I’ve come across a couple of these at the Colorado collector show many years ago. Are these barrels the same profile as the 300 H&H or 30-06 or what? How does it compare to the current Model 70 Alaskan 375 profile? Here’s an example on gbroker:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/922167601

I can help you some with this. You are correct, when they first introduced the 375 onto the model 70 it did use the standard weight "30/06" barrel profile. This resulted in a rifle that was a little muzzle light and was said to be a stiff on recoil. Winchester changed to the 24" National Match barrel blanks for the 375. This resulted in a shift to a slightly muzzle heavy rifle. These resulting rifles have a better finished weight recoil-wise and to my mind point beautifully and stay truly "locked on" target. If you see one one of these, it will have an extra set of holes in the barrel which were there on the Nation Match blanks for a Unertl front base. So this is a case where you want to see what appears as extra holes. I've never known how many of these NM barrel 375's were made but from what friends with more model 70 knowledge have told me, there must not be much more than 1000 out there and more likely considerably less. They're really a unique piece of 70 history and when held, about all one can say is they feel like a serious piece. Later, the profile was again changed to a contour in between and the length increased an inch...

Not being rude, but the Heavy 24 inch barrel was first, then Winchester switched to the thinner 25 inch barrel.

Standard Rifle
By 1945 the 24 inch Medium Heavy barrel was replaced by the 25 inch contoured No 1 barrel.

By mid 1959, the Alaskan were introduced with 25 inch C-1 barrel.

SuperGrade
In 1939, the 24 inch medium heavy barrel was superseded by the 25 inch No 1 barrel.

The 25 inch Countered 1 superseded the 24 inch medium heavy barrel reserved exclusively for the 375 Magnum Cartridge. Pages 153-154 The Rifleman’s Rifle, Winchester Model 70 1936-1963. This matches the rifles in the collection I manage.

The 24 inch Medium Heavy was the same configuration as the Mosel 54 Target Model introduced in 1935. In Standard and SuperGrade the 24 inch Heavy Contour was used exclusively on the 375 HH magnum until thst barrel was switched to the 25 inch barrels. Rifleman’s Rifle, Winchester Model 70 1936-1963, at 153.

In 375 I much prefer the 25 inch barrel.

The new FN Alaskan weighs 7 pounds 12 ounces give it take.

The pre 64 375s with 25 inch barrel weigh 7 pounds 12 ounces.

The 25 inch Pre 64 375 HH weigh 8 plus pounds.

Before the heavy barrel there was a pencil barrel which was made for something like 10 months. Then came the 24" NM's followed by the 25".

Can you please provide a citation? I csnnot find such recorded anywhere.

https://www.gunsamerica.com/90...L-BARREL-375-H-H.htm

https://www.gunsinternational....cfm?gun_id=100860689

https://www.gunsinternational....cfm?gun_id=100724483

There are some faked rare model 70s out there. The early pencil barrel 375 model 70 may be rare as hens teath, but they are real.

I'll go thru my reference material and see if I can find it written up somewhere. Good discussion!

Pg 505 Madis book, ...less than 10 rifles produced before going to larger diameter barrel... If true, truly scarce.

I like and appreciate the lively discussion!

This 1950 super grade is claimed to have a pencil barrel:

https://www.gunsinternational....cfm?gun_id=100860689

Might it be a fake, or is the barrel not really a pencil profile?

I think from either source a 1950 would have to be the 25 inch 1 contour.

The medium heavy 24 inch did not have the barrel boss sight base. Most 1950s 375 SuperGrades I have seen have the sight base with flip up sight. Could have been a Special Order? Those Special Orders are a pain to authenticate wo a Cody Museum letter.

I am not saying the barrel stamping is wrong, but it does make me want to look it up for one that matches it. I quick flip and search, and I cannot find a barrel stamping that looks like that. It does not look like any we have.

What do others think of the barrel stamping? We cannot see the entire marking. Often behind Winchester

It should read

Made In New Hevan, Conn. U.S. of America-Winchester-Model 70- 375 Magnum
———Winchester Proof Steel———— ——Trademark——
All capitalized

Sorry, I cannot post pictures, so I typed it out. The dashes are unbroken lines.

If we knew the Serial Number, we could, most likely, match it up.

quote:

Originally posted by kda55:
Pg 505 Madis book, ...less than 10 rifles produced before going to larger diameter barrel... If true, truly scarce.

Would very much be so. Cannot argue with that. I think I might have that book. Is it the little brown color one? I can go through my materials tonight, if answer not handy.

I also wonder if such was cataloged?

George Madis, Winchester 1 of 1000, not a small book.

Thank you. I do have it.

...The Rifleman's Rifle by Roger Rule
Page
197
"An extimated 10 examples were manufactured. These rifles were discontinued very early because so little metal remained after boring the .375" diameter, the resultant light weight caused terrific recoil."
Photos 7-11 and 12, page 199

The recoil pad IMO is after market. Just saying

And checkmate.

A rifle from the 1950s could not be one of these 10 early rifles.