In House Shipping:
Make: Winchester
Model: 70 Standard Rifle, Catalog No. G7008C
Serial Number: 33154
Year of Manufacture: 1941
Caliber: .220 Swift
Action Type: Bolt Action Rifle with Internal Hinged Floorplate Magazine
Barrel Length: 26”, Round
Sights/Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade dovetailed to a hooded, textured, ramped base fixed to the front of the barrel. There is a dovetailed boss at the rear of the barrel which is currently filled with a blank. The left-rear of the receiver is drilled, tapped, and filled for a receiver sight (none included). The top of the receiver is drilled and tapped with a one-piece Redfield base and 1" rings installed.
Stock Configuration and Condition: The stock is one-piece hand checkered walnut with a pistol grip, fluted straight comb, sling swivels at the front and rear, and a checkered steel buttplate. The stock has some light nicks and scratches. There is some handling wear in the bottom of the forend. 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 buttplate. The buttplate has some wear around the edges and at the heel, some minor surface oxidation, and well defined checkering. Overall, the stock is in Very Good Plus Condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original, the trigger guard shows treatment with cold blue. The bolt is serial-matching.
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is no erosion in the bore, but there is a little stubborn fouling. In this writer's opinion, the bore rates 9 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 96% of its metal finish. The finish is thinning at some edges. Most of the balance is wear on the trigger guard, which shows treatment with cold blue. There are a few minor marks. The bolt has some stubborn, dried grease. The action shows operational wear. The screw heads are tool marked with strong slots. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Very Good Plus Condition.
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, and Accessories: This rifle comes with the previously mentioned installed scope mount.
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 1941 and is in Very Good Plus Condition. It features a 26” barrel, 96% of its crisp, original matte blued finish (the trigger guard shows treatment with cold blue), an elegant one-piece checkered walnut stock with a pistol grip, fluted straight comb, and checkered steel buttplate, clear markings, strong mechanics, and a mostly bright bore with sharp rifling and no erosion (just a little stubborn fouling). The top of the receiver is drilled and tapped with a one-piece Redfield base and 1" rings installed. This beauty is chambered in .220 Swift, a wonderful varmint cartridge capable of velocities exceeding 4,000 fps, and some find it suitable for medium game due to the outsized damage high velocity grants to its rather small projectiles. This is a beautiful rifle in a great varmint caliber, and as a pre-war Model 70, would be a fantastic addition to a collection.