Winchester Model 70 turned sniper rifles ?

[jmoore]

Way too much $$$ for that rifle!

[RobSmith]

That's what I figure. Way more than I am willing to spend on a "project gun" anyway.

[Cosmoline]

This M70 in the photos was sold at auction by the USN at Great Lakes in 1966. One dealer purchased all 12 M70 rifles, some had standard barrels and one had a broken stock. Bores were excellent. This rifle was purchased from the dealer. I believe these were team rifles. This rifle is in the 70xxx number range as were alot of the other rifles in this group.

I am still looking for positive proof of my sniper rifle but I think your right from what I can find out and need more information.

I have a M70 SN 74644 with a GR Douglas 30-06 heavy barrel. It has been free floated as the front sling mount is mated to the stock not the barrel. The barrel is dated 11-69 and is also stamped "644". "644 11 69" I suspect the 644 reflected the last 3 digits of the SN?

The underside flat of the receiver is pencil engraved "45 RC". The action has been bedded to a very military looking stock with no other markings. From the age of the bedding I suspect it was done when the barrel was installed.

The kicker is it also has a mat green Redfield I Tube scope and rings with a 6 digit SN pencil engraved in the 2214xx range. From what I can determine this is a Vietnam era (1966/67) USMC M40 Sniper scope?

Any help in determining this rifles heritage would be greatly appreciated.

Cosmo

Note: Front top scope mount removed to show SN of scope

[Bruce McAskill]

Your serial number date is from 1947. Serial numbers for that year ended around 75,500 + or - a few.

[jmoore]

Nice collector scope! (Practically speaking, they are prone to wandering zeros with power changesas the cam track wears.)

Your scope's assigned rifle number isn't far off of a mount I have:



The Model 70 is also wearing what may be a interesting stock. Photos of the stock from a few different angles would be useful.

[Cosmoline]

Your serial number date is from 1947. Serial numbers for that year ended around 75,500 + or - a few.

Thanks Bruce your right on the weapons date of manufacture, it is 1947.

What I am trying to locate is information to help me determine if it was built into a sniper rifle by the Marine Corps or maybe an armorer for sniper duty or match purposes?

The bull barrel being stamped "11 69" could lead a person to believe it was converted to sniper purposes in late 1969 which was during the Vietnam war, and the prefix of 644 is the last 3 digits of the receivers SN so it was put on this receiver on that date at least?

I am hopeful that someone will recognize the marks on the bottom of the receiver "45 RC" which will shed more light on this piece.

The scope is a Redfield 1st generation scope in the USMC matt green finish. Since they were only made for the Marine Corps I am pretty certain it is in fact a proper USMC Vietnam era (1966/67) issued scope. The SN on my scope (221420) is very close to one in an Oregon Military Museum from a totally original M40 Remington Vietnam era gun that came back in the personal effects of a Marine sniper that was KIA. See thread here http://www.jouster.com/forums/showth...Question/page3




It's a nice weapon no matter what the story is but with this many clues I just need to find out what I can on it's possible military past.

Many thanks!

Cosmo

---------- Post added at 03:56 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:49 PM ----------

Nice collector scope! (Practically speaking, they are prone to wandering zeros with power changesas the cam track wears.)

Your scope's assigned rifle number isn't far off of a mount I have:

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...stuff054-2.jpg

The Model 70 is also wearing what may be a interesting stock. Photos of the stock from a few different angles would be useful.

Yes, very nice scope. Yours shows the typical coloring change that was covered in the book by Peter Senich "Long-Range War Sniping In Vietnam". It was said that the green matt coloring after time in the sun would turn copper or burnt orange. Very nice indeed.

I will take some more stock pictures and post them.

Regards,

Cosmo

[jmoore]

Yes, very nice scope.

Thanks! That rifle is all USMC except the receiver assembly itself. Swapped a car for it in a fit of madness.

BTW, my friend with the serial number lists is on duty now. (Had i seen this post before 1300 it would have probably been already sorted.) If I remember, I'll ask him Monday.

BTW, he's savvy enough that if you have good photos of the barrel markings, etc. he may be able to tell a good deal just from those. Scary sometimes!

[Cosmoline]

Here are a few

[jmoore]

PM me around 1100 AM ish Monday. Tough to stay up that late first night back after the weekend, but I'm usually stuggling to get back on schedule, so I should be about on general principal. But I'm usually gone by noon. If I see my friend, he'll be in around that time.

But it looks promising.

[enfield303t]

There was a article in Guns and Ammo in the 60's about the snipers and their gun. I can't remember what it was titled but something like "The 25 cent Killers" or something like that. The price was in reference to the cost of the round. I remember reading it as I only bought two magazines in those days, G&A and Guns and Hunting.

My son found the article once and sorry I don't have more information.