Pre-64 Winchester 70 Super Grade .22 Hornet 24″ Bolt Action Rifle, 1939 C&R
SOLD FOR: $4,762.00
LSB#: LSB260629EB023
Make: Winchester Model: 70 Super Grade
Serial Number: 27563
Year of Manufacture: 1939 / C&R Eligible.
Caliber: .22 Hornet Action Type: Bolt Action, Internal Magazine, Hinged Floorplate.
Markings: The left side of the barrel is marked “- WINCHESTER / PROOF STEEL / – MODEL 70 – / WINCHESTER / – TRADE MARK – / – 22 HORNET”, along with a circled “WP” proof mark. The right side of the receiver is marked with the serial number “27563”. The serial number on the bolt matches the serial number on the receiver. The floorplate is marked “- SUPER GRADE -“.
Barrel Length: 24″
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a hooded beaded blade, dovetailed to a ramp base, screwed to the barrel. The rear sight is a semi-buckhorn U-notch sight on a riser, dovetailed to the barrel. The front of the top of the receiver is drilled and tapped. The side of the receiver is mounted with a scope mount.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stock is a one-piece checkered walnut stock, with a capped semi-pistol grip, straight comb with cheekpiece, checkered steel buttplate, a tipped forend, and sling studs front and rear. The LOP measures 13 1/2″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stock shows light wear, with a few light scratches, dings, and compressions scattered throughout. The checkering is well defined, and the stock fits tightly to the barreled action, with no play. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the stock rates in Fine condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is bright with sharp rifling. There is no erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates 10/10.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 90% of its original metal finish. The balance of the finish shows light wear, with light thinning of the finish at the muzzle, operational wear on the bolt and friction surfaces of the action, and a few minor scratches and imperfections throughout the metal surfaces. The bluing is largely intact, otherwise. The markings are clear and legible. The screw heads range from lightly tooled to sharp, but all of the screw heads have strong and serviceable slots. Overall, this rifle rates in Very Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly, as does the safety. We did not fire this rifle, but we did perform a mechanic’s check. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This rifle comes with two Griffin & Howe letters: a Certificate of Inventory & Disposition Abercrombie & Fitch Records and an archives research letter.
Our Assessment: This is a pre-war Winchester Model 70 Super Grade in the scarce .22 Hornet chambering, and it comes with something few rifles can offer: fully documented provenance drawn from the original Abercrombie & Fitch sales records, researched and certified by Griffin & Howe. According to the Griffin & Howe Certificate of Inventory and Disposition, serial number 27563 was received by Abercrombie & Fitch on December 5, 1940 and entered on page 260 of A&F Inventory Book No. 8, described as a Winchester Model 70 Super Grade in .22 Hornet with a 24 inch barrel, weighing 9 pounds, 4 ounces. On January 28, 1941, the rifle was sold in the New York store to “B. Peyton” for $89.35. Griffin & Howe’s research identifies the buyer as almost certainly Bernard Peyton, born in Santa Cruz, California on January 29, 1896. Peyton was the son of William Charles Peyton and Anne R. DuPont, a descendant of the Delaware gunpowder manufacturing family. He graduated from Princeton in 1917 and served as an ambulance driver with the American Ambulance Field Service in World War I, where he was cited for bravery in the field. Peyton was a repeat Abercrombie & Fitch customer who had consigned a Greener shotgun through the store the year before. The purchase date fell one day before his 45th birthday, and the Griffin & Howe researcher concludes the rifle was likely his 45th birthday present. A pre-war Super Grade in .22 Hornet is a rare and desirable rifle on its own terms. With archival documentation naming its original buyer and a story that runs from the California powder industry to wartime ambulance service to Madison Avenue, this one is a collector’s piece in the fullest sense.