Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

Winchester 70 Pre '64

onehalf_moa
My brother has a 1949 Winchester Model 70 in excellent condition. I am curious, not being familiar with the 70, what makes a pre '64 so desirable, is it the historic value or are they just better shooters? What is the difference between a pre '64 and the "New" model?

Thanks ahead of time, I know I'll get good info.

73's...


God made some men big and some men small, Col. Colt made 'em equal...
0

Comments

6 comments

Date Votes
  • ZERODIN
    The pre-'64 had a controlled-round-feed action that operates much more smoothly than push-feed actions that most bolt action rifles use. Also, the pre-'64 was better-constructed. When Remington started cutting into Winchester's market with their cheapo model 700, Winchester was forced to compete by making the model 70 cheaper. The early post-'64 guns were the worst, being poorly built, but all post-'64 guns were push-feed, as well, a criminal change from the original mod70.

    As time went by, Winchester improved quality and the post-'64 guns had stronger actions than the pre-'64s, but nobody would forgive them for changing the action in the first place. More recently, they have been making the "Model 70 Classic", which is a controlled-round-feed action of top quality with all the good features of both the pre-'64 and post-'64 guns. I have a model 70 classic featherweight, and it's the perfect deer rifle. And I do mean "perfect".

    Now, the pre-'64s are more desireable, I think, mostly for historical purposes but also because they're still a heck of a good gun - smooth-running, reliable, accurate, and beautiful.
    0
  • andy12390
    i asked a question very similar to this one a while back, i was told that after 64, winchester started stamping a lot of parts

    one shot, one kill
    0
  • asa
    Winchester cheapened every firearm they produced starting in 1964. They also dropped the fine .22 rifle lines-61, 62, and others, and replaced them with the most incredible junk imaginable. The venerable model 94 carbine had the lifter changed from a milled part to stamped, resulting in one of the most historically reliable rifles becoming a gun that didn't feed half the time. If the company had just changed the extractor on the model 70, they might have been able to fool the public somewhat. But, they substituted a clunky, misshapen, cheap piece of "walnut" with gaudy impressed checkering for the arguably most beautiful, classic bolt action rifle stock ever produced. What was really laughable was the gun writers of the time; they all tried to convince the shooting public that all this was "improving" the line. It didn't take long until no one was buying Winchesters made after 1964. I guess they've improved the line somewhat(after being sold a couple of times) but I wouldn't really know-I've never done more than glance at a post-64.
    0
  • ZERODIN
    asa: Do yourself a favor and get a Model 70 Classic. It's everything the pre-'64 was and more. It may have taken them 30-40 years, but they figured it out.
    0
  • Hangfire
    Zerodin...You're learning well Grasshopper[8D][8D]

    Love them Pre-64's!!!!-Bob
    0
  • Sunray
    "...What is the difference between a pre '64 and the "New" model?..." In 1964, Winchester changed their manufacturing techniques for cost saving reasons. Stamped non-critical parts, investment castings instead of totally machined parts, etc. The daft thing about the whole issue is that Ruger pioneered investment casted parts for their firearms and nobody whines about it.
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity