I found a nice model 70 30,06.
The serial number makes it a 1941. Some one changed the safety lever to the modern one.
But besides that it looks very original to me. No pad and even has the front sight hood.
My question is if i could find the parts, could the safety be put back to original ? or was there some machining done to make the conversion.
I have no problem with the safety as is so only interested in increasing the value ! Thanks...tj3006

My guess is that Numrich will have the parts to fix the safety:

http://www.gunpartscorp.com/

There's a BIG collector's difference between "period correct" and "original" condition!

You can get the safety back to original, BUT what about the rest of the rifle???

Post us some pics and tell us whether you plan to keep it, or sell it.
I have 2 - neither are "original", so I enjoy hunting with'em.

ray i have not bought the rile,
I understand what you mean about Period correct and original.
My reason for asking,is because to me if I can return to the original safety at least to me it, sa better deal. To me all else looks original.
But I am no expert. I can get the rifle for about 1100. It would be a great elk rifle.
If its still available in a couple weeks I think I will buy...tj

Numrich does not have the early safety lever; those are hard to find. If you are just using it as a hunter, don't worry about it.

tj,

Then don't worry about the safety - That can come latter and, if your going to use it, you may decide to leave it like it is.

My 2 cents - Go about buying the rifle like you would any used rifle:

Check the crown for any small dings.
Check the barrel for wear or pitting.
Check bolt face and the claw for wear.
Check the trigger pull for any creep or gritty pull.

Pre war safeties show up on ebay from time to time. Don't know about other conversions but the old Tilden safeties are a straight swap out.

dupe

It seems to me that if the Safety was swapped out that it may also have been drilled? I also think $1,100.00 is too much for a prewar 30-06 with the wrong Safety, and probably drilled.

Not to be argumentative but I once owned a pre-war m70 in .300H&H which had a Stith mount on it. It used the original holes on the side of the action for the rear mount and the dovetail for the rear sight on the barrel for the front mount. It had a nice little Lyman Alaskan in the mount. Wish I still owned that one.

You can find them on eBay. I swaped out all of my Pre Wars to wings and have 3 Tildens as well,

Post 1948 safety on a Pre War bolt does not work unless bolt handle is ground to clear Post 1948 side swing safety lever....Therefore, your bolt handle has been altered and changing to Pre War safety would not restore to original.

Sounds like your rifle had a tildon to allow scope mounting and access to the safety with a scope and that does require some modification..With a Lyman Alaskan on it in Tildon mounts, I would call it an era acceptable pre war collector dependent on condition. I would like to see pictures to be sure..Several companies made mod. 70 pre 64 safetys specifically for the old pre war guns that had the left side safety replaced for right side scope use, or you may have the originalodd shaped transitional pre 64 safety that had no drop tendon on it, but was very scope friendly..Alaskan scopes and Tildon mts. are available and work great on a hunting rifle.

There are certain conversions that have less effect on value than others. A side drilled action is a killer unless it has a Griffen and Howe side mount (the mount alone installed by GH is about $1500 in todays value) In gun collecting one had to be as careful as to what devalues a gun as to what increases the value, it just ain't black and white.

I would say the gun in question could as valuable as some originals with that safety on it and its repairable at worst. Some folks think that a worn out mod. 70 or pre war gun in 75% condition is a collector and worth big bucks, beware of that, conditions is all important to a collector, much more than what safety is on it..A 50 to 75% gun is worth the price of the action and parts IMO..its a shooter worth $700 to $800 in std. calibers and a grand in magnum calbers and that's more than it sold for originally! so no bad deal..

Your gun sounds reasonably priced priced for a 30-06 (the most common of mod 70 calibers and somewhat less valuable) even with the existing safety, but I would not value a gun unseen. Pictures would give a pretty close estimate on its worth IMO. I would offer the seller $950 to a $1000 and see what happens.

Yes pictures would help us tell you just what is what and then assess the value from there.