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Hello people,
I am new here so if I should have presented myself on a different thread, please tell me.
I am the new happy owner of a 1957 Winchester mod 70 in cal .270.
Here it is:
It has a a Lyman All weather scope that I cannot identify . I do not want to unscrew the scope ring.
Any idea of what the WO stands for?
Thank you for your support!
I’ll have to see if I can find anything in Stroebels sight book, but would guess that the rear scope ring maybe covering up a words and some numbers.
Have you shot it yet?
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I have another question for the community, please.
I am absolutely not planning to sell it, I am very happy to hold on to it and give it to my kids one day…
However I am wondering about its collectible value:
The pad is not original obviously. Also the scope ring mounts seem to have been soldered on. The rear sights have been replaced with a blank. You might notice some other aspects that make it less desirable?
I am wondering if I would be completely wasting it if I refurbished professionally, slow rust bluing and re-varnishing.
Thank you
CCGS said
I am wondering if I would be completely wasting it if I refurbished professionally, slow rust bluing and re-varnishing.
Yes, you would; the mods have already taken it out of the “collector-grade” category. The thinking behind those strange mounts is a mystery to me; someone’s “brilliant idea” that wasn’t so smart.
clarence said
CCGS said
I am wondering if I would be completely wasting it if I refurbished professionally, slow rust bluing and re-varnishing.
Yes, you would; the mods have already taken it out of the “collector-grade” category. The thinking behind those strange mounts is a mystery to me; someone’s “brilliant idea” that wasn’t so smart.
Yeah, that front scope mount base being soldered on had me cringe when I first saw it. That was one of my reason’s for asking how well it shot with the current setup. In my mind that is what you now have is a “shooter”. If it doesn’t shoot well, I’d start with blaming the current scope setup and switch it out to what it should be. Otherwise, take it out, use it, abuse it and enjoy shooting it.
Sincerely,
Maverick
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Maverick said
I’d start with blaming the current scope setup and switch it out to what it should be. Otherwise, take it out, use it, abuse it and enjoy shooting it.
If I assess the problem with a gunsmith and the mounts can be removed sensibly, what should I put in its place? Any copies of original parts than can be installed still exist?
CCGS said
If I assess the problem with a gunsmith and the mounts can be removed sensibly, what should I put in its place? Any copies of original parts than can be installed still exist?
Many ’50s scopes & mounts listed on ebay, such as K model Weavers & Redfield mounts; just a matter of picking what best suits how you intend using rifle. (You can buy a ’50s/’60s Gun Digest on ebay for about $10 to see exactly what was available in that period.) Lyman on it now looks like a 10X, too high for most types of big-game hunting, unless it was set up for long-range sheep or antelope hunting. Front mount will probably pop off if heated with propane torch, which you could do yourself, but best remove stock first; if it doesn’t, it may be silver-brazed, requiring acetylene.
November 7, 2015
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Can’t say I’ve ever seen a scope mount quite like this one, I’m wondering if it was fabricated by a creative gunsmith. I’m thinking it probably works if the scope is still sound, it was certainly seen some time in the field.
Mike
I think it’s all relative, the answer to your “what should I do with it” question. If it has no intrinsic family heirloom value, I wouldn’t worry about and either enjoy it or get rid of it. You can always get something nicer or new and start your own family hand-me-down, which is what I recently did with a custom Turnbull purchase, engraved with the family name.
If it is an heirloom, have an experienced gunsmith walk you through what it would look like to refurb the metal. Most of the bluing looks good, just the front sight spot has corroded a little. The stock wouldn’t be hard to refinish unless you don’t want to tackle it.
November 5, 2014
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Hi CCGS-
I’m sure I’m repeating some stuff here, but the scope is a Lyman Wolverine. These were manufactured from 1954-1957 and were available in 6X, 8X and 10X. They were sort of the predecessor to the Lyman “All American/Perma Center” series of scopes and did not have a constantly centered reticle. Apart from that, they were pretty good scopes for the day. One thing to note, if it matters, is that these are 26mm tube scopes, not 1-inch (25.4mm), so finding the right rings (if removed from its current set-up) can be a bit of a challenge (unless someone wants to ream out 1-inch rings)… Conversely, if you decide to keep the mounts and find a new scope, your options are limited unless you want to shim the rings…
As or the rifle itself, it appears to be a relatively late production (1957) Monte Carlo comb Super Grade. The jeweled action components and rust blued barrel are factory. The rifle would have had a <SUPER GRADE> stamped floor plate and a Redfield 255 full gold bead front sight. The (probably original) owner made some modifications, which included the recoil pad and some sort of round/oval inlays in the stock. The scope mount (silver soldered on, I think) looks European in style, I do not recognize it. It’s kind of neat except that it looks like the barrel/mount were not refinished after installation and the barrel is somewhat discolored where the block is attached.
As Clarence said, given the modifications the collector value is less than the “parts value” of the gun. But it’s a neat shooter with period “customization”… If changing optics is part of the plan and “period correct” is important, I also like his suggestion of getting a late-1950s catalog to “shop” from… One of my favorite distractions is to consult a period Stoeger Shooters Bible to see what my options were… 
Hope some of this helps…
Lou
WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters
Louis Luttrell said One of my favorite distractions is to consult a period Stoeger Shooters Bible to see what my options were…
Much the better resource (I still have & use all the time the first I bought in ’59), but Digests (except the first few) sell for a song; I bought one recently for one article, tore it out, & scrapped the rest.
I bought the gun in Germany, near Munich. It comes from a huge private collection of guns that were for the most part in mint condition. This one saw some use but the barrel is clean and the rifling very good. And it has indeed the super grade marking on the floor plate. Pre 64 Mod 70 are not that sought after here. But I had been looking for one for quite a while. They are very rare in Europe.
I have two model 94 from 1929 and 1962 respectively as well…
Thank you all!
Thank you Louis Luttrell for the detailed answer!
It gives me some invaluable hints to decide what to do with the gun.
All the best from France.
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