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December 2, 2023
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Greetings to all,
I recently purchased a winchester model 70 pre war (1941) national match rifle serial #32xxx it has all the visual characteristics of a national
match stock, sights etc, however it has a “rail”, “bridge” I’m not sure of the term, affixed to the rear reciever it is attached with two tapped
holes, I’ve searched the inernet it states somewhere where there were one sometimes two tapped holes from the factory depending on the
year so i don’t know where to go so i’m at waca forum, can someone clarify exactly what i have pics can be furnished however i don’t know
if they’re necessary yet thanks dave #66155
November 5, 2014
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Hi Dave-
Pics would help…
But in general, the usual factory provision for scope mounting on M70 Nat Match, Target, and Bull Guns was a scope block on the front receiver ring and another one on the barrel. At the time, drilling the bridge was not considered important. Using the blocks on the receiver ring and the forward most of the two positions on the barrel mount gave 7.2″ mount spacing, which equated to 1/4 minute click adjustments on the micrometer adjustable target scope mounts of the day. The bridge of 30-06 Target rifle receivers (with clip slot) were not regularly D&T until about 1950…
I would suspect that holes drilled in the bridge, especially of a target rifle, would be aftermarket. There are certain characteristics of factory D&T holes that are usually not present on aftermarket holes, but it would surprise me if they were factory.
That said, IMHO pre-war Nat Match rifles are quite rare. Much less common, in the survey, than even 1st variation (ramped) Target rifles, of which Rule said “less than forty” were known. I think Roger’s numbers are a significant underestimate of 1st variation Targets, but it seems to me that Winchester didn’t make many Nat Match rifles before WWII.
This is a somewhat rough, but intact, pre-war Nat Match (s/n 41035)…
I’d like to see pics!!!
Lou
WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters
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