win mod70/ted williams mod 73 date???

[tomandnacole]

gentlemen: i have a rifle, ted williams mod 73. it is the same action as a win mod 70 pushfeed however it has no bbl warning and the ser# is u 1681XX i belive it is older than i, but i cant find a date of mfg anywhare. it strikes me as odd that it is a push feed with no bbl warning. can any one help with age and does it have any collector value? not that i want to sell it (it is my wifes) but im realy curious about this rifle.

thanks,

Tom

[BADSBSNF81]

It's post 64.

[tomandnacole]

thanks, of course that makes since. now im curious about not having a bbl warning. when did the bbl warning become mandated?

thanks again, Tom

[Jim Watson]

Barrel warnings are not mandated. They are applied by nervous company management under pressure from corporate lawyers. Have you ever seen a Colt, S&W, or anybody's AR with a warning?

[tomandnacole]

ok thanks. when did winchester start using bbl warnings. not trying to battel over simantics, just would like to know when my rifle was built.:)

tom

[BonesofGa.]

Tom, I went to www.oldguns.net and punched in u168112. I used the 12 as a filler. They said your gun was made in 1950.

[tomandnacole]

thanks. if it is that old was the pushfeed sold by sears before win marketed it?

thanks for the link.
tom

[BADSBSNF81]

The SN doesn't make sense. The only prefix on Model 70's is "G" and it started after 1968. What are the exact markings on the bbl? AFAIK, Winchester has never marked their bbls with any kind of a warning.

[tomandnacole]

the old guns link was very helpfull. and yes the serial # is odd but it is correct. since it is a ted williams and not a winchester brand the differance makes since. according to old guns the u prefix is around 1950 for a model 70 however this is a model 73 and thow it is the same action as the win mod 70 push feed it is still a sears ted williams brand rifle. i think this is the confusion with the serial #. thanks to all for the help.

tom

[BonesofGa.]

Tom, you're probably right about the ser. #. Sorry about the misleading info. Win. did make all Mod. 73 for Sears. But the 73 is based on the New Mod. 70. Again, apologies to everyone.

[Jim Watson]

I looked through about 15 years of old Gun Digests.
Sears centerfire rifles were on Mauser actions up through Model 53 which was made until 1972. Then they just quit listing anything by Sears, so I have nothing on the T.W. 73 = Win 70, but it has to have been later than 1972. Hey, maybe the T.W. 73 was introduced in 1973? Sears quit carrying guns around here in the late 70s or early 80s.

[tomandnacole]

thanks, i think you are correct. every thing i have been abble to dig up points at the mid 70's. this gun had been well used when i bought it in 1997, but to my suprise it is more accurate than my brand new mod 70 clasic ftw. nothing special done to it except a fresh crown when i bought it and it shoots solid MOA groups with 168 grn match bullets. i paid $225 for it, so reguardless of date of mfg i think i got a good value for the money. here is a PIC (the stock has been refinished)