It should be emphasized that Otteson devotes his comments almost entirely to the action per se. Sell your winchester 70 xtr for FREE today on GunsAmerica! The Model 70 was originally manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company between 1936 and 1980. 91 - G2037985. 26" Barrel. As of 2015, Model 70 rifles are stamped, "Imported by BACO, Inc., Morgan, Utah Made in Portugal by Browning Viana". Satin finish walnut stock with classic Featherweight cut checkering and Schnabel fore-end. Funny thing is it's a long action but a 243.. She has shot several whitetails with it so it stays around. Very similar for the times as far as blueing and stock finish black forend tips etc. winchester model 70 | Shooters Forum Winchester was actually bought out by investors and the name was changed to 'United States Repeating Arms Company" in 1979 or 1980 IIRC. It has an iconic place in American sporting culture and has been held in high regard by shooters since it was introduced in 1936, earning the moniker "The Rifleman's Rifle". Wish I had a few more of 'em.. My pride and joy, 1988 vintage XTR "Safari Grade" ,300 Holland & Holland Magnum Guys I'm not pushing anything at all. The action was simplified, the trigger guard and floor plate made of a flimsy looking one-piece stamping." I liked it so much I put it in a McMillian Hunters Edge I had and it has become one of my favorites. I would like to own it but cannot justify it. Seller: AJGUNSNSTUFF ( FFL) Gun #: 973664224. Date Your Model 70 and 94 - RifleShooter Squeeler, those are some very cool catalogs. I am a big fan of Model 70's and the XTR is my Favorite and I own both a pre 64 and XTR and I prefer the XTR. The .223 shot rather commonly, to be honest, the HV was a miracle of accuracy, simply magic, the 7 Mauser shot well, but the FWT stock doesn't fit me, and that made it a "no-go", I just couldn't adapt to it. Classified Ad (1000+), Search Full Text of Listings With an Accu-Fit stock and left hand adjustable bolt, this rifle is a perfect choice for anyone! WINCHESTER 70 XTR New and Used Price, Value, & Trends 2023 - True Gun Value Recently, the renewed . The bolt was changed significantly. Only the .458 African held out with cut checkering and non-floating barrel. Nothing fancy mind you, just plain jane will get it done with style. Date Your Model 70 and 94. Composit stocks were becoming the rage so, I put it into a Bell & Carlson. I was 16, I think. If using a two-piece scope mount, this matters less. In 1999, Shooting Times magazine named the Model 70 the "Bolt-action Rifle of the Century".[4]. This rifle has been really good to me and I'm thinking it will get used in the coming season. The changes included dropping the controlled round feed feature, a change to the basic stock shape and the use of impressed checkering rather than cut checkering. This was called Controlled Round Push Feed. As modern ammunition manufacturing has drastically improved during the past 50 years, the .380 ACP is finally receiving the respect it deserves as a defensive cartridge. It isn't much to look at and presently without a scope because I need to get it re-barrelled. For the "new model" 70 in the period 1964-1981, the rarest chambering in a standard rifle was the 222 followed by the 225 Win(6594 produced). The action of the Model 70, then, was superior to but not much different than the Model 54. cal. Free floating it was. All Types (1000+) Since then, a long-term license agreement has been struck with Browning to manufacture and distribute Winchester-brand rifles and shotguns. Give a Gift These pages were scanned from documents compiled over the years by the customer service department of Winchester Repeating Arms. As modern ammunition manufacturing has drastically improved during the past 50 years, the .380 ACP is finally receiving the respect it deserves as a defensive cartridge. I haven't reloaded for it yet, but it had hunting rifle accuracy with factory- nothing approaching MOA very closely, but good enough for out to 300 yards. My 82 model 70 XTR Featherweight 308 is a beauty & is the crown jewel of my commercial rifles. This is just more info per XTRs. Nothing could be further from the truth. The best way to identify a pre-1964 Model 70 Winchester rifles is the serial number and the fore-end screw to secure the barrel to the stock. Show Only Non-Guns. The Model 70 Story: The Early Years | An Official Journal Of The NRA H4831, 140BTSP.. Found a minty 1982 FWT XTR in 7x57. At the same time I purchased a used Remington mod. I later returned, somewhat, to my senses, kicked myself, and bought a new 257 XTR FWT. The 12 month average price is $1,464.68 new and $1,019.52 used. No attempt has been made to determine the value of any Winchester products. Was only explaining when, why, where, Winchester acquired its poor reputatation on the post-64 models. Serial number- G1626655. "[13] These rifles had shorter 24-inch barrels chambered for .30-06 Springfield. Winchester can be reached directly at 800-333-3288. The Remington Model Seven is ready, willing and able to