A little reverence for the Model 71 in 348 Winchester
- Thread starter Jay
- Start date
Fine as the 71 was the wheel was turning against levers as universal favorites for hunting when it was introduced. The model 88 was a good rifle but nothing traditional about it, one piece stock, hammerless and box magazine. Reintroduction of the 71 would likely cause a brief flurry of orders followed by flat sales if history is any indicator.
The Winchester 64 was discontinued( a fantastic woods rifle) and people clamoured for it's return. When it was reintroduced in the early 70's sales were poor and it was quickly dropped from the lineup. Though the poor quality of post 64 model 94 rifles no doubt played a role in that.
The Winchester 64 was discontinued( a fantastic woods rifle) and people clamoured for it's return. When it was reintroduced in the early 70's sales were poor and it was quickly dropped from the lineup. Though the poor quality of post 64 model 94 rifles no doubt played a role in that.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
It's a lot easier to do that when you are already tooled up and producing the rifle. All you have to do it fill the pantograph machine with higher grade wood and send the metal to the custom shop for proper polishing and bluing. A reintroduced 71, will all the associated handwork, would take a lot longer and cost a ferocious price. Look what they're asking for a Marlin off the shelf!Well chit, make a limited run like Remington did with the Classic run.
Me thinks.
borealbushman
New member
- Location
- Dawson City,Yukon Territory.
I’m surprised no one mentioned the .348 Ackley Improved.
Wow! Beautiful!
I hunted with a friend back in the 1960's He had an original M71 Winchester, 348. We hunted Moose in Well's Gray area of BC
I packed a 30-06. We each tagged out, and I remember the recovered 348, 250grain Winchester Silvertip. Classic Mushroom
under the hide of the far side of that Moose. My 180 Nosler Partition exited, so no recovered bullet there.
Definitely an effective chambering in a Lever action rifle.
I packed a 30-06. We each tagged out, and I remember the recovered 348, 250grain Winchester Silvertip. Classic Mushroom
under the hide of the far side of that Moose. My 180 Nosler Partition exited, so no recovered bullet there.
Definitely an effective chambering in a Lever action rifle.
I love the form of the Winchester 71. The best lever action ever made for long cartridges, combined with a button mag, shotgun butt instead of the carbine/crescent plates. It just makes for a fantastic hunting configuration. If only Winchester went + or - .010" when selecting a bore diameter for their new cartridge.
Licensed to kill
CGN Regular
- Location
- Peace Country Alberta
My Dad bought his .348 new in the mid 50’s and hunted with it exclusively through to the 70’s sometime. He killed a LOT of mountain goats with that rifle (his favourite quarry).
Agree. The 71 and the 64 were the two best stocked woods rifles winchester made imo. But hunters were switching to bolt actions in droves in the 1950's.
Winchester did actually go minus .010 plus .010 from the .348 though. The 33 Winchester 1886 came out in 1903 and the lightweight 33 was very similar to the 71 minus the pistol grip. And the .358 was introduced in the 88 lever in the 1950's.
Never understood why the .358 never got more popular. A super woods round for large game. Maybe another victim of the switch to bolt rifles?
X2 Nothing finer my 71 and 64 are coming with me to the Netherland. No guns made today match the old Winnies. Totaly agree on the 358 model 88 I have two.
