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…issues, thus the already aforementioned primers they had patented and used...U.M.C. etc.

Somewhere out there is probably a hard core 45-70 collector that could tell us.

Got to thinking about this.  Frankford Arsenal would have supplied the ammo for the Military during this…

…period and the 45-70 ammo would have been Benet primed. 

…it were an original Super Grade, it would almost certainly IMHO have a Redfield 255.  OTOH... As Zeb pointed out, I've seen quite a few genuine M70 Super Grades for sale (usually well used 270 WIN or 30-06 rifles with recoil pads, etc.) from which the front sight had been canibilized …

…factory parts.  If I owned the rifle, I think I'd keep it (in the collection, not solely as a "shooter").  Then again, I have a large enough M70 collection, including (5) other SG Featherweights, that I actually like having some "question mark" guns...  Adds a little "spice" to the …

…"nickel tour" of my gun room...  Something for Bob (and others who know M70s) to frown upon... But if I were a collector wanting a "representative" SG Featherweight, that one wouldn't be it... 

Just my (final)

…issues, thus the already aforementioned primers they had patented and used...U.M.C. etc.

Somewhere out there is probably a hard core 45-70 collector that could tell us.

…the Milbank primers were not a Winchester primer they may have been used in the 45-70 trapdoors at the battle? 

…interesting video from the IAA website. I did notice that Maverick commented on it, on the IAA site.

https://forum.cartridgecollectors.org/t/70-150-shooting/66237

Anthony

…sure about model 70's. But I saw this last week, hope it helps

https://live.amoskeagauction.com/lot-details/index/catalog/127/lot/92853/Winchester-Pre-64-Model…

…-70-Bolt-Action-Rifle?url=%2Fauctions%2Fcatalog%2Fid%2F127%3Fpage%3D1%26view%3Dlist%26catm%3D2%26order%3Dorder_num%26xclosed%3D0%26featured%3D0

…your pictured Redfield #255 sight. I have been looking for one of these sights for quite some time without success. I need one for a 1958, model 70 Super Grade featherweight. I have all four calibers of the 1955- 1959 Super Grade featherweights which I plan to display at the Cody Gun show in

…the change on the Super Grade after 1955.  He even pictured a 1962 Special Ordered Feather Wieght Westerner.  The gun has everything that the Model 70 Collector would want.  It lacks nothing that should be on that type of rifle.  A Super Grade Feather Weight would be a special ordered item in 1963

…:

If the chambering is good to 45-70 Govt and the rifling is OK-

I will take it. Will PM withdetails.

R Marriott

…-

I don't follow prices as closely as I could, but 257 ROBERTS is a popular (albeit not rare) chambering in the pre-64 M70 and they are getting pricey...

Price depends on condition and the presence of any non-factory alterations (like recoil pads) or absence of

…becomes a big money pit.  Believe it or not there are folks out there that have made Winchester stocks.  The custom shop out of Montana sells Model 70 Super Grade Stocks.  They are expensive.  For example I knew of a man in Pa. that made Model 43 Special stocks, and they were done very well.

…when they had some in stock. You may have to be patient. 

There has been a lot of sight stripping going on for decades. My 1950 Supergrade Model 70 lost its #3276/BM and Redfield #255 Full Gold Bead along the way before it got to me. I found the sight hood easily enough although it cost a C…

…-note.  To be completely honest, I prefer the Redfield Sourdough and that's what my Model 70 now wears, along with a Lyman 48WJS-H micrometer receiver sight. I set it up for hunting, not paper.

Here is what the Redfield #255  looks like

…said

Have a very nice used Winchester Model 70 .257 Roberts that's been in my family since new. Just wanted to know its production year and approximate value. Serial #157548 Thanks for any

…a very nice used Winchester Model 70 .257 Roberts that's been in my family since new. Just wanted to know its production year and approximate value. Serial #157548 Thanks for any

…is a Winchester 1886  originally in .33 Winchester that someone bored to 45-70.

Barrel only  available for price of shipping. No sights

…hold no particular interest for me...

Bob Walker had/has some neat stuff that came from the old factory after the sale...  In fact, the M70 single shot interchangeable barrel ammo test rifle ("Bolt Action A" No. 27) that I have came from Walker.  He had three of them, one of which is…

…the one he sold to Roger Rule that's pictured in Rule's book. 

I also got a couple M70 1950s factory assembler's tools from Bob; the bench fixture used to assemble the firing pin/main spring/bolt sleeve assembly and the specialized pair…

…of pliers used to install the extractor collar on the bolt body.  I believe those are the only "specialized" tools needed to assemble a pre-64 M70.  The rest just requires various drifts, screw drivers, and a brace bit for the action screws...

It happens that I used the bench fixture

…Super Grade rather than a parts gun.  

