Model 70 300 Savage|Winchester Rifles|Forum|Winchester Collector

Hi Bob-

Your rifle, S/N 349595, was sold in the recent December 2025 Morphy Auction.  IIRC it was described as custom fabricated (whatever that means)…

A few things related to Winchester’s chambering the 300 SAVAGE cartridge in the Model 70.  While it never made it into their regular catalog, it was assigned four Catalog Symbols, which most people consider a criterion for considering something to be “regular production”.  Those catalog symbols were for Standard Rifles with Win 22G sporting (G7090C) or Lyman 48WJS receiver sight (G7094C) and for Super Grade Rifles with either the 22G (G7095C) or Lyman 48WJS (G7096C).  Any other style, e.g. Carbine, Target Model, Featherweight, etc. would be considered a special order product.  There are, for example, two known genuine Bull Guns in 300 SAVAGE, that would have been special orders.

Most (possibly all) of the factory 300 SAVAGE barrels were made in 1946 in the 24-inch standard contour, as used on Standard and Super Grade rifles.  Any other barrel length/contour would be a special order product.

The 300 SAVAGE chambering was decidedly unpopular in the Model 70, so despite the relatively low number produced (362 shipped per Roger Rule’s study of shipping records), a goodly number of 300 SAVAGE rifles were assembled as late as 1954 through the “barrel clean-up” program intended to dump leftover inventory of discontinued parts.  As late as August 1954, Hudson Sporting Goods in NYC was running ads for “newly manufactured” 300 SAVAGE Standard Rifles in MONTE CARLO stocks…

However, your rifle is a Featherweight, hence the Featherweight barrel contour, aluminum bottom metal, and butt plate.  It was never cataloged and never produced through regular channels.  So all bets are off with respect to what serial number it should have. IMHO there are two possibilities to explain your rifle.  Either it was a Special Order built by the factory in 1955, which would be somewhat surprising given that 308 WIN Featherweights were in regular production and would have been FAR cheaper than a special order barrel/chambering, OR it is a “fantasy gun” put together by someone other than Winchester.

You will have to decide which…  There are no known surviving factory records to consult…

I apologize if you already know the 300 SAVAGE production history I recited above…  All that blather is in Roger Rule’s book, which you probably have…

Best,

Lou

Bo Rich said
The December 2025 Morph’s auction had a lot of model 54s, and 70s that were non-cataloged, that I had concerns with.  Others must as had concerns as well.  The Model 54s, and 70s sold for a fraction of what they would of.  If this was not acknowledged.
  

I thought nearly all of them were identified as being “custom fabricated” or similar terminology.  Is this not a fancy term for, “faked”?

Hi Bob-

The lack of a chamber inspection (caliber) stamp underneath a M70 Featherweight barrel, in general, isn’t surprising.  For one thing, the factory stopped dating and stamping caliber sometime in 1956, i.e. ’56 dated barrels are the latest ones I’ve yet run across in surveying.  I don’t think there ever was a “338” or “264” chamber inspection stamp (both introduced in 1959), but some (undated but presumably 1962-63) 300 WIN MAGNUM barrels are stamped “300M”… 

Also, caliber stamping Featherweight barrels seemed to be hit or miss even in 1952-54 when standard barrels were still being dated/stamped. They’re usually dated, but no caliber stamp.  I’ve tried to explain this to myself by “reasoning” that from 1952-54 Featherweight barrels were only made in 308 WIN, so why stamp the caliber when there was only one?  No idea if that holds water or not…  But even after other calibers were added, (1955-56) Featherweight barrels were not consistently stamped.  Yes, some are stamped “.243”, “.358”, “270” or “30-06” as appropriate, but I’ve yet to find a 308 WIN Featherweight barrel stamped “308”… 

So who knows what the factory would do with a one-off Featherweight barrel?  

Also… While the factory drawing of barrel inspection caliber stamps says 300 SAVAGE barrels should be marked “300S”, I’ve yet to run across one.  The legit (and undoubtedly some fake) 300 SAVAGE Standard contour barrels I’ve gotten pictures of are stamped “300-SAV.” under the barrel.

If anybody reading this has a M70 in 308 WIN or 300 SAVAGE that’s stamped “.308” or “300S”, respectively, please send me a photo!!! 

Lou

Hi Bo Rich-

I’ve been trying to “collect” good examples of under barrel stamps for all M70 cataloged chamberings that used them. This for potential “book use”…

It’s frustrating to say the least.  I only have just so many guns that I can take apart, and some stamps were not used consistently, so I don’t own everything I want photographed.  Getting stuff off the internet, for example from pre64win.com and Frontier Guns b/c they often post such pics, is dependent on the quality of the photo.  So I often “know” what a correct stamp looks like, but don’t have a “good” photo of it…  Grrrrrr…

I’ve seen a lot of 300 SAVAGE barrels where the “300-SAV.” stamp is pieced together, and others where it’s a one-piece die.  Don’t know which (very possibly both) are factory.  As for 308, the only barrel I’ve run across with a caliber stamp under the barrel is a 308 WIN National Match (which was a cataloged special order from 1952-554).  On it the numerals “308” are hand stamped…  It’s not my gun but does belong to a WACA member and I hope to get to see it before long.  You are right that none of the 308 WIN Bull Guns are stamped either…  I don’t own one but my WACA Friends have some, and theirs aren’t stamped.

Best,

Lou