Hey gang. I just grabbed an interesting pre-war (dates to late 1937) M70 in .220 Swift. I don't have the rifle in hand yet, but the seller said it has a 23" barrel. I can't find any information to confirm if a 23" barrel was ever offered from the factory. Can anyone direct me to a source of info or direct contact with Winchester to use the S/N to find out what the factory configuration of this rifle was? I'll get a better feel once I see the rifle in person, but I'm dying to find out if this barrel could be original.
pre-64 Model 70 research Q
- Thread starter The Baron
- Start date
Have you tried any of the American forums ?
Some of them have dedicated topics for Winchester collectors or other rifles.
Google is your friend, maybe try contacting the Winchester Museum in Cody Wyoming.
Some of them have dedicated topics for Winchester collectors or other rifles.
Google is your friend, maybe try contacting the Winchester Museum in Cody Wyoming.
lowridersvt
CGN Regular
- Location
- Niagara Falls ont
Sadly no records of the model 70's survive at the Cody museum I have been in contact with them over mine. The best resource is the book riflemans rifle lots of good info. As for a 23" barrel that is not standard . Either 20" or 24/5" I have one with a 23" barrel but it was cut down to fit in a dog sled or pack they are a very interesting historical guns
longbranch*
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Victoria,BC.
Guessing he didn't measure the barrel correctly.
Dark Alley Dan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Darkest Edmonton
That'd be a VERY early M70!
Very good score. When she comes home, could we trouble you to post some pics?
Very good score. When she comes home, could we trouble you to post some pics?
Patrick Gidlet
CGN Regular
- Location
- Thunder Bay
Nice score, I saw that one on the EE but don't really need a .220 so decide to leave it to someone who'll appreciate it. I suspect the barrel was measured to the receiver edge, and its probably a 24" barrel. I'd love to see pictures of the stock, it sounds like an interesting aftermarket replacement. I've been learning about Model 70's for a while, and haven't seen such an early .220. I'll bet its a beauty!
Sure, will do. I happened to be sitting here when the ad went up, and I impulse bought it as fast as my finger could type "I'll take it". Don't care it it's all original or not, but that would be a nice bonus. I've always wanted to try a pre-64 M70 and always wanted on in Swift. Done and done.
I received a few pics from the seller. The barrel has no sights, so definitely not original. The barrel is factory marked from Winchester as a .220 Swift, but I guess there's a possibility it was a newer take-off barrel that was used on the old action. It looks to be a good quality gunsmith job, "modernizing" a nice old M70. The stock certainly looks like a beauty. The seller said it is very accurate, so maybe I'll just use it to slay a coyote or two and then (assuming I don't fall deeply in love) sell or trade it away for the next "must have".
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Patrick Gidlet
CGN Regular
- Location
- Thunder Bay
Looks like a reblue on the receiver, appears to have a bit more polish than typical. Nice stock though, I wonder who made it?
1937 was second year production for the Model 70 but first year for the 220 Swift. . It was offered with a 26" medium heavy target barrel with special front sight ramp and no rear sight boss. . This was a chrome moly #5 barrel a carry over from the Model 54. . It should have the patent date markings on the right side rear. .
The 220 Swift had a muzzle velocity of 4000 fps and if the barrel wasn't allowed to cool between shots, even with the medium heavy target barrel, it would quite often burn out the barrel. . Winchester solved this problem with their 26" stainless #8 barrel which had a front sight ramp and rear sight boss. .
To enable this new stainless barrel to accept bluing the stainless barrel was iron blasted with fine iron particles that adhered to the stainless barrel and this allowed the stainless to be blued. . Surprisingly this worked quite well with the barrels and bluing lasting to this day. . I'll include a picture of my 220 Swift, early 1950's, that's still in excellent condition. . The picture is of poor quality but it's all I have on Photobucket at this time.
The 220 Swift had a muzzle velocity of 4000 fps and if the barrel wasn't allowed to cool between shots, even with the medium heavy target barrel, it would quite often burn out the barrel. . Winchester solved this problem with their 26" stainless #8 barrel which had a front sight ramp and rear sight boss. .
To enable this new stainless barrel to accept bluing the stainless barrel was iron blasted with fine iron particles that adhered to the stainless barrel and this allowed the stainless to be blued. . Surprisingly this worked quite well with the barrels and bluing lasting to this day. . I'll include a picture of my 220 Swift, early 1950's, that's still in excellent condition. . The picture is of poor quality but it's all I have on Photobucket at this time.
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Yeah, appears to be a pre-64 action that was rebarelled with a Win barrel (new or take-off, can't say) in .220 Swift, then reblued and restocked. So not a collectors M70, but looks like nice job and a real beauty. I will look forward to seeing it in person and taking her for a spin.
Patrick Gidlet
CGN Regular
- Location
- Thunder Bay
It looks like nice quality work. I bet its a tack driver! Still a good buy at the price it was listed at, in my opinion.
Not much on that rifle is orginal basicly was a $650 gun . The stock is of a 50's vintage gun which quite different from a 37 and the bbl has been shortened likely has s lot of throat erosion whichay cause accuracy problems
