Winchester 70. Serial number G251XXX.

Handle appears to be pre 64 and has the Fire with a forward facing arrow. Also has little raised hump on bolt body half the way along its length.

Can anyone help id the rough period of manufacture and is this a potentially good buy? Action is smooth and appears trouble free.

Thank you.

The prefix G was used for serial numbers after 1968. Your number has a 1953 date, but with the "G" that can't be correct. Did you leave out a digit?

Can't possibly be a G. Look again. Post a picture too.

If it has a G it would have to be the current production copy of the pre 64. I believe Winchester called them the Model 70 Classic but I don't believe I have ever seen a serial number production record for that model.

Did someone put a pre 64 in a new receiver? Is that even a workable proposition?

No, the lengths aren't the same. I don't know when they stopped using the G prefix, if ever; if they still use it, then the OP has a new M70. I defer to Speer who is sometimes right.

There are replacement pre 64 receivers with G prefix if they were replaced after 1968.

The only well to tell for sure would be from pictures. Beyond that it's just speculation.

I have a model 70 with a five digit serial number with the G prefix, never could figure it out, even talked with Pat Madis half a dozen times, but it was after George's death, and none of his books even come close with an answer.

Pat seemed to think that it was either a special custom shop number, or that possibly what she called a "Lunch Box Special"

What ever its one of the better rifles I have. A really high gloss dark blue/black walnut 358 Win. Featherweight with a Douglas XX barrel jeweled bolt, and one piece bottom metal. But one of the things that is tripping me up here is that it is a long action with spacer in mag well.

Picked it up from an estate sale and it doesn't look like it had ever been fired, but got a few targets and a couple partial boxes of home loaded ammo, where the woman's husband had been working up loads for it.

Beautiful rifle and as I said deepest bluing I've ever seen on a rifle, did remove the one piece base and rings and put Tally's on it though. Funny thing is that that base and rings had that same deep bluing to it. Kept them just in case I ever decide to sell it!


Phil

Those 5 digit G prefix guns are out of the custom shop in the 1980's featuring the claw extractor years before the Classics came out; most were SuperGrades.

quote:

Originally posted by airgun1:
Those 5 digit G prefix guns are out of the custom shop in the 1980's featuring the claw extractor years before the Classics came out; most were SuperGrades.

Yup. The Supergrade was the fore-runner to the Classic. Or you can say that the Classic was the cheaped out version of the Supergrade. The Supergrade had the heavy, bulky walnut stock with the cross bolts. The Classic had a trimmed out buzzard grade stock. They also made the classic in synthetic and I think they also produced it for a year with a detachable mag.

If memory serves

Sounds like you have a late production "Classic". I would think made in the early 2000s. Production of Classics began in 93 or 94 with a serial number in the mid teen-thousands and ended in 2006. Not sure what serial number was reached, but I would not think much more than 300k.
Matt.

Colorado Matt: That does not account for the "raised hump" halfway down the bolt body.

Pics would be nice.

quote:

Originally posted by airgun1:
Colorado Matt: That does not account for the "raised hump" halfway down the bolt body.

Pics would be nice.

Yes, we need pics please! The anti-bind hump in the bolt is a mystery on this one.
Matt

Bluefish: does your bolt have a Mauser type extractor?
Matt

Yes. And the bump midways on the bolt body and a pre 64 bolt handle with a hole in the bottom of the handle which is smooth not knurled like the classics are.

looks like this:

http://www.gunsinternational.c...cfm?gun_id=100604002

but it says winnlite and has a nasty synthetic stock.

quote:

Originally posted by bluefish:
Yes. And the bump midways on the bolt body and a pre 64 bolt handle with a hole in the bottom of the handle which is smooth not knurled like the classics are.

looks like this:

http://www.gunsinternational.c...cfm?gun_id=100604002

but it says winnlite and has a nasty synthetic stock.

The barrel says winlite? Winchester made a model with a black McMillan synth Winlite stock. We just have to see pics.
Matt

quote:

Originally posted by airgun1:
There are replacement pre 64 receivers with G prefix if they were replaced after 1968.

Sounds like the most plausible explanation for this action.

Blue; post a picture of it; I know you can.