I hadn’t set out to buy a rifle this morning but was invited by Higher Authority to go somewhere so she could have one of her church lady friends over for coffee. She suggested I might even go over to Gunmaster and look around, maybe buy a can of powder or a primer pocket brush….

Reluctantly, after swiping a couple of the lemon scones she’d set out for her impending guest, I drove away and, after clearing the block, put the hammer down for Plano.

My friend and manager, Jerry, was waiting like a spider for the hapless flies that come buzzing around during weekday lunch hours, smiling broadly when I walked in because he scented a possible quick sale, maybe even a twofer. 

The crematoria must have been real busy this Winter because there were some attractive consignments, older guns that had been obviously well-cared for.  Although I don’t collect them, the first thing I noticed was a beautiful Manhurin-built, post WWII Walther PP .22 LR, a 4″ skinny-barreled target pistol for about $900.  Being a friend to all, even dealers, I told him he’ d underpriced it.  

The next thing I saw was a virtually new 1886 Miroku Winchester straight-gripped, Lightweight 45/70 with steel shotgun butt and half magazine — light but well balanced and sighted. Nice Walnut.  About $1100. These Lightweights are not in current production and are just as handy and well-made as the originals. Yes, it had a barely noticeable tang safety but it’s probably the best 45-70 hunting rifle for the real woods made Since 1957.  I felt a strong twinge. 

But then I saw this 99.9% Winchester Model 70 .375 Holland with a set of QC rings and bases that I think are Leupold. [Some of you with knowledge please took at the closeups and tell me if I’m right about the brand or what?]

This is the second end-of-the-bolt Winchester Model 70 I now own, the other being a 98% .458 African, both having been made in late 1980. The quick lookup engines on the Web say this 375 was made in 1981, which is technically after all inventory and work in progress was transferred (legally, not physically) to USRAC but all the provenance marks on metal and rubber say Winchester Repeating Arms.  Both guns are marked as made in New Haven by WRA. The nunc pro tunc transfer date in the sales contract between WRACO and USRAC was 12/31/1980 but the actual closing date was in April of 1981.  

The last several years’ catalog entries from New Haven for the Model 70 are a little confusing. First of all, the company had an acronym, “XTR”, to indicate an extra-high gloss finish on wood and metal. 

The “Model 70 African“-not an XTR model, was still being made, essentially by hand, with much of the work subcontracted out to local firms in New Haven. The African was chambered in .458 WinMag only and listed for a whopping $607 USD.

What we think of as the “standard grade” Model 70 had a 22″ barrel, was now called the Model 70 XTR Standard Rifle and listed for $354.

The same gun with 24″barrel and the addition of a black ventilated recoil pad was called The Model 70 XTR Magnum Rifle and was available only in 7mm Remington Magnum, 300 Winchester Magnum, 338 Winchester Magnum, and 375 Holland magnum.  All but the Holland caliber got the “XTR” finish and cost $373 USD.  However, even though the .375 Holland chambering was listed as one of the “XTR Magnum Rifles” at a higher $547 USD, the catalog noted it alone did NOT have the XTR finish.  In fact this .375 has a very elegant satin finish on its Walnut, but has same high polish gloss blue steel as the rest. So what the catalog is pointing out is the stock is not glossy.   

What these two rifles mean to me is that, by the late Nineteen Seventies, the Commercial Gun Department of Winchester Repeating Arms, a division of Olin Industries, was really trying hard to regain the trust of its customers and was building excellent quality rifles.  You can’t see it in the catalog photographs but, despite the white line spacers and the angled forearm cap of this .375, the rifle has really good fit and finish. The Walnut stock is inletted well and closely, the sharp borderless checkering is machine cut with hand cleanup, the engine turning on the bolt is cleanly done and attractive, the trigger is crisp and without overtravel, and the wood finish is a handsome low-gloss satin. The pistol grip cap and the forearm cap appear to be made of real Ebony. The magazine follower is made of stainless steel, the blued metal is highly polished and dark. 

The STYLE of this rifle is a leftover from the unfortunate late Sixties but the BUILD QUALITY is as nice as anything I’ve seen in Postwar Winchester Model 70 rifles made before about 1959 and much better than those made between then and 1963, except those out of the Custom Shop. This rifle has the collector-despised push feed action, of course, just like the one in the post-64 African Harry Selby carried for the rest of his career as a PH, after he sold his 416 Rigby to a collector. How bad can it be? 

I like to think this gun is a historical marker of Winchester’s return from Coventry. Having owned a 1966 standard grade Model 70, I think I’m entitled to my opinion.  I’m not sure how much I’ll shoot it but I’ll be surprised if it isn’t very satisfactory at targets.