Fox Collectors

My wife and I drove to the show yesterday as I had one gun I was trying to sell and one I brought along for “show and tell “. I was pleasantly surprised to bump into fellow Foxers Marshfellow and Foxnut. Both of them had spent a considerable amount of time to drive to Ohio and set up. Although I didn’t come with any new guns I just couldn’t pass up a 348 Winchester Bear Box Tom had brought along for a very fair price.These don’t come along every day and will go great with my Model 71 20” inch Special. Thanks,Tom.

Nice! Hopefully whoever cleans out my house after I'm gone won't throw the half dozen full "Bear Boxes" sitting in a drawer in the gunroom in a dumpster. I wonder if those pre-war primers are still good?
This to me seems to be the hardest box of .348 ammo to find --
Tell us about your Carbine. Standard? Deluxe? Bolt peep?

Ok…Here’s what I learned.
Manufactured September 24th,1942
Deluxe 20” barrel
Short tang
22-K rear sight
Logo grip cap
Receiver not drilled-no holes
#1 barrel address
Flat in the white muzzle
Fine checkering
Steel butt plate
Checkered hammer As of 9-3-23 out of the 3010 guns in his Model 71 survey he had recorded 135 with the 20” barrel.
If you have access to the Summer 2021 Winchester Collector magazine there is a very informative article in there on 71’s. You can also see it online at the Winchester Collector forum I believe.
I picked up the proper sling swivels in Vegas a couple of years ago but an original sling has eluded me so far.

The 20-inch barrel is first listed in the 1938 Winchester catalog. Here is the Model 71 page from the 1936, 1937 & 1938 Winchester catalogs --
The American Rifleman did a short review of the 20-inch barrel Model 71 in the March 1938 issue, page 13 --
The 250-grain loading is mentioned in the 1941 Winchester catalog. The Model 71 page from the 1939 & 1941 Winchester catalogs --
The January 2, 1941, Western Ammunition Price List has a section on the Silvertip bullets on the back cover --
and the 250-grain .348 load is shown for the same price as the 150- & 200-grain soft point!
The earlier Winchester Ammunition Price Lists include a .348 150-grain Full Patch bullet load which I have never seen.

I once owned a near mint early long tang deluxe model 71. Bobby

Nice seeing you Joe... enjoy the "bear box". Next stop Louisville.
tjw