winchester 70 prewar supergrade

Dokey

Did any version of the Winchester prewar model 70 come from the factory with the barrel drilled and tapped for unertl scope blocks? A friend has a Prewar Super Grade 70 in 220 swift that has the barrel tapped for unertl blocks

MG1890

Is this a standard weight barrel? I'm asking as it is possible that a special order Supergrade with a target weight barrel could exist. If it is a standard weight, again it could be special order, but more than likely the holes are not original. Bluing in the holes would be the tipoff.

Is the rear bridge drilled & tapped?

Dokey

I'm not sure what barrel it is. The gun's in TN and my friend is working in NJ. I just asked another friend to look in Rules book and he couldn't find any info either way

Hawk Carse

1939 Stoegers says of the Standard Model: "Screw holes for telescope sight blocks."

Of the Supergrade: "Stock of selected walnut... Redfield full gold bead front sight and Winchester no 22G open rear sight, NRA leather sling... Other specifications same as Model 70 Standard grade."

Do "other specifications" include scope block screw holes?
I dunno.

I'd want more information than this before I spent Supergrade money.
I'll see what Sharpe says later.

MG1890

The screw holes for telescope sight blocks were in the front receiver ring. The rear sight dovetail was used for the other mount. I have a 1936 30-06 with a Lyman 8X setup this way. No holes in the standard weight barrel as regular production.

Dokey

I think MG1890 might have answered my question. Also one reason I was asking is I have a Win 70 National Match (1952) and it is 30-06 with a 24" Standard barrel drilled and tapped for unertl bases, and they were factory done. Also there's a blank in the rear dovetail slot

MG1890

Dokey, you have answered MY question as well. As I was digressing about sporter barrels & holes, I thought about the National Match '06s, and wondered if they may be the only exception to my statement. Now I know!

I've seen a lot of M70's in Hornet & Swift with drilled barrels. I always figured they were not factory. I cannot find where Winchester ever offered Targetspots or Unertl's as factory installed, so drilling for them makes no sense. The 677's & 697's that had factory installed scopes usually didn't have rear sights, so I think this is the recipe Winchester would have followed on M70's, no rear sight dovetail if factory installed scope.

Dokey

I also have a pre 64 Win 70 heavy varmint in 243 with a 26" ss varmint barrel, with checkered stock and it facrory drilled and tapped for Unertl blocks. The gun is mid 50's

Herschel

The Target Model, Varmint Model and National Match Model 70's came from the factory with scope blocks. Mounting a target scope at the factory would make no sense as the scopes were designed to be removed and installed on the rifle by the user by simply sliding them onto the blocks and tightening two screws. The *, Litschert, Lyman, Unertl, Bausch and Lomb and perhaps other makes of scopes all used the same size and design of target blocks. The blocks with the small half moon shaped cutout on one edge were pretty much the standard from the 1930's until the long target scopes were replaced by more modern types.