How many models did Winchester make of these?

I remember the Custom Safari Express and the African Express. Were they made in the standard model 70 classic safari also?

Any of you guys have one of these? How do you like it?

Have you seen one of these in your neck of the woods?

quote:

Have you seen one of these in your neck of the woods?

Yes, there's one at our local shop. A friend told me about it. I think it's the custom safari express by the way he described it but I'm not 100% sure. He said the wood is just so, so...

Hey Terry,I think only a few were ever made from the custom shop only**RARE*...PM GeorgeS the moderator... iam pretty sure he has one,hope this helps,also if you pass on it,holler back at me via PM,i would be interested...
Take care and good luck

Sendero300

Terry

There could have easy been a few of the 470 Capsticks made that did not make catalog or advert. For a fact they made 125 Win M70s in 470 Capstick of the "Big Five" series. I have #50 and #97 of that set. Barrels are oversized for sure on both. On these there is also an issue with the receivers holes for the scope mounts, they don't line up, and in addition the Custom Shop was a bit lost on these guns because none of them will retain cartridges in the magazine. Well, I say none of them, I suspect all 125 of these guns to be the same, as I had the exact same issues with both #50 and #97.

These are very distinct they have the nice engraved big five floor plates, the 470 Capsticks have the Rhino engraving.



Michael

My .470 Capstick was built from a LH .375H&H; it was not a Custom Shop rifle.

My one Custom Shop shop rifle is a 7mmSTW Sporting Sharpshooter (but that was built by H-S Precision).

George

I have an African Express, from what I have been told by the Winchester Collectors Organization, its likely the only one ever made.

Buckeye

Man that is a nice looking gun. This one pre-dates the Big Five series guns by two years. My letters state August 11, 2003 for the 470s. Excellent looking wood too. Now I must ask, how much have you shot it, and does it retain cartridges in the magazine? I am curious is all.

It would not surprise me at all if it was "One of a Kind". I knew Leslie pretty well, had lot's of communications with her during those years and she never mentioned a 470 at all.

Michael

Thanks for the info George.

I assume the 470 Capstick was made in the Custom Safari Express and the African Express and then on the big five guns.

buckeye, that is a nice rifle. I remember seeing those at the SCI conventions years ago.

Michael458,
this one holds 4 down with the drop floorplate. The African has never been fired. I do have a rebarreled 70 for a shooter. Every time I think I should take it to the range, I remember that pulling the trigger on it will probably cost several thousand dollars, so I take the shooter instead.

Buckeye

Ahhh, hell, shoot the thing, that's why they make them! If it where me I'd take that thing and hammer some buffalo with it! It's a fine looking rifle, it needs to be in the field making memories! You can make some more money, dirty paper!

Michael

I have a 470 Capstick that starter out life as a M70 Classic Safari Express in 416 Rem Mag. It now sports a Krieger barrel and the original stock was re-enforced to handle the increased recoil. The only problem I was was with feeding, but that was solved with the mag box from a M70 300RUM.

David

I still have the two Big Five series guns, both of them had retaining issues right from the start. At the same time I had a 470 built by John Geiges from a 375 HH and it also had retaining issues. Brian at SSK Industries is superb on sorting out retaining problems, and he sorted all three of those guns out in short order. They all feed, function and retain now. I sold the gun by Geiges a couple of years ago, but not before it was up and running 100%.

The Capstick is just that much more than a 458 Lott that it has to have some attention to retaining cartridges in the magazine.

Michael