I have a Mdl 70 in .375 H&H with 22 inch barrel manufacture date 1956. Overall very good to excellent condition with minor handling marks on stock.Trying to determine if this was a custom special order. Does not appear to be rebarreled. Proof markings present. New Haven Conn. U.S. of America. Winchester Proof Steel TRADE MARK Winchester-MODEL 70-375 H&H MAGNUM. Does anybody have information relative to the manufacture of the above rifle in barrel length of 22 inches?
November 5, 2014
Hi Larry-
Apart from Steve’s, I have seen one short barreled 375 MAGNUM that might (???) have been legit (not mine). It’s a 1941 (39XXX serial number) rifle with 20″ C-1 contour barrel dated ’38 and integral forged ramp that looked OK to me.
Unfortunately, most 375 H&H Magnums with shorter than standard barrels were cut down later, to make them handier against charging bears presumably… That said, it was possible to special order guns with non-standard barrel lengths. So the best thing would be a very close examination of the ramp and muzzle crown on your rifle. It might be the real thing, like Steve’s!!!
Lou
WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters
Louis Luttrell said
Hi Larry-Apart from Steve’s, I have seen one short barreled 375 MAGNUM that might (???) have been legit (not mine). It’s a 1941 (39XXX serial number) rifle with 20″ C-1 contour barrel dated ’38 and integral forged ramp that looked OK to me.
Unfortunately, most 375 H&H Magnums with shorter than standard barrels were cut down later, to make them handier against charging bears presumably… That said, it was possible to special order guns with non-standard barrel lengths. So the best thing would be a very close examination of the ramp and muzzle crown on your rifle. It might be the real thing, like Steve’s!!!
Lou
Bert H. said
Larry,Please post several clear pictures of it, to include clear close up pictures of the front sight and muzzle face.
Bert
It does look like ramp front surface is too close to the end of the muzzle face. Winchester specifies the ramp location from the barrel/receiver abutment shoulder to the center line of the front sight dovetail. On a standard 375 barrel this distance is 23.17″ +/- .010″. Nominally, this works out to about .350″ distance from muzzle face to front of ramp. In reality, based on measuring approximately 10 brazed ramp locations, it is usually closer to .390″.
If I was guessing, I would say it has probably been cut and ramp rebrazed to barrel. My 22″ barreled 375 has a forged ramp, and not a brazed ramp.
Steve
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