“Well I’ve got a ragged out old Winchester in the back but I doubt you’d want it.â€

Those words never fail to peak my interest at the local pawn shop. She had been rode hard and put away wet and was covered in mixture of solidified grease and surface rust. The action was so stiff I could hardly move it and the safety was frozen forward, the floor plate button was stiff and unusable. The bore looked like a gofer hole at first glance. And the Griffin and Howe QD side mount has a cracked ring on the front.

She also had an after market express sight and ivory front bead installed leaving the old front sight base holes open.

Apparently the rifle had been sitting in a closet in a vinyl case for the last 20 + years. A guy came in with it and two Remington M-30’s and placed them on consignment. They were his grandfathers who’d passed away some years ago. “He just wanted them out of the house.â€

After several minutes of looking her over I decided that for the price I couldn’t go wrong.

I only wish That I’d taken before and after pictures. Because she looked like a basket case when I picked her up last night. These pictures were taken after 3 hours of working her over with a can of Kroil and a tooth brush she isn’t looking too bad now. And the bore is bright, shiny and sharp no pitting!!!

You can sure see the ravages of all that rust however. But mechanically she is in top notch condition.

I took apart the bolt and the trigger group and removed the bottom plate button and the front hinge pin. Everything is perfect it was just coated in a layer of black solidified grease. It all cleaned up perfect and the action and everything else is smooth as the day it came out of the factory.

I think I made the right choice last night . Especially for the price! I couldn’t have bought a brand new 870 from Wal Mart for what I spent on his old girl last night..

The serial number puts her manufacture date in the early 1940's.

lucky guy

Thanks Boomy, I'm feeling all warm and giddy this morning like a kid on Christmas morning!

I love finding deals like that.

It looks in pretty good condition after you cleaned it up.

But.... Where are the 2 m30s?

What is yer plan for that neglected lady?
300 H+H???
458 lott???
404 Jeffery???

or as is 375?

very very nice

you saved a 375hh from the graveyard

Fantastic! I always seem to buy dear and sell cheap

I SHALL NOT COVET MY NEIGHBORS' RIFLES...

Great find you lucky SOB. I too am interested in the remainder of your restorative plans. My vote would be for the 404 or leaving it a 375 H&H. You need a classic cal for a classic old rifle. Pictures and updates would be much appreciated.

She will remain a .375H&H and she will see many more years in the field. A safe queen she shall not be.

She will hunt again.

quote:

Originally posted by surestrike:
She will remain a .375H&H

Classy

Make sure you try her out very soon! I'd like to see just how good it does.

Excellent score! CONGRATS!!

Makes me feel good to see deals like that go to people who really appreciate them.

Cheers,
Canuck

Nice find!

Great find. Congratulations!

I'm really glad to hear she'll stay a .375.

Kyler

Where on earth did you find it?
Around Colorado Springs every pawn shop and gun shop would think they have a treasure and price it out of this world. I look all the time but pawn shops around here are the pits to deal with.
Great rifle and lucky find, I hope you hunt that rifle the way it should be.

So if the barrel says .375 Magnum does that mean it is a .375 Winchester or .375 H & H ?

Bugle,

It is a .375H&H I don't think the .375 Winchester was even introduced until the 1970's.

Some guys have all the luck.

Congrats,

Gerhard

Surestrike: What church do you go to? I need to switch.

Great find, how did the bore look after you cleaned it up?

Grandpa sure knew his rifles. Nice one.

You have all the RIGHT parts for a .458 Ackley! Think about it! Nicest one I ever made was built out of the parts you now have. Sweet deal!-Rob

what happened to the two m-30 remingtons?

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Cooley:
Great find, how did the bore look after you cleaned it up?

It is PERFECT!

........Nice find ,,, I would have gone for the model 30 ,s Just a nice unadulterated 3and six bits ...,.I REALLY applaud your decision to keep it as is ...You can find a donor action anywhere but a nice old 375 H&H model 70 is rare indeed .....I am suprised there is no dog knot on the barrel .??

quote:

Originally posted by gumboot458:
........Nice find ,,, I would have gone for the model 30 ,s Just a nice unadulterated 3and six bits ...,.I REALLY applaud your decision to keep it as is ...You can find a donor action anywhere but a nice old 375 H&H model 70 is rare indeed .....I am suprised there is no dog knot on the barrel .??

