I just posted a reply to your earlier inquiry.

Pre-war Model 70s are rarer than post-war Model 70s regardless of style/chambering.  Target rifles are relatively rare compared to Standard rifles.  The total number (1936-1963) of Target rifles made in all chamberings is about the same as the number of Super Grade rifles. 

EXACT numbers of Target rifles (by chambering) are unknown, but 30-06 is the most common by a considerable margin.  Target rifles in 243 WIN and 220 SWIFT are pretty easy to find, while any of the other chamberings are less common.  FWIW... Roger Rule claimed that the total number of 243 WIN Target rifles made was (683), and that it was the second most common chambering after 30-06.  IMHO th 220 SWIFT is about as common as 243 WIN, but records don't exist for guns made prior to WWII.

Whether a pre-war Target rifle is more valuable depends on originality and condition.  

Hope this helps,

Lou

I will absolutely send some pictures, the front sight dovetail is as you described. No front sight just a filler. No threaded holes in the rear of the receiver, just on the front and mid barrel.  I’ll send some pics shortly.

The M70 Target rifle in 220 Swift was cataloged from 1936 through 1950, although quite a few were made later.  The earliest ones had the 26-inch target weight barrel with a front sight ramp (M54 style), but most have a dovetail at the muzzle for a front sight mounting block.  Very late ones that used 220 Swift barrels that were made for the 220 Swift Varmint rifle have two 6-48 D&T holes at the muzzle. 

If you are willing to send me some photos I can post them here for you.  Otherwise it's hard to say what exactly you've got and whether it's altered from original.  My emails are luttrell@musc.edu or lluttrell@me.com.  The maximum size of attachments that will go through is 20 MB.

Meanwhile, here are two 220 Swift Target rifles.  Neither is exactly what one should look like if it's got a 46,000 serial number.  First is the early pre-war (s/n 3374) with the front sight ramp.  Below it is a transition era rifle (s/n 64932).  Your rifle basically should have the (pre-war) action of the former but the matte stainless barrel (with muzzle dovetail) of the latter.

Hope this helps,

Lou

Any information regarding is appreciated.

Looking for a 

Model 70, Laminated, Coyote Outback™, Stainless chambered in 223 Remington.

Anthony said
Michael,
The added information and pictures, besides what Bert had posted truly helps many of us to understand this model better.
We're grateful for members like you, and Bert for the time and dedication to our beloved hobby!
 
Tony
  

Thanks so much for the kind words Tony.  It is nice to hear that others find what we do as useful and beneficial.  Being a science centric kind of guy I recognized that there was a vast amount of "data" floating around via all of the online sales and images.  All that needed to be done was to capture it all and then synthesize the info.  Yeah, it's been a lot of time but it is also rewarding to learn new things and help others.

Michael 

The added information and pictures, besides what Bert had posted truly helps many of us to understand this model better.

We're grateful for members like you, and Bert for the time and dedication to our beloved hobby!

Tony

If you will email the images to me I can deal with the format issue and post them for you.  2bitrifles@gmail.com

The changing morphology of the ones digit used in serial numbers within the Model 1892 sequence is a bit interesting.  Early rifles had a one with a clearly defined upper serif and that style is typical until about the 70000 range when the upper serif disappears and the bottom serif alternates from being on each side of the vertical thus producing a one which looks like and inverted "T" or the bottom serif is only found on the right side resulting in the one resembling an "L".  This usage is consistent all throughout the 100000 serial number range and continues well into the early 300000 range with the "T" version the most common.  Finally, in the mid 300000's does the upper serif begin to be slightly present again.  By the early 400000 range the horizontal upper serif is quite strongly pronounced and visible.  By the early 500000 serial number series the upper serif is changed again to a more common presentation and angled downward to the left.  

Michael

The leading digit is actually a poorly made "1" versus an "L".  It is found on the late 5-digit (90000+) and very early 6-digit serial number on the Models 1892, 1894 and 1897.

Here are several examples;

Bert

Brent McPhee. 

Doc Lane said
Looking at a Winchester 1892 deluxe checkered pistol grip takedown in 25/20 made in 1909. My question is on the left inside of the lower tang should it be marked with X's for good wood used.
  

IF you can post images and the SN of the rifle I will be happy to take a look at it.  I have seen just over 22,500 individual Model 1892's in the past 15 years while working on my research survey.  I may have seen that rifle previously.

Michael

The best known "sightless" pre-64 Model 70s, of course, are the Gopher Special Featherweights.  But in 1962-63 Gopher also offered a sightless standard Westerner (264 Winchester Magnum, 26-inch barrel, no sights, with barrel boss).  It's listed in the Gopher catalogs, so you could certainly buy one.  Winchester didn't specifically mention the $5.60 extra cost "sightless" option until their 1960 catalog, but I think they made a fair number of them in calibers besides 264 Winchester Magnum. 

The one I pictured above used to belong to Bob Porter.  It's possible (???) that he had it rebarreled at the factory well after 1963.  But it is a genuine sightless 24-inch pre-64 Model 70 barrel in 300 Winchester Magnum.  The (R) symbol on the roll mark (instead of the words "TRADE MARK") is found on about half of the 300 Winchester Magnum barrels made in 1962-63.

I don't think I've seen first hand a genuine sightless Model 70 standard barrel that omitted the barrel boss.  Maybe one... It belongs to a WACA member.

Louu