How is the front sight of the pre-64 attached to the barrel? Is it integral, silver soldered brazed?

It depends on the vintage. Early were integral.
About 1952 they switched to a soldered front sight, but with Winchester you might get an early barrel on a later numbered action.

thanks.
how would you tell. This is a 375.

I have owned literally hundreds of pre-64 Model 70's and have never seen one with a separate front sight ramp. I think it is safe to assume that yours is integral.

I once bought a Model 70 from an ad in Shotgun News which described it as having had the barrel shortened and the front sight relocated. This fascinated me, since relocating an integral front sight seemed like nothing short of magic. When the rifle arrived, it turned out to be an early carbine, with an original short barrel, worth several times what I had paid for it.

Years later, I did encounter a Model 70 with a shortened barrel, and in that case someone had laboriously removed the integral ramp and in fact relocated it, a feat which I would have thought impossible.

Of the three I have, only one dated 1951 has. the integral sight. One dated 1957 and another dated 1961 had soldered front ramp Just sayin.

Bill

I wonder if gently heating it would tell if it is integral or not?

Close exam shows it is definitely integral.
If you want to shorten the barrel what do you think is the best option for replacing the front sight.

I have not done this, but what about cutting the barrel, boring out the interior of the section under the ramp, leaving the OD as is.

Then turn off a corresponding area of the OD of the shortened barrel, and solder the ramp and band back on that turned down area?

If done properly, it should look almost original, except for the line of solder, and it should also be quite durable.

quote:

Originally posted by Redoak8:
I have not done this, but what about cutting the barrel, boring out the interior of the section under the ramp, leaving the OD as is.

Then turn off a corresponding area of the OD of the shortened barrel, and solder the ramp and band back on that turned down area?

If done properly, it should look almost original, except for the line of solder, and it should also be quite durable.

I have done this and it works out well. The installation is nearly invisible. Regards, Bill.

That is an ingenious answer!