Make: Winchester
Model: 70 Standard Rifle, Product Number G7017C
Serial Number: 18048
Year of Manufacture: 1939
Caliber: .375 H&H Magnum
Action Type: Bolt Action Rifle with Internal Hinged Floorplate Magazine
Barrel Length: 24″ Round, Medium-Heavy Profile
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade dovetailed to a textured, ramped base forged to the front of the barrel. The base is grooved for a hood, but none is present. There is a dovetail at the rear of the barrel, currently filled with a blank. There is a pair of drilled, tapped, and filled holes in front of the dovetail. The chamber ring is drilled, tapped, and filled for an optic (none included), the bridge is not drilled. The left-rear of the receiver is drilled and tapped with a Lyman 48 WJS receiver sight installed, adjustable for windage and elevation. The sight has matching assembly numbers.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock is one-piece hand checkered walnut with a pistol grip, straight comb, sling swivels at the front and rear, and a Winchester orange rubber buttpad. There is a relief-cut at the left of the receiver for the Lyman sight. The stock has some scattered light nicks, scuffs, and scratches. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP measures 13 5/8″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttpad. The buttpad shows more notable wear, darkening, and discoloration, but is still somewhat supple. Overall, the stock is in Very Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Refinished, the bolt is serial-matching.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is some faint erosion and stubborn fouling scattered through the bore. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates about an 8 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 96% of its current metal finish. The finish is thinning at some edges. There are a few scattered minor marks. There is wear behind the rear sight dovetail consistent with a previously installed elevator sight. There are a couple spots of minor erosion under the finish on the receiver shoulders. The action shows light operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with strong slots. The markings range from clear to shallow and incomplete. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good Plus condition as refinished.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all previously owned firearms, thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: The Winchester Model 70, known as the “Rifleman’s Rifle”, is one of the most iconic American sporting rifles ever made. It was introduced in 1936 as Winchester’s new and significantly improved bolt-action rifle chambered in big calibers, firing high velocity cartridges capable of taking big game, and for use in so-called big-bore target matches. The Model 70 has been prized by hunters and shooters alike for nearly 90 years, and is one of the benchmarks by which all bolt action rifles are measured. Pre-64 examples of the Winchester Model 70 are held in particularly high esteem.
This Pre-War Winchester Model 70 “Standard” Rifle was made in 1939 and is chambered in .375 Holland & Holland Magnum. The .375 Holland & Holland Magnum round is one of the most powerful cartridges available in the Model 70, suitable for any game in North America, and also popular for hunting in Africa. We bet even Hemingway would’ve been proud to have this Model 70 on his African safari, or in his gun rack at home. For this design, it’s also a fairly scarce caliber, as only 14,005 Model 70 rifles were made in .375 H&H Magnum, comprising about 2.41% of total pre-64 production. This rifle features a 24" Medium-Heavy barrel that can mount a wide variety of sights, currently having a Lyman 48 WJS receiver sight installed. The rifle is in Very Good Plus condition as refinished, retaining about 96% of its current metal finish, a strong bore, and good mechanics. There is wear in the stock consistent with use in the field. All told, as refinished, this is still a fine example of a rare, early Pre-War Winchester Model 70 in a big-game caliber.
RIFLE