Zebulon said
Any chance it will shoot around corners? I think there were some arc-shaped barrels developed for World War I trench warfare. Don't know how they shot but coyotes aren't quite smart enough to see the muzzle pointed at them even though you were in profile... 
  

I think Mythbusters did an episode on curved shooting, based on a popular movie where the characters had that power. There was actually some validity to it if the angle was not too extreme, the could still shoot!

Bert H. said
Winchester stamped the "W" on many thousands of Model 94 (and Model 64) receiver frames from February 1939 through February 1941.  Serial number 1230928 was a manufactured in June 1940, and it is more than likely a standard Carbine.  Can you post a picture of the factory roll marking on the upper tang?  I suspect that it has a Type 6 marking, but it could be a Type 7.
Bert
  

Bert, did this date range of "W" stampings have a different purpose from the earlier "bluing experiment" marks?

My  "transition" rifle serial no. is 114177, and it came from Northern Nevada. I am not a real student of the Model 70, but very aware of what I admire in the pre-1963 rifles. Frank De Haas points out some of the areas that the early M 70 could have been improved in his "Bolt Action Rifles": like a real Mauser-style bolt shroud along with an extra gas raceway or extra left side receiver ring gas port.

That said, the  early Model 70 was  of a quality that its steel quality was never questioned like in some  Springfields or Mausers, while the fit and finish of the overall rifle along with its accuracy earned it the deserved title of "The Rifleman's Rifle". 

Maybe that is why I keep "rescuing" them from pawn shops, sporting goods stores, and riflesmiths. My collection runs the gamut from 270 WCF through .375 Holland and Holland. Strange as my tastes allow are  two re-chambered and re-rifled custom M 70s in 338-06 and 35 Whelen. One that kinda want back was a pre war heavy barreled Type 1 Super Grade 375 H&H in a wooden Winchester shipping box.

Lastly, a little different from O'Connor's views-wish John Olin and the management of Winchester had decided to turn the pre-63 Model 70 into a custom shop rifle and just raised the price to compete with Weatherby, not Remington...along with some additional calibers and custom orders-all at extra cost, of course.

But  I am just a hunter with good taste-what do I know about corporate costs and worn machinery.    Regards;

Ridge Marriott

Lt Col-USA-Ret

Bob

Glancing at the M70 survey, I have four STANDARD length Type II (cloverleaf tang) M70s in the 114,XXX range (S/Ns 114188, 114220, 114249, and 114262). If you'd care to tell me the serial number of your rifle (by PM if you prefer), I'd like to add it to the survey.  Those are the latest Type II STANDARD receivers I encountered.  As for the H&H Magnum receivers, the last of them were finished and serialized mostly in the 121,000 to 123,000 range, with the latest I've seen being 126288.

The Type II receiver serial numbers are all over the place.  I'm not quoting Roger here, just looking at the survey... The first batch is in the 55,300 to 55,400 range, well before they stopped making pre-war Type I receivers.  Around S/N 60,500 they become the predominant type and stay that way until around S/N 87,700 when the oval tang Type III receivers appear.  Still...  Batches (serial number clusters) of STANDARD Type II rifles appear in the 101,000 to 103,000 range, again in the 108,000 range, sporadically between 109,000 and 112,000, and then finally in the 114,000s.  Oddly, nearly all of the Type II receivers in the 101,000 to 103,000 range were built into 257 ROBERTS rifles...

I guess there must have been a lot of partly milled Type II receivers lying around when they started making Type IIIs (both Standard and H&H Magnum), and they finished them out during 1949.  I also suspect that some Type II receivers that were serialized in the 87,000 range were actually assembled into rifles during 1949 along with the Type II receivers finished and serialized in the 1949 range.  That's probably (???) the explanation for the uncommon Type II rifles with cloverleaf tang inletting and "looped" pistol grips...  The "looped" grip profile appears around s/n 125,000.  My GUESS is that to finish these leftover Type II receivers they had to make stocks inlet for the cloverleaf tang they but didn't change the setting for the pistol grip contour.  

Who knew this was so complicated!!!  Here's an oddball of mine... S/N 100313, a Type II-2 (cloverleaf tang + late dogleg safety) Super Grade in 257 ROBERTS (no surprise there) with a "no cheekpiece" Super Grade stock.  The most common request of left handed shooters wanting a Model 70 Super Grade but not wanting to pay for a right side cheekpiece...  Hmmm...

Just my take,

Lou

Chris D said
That is a fine 1876. 
I find it interesting that there are still lines in the 'One of One Thousand' engraving. They appear to be lines that the engraver used to help with engraving the words in an even line. I know zippo about engraving but that is what it seems like to me. I would have thought these lines would have been polished off prio to it leaving the factory? 
I would like to here what others think about this. 

Actually kind of like that the lines are there, they don’t bother me at all

I do have a 1950s Savage 99 EG in 250-3000. The Arizona Coues variety of whitetails would welcome the Savage, not so much the transition Model 70.

The 270 WCF cartridge was almost developed for deer and antelope. Jack O'Connor would agree with his own Model 70 rifles.

Chris D said
That is a fine 1876. 
I find it interesting that there are still lines in the 'One of One Thousand' engraving. They appear to be lines that the engraver used to help with engraving the words in an even line. I know zippo about engraving but that is what it seems like to me. I would have thought these lines would have been polished off prio to it leaving the factory? 
I would like to here what others think about this. 

I think the lines didn't show when new as the blue was dark and rich and as it aged and thinned they show up like the striations and some later models receivers. Just a thought!

I find it interesting that there are still lines in the 'One of One Thousand' engraving. They appear to be lines that the engraver used to help with engraving the words in an even line. I know zippo about engraving but that is what it seems like to me. I would have thought these lines would have been polished off prio to it leaving the factory? 

I would like to here what others think about this. 

Mike

Feels good to score one at a good price amongst all the craziness, doesn't it!