Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Featherweight 270 first one how did I do

I just purchased my first pre64 featherweight and wanted to ask y'all's opionion. The stock has a 1/8" gouge out of it about 1/4" in size other than that the stock is perfect. The metal is a little rough. Couple of rust spots and at the end of the forearm some scratches are down to bare metal. I twisted off a base screw trying to take the basses off because I could see some surface rust where the two met up. This gun was bought off Internet for 900.00. I think I can get some 0000 steel wool and get the rough spots out. I can live with the barrel metal scratches but don't like them. The stock I was going to replace with an aftermarket because I need the extra length of pull with a recoil pad maybe a McMillan. After I get back from a week of deer hunting I want to brush the barrel and see how it groups.
Can I take this lemon and make lemonade or am I throwing good money away? I have seen some nice featherweights with cut stocks sell for 900 where the metal was a lot better than this. Maybe I cut my losses and go that route. I really don't see myself ever shooting this rifle with standard stock and after McMillan stock I'm up to 1500.00 with poor metal. What's your opionions? Thanks Ricky

Average at best...

clean it up tighten up the screws put a proven good scope and see how it does.
you might have to bed the orig. stock or go ahead and buy the Mickey stock to see how well it shoots. If the rifle don't work out re-barrel or sell and buy another Fwt. to put in the mickey stock you bought. My Fwt.'s are a long way from clean. I wish they were but I love hunting with them.

I found a 1955 FWT in 270 for $700 locally and a used McMillan on the "Fire" for $400. Shoots just about any 130 gr bullet into less than an inch.

The $1100 got me a really nice Pa. deer rifle for this year and many more to come.

donsm70

Now that was a hell of a deal right there. One of the reasons for my "average at best" comment... Hopefully the OP doesn't get offended...

Not offended at all. The gun was not advertised as it really was but sometimes you get the bull and sometimes the horn. If it shoots I will keep it and if it doesn't I will cut my losses. I have purchased two standard pre 64's off the net and got better than expected. I guess it boils down how it shoots and I will try and keep everybody posted. I reload so It will get a fair shake but I didn't buy it to sit in a safe. I purchased a 1961 S&W model 41 to shoot and it was in such immaculate shape I would never shoot it. After five years of sitting in the safe I sold it to a guy that really wanted it. My point is that I don't try and get the deal of a lifetime and if it's to pretty I would never use it. I hunt Arkansas pine plantations that are choked full of briars and thickets. A pretty gun want stay pretty long with me using it. Thanks Ricky

ricky, keep us posted as I have a feeling it will clean up fine as a "hunter" grade gun and likely shoot pretty well.

Sounds like a great candidate for a Mcmillan stock upgrade. Shoot it and let us know if it is a tack driver. Most of these 270 fwt's shoot lights out. Finding a primo 270 fwt for a great deal is hard to do sometimes as well. I'm not a hard core collector, so when I run across an old rifle that needs some help and I know I'm going to use it hard, I'll have it cerakoted. A good ol rifle cerakoted and in a Mcmillan or other good synthetic stock is hard to beat...

here are some pictures

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I'd say you did pretty well from the looks of things.

That one doesn't look too bad. You must have cleaned it up. At $900.00, I'd say you did above average. Thanks for posting pics.. Hunt it the way it is or throw it in a Mcmillan and you'd be good to go either way..

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Were you able to get the base screw out without damaging the threads?

My computer is so slow on uploading pics that it took me 30 min to do these. Thanks Rick

The rifle looks good. I'll bet you will enjoy shooting it..

Doesn't look bad at all. Hope you enjoy it greatly.

No the base screw is going to a smith I will bugger it up if I do it. The wood is perfect except for the deep gouge in stock. Any advice on removing the rust off action? I really didn't do anything but pull it out of stock and oil it up good. Got to get deer season over with and I will see if it shoots. I already have a bore guide for it so about a week on the bore will get it ready for the bench. Tks Ricky

That gun looks better than you described it. The gouge should come out with a damp washcloth and an iron. A touch of True Oil and some polishing, may make that gouge mostly disappear...

with the rust, a little oil and some fine steel wool, after hunting the hell out of it, you won't remember a thing about rust/gouges, just the memories!