I have read but can't immediately recall where -- possibly Rule - that there were late Pre'64 Model 70 Africans that came from New Haven with aluminum floorplates marked "Super Grade."  If that is so, it slightly argues against a bulk sale of obsolete

…Luttrell said

Hi Asparagus-

Your Model 70 is a National Match rifle.  The barrel is what defines it.  The National Match was built using a 24" standard contour barrel with a unique low…

…mounted scope block forward of the rear sight boss.  The rifle would have originally had a pair of telescope sight bases; one on the barrel 0.470" tall, and the other on the front receiver right 0.185" tall.  Similar to this one (s/n 41035)...

The front sight is a Lyman 77R globe…

…has been slimmed down somewhat (the usual Marksman fore end is about 2 3/8" wide) with added checkering.  Such modifications were quite common on target rifles.  Marksman stocks were not regularly checkered, although checkering could be ordered.  When they were checkered it typically looked like

…Griz-

Unfortunately there are no surviving factory records for Model 70s documenting caliber/style by serial number.  If there were our lives would be much easier...

I asked about the serial number b/c I'd added it…

… which at one point could be bought off gun show tables.  

Something to keep in mind (which many folks don't know), it that prior to 1955, Model 70 Super Grades differed from Standard rifles in only three parts; the Super Grade stock, Super Grade stamped floor plate, and Redfield full gold bead

…Asparagus-

Your Model 70 is a National Match rifle.  The barrel is what defines it.  The National Match was built using a 24" standard contour barrel with a unique low…

…mounted scope block forward of the rear sight boss.  The rifle would have originally had a pair of telescope sight bases; one on the barrel 0.470" tall, and the other on the front receiver ring 0.185" tall.  Similar to this one (s/n 41035)...

The front sight is a Lyman 77R globe…

…has been slimmed down somewhat (the usual Marksman fore end is about 2 3/8" wide) with added checkering.  Such modifications were quite common on target rifles.  Marksman stocks were not regularly checkered, although checkering could be ordered.  When they were checkered it typically looked like

… Simply remove the front sight to check.  I can't see the stock well enough to determine if it is a National Match stock.  The National Match Style Target stock was not checkered for regular production.

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…said

The Model 70, pre or post 1963, was never designed nor intended by its manufacturer to make sub MOA groups. Not even the target and varmint styles of the Model were guaranteed by New Haven to do so.  Particularly in the magnum calibers. The basic action design is not suited…

…with the action bolts.with a torque wrench, and the expenditure of quantities of loading components. But like a golf club, a standard Model 70 .300 Win Mag is ill suited to the task. 

It used to be conventional wisdom that the short magnums delivered best accuracy at close to maximum

…a rifle that was known as an International Match Rifle, but the description of that rifle was nothing like mine. Mine is a full-blown Schuetzen target rifle and matches the Cody letter to a T. Could there have been a US Schuetzen match team that competed internationally?

The "US" marking

…a rifle that was known as an International Match Rifle, but the description of that rifle was nothing like mine. Mine is a full-blown Schuetzen target rifle and matches the Cody letter to a T. Could there have been a US Schuetzen match team that competed internationally?

…  I'm no expert on the Model 70 -- you've already heard from them. But you've just raised the question how difficult it might be to acquire a late Super Grade stock into which a…

…to Lucifer in the flesh as long as his plastic would clear. My apologies.]

I had bought off a local consignment rack a very nice Model 70 "Super Grade" that had been rebarreled by a well regarded San Antonio gunsmith with a Varmint contour, sightless 26" SAKO 22-250 barrel. (Sako

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…the best reference for what a "real" post-1959 Super Grade might look like.  They also seem to have a much higher "survival rate" than other M70s.  Probably understandable given their specialized role and not being a caliber most people would take out to the range all the time for …

…"recreational" shoulder abuse... The overall "coverage" in the M70 survey to date is only about 3.4% of production, yet we've got (236) unique African serial numbers so far (19.2% of total).

One caveat about…

…genuine factory parts, and it's not always easy to tell which are originals.  For example, my Dad once bought a 1957 "Super Grade Featherweight" in 270 WIN that was actually a made-up parts gun.  Jeweling was added to a standard Featherweight barreled action (Du-Lite blue and Win 103E sight)…

…was a fake...  That particular one is NOT out there in circulation however, as I permanently "decommissioned" it.  Anyone need a mint standard 270 WIN Featherweight barreled action with non-factory jeweling??? I keep thinking I'm going to put a regular stock on it and give it to one of the

…(of the stock).  Since Super Grades, excluding the African, were dropped from the catalog after 1959, very few would have that feature. 

In the M70 survey, I have recorded (9) standard Super Grade rifles made in 1960-1963 (excluding Africans), of which (2) have plastic butt plate stocks.