Pawn Shop Vanguard

[TRWalker]

This is a Vanguard I just bought from a pawn shop.  I watched it for 2 months and finally had to buy it.  The price was $550 with a Leupold Vari-x II 3-9 scope.  The caliber is 300 Win Magnum.  On the barrel is "Patent Pending". Anyone have a rough idea when it might have been made? Thanks for looking and any information. Serial # is V65050.

[300S+W]

        If what I can gather out of the Blue Book is correct it was made in the late 60s to early 70s. By the way,NICE set up!

til later

[james]

Excellent.  You did good.  The scope alone goes for about $300 now. That quality of wood is hard to find on production guns.  I'm sure my wife is glad I didn't run across it because I would have bought it for sure.

[saltydog]

Looks similar wood, finish and serial number to my early 70's 25:06 - make sure you decopper and clean barrel as the previous shooters probably did not. By the way look closely on barrel and I think you will find it is not a HOWA build.

[DLH]

It will not shoot at all!!!   I'll take it of your hands, where do I send the money,AND pick up the gun??

     actually I have the spitting image of your gun in a 7mm Rem. Mag. it shoots .5" groups @ 100yds!!! and will shoot any bullet weight but 175g.  Mine was made in 1971.  If you call Weatherby they will tell you when it was built. Also there is a recall on some vangaurds. Weatherby can tell you about it. its FREE!!. It's just a bolt schrod that is marked for fire and safe.  it took about 4 days from Ohio to Calf. and back.

     BUT I will still give your money back , and take that OLD gun off your hands!!!

[TRWalker]

Thanks for the replies.  I sent my bolt in for the recall and 5 days later it arrived back ready to use. That's  a quick turn-around!
I've bought several boxes of ammo and plan to sight-in soon and use this rifle for deer and bear season this Fall. I'll let you know how it shoots.  It doesn't say "Howa" on it anywhere but does say "Made in Japan" plus the bolt recall is the same as my "HOWA" in 7 MM so I'm certain that Howa made this gun. That's fine with me as my Howa 7mm is a fine rifle. The wood on this rifle is as nice as any standard factory rifle I've seen. I don't look forward to getting it scratched but it is going in the woods before long.

[Oh dan e-boy]

Hi TR and the rest of youz.

I just got back from the local gun show. I have been waiting all week to buy a Weatherby from the Weatherby guy that is always at the show. I was like 30th in line and went right to his corner...alas he was not in attendance.  I was gonna buy a 257 Wtrby Mag vanguard. I figured I would shop the dealers for the chance I could get one (nicer than the synthetic $399). BINGO. I found the same stock as pictured above in a .25/06 Weatherby. I was not gonna get it but the price was right at $425. I figured if I hate it, I could sell it and buy a 257 vanguard...and some ammojavascript:void(0);
Grin

The one I have is identical to the one you posted. It looks about 98%- a little wear at the crown is all. The wood has two swall dings I will try to iron out. The Serial # is V4840X. Any idea what this serial equates to year wise? One poster said check the barrel- it's probably not Howa. How can you tell? Is the non-Howa worse quality?

Thanks

[p5200]

That gun has a finish like a piano, what a great buy!   

[Nasty Jack]

Gotta love the pawn shops --

Excellent wood on that rig!

I found a Vanguard, only synthetic stock in 30-06. It rains on the Oregon Coast. Synthetic stocks are handy if you're going to actually take them out and shoot them.

Leupold VX II 3 - 9x, in about 85%. It had been either sitting in the shop's back room (Bob has his "private stock" of stuff that he sits on before he moves it out on the floor -- sometimes for years.)

Or it had been sitting in the rack at some oil heated house -- oily and dusty. Bore was really "dark" until I ran a patch through it. Bore is like new. Scope lenses were covered with dust/oil. It all cleaned up perfectly. Shoots pretty much MOA if I do my part.

Best part was -- sign in the shop window "All Guns 20% Off" -- $350 out the door.

Bob "sittin' on stuff" . . . The pawn receipts show when the item was taken in. I bought a 1955 Win. Mod. 94 that'd been "sittin'" since 1978, and a 1968 Marlin '94 that'd been pawned in 1982.

[charles p]

I've got one just like it and I bought mine used in 1977.  For sure it was made before then.  Mine is 7mag.

[Swampman]

That is a beauty!  I just love wood stocks!!!!!