Dear Experts (I LOVE having so many in one place!!!):

Is there anyone out there who has first hand knowledge of the “Van Orden Sniper” Model 70s?  I am wondering if anyone knows what modifications were done at the shop (Evaluators Ltd.) prior to sale to customers?

For anyone interested who does not know already, the “Van Orden Sniper” is one of the few “special order” Model 70 Winchesters that is independently verifiable (the records of the shop that ordered them still exist).  They have a fascinating history, in that “Evaluators Ltd.” proprietor was UMSC Brigadier General (ret) George Owen Van Orden, known as the “Father of Marine Corps Snipers” because of his co-authorship in 1942 of a Marine Corps report recommending adoption of the M70 rifle with Unertl 8X scope for military use (ultimately unsuccessful) and his subsequent role establishing the training program for USMC snipers.  After his retirement (following the Korean conflict), he and his wife (Flora) opened a gun shop located in Triangle, VA near the Quantico Marine Corps base (and FBI training headquarters located there).  The shop specialized in selling firearms and equipment to military and law enforcement personnel.  The shop’s offerings included modified Winchester Model 70 30-06 target rifles for match competition.  They offered two versions, both based on the M70 30-06 target rifle of the mid-1950s; the “Special Target” which featured a Marksman stock with special dimensions, and a “Sniper” version that was equipped with an uncheckered, oil-finished, “standard” rifle stock with dimensions that approximated the Springfield M1903A1 National Match rifle.  (I understand the “sniper” rifles were designed to to conform to NRA match regulations of the time that imposed a weight limit – the Marksman stock plus target barrel was too much…)  While many of these rifles were sold to military branches for marksmanship team use, some (about 90) were sold to civilians.  It is claimed that some of the military match rifles did find their way to Viet Nam, but of course the M70 was never adopted by any branch of the military as a combat weapon. 

I’ve attached a composite of photos of my civilian-sold Van Orden Sniper rifle (S/N 351439).  The last page is from Chandler’s book “Death from Afar – Volume 1” confirming the serial number.  I will remove this page if Iron Brigade Armory (who own the copyright) object: 

http://s1382.photobucket.com/user/luttrell4/media/M70VanOrdenSniperedit351439_Page_1_zpsd4940125.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

My observations are:

BARRELED ACTION: The action is standard mid-1950’s Model 70 “Heavy Weight Target” (Catalog No. G7044C). Clip slotted receiver (standard on all 30-06 M70 target models from 1937-1963), factory drilled & tapped on top of receiver/bridge and left rear (for receiver sight). The barrel is 24″ medium heavy contour, under chamber barrel date stamp ’30-06 55′ (for 1955 manufacture of the barrel), standard exposed roll markings. This one has what Rule refers to as a “second variation” target barrel, as it has a 3/8″ dovetail at the muzzle to accept the front sight mounting block (as opposed to the two 6-48 holes that defined the “third variation” target barrel). There is no provision on the underside of the barrel to accept a fore end stock screw.

SIGHTS: Lyman 77 globe front sight, Lyman 48WH receiver sight, Lyman-type telescope sight blocks on barrel and receiver ring.

STOCK: The original literature that accompanied these rifles from Evaluators Ltd (shown p. 101 of Senich’s “The One-Round War) described the stock as “dense walnut 4-position Sniper Stock with length of pull, drop and pitch approximating that of the U.S. Rifle cal 30 M1903A1; stock smooth finished and drenched to saturation with linseed oil, without checkering or lacquer”. The stock dimensions on S/N 351439 seem to match the M1903A1 type ‘C’ stock pretty well: LOP 13.0″ (M70 standard stocks were 13.5″), drop at heel about 1.4″ (M70 stocks were closer to 2.5″), butt angle about 90 degrees (greater than the M70 standard stock). The butt plate is M70 standard rifle checkered steel with protrusion at top inlet into the stock. The stock is uncheckered and has an oil finish. 1 1/4″ standard Winchester sling swivels. The fore end dimensions look pretty close to M70 Standard rifle. Interestingly, there is a provision for the fore end barrel screw in the stock (like the Standard rifle stocks), which on the Van Orden rifle is filled by a shortened stock screw with an inset escutcheon in the barrel channel (as the barrel is not dovetailed to accept a fore end screw).

The only thing that seems ‘non-factory’ to me is that the barrel channel is free floated (enough to easily pass a dollar bill).  There is no bedding compound in the stock. The Evaluators limited literature indicates that these rifles were match tuned at the shop prior to sale and “warranted ready as received for competition without further modification other than the determination of the user’s zero.”

If anybody has any knowledge of what work was done on the Van Orden rifles at Evaluators Ltd, I would love to know.

Best,

Lou