WOW! 1st Year 4-Digit Winchester Model 70 .30-06 Bolt Action Rifle 1936 C&R
SOLD FOR: $6825
LSB#: 230127SH002
Make: Winchester
Model: 70 Standard Rifle, Product Code G7004C
Serial Number: 2026
Year of Manufacture: 1936, 1st Year Production
Caliber: .30-06 Springfield
Action Type: Bolt Action Rifle with Internal Hinged Floorplate Magazine
Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked -“WINCHESTER / PROOF STEEL”-“MODEL 70”-“WINCHESTER / -TRADE MARK-“-“30 GOV’T ’06” in front of the rear sight boss and at the rear with an ovalled “WP” proof, found again on the left of the receiver’s chamber ring. The left side of the receiver is marked “WINCHESTER / -TRADE MARK-”. The right side of the receiver’s chamber ring is marked “2026”. The bottom of the bolt body is hand-scribed “2026”.
Barrel Length: 24″
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a brass beaded blade dovetailed to a hooded, textured, ramped base fixed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a “U”-notch leaf and elevator sight dovetailed to a boss at the rear of the barrel, the notch is fine adjustable for elevation. The top of the receiver is drilled, tapped and filled with two holes in the chamber ring (none on the bridge). The top of the chamber ring and bridge are finely serrated for glare reduction. The left-rear of the receiver is drilled and tapped with a Lyman 57 WJS receiver sight installed (matching assembly numbers on mount and arm). The stock did not need to be inlet for the sight.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock is one-piece hand checkered walnut with a pistol grip, straight comb, sling swivels front and rear, and a checkered steel buttplate. The stock has some light nicks, scuffs and scratches. There is one more notable scratch on the right behind the forend checkering, long but thin and shallow. There are no chips or cracks. The checkering is well defined. The LOP measures 13 5/8″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has minor wear, mostly around the edges and at the heel, with some minor oxidation in the worn areas and well defined checkering. Overall, the stock is in Very Good-plus condition.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright and the rifling is sharp. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 10 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 96% of its metal finish. The balance is mostly in minor wear and faint oxidation on the trigger guard and magazine floorplate. Otherwise, there is only minor operational wear. The screw heads range from sharp to lightly tool marked with a strong slot. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Fine condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. There is a safety mounted on the top-rear rear of the bolt. Pulled to the OFF, pushed to the front the safety is ON, locking both the bolt and the trigger. If pulled back half-way, it blocks only the trigger. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: None.
Our Assessment: This is a vintage pre-1964 Winchester Model 70 Standard Rifle chambered for the classic .30-06 cartridge and made in 1936, the 1st year of production. The rifle has minor wear, possibly having been taken out for one or two hunting seasons, or even just zeroed and left in a safe. Ammunition for this rifle is (usually) readily available in a variety of loadings and makes for a wonderful hunting rifle that can be used on just about any game in North America. This is a nice find for the collectors. Pre-64 Model 70s are collectible in their own right, but this very early and quite well preserved example will stand out in even advanced collections. Of course, it also should still be the great hunting rifle that made the model collectible in the first place. Please see our photos and good luck!
