Winchester Model 70 G7004C Pre-64 24″ .30-06 Bolt Action Rifle, 1946 C&R

SOLD FOR: $3505

LSB#: 230516JS001

Make: Winchester

Model: 70 Standard Rifle, Product Number G7004C

Serial Number: 53205

Year of Manufacture: 1946

Caliber: .30-06 Springfield (.30 Gov’t. ’06)

Action Type: Bolt Action Rifle with Internal Hinged Floorplate Magazine

Barrel Length: 24″

Sights / Optics: The front sight is a beaded blade dovetailed to a hooded, textured, ramped base fixed to the front of the barrel. The rear sight is a “U”-notch elevator sight in a dovetail in a boss at the rear of the barrel, the notch is fine-adjustable for elevation. The receiver’s chamber ring is drilled and tapped (the bridge is not) and the left-rear of the receiver is drilled and tapped with a Lyman receiver sight mount installed. There is a sight-block on the chamber ring and an arm installed in the Lyman mount with rings holding a Lyman Alaskan All-Weather 2.5x scope with post reticle. The scope body shows some light wear and the glass remains fairly clear. The top of the rear ring is marked “LAWSON”, the bottom of the arm is marked “53205”.

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 left of the stock has a relief cut below the Lyman receiver sight mount. The stock has some scattered nicks, scuffs and scratches. The checkering is well defined. There are no chips or cracks. The LOP measures 13 5/8″ from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The plate has some minor wear, a nick on the edge at the toe and well defined checkering. Overall, the stock is in Very Good condition.

Type of Finish: Blue

Finish Originality: Original, the bolt is serial-matching.

Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright with sharp rifling. There is infrequent minor erosion and some stubborn copper fouling in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, the bore rates about 8 out of 10.

Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 97% of its metal finish. The finish is generally strong throughout. There are a few minor marks and the action shows light operational wear. The screw heads are sharp. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle is in Fine-plus condition.

Mechanics: The action functions correctly. There is a safety mounted on the rear of the bolt. Pulled to the rear, the safety is OFF. Rotated forward all the way, it locks 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: This rifle comes with the installed scope and a brown leather military-style sling.

Our Assessment: This is a vintage pre-1964 Winchester Model 70 rifle chambered in .30-06 and made in 1946. The rifle is the “Standard Rifle” style with straight comb stock and is one of the most popular styles in one of the most popular chamberings. The .30-06 served the American military well for the first half of the 20th century and also became one of the most popular sporting cartridges in the nation. This is a beautiful rifle in a great hunting cartridge that is ready to bag some game. The rifle appears to have seen limited and responsible use, retaining a good bore, strong mechanics, minimal wear in the metal finish and some light wear in the stock.

Perhaps the most interesting feature of the rifle is the scope mount, which utilizes the factory mounting holes on the chamber ring and the left-rear of the receiver, using a Lyman receiver sight mount to attach the rear scope ring. While the stock was relieved below the receiver sight mount, the receiver did not have to have any additional holes drilled to mount the scope. The scope is a vintage Lyman Alaskan All-Weather with a post reticle and the original iron sights are also installed.

This would still make for a great hunting rifle that will serve for years to come. That said, these pre-’64 Winchesters are quite collectible and this may have interest to collectors, especially as a Pre-1964 gun. Please see our photos and good luck!

Please forgive any typos, I was educated in California. -Bud