Winchester Model 70 serial number question

[fowler2545]

Happened to check serial number on a .300 Win Mag model 70 5602xx. Winchester site puts production 1962 Wikipedia says caliber introduced 1963. As far as I can see everything matches perfectly no sign it was rebarreled and gun has been here since about 1968, This came straight from Winchester Bolt etc obviously correct for caliber. Any ideas?

 

[JT-AR-MG42]

Not uncommon for dates to be off by a year. Whether forward or back a year.
Is the barrel dated under the stock? I do not know when Winchester stopped this practice on Model 70s.

All of my Model 70's are earlier and all are marked under the barrel with the caliber (abbreviated) and the two digit date.
The exception is a 1959 - receiver by date - .264 Magnum that does not have any date markings on the stainless barrel.

JT

 

[T. O'Heir]

Wikipedia is not a reliable source of good info about anything. Anybody with internet access can post anything they want there.
This is the place for Winchester info.
https://winchestercollector.org/

 

[fowler2545]

Mode; 70

Cartridges of the World also lists 1963 as introduction date for 300 Win Mag. I ill look under the barrel

 

[Drm50]

I buy a lot of pre 64 Wins and carry a Maddis pocket book with me at Shows. I don't know
if it's possible to be a year off but I have run across more frauds in Winchesters than all the
others put together. Last one was late 40s sn, in 243. It did have a Win 243 barrel but was
obviously off a post 64. If there is decent money involved make sure it's not a fraud.

 

[jmr40]

Actions are manufactured and often stored for months, maybe more than a year before they are assembled into rifles. It is quite possible the action was manufactured in 1962, but not assembled into a rifle until later.

I've known of manufacturers scrounging up spare parts laying around in warehouses and assembling "special" runs of rifles with whatever parts were on hand. Ruger has done that several times with guns that never show up in a catalog.