doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Winchester factory markings - early 60's

I've not seen it before but I don't know that I ever owned any Winchester made around 1962. Did they ever fill in the barrel markings on their rifles with some sort of red filler? I got a Model 70 Westerner (264), made in 1962, in a supergrade stock. Probably a fake as supposedly the supergrades were discontinued in all but the African by then, and it doesn't have a supergrade floorplate. And the barrel markings have something light red in them. I'm sure brake fluid would remove it, but I don't want to if it's supposed to be like that.

Roger

No, but they did made some pre-WWII Model 37s with Winchester logo on bottom of receiver with red paint filler. They were called "Red Letter" guns.

Do not go off one reply, wait for more input. I will go through my three Winchester books tonight to see if there is anything.

i remember seeing that on some 70's 22LR rifles. let me dig.

You see so many things collecting Winchester Model 70's that you become a big skeptic quickly or loose your money fast. A fellow collector noted that there were more rare guns in circulation than were produced by the factory and he was only half joking. Same with Model 12's. High grade guns almost never get abused and butchered so a higher percentage remain in mint or high condition. But not 125%.

I got out collecting Model 70's almost 30 years ago so can not help you but it hurts nothing to leave it as is until you find out for certain. I've seen cobbled up guns and then guns I thought were cobbled up which turned out to be more legit than I thought.

The Red Letter 37's...that's what I was thinking of! If it were that gold lode fill I could understand it. One sees lots of guns with that stuff in it. I can't imagine this is factory but I'd hate to remove it and find out later I shouldn't have. Red is such an odd color to fill in markings. It doesn't bother me. The next guy can take it off.

This Supergrade shouldn't be one but I wouldn't rule out the possibility of a late gun parts cleanup. Jack O'connor wrote that he got the last ever 7x57 they made by asking if they could build one and they had one barrel left. He of course had the barrel turned down and the rifle restocked.

Thanks,
Roger

Red is Winchester's "signature color", Roger. They made a lot of semi-automatics with a big red "W" on the grip cap.

SRH

A review of my references did not show usage outside of shotguns, but internet searches showed possible use on both shotguns and some later rifles to include a late M70.

As an earlier poster noted, leave it be as it would be terrible to discover later it belong there.

Your better bet than here would be to take pictures and post on a Winchester specific board.

You could also try to get a letter from the Cody Museum on the serial number, if they are lucky enough to have records on it. Some Model 70 records exist, but they are incomplete.