3053

*RARE VAN ORDEN WINCHESTER MODEL 70 SNIPER RIFLE.

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:3,000.00 USD Estimated At:6,000.00 - 10,000.00 USD
*RARE VAN ORDEN WINCHESTER MODEL 70 SNIPER RIFLE.
SN 338279. Cal. 30-06. Beautiful medium weight sniper with 24" tapered medium weight rnd bbl with Refield International match globe front sight and Redfield Olympic micrometer rear sight. Barrel has standard markings and is drilled and tapped for scope blocks. Mounted in a heavy, uncheckered, straight grain walnut stock with wide forearm and deep pistol grip with cheekpiece and checkered flat aluminum buttplate. Receiver has the unusual feature of a military style stripper slip slot in the bolt opening which is typical of the sniper rifles sold by the Evaluators Gun Shop in Triangle, Virginia, which is near the Quantico Marine Base. This shop was operated by retired Marine Corps Col George Van Orden. Colonel Van Orden was awarded the Navy Cross, the second highest military decoration for bravery during combat in the Pacific in WWII. During WWII, Colonel Van Orden lobbied the Marine Corp. to adopt the Model 70 as their sniper rifle. He was unsuccessful and the Marine Corps adopted the Springfield 1903A1 with Unertl 8X scope as their sniper rifle. Colonel Van Orden also served during the Korean War and when he learned that the Marine Corps was insufficiently supplied with sniper rifles, he purchased Model 70 rifles equipped with hunting scopes for issue to his snipers. Those rifles have standard weight bbls in heavy target stocks. After the war Colonel Van Orden opened his gun shop, identified above, and sold a number of these Model 70 rifles. This rifle is identified as one of the rifles sold through his shop and listed in Vol. I of Death From Afar, Chandler. A copy of that book is not available to this cataloger to identify the purchaser of this rifle. CONDITION: Exceptionally fine, all matching. Overall retains virtually all of its crisp, orig factory finish with bright blue on the bbl, floorplate and trigger guard and crisp satin finish on the receiver. Stock has a tiny chip back of the top tang and a short streak of oil stain, otherwise it retains about all of its crisp, bright, orig finish with only a few light mars in the varnish. Mechanics are crisp, brilliant shiny bore, may be unfired. 4-49221 JR294