C&R · II · 615
Winchester Model 70, pre-1964
Section II: curio or relic, still subject to the Gun Control Act
Official wording
ATF P 5300.11 · APRIL 2025 EDITION · SECTION II · VERBATIM · PDF P. 20 ↗
Winchester, Model 70, bolt-action rifle, all cal.’s, mfd. in or before 1963 having S/Ns less than 581472.
What this entry requires
- ATF REQUIRESYour serial number is one ATF listsATF: “having S/Ns less than 581472”
- ATF REQUIRESMade 1963 or earlier (ATF’s dates)ATF: “mfd. in or before 1963”
Editorial facts · Our research
- Country
United StatesBasis: outside reference ¹- Manufacturer
- Winchester Repeating Arms Co.Basis: the ATF wording
- Type
- RifleBasis: the ATF wording
- Action
- BoltBasis: the ATF wording
- Caliber
- All calibersBasis: the ATF wording
- Made
- S/Ns below 581472 · c. 1936–1963ATF: made in 1963 or earlier; start year approximateBasis: outside reference ²
- Service
- Commercial
Source
- Official wording
- ATF P 5300.11, April 2025 edition · Section II · PDF p. 20 ↗ · ATF original ↗
- Entries
- 1 line
- Verbatim check
- Checked against the PDF text before every release
- Editorial facts
- Confidence: High · Last revised 18 October 2026 (Evidence pass) · How we rate confidence
- References
- 1. Wikipedia, “Winchester Model 70” ↗, country: infobox origin United States
- 2. Wikipedia, “Winchester Model 70” ↗, years: infobox production date '1936–1963 (pre-1964, controlled feed) (Original)'
- Fact tags
- ATF the ATF wording states it.
- REF ¹ an outside reference supports it; the number points to the list of references.
- ESTIMATE an approximate or indirect reading, for example the production range of the base model.
- NO CITATION we haven’t attached a reference for this fact; it’s our editorial reading, not ATF’s.
- Source checked
- 20 October 2026: ATF’s page still lists the April 2025 edition
- Corrections
- None
Historical context
Image: Wikimedia Commons, “Pre-1964 Winchester Model 70 2.jpg” by Alaska Senate Majority, CC BY-SA 2.0. Retrieved October 2026.
Summary: Wikipedia, “Winchester Model 70”. Text CC BY-SA 4.0.
FROM WIKIPEDIA
The Winchester Model 70 is a bolt-action rifle. It has an iconic place in American sporting culture and has been held in high regard by shooters since it was introduced in 1936, earning the moniker the "Rifleman's Rifle". The action has some design similarities to Mauser designs, and it is a development of the earlier Winchester Model 54, itself being based on a Mauser 98–type action.