The original pre64 model 70 375 H&H barrels were more or less a straight taper and did not have the knot on them. They cam with a screwed on rear sight with two folding leafs. I know, I just found one myself although it was probably priced a bit higher. Mine is all original and had been to Africa about eight times. The guy that brought it in said it was his dad's and he wanted to "get rid of it". It had a cracked stock, almost all did, and an original "Browning (Leupold I think) 4x scope in Weaver mounts, no holes in the side of the receiver, and an older, period sling. I fixed the cracks and bedded it.

I found one like that about three years ago with the straight taper barrel & G&H side mount in really decent shape .... also at a very attractive price. I sent the old Lyman 7/8" scope to a fellow in Ohio (Parsons Scope Repair) & he made it function like new (& really cleaned it up on the outside). I refinished the stock, & now it looks like the classic that it is. I may take it to Africa next year & let it do what it was intended to do ---- HUNT! You made a great find; IMO, nothing is smoother than a pre-64 Model 70.

Congratulations on a great find.

I can't help but comment that some would change the cartridge or caliber on a rifle thats ideal just as it is. What a waste of time and money!

Hope you can find some 1" rings. Perhaps someone will PM you with how to do that.

Jeff,

You've got a PM.

Frank could you PM with the info on the scope refurb guy in OH?

Thanks

Greg

Crusher both of those M-30's are still at the shop one is re barreled to 7MM the other to 6MM.

PM me for contact info.

"The serial number puts her manufacture date in the early 1940's."

Just thinking about her history makes me smile I can only hope my M70 416 does not face the same fate.

quote:

Originally posted by surestrike:

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Cooley:
Great find, how did the bore look after you cleaned it up?

It is PERFECT!

Great now lets go shoot it!!!!! All the rest is just minor cosmetics.
Bill

I just got the two m-30 remingtons and they were worth much more than paid for them got them both delivered to texas for less than I usualy pay for m-17 enfield actions and these are rough at first but clean up real nice one even had a scope on it. hulling them out for actions but could hunt with either one as is.

this whole deal gives me pause as to what will become of my rifles when im gone I think I will start giving them to kids and new hunters long before I go if I have any warning. it just beats some dipshit relative selling them for a little of nothing at a pawn shop.

thanks surestrike for the hook up on these two actions I will send pictures when they are done.

Crusher, Ya got to post picks of those M30s!

I have only bought 3 brand new rifles. All the rest are gunshop, pawn shop finds like this. Older, nice rifles probably "inherited, get rid of" guns. Its always fun finding these treasures.

I witnessed a woman bring in several nice guns to a gunshop to "get them out of her house"
Its quit an amazing spectical to see. Almost like witnessing a reverse burglery!

Only once have I came upon a treasure like that, it too was a pre-64 Model 70, actually the serial put it at 1948, chambered for the 30-03. Had a griffin & howe side mount similar to yours, and was in tip-top condition. Dude sold it for $700 because he didn't know what he had.
Surestrike and Crusher, congrats on your lucky finds! Keep yer eyes open for more!

quote:

Originally posted by CRUSHER:
I just got the two m-30 remingtons and they were worth much more than paid for them got them both delivered to texas for less than I usualy pay for m-17 enfield actions and these are rough at first but clean up real nice one even had a scope on it. hulling them out for actions but could hunt with either one as is.

this whole deal gives me pause as to what will become of my rifles when im gone I think I will start giving them to kids and new hunters long before I go if I have any warning. it just beats some dipshit relative selling them for a little of nothing at a pawn shop.

thanks surestrike for the hook up on these two actions I will send pictures when they are done.

Crusher,

I am glad they've gone to a rifleman who will appreciate them. I'd sure like to know who grand pa was? I'll bet he had some stories to tell because he sure as heck knew his rifles. Imagine the stories these things could tell?

In any case I'll bet the old man is rolling in his grave knowing the condition these things were allowed to get into after his death. They were obviously treasured when he owned them.

And you are welcome sir. I'm glad I could help out.