The auction has closed on the special edition Model 70 being auction at the SHOT Show. The final bid was $15,025.00 which goes to the NSSF and their efforts to grow and preserve the hunting and shooting sports.

This article was written prior to the end of the auction.

Whenever the Winchester Model 70 comes up in conversation, two other closely-related subjects immediately come to mind – the legendary outdoor writer Jack O’Connor and his favorite big game cartridge, the potent 270 Winchester.

Last year Winchester Repeating Arms produced a special limited edition of Jack O’Connor Tribute Model 70s, strictly modeled after Jack’s favorite big game hunting rifle. All were chambered in, of course, 270 Winchester.

To say they were an instant classic with collectors and hunters alike is an understatement. They all flew off the shelves and are now proudly hanging over fireplace mantles and gracing gun rooms around the world.

That is, all except for one.

The very last gun in the Jack O’Connor Tribute Series was pulled off the production line and received additional engraving and gold embellishments. It was stocked in extra fancy AAA Claro walnut and was fitted with a pristine 1950s-vintage Leupold 4x Mountaineer scope direct from the archive vaults at Leupold and Stevens.

But this very special Model 70 wasn’t locked away in a museum or in someone’s dark, musty gun safe. It’s now available as an auction item on Gunbroker.com, with the proceeds going to benefit the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF). That means you could be the proud owner of this one-of-a-kind piece of shooting history, and help preserve our hunting heritage in the process.

The rifle will be on display at the Winchester Repeating Arms booth at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas this week. The SHOT Show is the firearms industry's primary trade show and entry into the show is limited to dealers, buyers, the media, and the companies that sell all the gear. More details will follow on www.winchesterguns.com as the show progresses.

If you want to enter a bid on this exceptional Model 70, visit http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=322476416 . But don’t delay, as the auction ends at 5:00PM EST on January 18th.

The following is additional detail from the listing on www.gunbroker.com.
For more photos and bidding information go to the Gunbroker Model 70 Auction.

"The special rifle has been hand-engraved by the artisans at Baron Engraving under the watchful eye of Winchester executives. In addition to a majestic whitetail buck on the butt plate, the rifle features a rendition of the North American Sheep "Grand Slam" on the magazine floor plate. This is in recognition of O'Connor's achievements and dedication as a sheep hunter. O'Connor's signature is re-created in gold on the trigger guard and the rifle features the inscription "If the hunter does his part, the .270 will not let him down" emphasizing O'Connor's great respect for the .270 cartridge."

The exceptional engraving and embellishments were provided by our friends at Baron Technology, Inc.

By Browning Writer/Editor: Scott Engen