Morning Bill ,Beautiful Rifle , I shoot my Dads Pre 64 Model 70 Feather Weight chambered in the 270 ,every hunting season since he has passed away and I had Dads rifle passed down to me ! If I get my Buck in Archery season ,I shoot my annual Doe just so I can use his gun ! By your earlier post about the lack of interest on The Winchester collecting site just proves once again the PGCA is the place to be !

Yeah Rich but this forum still appreciates the work of highly skilled crsftsmen.

As for value, from researching guns that have sold I am quite confident in the statement that a Biesen rifle is added value to a M70. Just look at guns that have sold at auction, Biesen rifles go for as much as twice what a similar condition standard grade and about 1.5 times a supergrade. I read some article by some collecting expert that said if you were looking to M70s as an investment he would look for Al Biesen and Len Brownell rifles over standard condition pre 64.

Now none of that matters to me as I am planning for retirement/sending the kids to college separately, but it is interesting to hear.

I love the Bob. Have 2 pre 64 Bob's. One a family gun and the other an old ranch gun super grade from the Heep Ranch near my grandparents that my uncle bought and restored. It's a shooter, but it's a heck of a hunting rifle.

That is a beautiful rifle! Congrats!

Bill:

I see that on the Winchester Collectors Forum there has been some leavening in responses to your Al Biesen M70 Winchester rifle.

That group appears to have the same debates over there relating to originality purism, restoration, customization and the impact on desirability of provenance.

Here is part of a post by Louis L., one who does appreciate your new acquisition:

“…. I'm sure you've noted that we frequently end up discussing "restoration" work on antique lever guns (itself a form of "custom" work). The purists HATE it, but some like having a rifle that looks like they imagine it did when new. To each his own... IMHO it should all be "allowable" and not provoke critical comment. Again, just my "take"...”

He also revealingly adds that the majority of collectors on that Forum are focused on pre-1899 lever-action rifles, which many collectors might have assumed to be just another subset.

I count ten books in the case a few feet away from me that are written either by or about Jack O’Connor. I would not be surprised if all of them had references to the work of Al Biesen.

That is a fine-looking, and I would say an historic rifle you have acquired.

My friend Neil Sheehan recently sold his two beloved Al Biesen rifles, one a 6MM and one a 7MM, maximum effort guns in nearly unused condition. Neil switched to left handed shooting some years ago and ordered the two rifles with cheekpieces on both sides, just in case he wanted to switch back to right handed shooting. You will recognize those guns if you ever see them.

Can’t be too easy to miss those. I have always shot lefty, but have never shot a left handed bolt gun. I might have some talented stock maker make me a stock for my G&H 22 hornet with a cheek piece on the right side.

Since we are all fans of good checkering. I got a pic of the checkering on the bottom of the forearm.

Look at Guns International #101248688 and you will find an Al Biesen M70 338 with a great write up and price at $5000 which is sold. It gives a birds eye view of what the man was known for and as with our Parkers, the pics show why people love his work.

And of course, our Steve Barnett has an Al Biesen m70 in 270 but it is fancy with gold etc, etc. and $9,9xx