handle just about any task. 6 Best .300 PRC (Precision Rifle Cartridge) Rifles, Ruger No. The 270 was for my wife and she did not like it and stayed with her savage 308. Then, in my looney schizophrenia, I lusted after a 257 FWT with CRF, and sold the PF, like an idiot. The Model 70 Story: A Classic Advanced - American Rifleman Winchester Model 70 243 1976 New Haven made looks unfired! Heat treatment of the receiver was localized to the areas where necessary, namely the cams and locking lugs, to prevent warping caused by overall heat treatment. From the American Rifleman Archives: This article was first published in the November 1980 American RiflemanIn 1935, the first Model 70 rifles began to emerge from the Winchester workrooms. If I was right handed I would have picked it over the 700. All things considered, in normal situations there is now not much to choose between the two versions at present, apart from personal preference. But after the Classics were introduced the PF versions were relegated to the budget line of rifles and I don't think they were as good as the 1980's XTR's. When ever I fell out of favor and was missing with other guns, I could grab that gun and put the bullet exactly where I wanted. The post 64's made through the 1970's were not that good as a rule. I'd take one every time over any M700. During this period the Model 70 was made in 17 regularly cataloged calibers (plus .300 Savage, made but not cataloged, in 1941 and 1945), ranging from .22 Hornet to .458 Win. In the fall of 2007, the Belgian company FN Herstal announced that Model 70 production would resume. But you never know; if you found those two collectors who wanted an 81 .308, it could go higher. I shot my first black bear and other black bears. This is my sons 7x57 great little rifle and has always shot real well for us. Before the 1990s the Winchester Repeating Arms firearms brand transferred ownership several times. Can you please clarify this matter? Barrel length just right and they are easy on the eyes. Below is the download link for a special resource for dating Winchester firearms. This system is more vulnerable than the old system to jamming or being inadvertently closed on an empty breech (i.e., failing to load a new round) if operated under duress, especially if the rifle is held upside-down or on its side. Model 70 XTR Sporter Question - Winchester Collector Just not as good as I first thought. The attitude of collectors is more understandable, as the pre-64 Model 70 is distinctly different from succeeding models, regardless of year, and forms a fascinating collector field in itself. One book that has no counterpartand no flaw that this author is aware ofis Stuart Ottesons The Bolt Action. The Model 70 is offered in all of the previous chamberings as the original, and is now supplemented with newer rounds, including the Winchester Short Magnum (WSM) and Winchester Super Short Magnum (WSSM) cartridges, which are magnum loaded rounds, but are shorter in length and wider in diameter, so spent cartridges take less time to eject and use less powder. I have a couple post-64's and generally speaking, I like them fine. Now she shoots everything good. The Deluxe version of the Model 70 was improved and renamed the New Super Grade. The Winchester Model 70 is one of the best known rifles in the world. With this extractor the cartridge is not as surely controlled as it is with the Mauser-type extractor. It's time to get to what many oldtimers or bolt-gun enthusiasts are wanting to hear. All I can add is both rifles are extremely accurate with the .270 in the .50" range and the .300 running .375" with loads they like. Mag., 300 Win. However, these short magnum cartridges reduce magazine capacity and feeding reliability, due to their extra width and rebated rim. On August 15, 2006, Olin Corporation, owner of the Winchester trademarks, announced that it had entered into a new license agreement with Browning to make Winchester brand rifles and shotguns, though not at the closed Winchester plant in New Haven. This page was last edited on 2 June 2023, at 17:15. The rest of your statement is superflous bullshit with no real bearing on this discussion other than to massage your own ego. At the same time as the CRF feature was re-introduced, a recent innovation allowed the short extractor used on the post-1964 models to ride over the extraction groove on a cartridge, giving controlled feeding without the expense of the long Mauser type extractor. To obtain date of manufacture on a Model 70 made after 1992 please contact the Winchester Customer Service Department at 800-333-3288. Taking it to the next level is a familiar phrase that seems particularly appropriate after reviewing the feature content in this months issuethe it being the state-of-the-art in several familiar categories within the realm of firearms and accessories. Manufacture date of a winchester model 70 | Shooters Forum Show Only with Pictures Accordingly, in 1964, Winchester made a number of design changes to the Model 70. Well I had Randell Redman re-bore it