My “Old but New” Winchester Pre-64 .375 H&H

[CZDiesel]

I had a thread here some time back on a Winchester that I had purchased titled

My first 375 H&H... What do I have?​

In that thread I opined with others about what I had in the rifle and what I should do with it… Well I wanted to share what I ended up doing a little over two years later.

It started its journey with me looking like the day it was pulled out of its original box! It looked brand new, like a glimpse back to 1950.

I loved it but I knew I needed to bring it up to date and make it really mine! So I had the thought that if Jack O’Conner had bought this rifle back in 1950 and sent it to his rifle guy to restock and customize what would it be? What would it look like?
So I sent it off to LeRoy Berry at Canyon Creek Gun Stocks and had him work his magic! LeRoy restocked it in Turkish Walnut with a drop magazine, reblued and polished the bolt handle, jeweled the bolt and extractor, installed Talley bases and QD rings, and mounted a Leupold VX-6 1-6 scope on it! Now it’s ready for Africa in 2025!!!
Let me know if what you think of the work as I believe LeRoy is one of the best artisans out there!!! And one of the very best Custom Stock and Rifle makers we have!

FYI, I’ll be at DSC this January to book a hunt!

 

[Llano Estacado]

Beautiful!

 

[Trogon]

You have a gorgeous rifle. Hope for a successful hunt for you in 2025!

 

[Bullthrower338]

My god man! Why not find a beater pre-64 and sending it away? I would jack off a leopard in a phone booth to have a Pre-64 like that! You have a beautiful modern custom rifle no doubt, but now I’m not going to sleep! And the damn leopards are going to be cruising the phone booths!

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

Beautiful stock! A trip to Africa with it is definitely in order.

 

[CZDiesel]

That’s hilarious Bull Thrower lol So I still have the original stock and bottom metal and the the original bluing on both the receiver and barrel have not been touched!
Yes the bolt, extractor, and magazine follower have been jeweled but that’s nothing that can’t be reversed!
We were careful to protect the integrity of the rifle while both updating and customizing it too
As Bob Marley says “No worries about a thing, cause every little thing is gonna be alright”
Sleep well brother

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Beautiful rifle.

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Hi CZ,

Beautiful rifle, indeed!!
The first picture, the rifle before its new dressing, shows two cross bolts. This cross bolts were not originals.
About the drop magazine, how many rounds can be loaded?
Congratulations!

CF

 

[AZDAVE]

Leroy does fantastic work. I like what you did to a classic model 70

 

[Red Leg]

Lovely rifle. The cross bolts would have destroyed the true collector value of the rifle. = as in taking it from a $3K artifact to a $800 - $1200 shooter or barreled action. I think you were very successful in creating a lovely "new" rifle.

 

[hgr2]

Got to love them Ol Winchesters!

 

[fourfive8]

Don't scratch it Also, wonder why the front sling swivel in the fore end instead of the barrel?

 

[318AE]

It’s a great looking rifle. Take it Africa, shoot one of those phone booth leopards, and post a few more pictures when it has just a few scratches and even more character.

 

[RR 314]

Beautiful work. I have looked at his site numerous times. . . and I can’t even pick out a piece of lumber. It is overwhelming how many nice blanks he has.

 

[CZDiesel]

Thank you everyone for the kind words and informative feed back!

@Clodo Ferreira , I wanted to preserve the original stock and bottom metal so I kept the original cross bolts with the rifle

 

[CZDiesel]

@fourfive8 , There are two types of custom stocks and rifles made in this style… A European with a shorter, thinner stock and a barrel band for the front sling attachment and the there is the Winchester/American style with a longer fuller stock that has the sling attachment in the front of the stock as we are a custom too…
As I wanted to keep this rifle looking as original as possible I chose the Winchester style with the SuperGrade attachments, I think I made the right choice

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Hi CZ,

Good! Agree to keep all parts of the original.
How many rounds in the new custom magazine?

 

[CZDiesel]

@Clodo Ferreira

We used a Sunny Hill Drop Box which is 4+1

 

[Clodo Ferreira]

Thank you!
Like the original Pre 64 H&H magnums: 4+1

 

[Rule 303]

First thing I look at on a hard kicking rifle is the grain flow through the wrist. I don't care how good the timber looks if the grain flow through the wrist is not flowing with the lines of the wrist or straight through I am wary of it. On one side it looks good the other not quite there from what I can see, it might just be because of the shine and I am not seeing the full grain flow.

However I would wager that stock will hold up to any punishment a 375H&H can throw at it and the double cross bolts will hold a bad stock from cracking so you have no worries, could even butt stroke some of those Leopards

if I were ever to meet up with you I would bad mouth that stock something fierce, hoping I could talk you out of it.