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November 1, 2013
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I know that it was being done in 1939. How long afterwards?
April 15, 2005
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Winchester etched the serial number on the bolts for all Pre-1964 production Model 70s.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
July 8, 2016
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I have a model 70, 270, super grade, classic series, Ser #G18180, made in 1989-1990 I think, that has the last 3 of the serial # on the bolt. Also have a model 70 classic, feather wt, 7mm-08, serial #G40001 that has the last 4 of the ser # inscribed on the bolt. Both models model had the controlled feed, and the claw extractor. Peter
November 1, 2013
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Bert H. said
Winchester etched the serial number on the bolts for all Pre-1964 production Model 70s.
Bert
Does this mean they were hand fitted? Doesn’t seem an exceptional thing to have been done pre-war, but rather surprising if it was still being done in the ’50s & ’60s.
July 8, 2016
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I don’t know about hand fitted, but my 270 had to have a gunsmith work it over so it would retract and eject shells. That doesn’t sound like “HAND FITTED” to me. Peter
September 22, 2011
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I could never understand why bolts were etched with serial number. Looks unprofessional to me. Winchester should have stamped bolts with the serial number, imho…for what it is worth.
November 1, 2013
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Eagle said
I don’t know about hand fitted, but my 270 had to have a gunsmith work it over so it would retract and eject shells. That doesn’t sound like “HAND FITTED” to me. Peter
My ’39 SG ’06 feed & ejects with such silky smoothness, that it feels hand-fitted; more so, even, I must reluctantly say, than my ’27 NRA Sporter, which definitely was hand-fitted. Krags are supposed to be smoothest of all bolt-actions, but no Krag I’ve handled surpasses this particular 70.
April 15, 2005
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clarence said
Does this mean they were hand fitted? Doesn’t seem an exceptional thing to have been done pre-war, but rather surprising if it was still being done in the ’50s & ’60s.
To the best of my knowledge, Yes, Winchester was still hand fitting each individual bolt to the barreled receiver. That stated, Seewin, Lou, Victor (to name a few), and others on the WACA forums know much more than I do about the Model 70 production.
Bert
WACA Historian & Board of Director Member #6571L
November 1, 2013
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mrcvs said
I could never understand why bolts were etched with serial number. Looks unprofessional to me. Winchester should have stamped bolts with the serial number, imho…for what it is worth.
Well, though the markings look somewhat irregular, etching was good enough for Springfield Armory, where considerations of “the bottom line” (always important to WRA) seldom applied.