to a 35 Whelen. Model 1300 XTR Featherweight 22" barrel. Bell and Carlson synthetic stock with sculpted cheekpiece. There was such a gap between the barrel and its channel in the fore-end that the accumulation of twigs and degrees during a normal hunt was almost assured. I have one in a m70 FWT 7X57mm Mauser. Action over-long for many calibers; 2. This was torn apart and re-made into a prone rifle. Model 70 Extreme Sporter MB Features. Mag., 26" barrel, blind magazine that matches a McMillan stock in their online catalog. Please try a new zip code and search again. The machined receiver itself was originally about the same as that of its predecessor, including the double radiused form of the rear tang, which was restyled in 1947 to a simpler shape that eliminated the stock splitting which had occurred earlier.Shown cocked (above) with the original type safety in "fire" position, this factory cutaway drawing clearly illustrates the coned breeching system, dual front locking lugs and two-piece firing pin of the Springfield, plus the excellent Model 70 trigger. PDF Winchester Firearms Manufacturing Dates by Serial Number and Year 1866 With 1969 came the end of a painful five-year period of Winchesters stock troubles. Winchester load which shot slightly less than MOA. 1 Single-Shot Rifle: Tips to Improve Its Accuracy, Sweet Scents of Gun Solvents and Oils: 12 Perfumes for Firearms, Mossberg Patriot Long-Range Hunter Bolt-Action Rifle: Full Review, 6.5 PRC vs 6.5 RPM What You Need to Know, 10 Best 6.5mm Rifle Cartridges Available Right Now, .375 H&H Mag. He pays little attention to anything forward of the receiver ring. Together with the welcome change in stock appearance came another version, the 19-barreled Model 70 with full-length, Mannlicher-style stock. The Winchester Model 70 is America's most iconic bolt-action rifle and to collectors the most desirable M70s are the "pre-'64" rifles. [12] An "anti-bind" feature was introduced to make operation of the action smoother, which comprised a groove in an extended right locking lug operating on a rib on the right side of the receiver. I've got two ,a 30-06 XTR and a 7x57 fwt. WINCHESTER MODEL 70 XTR 300 WIN MAG . Sporter barrel in a Winlite stock. The pushfeed rifles continued in production alongside the CRF rifles right up until they closed the doors in 2006. As the numbers and quality of newly designed and made U.S. and foreign guns increased, Winchester began to first lose profits and then lose money on the Model 70 as its production costs rose. Illustration courtesy of U.S. List of Winchester models - Wikipedia Think I like XTRs? On March 31, 2006, U.S. One of the best known U.S. Marine Corps snipers who used the Winchester Model 70 during the Vietnam War was Gunnery Sergeant Carlos Hathcock, who used a Winchester Model 70 sniper rifle chambered in .30-06. Mag., 338 Win. This info only goes to 1981. I thoroughly enjoyed Rick Hackers recent article on the Colt SAA and its 150-year history, but I am confused by the fact that the photos of Serial No. Pretty sure mine is a 1969 M70 "Deluxe" with the ebony forend tip on the stock. Introduced in 1965 with the .444 Marlin cartridge, the Model 444 was the most powerful lever action of its day. The M700's are all either pre prefix, or A,B or C. I don't own one of the newer ones at this time. My very first center fire bolt action was a Model 70 in 22-250 that I bought in 1984 or 85. Many of the surviving rifles, after reconditioning with heavier Douglas barrels and new stocks between 1956 and 1963 at the Marine Corps match rebuild shop in Albany, Georgia, were fitted with 8 Unertl sights from M1903 sniper rifles. '06 is MOA with 165 BT. Both being tack drivers helps, of course. Both are good shooters, the WSM shoot almost everthing into 3/4" all day every day. IMO, the XTRs, particularly the FWTs, are some of the best M70s made. Model 70 Featherweight | Bolt-Action Rifle | Winchester 1 on the cover of American Rifleman differ from those found in some other articles and websites. If your firearm is not listed, we probably do not have any additional information. Mine did have a problem with serious barrel fouling until I did a firelapping of the barrel. The Cody Firearms Museum has more information on Winchesters produced before 1900. chambering and the so-called Deluxe modelmore pressed checkering plus an ebony grip cap and fore-end tip with white line spacers but select walnut. Is it an early (WRA) 81 gun? Thanks guys - that is kind of what I figured. One irritated visitor inserted a finger between barrel and fore-end and testily told the African, Thats called a channel all right, but its for the barrel, not a canoe.. chambering was added, the checkering pattern began to improveor at least increase in areaand the stock profile was made more attractive. [1] This resulted in hiatus of the production of the Winchester Model 70 rifle and Winchester Model 1300 pump-action shotgun and the end of the Model 94 lever-action rifle. Competing as it did with the Remington Model 700, it was decided that changes needed to