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Not sure if this goes in the swap-meet section or just in the general rifle section. I do want to buy one but also looking for suggestions or guidance.
Here is the deal. A friend of mine has/had (I have it now, just have not got it picked up yet) a Pre-64 Model 70 in .243. He made some trades for at the Wanemacher’s, last fall, maybe the spring of 2024, I don’t recall exactly, don’t matter none either. Anyway, I have been slobbering on it thinking no one would buy it with goo on it, it worked. So, this last show I bought a 1903 off of a walker and ended up trading an S&W 48-3 and this 1903 for that 70 and shamed him into putting a decent scope on it. I told him I would like a period correct scope. He said he has a pretty good and fairly period correct Leupold with rings he will throw in. He is not exactly certain of the year of the 70, he didn’t care a lot, it was a flipper purchase that came in the trade deal, he just said it is a 1950’s era without doing any research. Boy that was a longwinded way of saying – I need a Base for it. He told me to make sure it is a base for a Pre-64 Model 70. So, I come to you all, how do I tell if it is a base for a Pre-64 Model 70 and any recommendations where or what to get? My preference would be a period correct one also, but I may have to resort to something else.
Dan
November 5, 2014
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Hi Deg-
The 243 Winchester cartridge was introduced in 1955, so anything mid to late 1950s would be period correct. If you check the serial number against the “When was my Winchester made” lookup you can get closer.
Looking at the Shooter’s Bibles from the 50s, probably the most popular of the scope mounts were the Redfield JR (one-piece) and Weaver (two-piece) bases. The Redfield SR two-piece bases were introduced in the early 1960s. Except for the rather obscure Leupold “Adjusto-Mount”, the familiar Leupold bases weren’t yet around. Maynard Buehler mount were high quality and available in the 1950s, but aren’t as common/easy to find. Bausch and Lomb made externally adjustable mount but they’re most compatible with their proprietary line of non-adjustable scopes.
All pre-64 M70s used the same overall length action. There was no such thing as a “short action” back then. The correct Redfield JR mount for a M70 standard length action is Code 70A. Code 70 is for the pre-war receiver bridge (so it won’t fit), and 70AM is for the H&H actions (so the holes won’t line up). The Weaver bases for the same receiver are Code 35 (front) and 37 (rear).
Anyway, since your scope already has Leupold rings, the important thing may be that the Redfield and Leupold bases/rings are compatible with one another, provided that the rings have the “rotary dovetail” front and “windage adjustable” rear, i.e. aren’t newer “QR” or “dual dovetail”. Weaver, Buehler, B&L, and other bases from the 1950s would require you get new rings as well.
Hope this helps…
Lou
WACA 9519; Studying Pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters
It is surely a lot to digest for a dummy like me; but that gives me something to research. That is a lot of good information, thank you.
Dan
Louis Luttrell said
Hi Deg-The 243 Winchester cartridge was introduced in 1955, so anything mid to late 1950s would be period correct. If you check the serial number against the “When was my Winchester made” lookup you can get closer.
Lou
Looked it up, it was made in 1956. The guy I am getting it from thinks he may have a base in his “Junk Drawer” from his old Gunsmithing days – not certain, but he will check.
Dan
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