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pre64win.com The world's leading experts for information, service and support of the pre-1964 Wi******er model 70.

10 finished stocks for the pre64win Elite rifle are coming home this week to be fitted to pre-64 actions. Watch this spa...
01/29/2026

10 finished stocks for the pre64win Elite rifle are coming home this week to be fitted to pre-64 actions. Watch this space for availability coming soon!

From all of us at pre64win.com, we want to send you the warmest of Christmas wishes. May the promise of peace and joy wh...
12/24/2025

From all of us at pre64win.com, we want to send you the warmest of Christmas wishes. May the promise of peace and joy which came with the arrival of Christ so long ago be the gift you treasure most this holiday season.

Several who viewed the German customized .243 Win out of Ramstein Air Base have asked to see the Japanese customized 195...
09/09/2025

Several who viewed the German customized .243 Win out of Ramstein Air Base have asked to see the Japanese customized 1957 Super Grade .30-06 we referenced. In this case we’re not sure where in Japan the work was done, but the work is unmistakably Japanese.

Here’s our original post from 2021:

US soldiers based abroad have always been able to purchase and possess personal fi****ms, which is one of the reasons you will find US rifles mixed into the culture of most places where America has military bases on foreign soil. It is not surprising to see this in places which already had a flourishing hunting and shooting cultures such as Germany, but feels less natural in places like Japan - and yet it is there. US After the Japanese surrender in WWII, the US established the “Far East Command” in Tokyo - an extension of the US military under the command of General Douglas MacArthur. This was the beginning of US forces being based on Japanese soil, which continues to is day. US soldiers brought their interest of fi****ms with them and this resulted in a small number of Japanese artists specializing in customizing and engraving rifles for GIs. For US soldiers based in Japan during the 1950s and 1960s, coming home with a customized rifle became a prized memento of their time based overseas. The rifle in our shop is a beautiful example of a GI rifle customized by a Japanese stockmaker and engraver.

About the rifle:

The rifle is a 1957 Super Grade chambered in .30-06. The rifle has extensive bulino engraving (also called “scroll” engraving - done with a hand-pushed chisel). The engraving is accented with gold leaf accents. The rifle is fitted with a Weaver K6 scope in Weaver rings finished with matching scroll work. The Super Grade bottom metal also has this matching work, in addition to a silver stag centerpiece. The rifle is fitted into a nicely shaped custom Mote Carlo stock in what appears to be flame maple. The stock has an engraved grip cap which matches the rifle engraving.

This rifle is an outstanding example of Japanese engraving work, done on a very high end starting rifle. A classic piece of history from US soldiers based in Japan.

What happens when you take an American GI with money in his pocket, put a new hunting rifle in his hands, and turn him l...
09/09/2025

What happens when you take an American GI with money in his pocket, put a new hunting rifle in his hands, and turn him loose in Cold War Bavaria? Read on.

After WWII, it was common for U.S. servicemen stationed overseas to purchase American rifles from base exchanges, and then have them customized by local craftsmen in places like Germany and Japan. These one-of-a-kind rifles are quiet relics of Cold War-era cultural fusion - where American steel met with foreign flair and old-world artistry. We featured one such rifle a few years ago - a 1957 model 70 fully engraved by a Japanese engraver. Today we feature another such rifle.

This 1955 Wi******er Model 70 in .243 Win is a striking example. Almost certainly purchased new at Ramstein Air Base the same year Wi******er introduced the .243, the rifle was then placed into the hands of a guild-level German stockmaker who performed an extraordinary transformation.
The new stock, hand-carved from European walnut, features:

Deep relief carvings of a roebuck (Europe) and elk (America)—a visual blend of two hunting worlds.

Crisp skip-line checkering in a plaid motif.

A carved ebony or dark rosewood fore-end tip, with delicate oakleaf details.

An ornate rosette grip cap, complete with bone or ivory inlays.

A fit so perfect, it required no bedding - exhibition level stockmaking mastery.

The finishing touch? A recoil pad marked “Ramstein Rod and Gun Club,” leaving no doubt about this rifle’s origin story. Without it, this incredible artifact of postwar American military culture in Germany might have gone unrecognized.

This isn’t just a hunting rifle. It’s a soldier’s personal legacy. A cultural handshake from cold war Germany. A piece of history left behind for the rest of us to shoulder.

******erModel70

The African - the true heavyweight of the pre-64 Wi******er lineup.This is a 1957 Wi******er Model 70 African chambered ...
09/02/2025

The African - the true heavyweight of the pre-64 Wi******er lineup.

This is a 1957 Wi******er Model 70 African chambered in the powerful .458 Wi******er Magnum, designed specifically for Africa’s most dangerous game. The African is unique among the pre-64 model 70 catalog, being offered only in a Super Grade style and with a unique 25” #2 barrel, barrel-mounted sling swivel, special express sights, and premium walnut furniture. With only 1,226 produced, it stands as the third-rarest pre-64 chambering, behind the .300 Savage and .35 Re*****on.