be made in the face of rising labor costs. All RifleShooter subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. I co-shot a moose with my brother in 1982 after it was fixed. MAG. In 1968, further revisions were made to the Model 70 in part to address consumer concerns. Walnut stocks are still found across the line in satin finishes, and laminated walnut stocks are added to the mix for structural stability in extreme dry or wet conditions. Later, Winchester expanded the Classic line, putting the Classic action on all their modern stocks, giving a wide range of choice in rifle types. There was not much Winchester could do about the customer reaction. Saturday, October 14, 1989 at 08:00 hours, I killed the biggest elk I've ever taken and Thursday, November 11, I killed the largest W/T buck using the above mentioned load. Even put it in a new stock and bedded it. When coupled with the other cost-cutting changes and compared with the previously produced and very familiar Model 70, however, it was immediately declared to be lacking. YEARS OF THIS MODEL AND IT WAS THEREFORE DlSCONTIN UED IN 190 . I like them all. No attempt has been made to determine the value of any guns listed. He didn't like it after that. The most collectable Model 70s and 94s are the "pre-64" guns, manufactured before a significant production change in 1964. Few to none of these changes were popular with the rifle-buying public, or with the US military. RifleShooter Magazine editor Scott Rupp breaks down all the features of the Mossberg Patriot Predator rifle chambered in 6.5 PRC. Few of the guns are to be seen in their original form today, however, as the buyers, in many cases, elected to rebed, rechecker, refinish or restock them with all haste. I also have another stock for the M70 in the McMillan FWT pattern with Winchester buttplate I picked up at a gun show. Back in the summer of 82, I had a gun dealer buddy get me a M70 XTR Sporter Magnum in 338 Win. FWIW, the bolt is a CRF bolt and has the serial number on the . winchester 70 xtr for sale and auction. WINCHESTER MODEL 70 XTR 300 WIN MAG . I think they are great. View the current price and value of new and used a WINCHESTER 70 XTR based on 76 sold items over the past year . Winchester hired a personable African professional hunter to test and promote the new guns, and he attended many gun shows in the U.S. to comment on the results of his experiences. Had one of those stocks on my M70 and sold it..like an idiot! Ok, whatever. They were serial numbered in the 41,000 to 50,000 range and were fitted with leaf sights and checkered stocks with steel butt plates, one-inch sling swivels, and leather slings. Does anybody have an idea what a NIB 1981 FWT XTR in 308 would be worth? The new stocks and their installation were simply an economy move, and the savings were being passed on to (or forced on) the customer. This is achieved by the use of the pre-1964 ejector, combined with a modified post-1964 extractor and bolt face relieved at the bottom allowing the round to engage the bolt face from underneath. Also added to the standard rifles chambering choices was the .222 Rem. My first Win 70 and 7mm Mauser, both. It obviously did not carry-over into the 80s and the XTR models! Description: Winchester Model 70 XTR Sporter in 300 H. & H. Magnum caliber it's the one with factory sights Serial number G18623** indicating it was made in 1988, this of course was back when it was made in New Haven, Ct. U.S.A.. Subscriber Services. What year was my Winchester manufactured? No one complained, as the coned breech had always been considered a weak point, and the new square breeching left very little of the cartridge head unsupported. I told them that I was glad to get the information so I could lay in four or five more before they loused the rifle up. The Winchester Model 70 series rifles are marketed as sniper rifles for military forces and law enforcement agencies under the Fabrique Nationale banner as the Special Police Rifle (SPR) and the Patrol Bolt Rifle (PBR). Model 70 Extreme Hunter - Excape MB. WINCHESTER 70 XTR 300 WIN MAG (MADE IN 1979) STUNNING WOOD! It has a small, neat hook extractor, which is adequate. Currently, the Model 70 and its blind magazine companion, the 70A, are available in 13 popular calibers and must be considered among the best hunting rifles of their type available from any source or from any era. Jack O'Connor, long a proponent of the Model 70, wrote of the post-1964 version that "I was informed by Winchester brass that the Model 70 was being redesigned. (Serial Number Reference) Winchester Firearms Manufacturing Dates by Serial Number and Year 1866 through the early 1990s Model 70 Current Products Model 70 Featherweight Model 70 Featherweight View Hi-Res Image Lightweight bolt-action hunting rifle with classic looks. Features such as controlled-round feeding and the three-position safety--not to mention classic good looks and a reputation for quality and accuracy--are just some of those measures. Similar story: I bought the first XTR FWT I saw in 1980, a 30/06.