"We're A Winchester Family": Gillette Couple's Huge Stash Of Pre-64 Winchester Rifles

Cowboy State Daily ^ | Mark Heinz

[Spacetrucker]

Patience and Jarod Blocker are rare for their age. The Gillette couple has a passion for classic pre-64 Winchester Model 70 rifles. Planning for next year's Winchester Arms Collectors Association show in Cody, Patience says, "It's going to be bad-ass."

[Tunehead54]

Excuse the ignorance but what is the significance of pre 1964?

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From the article:

"Winchester still makes Model 70 rifles, but what makes pre-64 rifles so special?

It’s not so much a matter of function and accuracy as it is craftsmanship, Jarod said.

In late 1963 and early 1964, Winchester, like many companies at the time, started to trade elegance for manufacturing efficiency.

The company went to stamped checkering on the gun stocks instead of hand checkering.

Plastic replaced metal in some components, and a lesser grade of bluing (protective coating) was used on rifles’ actions and barrels.

That’s why pre-64 rifles are considered a cut above and are prized by collectors."

PS: If its an article of interest and the site is likely trustworthy its OK to click the link for more.

With their site name alone I took a chance.

I once had a Model 70 in my hands, at a shop, could have bought it but the action seemed all loose and unimpressive, the stock was beat up, just not right for me. At least now I know what to look for. ;-)

[Spacetrucker]

Yeah, my F.I.L. had a couple similar to that one. Sadky, they were lost in a tragic boating accident many years ago. I heard rumors that one was a must-have going into NYC during trucking de-regulation. Or so I had heard.

[Texas resident]

Thanks for the history on that.

[cyclotic]

Best I can do for old Winchester’s is a Model 67 .22 rifle.

I idea how old it is. As I recall, there’s no serial number.

[Lurker]

I hand load every round for my .300.

Lapua brass and 190 grain ELDs. Nothing but the best for my baby.

L

[Paal Gulli]

"YOU COULD SHOOT DOWN A PLANE WITH THAT THERE SNIPER RIFLE!!!"

YOU COULD TURN OFF YOUR CAPSLOCK WITH YOUR KEYBOARD!!!

[Paal Gulli]

"Excuse the ignorance but what is the significance of pre 1964?"

I asked that of the oldest gun dealer I ever knew, and he said that in 1964, pretty much the entire firearm industry -- not just Winchester -- started manufacturing guns to a price point.

Before that they made guns they way they needed to be made. After, they made them the way their accountants told them to. With predictable consequences.

Why all those companies might have adopted the same practice at more or less the same time, he could not explain.

[real saxophonist]

That was part of the humor, I don't always do that.

You seem to have an issue with Capitalism... 8!)

[Spacetrucker]

Well, I can almost guarantee it’s pre-1935. Other than that, it’s anyone’s guess ... unless you were to post a pic of it.

[Spacetrucker]

I take that back. I was, in my own mind, referencing the NFA of 1934. Serial numbers were not mandated until 1968 with the GCA, though it sounds like yours is quite q bit older than that.

[Tijeras_Slim]

I’ve owned several Model 67’s. None of them had serial numbers. The model ended production in 1963, five years before the GCA of 1968.

[gundog]

New production, with the claw extractor? Supposed to be more accurate than the pre-’64s.

[gundog]

You’ll also hear that the overall quality of gun finishes went to hell after WW1. The pre-’13 Savage Model 99s are another hot item.

[gundog]

Remington introduced the Model 700 in 1962. The Savage 110 came out around the same time. It was chambered in 30-06 and .270. The 110 designation was becquse of the price: $110. Winchester was forced to modernize.

In 1955, Winchester made prototypes of a Model 70 with a composite stock; and a built in transistor radio and speaker. Their management was always a little shaky.