calling all winchester 71 experts

[big bear]

While doing paper work my mind wandered, over to Merz Antique Firearms( I never get to go to gunshows so this has to do. Looking at pics of Win71 Long tang deluxe EL-8816 I noticed the sling swivels. I have a set like these on an old beat up 71( NOT A DeLuxe Model) Serial number mid 30xxx I got for relatively cheap ,I assume they are not original? What say yee old wise ones.

[RIHMFIRE]

hmmm...just about every Win 71 I have seen.....had the sling swivels
I just went over to gunbroker.com and most of them did....
one or two didnt....
The Browning did not have them...

check this out
http://www.leverguns.com/articles/taylor/model71.htm

[Mike D.]

The "Deluxe" swivels could be ordered for any 71. My Standard has them, too.

[big bear]

Please take a look at the picture. the sling swivels are not the deluxe type. I know about those as I have a Deluxe 71 with the original swivel set on it. The standard 71 rifles did not come with sling swivels, with a few rare exceptions. Many standard models may have had them added after purchase. If you look closely at picture you will see these are not the standard Winchester detachable swivel on buttstock and fore end attachment is not standard arrangement seen with deluxe 71's.Take a look again and give you thoughts.

[Malamute]

Picture?

Do you have a link?

[big bear]

While doing paper work my mind wandered, over to Merz Antique Firearms( I never get to go to gunshows so this has to do. Looking at pics of Win71 Long tang deluxe EL-8816 I noticed the sling swivels. I have a set like these on an old beat up 71( NOT A DeLuxe Model) Serial number mid 30xxx I got for relatively cheap ,I assume they are not original? What say yee old wise ones.

Sorry, don't know how to "link". Google Merz Antique Firearms, then go to Winchester rifles and so forth.

[Kansas Ed]

Not the factory swivels.

http://www.leroymerz.com/item.php?id=5249_0_2_0 Is the rifle you posted.


Factory swivels are like these...http://www.leroymerz.com/item.php?id=4320_0_2_0

Ed

[big bear]

Not the factory swivels.

http://www.leroymerz.com/item.php?id=5249_0_2_0 Is the rifle you posted.


Factory swivels are like these...http://www.leroymerz.com/item.php?id=4320_0_2_0

Ed

PRECISELY. That is my question. The rifle has a DeLuxe checkered stock but doesn't have factory swivels. Any ideas how this would happen? Second , I have a later production Standard 71 that has the exact same swivel arrangement, right down to the loss of bluing on the nose cap. I have no ideas at all about how this came to pass. I am fairly new to 71's (about 8 years) so I was hoping some one with more experience might have come across these swivels or swivel/ deluxe style stock combo and give some history on my old rifle.thanks.

[Kansas Ed]

I think the obvious story is that someone lost the original swivels and replaced them with knock offs of some sort. If you are wondering if your std 71 has original swivels it really doesn't matter whether they were or not. Common knowledge for the 71 says they weren't, even if they were, so the rifle will be assessed as having them added non stock. Unless of course you can prove it....but then no one can, because factory records don't exist for these. You can have the rarest Winchester made, but if it can't be authenticated then it's just judged as a modified rifle. See what I'm driving at?

Ed

[big bear]

Thanks for the thoughts. My question was mostly a curiosity question from an aficianado, not a monied collector. I'm not interested in selling any of my 71's, just shooting them I accumulate not collect and find unraveling these little details fascinating.Next best thing to time travel!

[71fan]

It's hard to tell for sure, but it looks to me like the the original swivel bases are still there and someone installed the permanent rings(?) in the bases. It would be hard to do anything else with a factory deluxe forend cap. That's my vote.

Clip the rings and remove them, and you're back to the original configuration.

[WinM71]

Certainly not original swivels. These appear to be swivel loops which have been opened (spread), inserted into the through-holes in the M71's buttstock swivel base and forend cap, then "closed" again so as to stay there. The owner probably lost or never had the original swivels & wanted to sling-carry the 71. Original swivels, of course, hang another good 3/4" below the rifle due to the detachment mechanism. Probably not uncommon years ago for somebody to acquire a deluxe 71 to hunt with but not get the original sling & swivels, and improvise by inserting off-brand loops into the swivel bases. The "deluxe" factory swivels are quite distinctive, they came on many other "deluxe" Winchesters of the era, including the Model 70. The bluing on the forend cap is usually the first to go, due to the metallurgy no doubt.

[WinM71]

By the way, I have seen original sling & swivels go $100 - $300 depending on condition. Just the swivels go $100+ unless the owner doesn't recognize what he's holding. Most of the demand is likely from vintage Winchester owners looking to mate them with rifles.

[Sixgun]

I know I have a pair of them laying around, but I'm at Targetmaster at the moment fondling an 1840 Springfield. Will check later------------Sixgun

[big bear]

Sooooo....does any one have an extra set of sling swivels they'd care to part with for some coin of the realm???

[pharmseller]

Sooooo....does any one have an extra set of sling swivels they'd care to part with for some coin of the realm???

A couple of years ago I put an ad here for sling swivels and a sling off a 1940 model 71 deluxe. Serial number 180XX.

I'll have to look for the pic so you can see what I have.

P

[pharmseller]

Here it is:



P

[Mike D.]

The "Standard" 71 absolutely could be had with swivels. I did not look at the gun in question, but here are pics of my gun. I am the second owner and this 71 was ordered with swivels and sling.