This particular rifle takes it to another level, being customized by legendary New York gunmaker Enhancements include a gold-inlaid quarter rib with multi-leaf express sights, a barrel-band front ramp with custom stippling, fish-scale jeweling on the rails and tang, and a custom Oberndorf-style trigger guard. Together, these refinements elevate an already rare rifle into a one-of-a-kind safari arm.

Condition matches the pedigree: the bore is pristine (10/10 under borescope), the original Carbonia rust bluing shows only minor wear, and the walnut stock is superb with crisp and clean checking and flawless finish. Both receiver and bolt are serial-matched, confirming originality.

Additional photos and full details are available now on our website.

******erModel70 ******er458

A true one-of-a-kind.This custom build started with a 1961 Wi******er Model 70 action, now paired with a McGowen Precisi...
07/15/2025

A true one-of-a-kind.
This custom build started with a 1961 Wi******er Model 70 action, now paired with a McGowen Precision barrel in the classic pre-64 standard contour, chambered in .270 Wi******er. The rifle is finished in Cerakote H-238 Midnight Blue, complemented by a striking Claro walnut stock with a rosewood tip and custom checkering—a unique blend of the flowing fleur-de-lis and angular fishtail patterns, both nods to Al Beisen’s timeless style.

Yes, we know some of you will cringe at the large tactical NightForce scope in Talley steel atop a refined classic like this—but consider the words engraved on the custom grip cap: “Aim small, miss small.” Paired with world-class optics, this rifle is built to embody those words.

We’re proud of this build and can’t wait for it to be in the hands of its new owner.

Here’s a ridiculously cool rifle that just walked into the shop. Technically, a carbine—an early Wi******er Model 70 in ...
06/10/2025

Here’s a ridiculously cool rifle that just walked into the shop. Technically, a carbine—an early Wi******er Model 70 in .30 GOV’T 06, built in the very first year of production (1936) with a rare 20” barrel. It’s topped with a period-correct Carl Zeiss Jena Zielklein scope, complete with the classic German #5 reticle and mounted in a beautiful set of vintage Redfield rings and bases.

The combination is fascinating: a pre-war European scope—favored by hunters for its precise, low-light reticle—mounted in American hardware, with no European import marks anywhere on the rifle. That strongly suggests this setup was assembled here in the U.S..

While a small number of .30-06 carbines were issued to military units, police, and even prisons, these short-barreled Model 70s never caught on widely with civilian hunters. That only adds to the mystery. Was it owned by someone in familiar with European hunting in the ’30s and ’40s? Or was it once a department-issued rifle fitted with one of the best optical sights of its day?

Whatever its origin, this rifle absolutely oozes cool. The worn bluing, honest handling marks, and the patina on that Zeiss optic tell a story—one we’d love to know more about. Easily one of the most interesting rifles we’ve seen walk through our doors in a while.

Fit check day - the first time we have mated a complete (if unfinished) barreled action with the stock for the new High ...
04/23/2025

Fit check day - the first time we have mated a complete (if unfinished) barreled action with the stock for the new High Country Elite rifle. It’s a critical step before we proceed with production of the new Elite rifle. Still a ton of work to do, but we’re getting close to the starting line for an official launch of the Elite and 5 other new rifles.

Matthew 28:1-6Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary wen...
04/20/2025

Matthew 28:1-6
Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.

4 incredibly rare model 70s walked into the shop today. But can you tell us which one is most rare and why? In the order...
04/18/2025

4 incredibly rare model 70s walked into the shop today. But can you tell us which one is most rare and why? In the order pictured:

1947 standard rifle in 7.65mm
1961 standard rifle in .308 Win
1949 standard rifle in .35 Rem
1956 standard rifle in .358 Win

We’ll send a hat to the best answer.

They say “good enough” is the enemy of perfection—and that thinking resonates with us. Every curve, seam, and checkered...
04/16/2025

They say “good enough” is the enemy of perfection—and that thinking resonates with us.

Every curve, seam, and checkered edge of the #1 Elite rifle is being meticulously scrutinized as we work through the first fit checks on this prototype.

The Turkish walnut stock, the checkered steel buttplate, the skeleton grip cap, and the Oberndorf-style bottom metal—all are being fitted together and fine-tuned with the kind of precision that doesn’t understand the words “good enough.”

We’re excited for you to see the completed rifle. When rifle #1 is perfect, we will post photos and you’ll understand how it has earned its name… and then we’ll begin the journey all over again on Elite rifle #2.

Since some of you asked, this first rifle will be chambered in .270 Win - a nod to Jack O’Connor. But the Elite rifle will be offered in about a dozen carefully selected chamberings. Full details of Elite rifle, along with its 2 equally refined but lower cost stable-mates will appear on our website in May with deliveries beginning in January 2026.

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Woodinville, WA
98072 AND 98077

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