Dubbed the Van Orden Sniper, this is a very rare and obscure version of the Winchester Model 70 bolt action rifle. After World War II, retired Marine Corps Colonel George Van Orden opened the Evaluators Gunshop in Triangle, Virginia, outside the Quantico Marine base. Van Orden's shop evaluated and sold equipment to police forces and to the military at very low prices. Sometime after the Korean War, the company began selling the Van Orden Sniper Rifle, special ordered Model 70 rifles from Winchester in configurations that pleased Van Orden and his customers. During World War II, then Captain Van Orden and Chief Gunner Calvin Lloyd recommended the use of the Winchester Model 70 rifle with an Unertl 8x scope as a sniper rifle to the Marine Cops Equipment Board President. Wartime production delays caused the Corps to favor the Springfield Model 1903A1 rifle. His wartime experience had proved to him that the Model 70 was a quality rifle to sell and, although dubbed the Van Orden sniper rifle, the rifle was never purchased by the Corps. The Van Orden Sniper Rifles, like this example, featured a clip slotted receiver with a 24" medium heavy target barrel in 30-06, Lyman target sights, and Lyman telescopic sight blocks. The rifles later came with a Redfield International Micrometer receiver sight with sight disk. This rifle has a smooth pistol grip stock with sling swivel studs and an added solid Winchester recoil pad. The rifle has the standard Winchester barrel and receiver markings, including factory proofs and a Lyman globe front sight. Included is Norman Chandler's DEATH FROM AFAR, Volume 1 that lists this rifle by serial number as one of the Van Orden Sniper Rifles and sold in September 1953 to Edward Renzi of Havertown, Pennsylvania (page 41).

Very fine. The rifle retains approximately 90% plus original blue finish with gray on the high edges and some minor muzzle wear, along with some scattered minor scratches. The stock is revarnished with some minor dings and scratches. Mechanically excellent.