Looking for help with pre-64 Model 70 I inherited

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Jul 16, 2023
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Oklahoma
Hello all, hoping I can find someone with some knowledge on the pre-64 Model 70s here. I recently inherited a beautiful 300wm from my grandfather. Unfortunately he was very tight lipped about what he had so I don't have any details on the rifle but and looking for a replacement recoil pad. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

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Remington92

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I don't mean to contradict you but I don't think that's a Winchester. Very pretty rifle but it looks like a sporterized mauser. Either done by some one in England or spent some time with the brits at least looking at the proof mark on the bolt handle. That being said any competent gunsmith should be able to sand and fit a new recoil pad to it.
 

Spoonbill

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The only reason I think it's a 70 is from the SN lookup but I could be wrong!
Winchesters have a 3 position safety and that does not, it is usually the easiest way to tell. Do you see any markings saying it was imported? Not sure when that was required (I think post 1968) but if there is a import mark that may help you figure out more about it.
 
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I've got a few and I can say with confidence that OP's rifle isn't a Model 70 of any era. Whatever it was born as, the only thing left of the rifle in its current form is the action. The stock and barrel have been replaced at some point. If OP wants to replace the recoil pad, a properly installed grind to fit pad is likely the only option.
 

Spoonbill

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It looks like a commercial mauser based on the safety and action but I am not an expert on it. Assuming that it is the original barrel, Winchester released the 300wm in 1963, so that may help narrow it down.
 

S-3 ranch

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It looks like a commercial mauser based on the safety and action but I am not an expert on it. Assuming that it is the original barrel, Winchester released the 300wm in 1963, so that may help narrow it down.
Yep only one year of production, I’ve been looking for a pre64 .300wm and only found one I could buy and the owner wanted cash and I didn’t have $1500 cash in my wallet on a Sunday, 🤬🤬🤬

yes that looks like a Mauser, my grandmother shot a belgeian made 243 identical to this gun
 

Remington92

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Yep only one year of production, I’ve been looking for a pre64 .300wm and only found one I could buy and the owner wanted cash and I didn’t have $1500 cash in my wallet on a Sunday, 🤬🤬🤬

yes that looks like a Mauser, my grandmother shot a belgeian made 243 identical to this gun
Unfortunately I've come across 1 of them in my small Montana town and it been converted to 300 Weatherby at some point 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ they even scratched out wm and stamped Weatherby on it. The old boy who ran the store was bout sick showing it to me.
 
OP
BigCountry376
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Here is another dumb question for you guys, how would I know what model Mauser it is if there isn't any stampings on it?
 

ElPollo

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Hello all, hoping I can find someone with some knowledge on the pre-64 Model 70s here. I recently inherited a beautiful 300wm from my grandfather. Unfortunately he was very tight lipped about what he had so I don't have any details on the rifle but and looking for a replacement recoil pad. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

View attachment 610608View attachment 610609

View attachment 610612
First off, your profile picture is hilarious.

Second, others are right. That’s a late commercial Mauser action. It was used by a lot of gun manufacturers and importers. Husquavarna called it a model 1640, Interarms imported them in the 70s and 80s as a Mark X. Given the lack of manufacturer stampings on the barrel and the curly maple Monte Carlo stock, I’d guess your granddad had it put together as a custom rifle or he got it from someone else who did. It looks pretty well made. You should put a scope on it and see how it shoots.
 
OP
BigCountry376
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Jul 16, 2023
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Oklahoma
Thank you everyone!

First off, your profile picture is hilarious.

Second, others are right. That’s a late commercial Mauser action. It was used by a lot of gun manufacturers and importers. Husquavarna called it a model 1640, Interarms imported them in the 70s and 80s as a Mark X. Given the lack of manufacturer stampings on the barrel and the curly maple Monte Carlo stock, I’d guess your granddad had it put together as a custom rifle or he got it from someone else who did. It looks pretty well made. You should put a scope on it and see how it shoots.

That is why I was asking about how to find the model, I'm not sure what scope bases it needs. And since it's a Mauser and not a model 70 I have no clue what scope base to get 😂
 

Wapiti1

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Order bases for an FN Mauser, or Interarms Mark X.

Pull the action out of the stock. On the side of the tang, I will bet $10, it says SPAIN. That action has the looks and serial number of a Santa Barbara Mauser. They were imported from Spain as Grizzly actions (among other monikers) from the 70's into the late 80's. Very good actions on the whole, but tend to be overpolished. You can see the scope screw holes are concave from buffing too much on muslin wheels.

The Czech made Mausers are all marked on the ring, and left side rail. Parker Hales and Whitworths are as well. FN made commercial actions also all have some sort of top side marking, but a lot are marked by the company that used them like Montgomery Ward Westernfield, or Sears Model 50 JC Higgins.

Looks like a decent vintage rifle. Love to see a full side shot. I like a dark maple stock. You may also find makers marks in the barrel channel or on the bottom of the barrel. Wouldn't surprise me if it said Flaig's.

Jeremy
 
OP
BigCountry376
Joined
Jul 16, 2023
Messages
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Location
Oklahoma
Order bases for an FN Mauser, or Interarms Mark X.

Pull the action out of the stock. On the side of the tang, I will bet $10, it says SPAIN. That action has the looks and serial number of a Santa Barbara Mauser. They were imported from Spain as Grizzly actions (among other monikers) from the 70's into the late 80's. Very good actions on the whole, but tend to be overpolished. You can see the scope screw holes are concave from buffing too much on muslin wheels.

The Czech made Mausers are all marked on the ring, and left side rail. Parker Hales and Whitworths are as well. FN made commercial actions also all have some sort of top side marking, but a lot are marked by the company that used them like Montgomery Ward Westernfield, or Sears Model 50 JC Higgins.

Looks like a decent vintage rifle. Love to see a full side shot. I like a dark maple stock. You may also find makers marks in the barrel channel or on the bottom of the barrel. Wouldn't surprise me if it said Flaig's.

Jeremy
Thank you for the help! Here are the other photos I have, I can take more when I get home. Currently blackbear hunting in eastern OK. PXL_20230524_033846562.jpgPXL_20230524_033846562.jpgPXL_20230524_033902383.jpgPXL_20230524_033826844.jpg
 

Wapiti1

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Thank you for the help! Here are the other photos I have, I can take more when I get home. Currently blackbear hunting in eastern OK. View attachment 610798View attachment 610798View attachment 610804View attachment 610805
Thanks! Great looking rifle. Doesn't look like a Fajen or Bishop stock, so someone took the time to whittle it out and did a decent looking job. Very late 60's 70's grip cap.

I'd be happy to tote that around the woods.

Good luck with the bruins!!

Jeremy
 
OP
BigCountry376
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Messages
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Location
Oklahoma
I finally had an opportunity to take it out the of stock to look for some stamping, here is what I found. Does this help identify model?? It's definitely a mouser, thank you everyone for that! The FN Mauser scope bases from Warne for perfectly.

Also looking down the barrel I'm not sure it's ever been shot.

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ElPollo

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Firearms Co was an English importer and the Crown marking is a British proof mark. The action was likely made in Czechoslovakia. The fact that there are no markings on the barrel other than the caliber means it’s probably a custom job that was put together by a smith in the US with an action from a donor rifle that was imported from Europe.
 
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