*LIVE* 1962 Winchester 70 .264 Win Mag Blue 26" *RARE & DESIRABLE PRE-64 MODEL*

Bryant Ridge's Analysis

The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action sporting rifle. It is iconic in American sporting culture and has been held in high regard by shooters since its introduction in 1936, earning the moniker "The Rifleman's Rifle." The action has some design similarities to Mauser designs, and it is a development of the earlier Winchester Model 54, itself based on a Mauser 98-type action.

The Model 70 was originally manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company between 1936 and 1980. From the early 1980s until 2006, Winchester rifles were manufactured by U.S. Repeating Arms under an agreement with Olin Corporation, allowing USRA to use the Winchester name and logo. Model 70s were built in New Haven, Connecticut, from 1936 to 2006, when production ceased. In the fall of 2007, the Belgian company FN Herstal announced that Model 70 production would resume. As of 2012, new Winchester Model 70 rifles were being made by FN Herstal in Columbia, South Carolina. In 2013, the assembly was moved to Portugal.

Model 70s manufactured in the early 1960s are the least pursued, mainly because of the poorly checkered stocks. Winchester was experiencing problems at this time producing the quality of rifle that made the Model 70 famous. Unfortunately, this led to the well-known changes that took place in 1964. The quality of these post-64 rifles was so poor that in a matter of only a couple of years, the Model 70s produced prior to that era quickly became collector items.

The pre-64 Model 70 Winchesters were produced in 18 cataloged calibers as follows: .22 Hornet, .220 Swift, .243 Winchester, .250-3000 Savage, .257 Roberts, .264 Winchester Magnum, .270 Winchester, 7X57MM, .300 Savage, .308 Winchester, .30-06 Springfield, .300 H&H Magnum, .300 Winchester Magnum, 338 Winchester Magnum, .35 Remington, .358 Winchester, .375 H&H Magnum, and .458 Winchester Magnum.

Specifications 

Manufacturer: Winchester

Model: 70

Serial: 560326

Date of Manufacture: 1962

Caliber: .264 Win Mag

Finish: Blue

Barrel Length: 26"

Optics/Sights: Leupold Vari-X-III 3.5 x 10

Stock/Grips: Walnut Stock with texturing

Action: Bolt-Action

Markings: Standard

Images