There are a host of thieves out there creating fake "rare" caliber barrels for the model 70, or even just mixing and matching genuine Winchester parts to create a rare configuration of gun (e.g. taking a .30-06 super grade stock and sticking a .257 Roberts action into it, making a .257 SG rifle). These people gut the collector market, forcing true collectors to shy away from any gun without a fully-documented provenance. It's a pity, especially when you consider all the work these counterfeiters go through for a relatively small amount of profit.
This particular fake is so bad, it really is more of a novelty item than a fraud. The badly engraved barrel stamp is so poorly done it is not going to fool even a casual collector. I guess there were people bidding on it, so it seems it was working to fool somebody, but I'd hesitate to put this rifle into the league where the true counterfeiters are playing ball. In some cases, these guys are making rifles so closely matched to the original factory guns that they are nearly impossible to distinguish from the real thing.
Justin
