Winchester pre-64 Model 70 Super Grade African .458 Winchester Magnum with left hand stock. Made in 1957, serial number 401577 was used by Dr. Karl Jonas to take a tiger in November, 1967. On this same hunt, his partner, David Hasinger, killed the huge tiger now on display in the Smithsonian. (Hasinger’s tiger rifle, a pre-64 Model 70 .375 H&H Magnum, is offered separately.) Features include a 25-inch barrel with original front sight, jeweled bolt body/extractor/follower and Lyman aperture rear sight (no inletting). STOCK: Winchester factory records covering this period of Model 70s are nonexistant, so the originality of the stock cannot be properly established. When disassembled, no markings were present. The consignor suggests it was ordered many years ago by his late father from the Winchester Custom Shop. HUNTING PROVENANCE: Included are field photos of Dr. Jonas with his tiger, although the rifle is slung and thus obscured. In addition, original newspaper articles regarding the hunt are also included. DIMENSIONS: Weight is 9.4 pounds and length-of-pull is 13.6 inches. CONDITION: The bore is strong and bright. The rear sight is absent in favor of the aperture. The auxiliary recoil block (underside of barrel and below the stock line, approximately four inches forward of the front ring) is present but detached from the barrel, as the solder has released. Barrel blue is approximately 80 percent, with some thinning and scratching. Bluing on the barrel-mounted sling swivel stud has thinned where contacted by a swivel. Several small pits appear over the chamber area. Jeweling is bright and viable, with little tarnish. The action blue is at least 85 percent, with thinning and freckling along the floorplate. The integrity and figure of the wood is very good, and its finish stands at approximately 80 percent, owing to a number of impressions and scratches. The recoil pad heel is slightly compressed. PUBLICATIONS: A feature on both of these tiger rifles appeared in the Autumn, 2019 issue of Sporting Classics Magazine.