Customer called out of the blue a month ago - found me online somehow - wanted my opinion on a rifle.. Anyhoo - he was looking at a certain M70 Super Express in .375HH.. 5-digit S/N. Long story short - a BIG box arrived today.. Inside was NIB M70 SE in .375HH.. Totally unfired. With original box, papers, tags... and gorgeous wood to boot.. + a Leupold VX-3 1.5X5X20mm and Leupold QD mounts/rings... Not a single mark on any part of it all...

I'm jealous..

I was following one on GB last week that sounds a lot like that.
Looked like it had never been handled.
Out of Pennsylvania IIRC....

What are you going to do with it?

That's what I was wondering too.

That must be the one... Not a mark on it anywhere - not on wood/not on blue.. Rifling's untouched.


Customer wants me to do a few things to it, but IMHO it would not help the value. Since it's a .375 I'm going to gently suggest only 'adjusting' that trigger down from the customary 5+ pounds down to maybe 3 or so.. If it was a varmint rifle I'd not hesitate to do some work on it..

Nice rifle! http://www.gunbroker.com/item/716649718
That seller knows how to get the most out of his sales with all the good photos.
I have a Super Express (but with the bolt on the left side) set up with the same Leupold mounts. I'm sure that's one of the things you'll check, but the rings on mine bind slightly with the scope in place (fine without) indicating they need to be lapped to function smoothly.

(auction photo)

Wow.....nice rifle. Lucky dog indeed.

I never had the wants for a .375, but that one could change my mind. I would probably never ever fire it with full loads (my arthritic shoulder and neck must prevail), but I would stoke it with mild reduced loads and have a ball with it.

I would like to understand what you're telling us, but I can't make heads or tails of it...maybe I'm just having a 'high density moment.' What do you mean by " the rings on mine bind slightly with the scope in place?"

Would be easy to show you but difficult explain. If you're unfamiliar with that ring and base system (Leupold QR) the rings affix to the bases via a round stud into a round hole with a cammed cross pin to lock it in. The individual rings, without being clamped to a scope, will slide in and out of the bases smoothly. On my particular rifle, with a scope mounted in the rings, the studs bind up in the base's holes making removal & replacement of the scope/rings difficult. That makes me think that either the scope bases (two piece) are not mounted parallel with each other or the rings are not bored square with the studs.
Hope that makes a little more sense?

I've had QR rings that were difficult to tighten down the levers and also the same problem you are having. Followed some advice I got on this forum a very long time ago and it worked great. Take the levers out and where the shafts are cut to catch the ring base, touch them very carefully with a round file like a chainsaw file in the right size. A very small touch is all it needs. I think mine took 2 very small strokes with the file to fit perfectly. Same on the ring base holes. If they are binding slightly, a very light touch with the file will make them fit fine. Check them after each stroke, they are usually that close. Also, have you tried using a 1" rod and valve grinding compound to true up the rings before mounting the scope? Could be your culprit.

Now, back the the regularly scheduled thread.

Great looking 375. Hope he doesn't tweek it too much. Other than the trigger adjustment, these are just about as perfect as a factory rifle gets as they are. Especially when they come with nice wood. Have him shoot it before he makes any changes, then see if he changes his mind on any of it...

Bob