Winchester M71

[10point]

Hi, I just joined the forum and had a few questions and short story of the gun. My grandpa gave the gun to me about 20 years ago and i am very proud to have the gun just because it was one of his for many years,not sure how much he hunted with it but he owned it for a long time. I think it is a 1937{ model # is 8814} I have hunted with it one time and taken one deer with it just to say I have killed a deer with grandpas gun. It has been in the safe since except for a wipe down every once in a while. It has always been a special gun to me but only recently found out just how special they really are and took more interest in them, i also have 2 boxes of winchester shells that are no telling how old, the price tag shows $5.95. The boxes are yellow with red letters. One box only has the brass in it. I will try to post a few pics. It has a side mounted scope on it, and has had a cheek pad put on the stock so it is not like it was from the factory although they done a pretty good job . It also has a recoil pad that looks to be factory but not sure if that was an option or not. The main question i have right now are the sights, it has an open rear sight on the barrel that looks original but it also has the bolt peep sight that looks original. Has anyone ever seen this before? Which one would have been the original for 1937.

[Pete44ru]

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Welcome to our little corner of the www !

Since the bolts were machined @ the Winchester factory to accept the bolt peep, it's a pretty safe assumption that the bolt peep is a genuine factory option.

The rear bbl sight may/may not be gennie, and there's no way to determine that w/o good pics of the sight.

I don't believe the M71 ever had a recoil pad as standard, but it's possible it could have been special-ordered.

It'll cost you a bit, but if you contact the Winchester/Cody Museum with the rifle's SN, you can obtain a "Cody Letter", which will describe with what standard & optional features the rifle was shipped from the factory with - and the exact shipping date (usually).
The letter might even specify to who/where the rifle was originally shipped.



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[tman]

Welcome!. You have one of the finest, best all around levers ever made. Our experts will be along shortly to answer all of your questions.

[pwl44m]

Welcome to the forum !! Would love to see pics of the Gun, We're kinda that way around here, Like Pics --- of anything actually but mostly Guns of every description.
Perry

[7.62 Precision]

Is the wood checkered? What dies the top of the hammer look like? Either sight could be original, depending on the model.

Could be the barrel is a replacement, or the bolt. I just saw one of the original bolt peep sights sell at an auction for over $900. Buttpad would not be original, but a very common addition.

M71 is my favorite levergun. My dad kept us in meat with his when I was growing up in the bush where we could not buy meat.

http://762precision.wordpress.com/artic ... -model-71/

[mod71alaska]

The rifle on the left (below) is a long tang Deluxe 71 with a bolt peep sight; the one in the middle is a short tang Standard 71 with a bolt peep sight. Note that both rifles have a blank in the rear dovetail slot replacing the rear sight. Your grandpa just left the open sights on when he installed the side mounted scope.

The recoil pad is not so easy. The Model 71 could be ordered with custom features. The short tang Model 71 Deluxe on the right (below) has a rubber buttpad on it that is period correct to what Winchester would have installed on a special order at the time. The buttpad and installation both look original with the buttpad showing wear consistent with the overall condition of the rifle. Is it original? I don't know! If your grandpa's 71 has a period correct recoil pad with wear consistent to the rest of the rifle it is possible that it is original. However, the general (purest) consensus almost always is that recoil pads on 71s are not original.



Hope this helps.

Welcome to the Forum! You bring with you the best of Winchester lever action rifles!

PS: I purchased the long tang Model 71 Deluxe above some 30 years ago from the owner of Great Northern Guns, the same gun shop in Anchorage 7.62 Precision bought his 71s. (See his interesting blog link in his post above.) Small world!

[carbluesnake]

That box of Winchester 348's is vintage 1960's if I am not mistaken. Nothing wrong with shooting them unless you like vintage ammo, which I do.

[10point]

Thanks for the welcome and replies, there should have been a pic of the gun with the ammo but guess it didnt work out for some reason. Ill try to get some pics of the sights and the whole gun on here next week. Hope you all have a great weekend!!

[mod71alaska]

10point,

I forgot to mention that I have some boxes of original .348 ammo from the '30s if you want a box or two to go along with your '37 Model 71. I also have recent production .348 Silvertips if you need a few new boxes of .348 ammo to shoot. I don't know if .348 ammo is in production now or not. It has been only periodic.

PM me if you want to talk ammo.

[65bee]

Don't waste your time writing for a factory letter, as there is no information available on the Model 71s. They can only give you a 'best-guess' estimate as to year of manufacture. Yours is definately a pre-war gun and most likely has the early long tang. I never saw a Model 71 with the bolt peep that also had a factory installed barrel sight. Someone knocked out the factory slot blank and put in a sight, for what reason I can't imagine. I guess with the scope, bolt peep, and barrel sight they figured they had everything covered! Being as its drilled and tapped for the scope, had a cheekpiece installed, and had a recoil pad also put on, its intrinsic collector value is greatly diminished. This is a great rifle to shoot and hunt with with no worry of hurting its future value. The 71s are truly a magnificent firearm!

[ArcticGoose]

Interesting. I got my '71 at Great Northern Guns too. Mine is a standard model with sling swivels and bolt peep.

[GonnePhishin]

10Point,
Welcome to the forum pard. Sit down by the fire and have a cup of cowboy coffee and see some of the most knowledgeable experts in leverguns and all types of shootin' irons in action