Winchester Cooey Model 71 (.308)

Austen

Austen

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Red Deer
I was doing some internet research the other day on a eastern bloc rifle I picked up about 6yrs (Hungarian M44), of course there was a ton of info on it. Anyhoo, I decided to look up my Cooey and see what I could find and was very surprised at the lack of information!! I found out Winchester bought Cooey in 1961 and serial numbers became mandatory in 1968. Mine does have a serial number so it could have been made sometime in the 70's.
But that is all the info I could find (I looked on Winchester's website and there of course no record of it anywhere), other then a gun shop in Peterborough has one for sale ($499), I think my dad bought it from a friend of his for a $100 or so...so at least it turned out to be a good investment.
Does anyone one know anymore on this somewhat famous/infamous rifle???
 
The Winchester/Cooey CF rifles came in two models. The model 71 and the model 710. They were built in many popular chamberings, and some not so popular (225 Win) They are a bit of an odd duck as far as design goes. Some claim that they are simply a M70 in cheaper disguise, but that is not entirely true. They share the pushfeed Bolt design (but without the Winchester 3-position safety on the shroud) and the trigger with the M70, but that is all. The safety is a two-position type on the right hand side of the receiver somewhat like that used on commercial mausers. The Receiver is not flat with an integral recoil lug like the m70, but is round like a 700 Remington, and uses a washer between the receiver and the barrel (also like the 700 but thinner) with an extension that goes down into a slot in the stock to serve as a recoil lug. These rifles were aimed at the economy market and sold at quite reasonable prices. Most were decent working rifles and were reasonably accurate. The stocks were hardwood of some type (very few were Walnut), and were functional but plain. They are not rare, a substantial number were built during the time Winchester maintained the Coburn Plant. I have owned several, and all were OK rifles. Regards, Eagleye
 
Thanks for the info. Your right about the plainess of the stock, it must have been the style at the time. But I was pleasantly surprised to find a nice grain hiding underneath when a buddy of mine refinished it for me.

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All M71 stocks were made of walnut and no checkering and when the change to the M710 was made they went to birch with checkering.The last of the 71's will have checkered walnut as they used the old style stock to start the new run and a few of the first 710's are walnut with checkering but after that these were used it was all birch to the end.
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"...All M71 stocks were made of walnut..." No they weren't. Mine, in .243, had a very plain, grainless, birch stock. Nowhere near as nice as Austen's stock. Changed it to a Win M70 stock long ago. The glass bedding didn't make a lick of difference, accuracy-wise, either. It shoots consistently minute of deer sized groups. Looks ok with the new stock and phosphated steel, but it's still a low end deer rifle.
 
Sunray,your stock must have been in the transition form at that time of change or changed at a later time as all the 71 stocks were walnut and only the new style were birch with checkering.Neither stock styles had much in the lines of nice grain but some were better than other as they wore made a poor mans M70.
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The stain they used in the factory originally covered the grain completely on this stock. I was completely surprised at the end result. It certainly transformed the rifle though!
 
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