his fantasic book and trust me when I say he did the best job Ive ever seen on a Winchester book! the very best Winchester Poor

If a gun is Super Grade, a little out of the norm , the internet experts hollar BS or fake from internet photos. guys that is not always the case and I have seen fakes at gunshows and if the guy was trying to hawk it and hard selling the gun you knew HE knew it was a BS gun.On common cals there is nothing to be gained from fakes 9 out of 10 times. I own 2 model 70's that Im glad several called fake on both in 30-06 after pulling them apart and the strong SW GA sunshine Im 99% sure they are just as they left Conn. factory! very best WinPoor

Looks like it may be a Standard Rifle stock, does the stock have a red Winchester pad?

You're giving him false hope. Chance that is factory setup is very, very small. Ultimately whether something odd came out of Red Brick Factory in CT depends on the buyer of given Winchester and not what is in owners dreams. One of the best way to test this is to take it to a knowledgeable dealer and he will explain to you what is wrong with a given gun.