Howdy. A pre-64 Model 70 in .375 H&H recently surfaced in our local gun shop prompting the owner to contact me as he knows I have been looking for one. Well I go into town to check it out and I find a 1950 vintage Model 70 with little bluing, no rear sight, no front sight hood, a rear base hole drilled and tapped into rear dished out part of the receiver (they didn't come that way from the factory, did they?) and a bolt handle that looked like a steel eating beaver got ahold of it (somebody did a real number on it, grinding the ball down to literally a 1/4 of its original size). Also the stock appears to be not original in that it is inletted for the forend screw "hump" that the standard caliber Model 70s have and this .375 barrel lacks. The good things about the rifle were its excellent bore and trigger pull. The price tag is $1500. This seems to me to be about $1000 too high. Am I way off base?

I bought mine from Dave Riffle last year for $1950.00
http://www.daverifflegunsales.com/ He usually has a number of them. Mine looked brand new but might have had the stock refinished and possibly was reblued. I was happy because I was buying a hunting gun, not a wallhanger.
Good luck,
Russ

I've been looking for one, too.

Based on my sense of the market, I think you're on the "money" so to speak. As you describe it, it seems to be in rather pitiful condition--maybe worth the price of a discounted, "needs work," action, if that.

If I talked myself into buying it at all, I don't think I would spend more than $500 on it.

I figure the action is worth $400 as it has to be tigged up...the rest is pure junk...I have bought a lot of nice 375 M-70 in the last year for under $1500..

They bring about $1650 to $2000 in very nice condition..Cheaper at gunshows around here...I bought two really clean ones about 3 months ago for one and 6 months on the other for $1000 and the other for $1200. both were 90 percent or better, and all original, except for a recoil pad added on one, but stock not cut.

Thanks guys, that is what I figured. I'm going to gunsmithing school this winter and I am looking for a pre-64 Model 70 action for my first project gun. This looked to be as good a candidate as I've seen but the price is way too high. Thanks again for your help.

Be VERY CAREFUL dealing with Dave Riffle! I bought the exact gun discussed here advertised "new, 100%/100%, without box". The gun wouldn't feed, had a big dent in the stock, the action had been modified with a file or Dremel, and the stock cracked from the forend to the comb after a few shots!
Dave himself said tough luck on all counts!

The sadest part is that I would never spend that much on a rifle for myself. Rather it was a gift for a good friend and it let him down on a buffalo hunt in Zim.

Kyler

Wow, at the prices he gets for his guns, I'd be REALLY PO'd! Maybe I was just lucky but they did give me a three day inspection and you can bet I was at the dealer when UPS got there.

It was my mistake for not having it sent to my dealer so I could inspect it. My friend wouldn't say a bad word about a "gift" so it was some time before I found out there was a problem. He'd already had it repaired by the time I saw it.

I've been spreading the BAD word about Riffle ever since and have run into several people with similar shady dealings.

Kyler

I went through the same deliberations as you have on pre-64 or new. I decided on new for a couple of reasons - 1)machine work and steel are better quality than 40 years ago much like cars. 2) the cost is about $1000 before mods, 3) I place no real $$$ on the age of a gun, 4) I hate going to gun shows and dickering.

I have bought 2 new ones, sent them to my gunsmith to true, adjust triggers, put on scopes and test fire. If they don't shoot as straight as I would like, I will rebarrel them.

I can do this for what the "raw" pre-64 costs.

Just my opinion.

At the end of the day, the gun is cheapest part of the trip. Much like a dog. What you pay for it is the cheapest part of owning the mutt.

Basically Run don't walk away from any Pre-64 Win that has been "bubbacized". From what you describe, I would not waste a dime on it. There are plenty of decent Pre-64 .375's out there. As someone said, I'd expect to pay between $1500 and $2000 for a pristine 99% gun. -Rob