doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Model 70 K222

Does anyone have any information about a Model 70 that was reworked by Kilbourn into a K222? I believe the K222 is an improved .222 Rem. Kilbourn started with a pre-war Model 70 .22 hornet. I assume this conversion detracts from the value, since it is not factory original. Any information will be appreciated.

If he did that, he ruined the value of a hell of a fine gun!

Are you sure it wasn't a 22 K-Hornet? Even if it is the value is still ruined.

I am certain it was a K222. I searched the internet to no avail for information on the K222 or Kilbourn. The action was extensively modified in the conversion.

Maybe Kilbourn converted it to standard .222 Rem.
Can' fine any information on a K222.

Ackley's #1 has data for the K-222.

Scarce chambering anyway- you'll be the only kid on the block with one!

Good shooting.

Altering the pre64M70 Hornet for larger .22CF ammo was not unusual. The early conversions, starting in the 1930s, were for the .22-3000 Lovell and its sharper shouldered version, the .22R2 Lovell. Griffin & Howe did these and altered the magazines as well. After WWII when the .222 Remington came out this became the favored alteration .... Winchester would not make the 70 for a Remington designed cartridge (altho there were a few 70s in .35 Remington) and it was left up to the gunsmiths. Lyle (I think that was his first name) did the K job on many cartridges, the Hornet was the best known, and while his work on a 70 spoils it for the collector it improves it for the varmint hunter.

I was able to see some fired cases today, and the K222 is a sharply blown out .222 Rem. I'm trying to get some information to establish a value to help a friend sell it. I have no dog in the hunt. Thanks for the information provided so far.

I wouldn't worry too much about this rifle being devalued because it is not 'as issued' by the factory. There are collectors of rifles that have been altered by the 'Wildcatters' of the middle decades of the 20th C.

These wildcatters often did their own gunsmithing and such rifles are rare and have as good a value if not a higher value than the factory issued model.

If you don't believe me try and buy a Zischang Borchardt for the same price as a standard Sharps factory model. August O. Zischang produced some really oddball calibres for Scheutzen work.

Any rifle altered to a wildcat calibre by some of the 'great cartridge experimenters' of the 1920's to 1960's , will have condiderable value. It may be harder to sell it, and you are going to have to advertise it on a lot of Forums. But, if you can find the right buyer you'll probably get a higher price than the rifle in it's original factory form would have brought. Good Luck

Harry