Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Pre-64 Winchester 70 .264 FWT

How hard are they to find and what are they worth?

I advise you to forget this caliber and buy .270 instead. Ammo is difficult to find and when found selection is non-existent. The .264 came out in late 50s therefore fewer guns were made in this chambering making them more expensive to buy. When compared to .270 or 7mmRemMag the .264 has absolutely nothing going for it. Buying rifle in .264 is like buying pistol chambered for 9x18 Ultra (the 9mm Browning or 9x17 is far, far better choice).

Wow, this sure didn't answer what I thought was an interesting question.

I don't know the answer to the question, but am interested in hearing from those who do.

Hint. Add Perry County Firearms listings to your fav spots and one will show up for sale soon enough.

Vixen: IF... you are looking for a collector quality pre-64 Winchester Model 70 in the Featherweight Westerner style (the Featherweight in caliber 264 Winchester Magnum) then indeed they are rare and hard to find in that condition.
To begin with only 3,116 Featherweight Westerners total were made - that is 00.54% of all pre-64 Model 70's ever made.
So to begin with you are kind of looking for "a needle in a haystack" and then you have to factor in the many Featherweight Westerners that have been altered/abused/disassembled etc!
So your sights have been set high, if you are looking for one.
In my collection I have 6 (six) pre-64 Model 70's in caliber 264 Winchester Magnum - I feel VERY lucky that 2 (two) of them are mint condition Featherweight Westerners!
Let me repeat that for emphasis, VERY LUCKY!
I have NOT seen a "collector quality" Featherweight Westerner for sale during my extensive travels/searching in several years now.
The part of your inquiry where you ask about "their worth" - I would answer this way: a collector quality Featherweight Westerner IS worth A LOT ($2,250.00 to $3,000.00)!
If you have an interest in a "shooter" Featherweight Westerner then I won't comment on that because I have no interest.
Wishing you best of luck in finding one if you are looking!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Go to Guns International and do a search. I agree with Varmint Guy that a nice high condition FW is hard to find. A good condition shooter somewhat easier. You didn't mention what condition of gun your looking for. If you want a gun to hunt with the FWT version doesn't get the full potential out of this caliber. I own both a FWT and a STD 264 and the longer barrel on the STD performs better.
If your looking for a FWT to hunt with then I would consider a 270/308/30-06 instead of a 264.

Is this a question of you looking to buy or sell one? If you're looking to buy you've got the answer from the best. If you have one and are looking to sell then post some pictures for a better estimate.
BTW, the Fwt .264 I had was a very accurate rifle and produced a wonderful amount of muzzle blast and flash when fired!

They made a lot more Westerner's with the 26 inch barrel. They are cheaper. If you are going to get a short barrel 264, you may as well buy a 270.

Collector quality 270 Fwts aren't cheap....

Got that right..

Tag.

donsm70

I fell into a really clean one last year, only thing I know that's not factory is the checkering has been re-cut, I like the little FW 270 and can understand the appeal it has for some.

My 270 is a sweet sob, but when it comes down to it, I like the 30-06 better. Only because I grew up with the ol 06 and know it like the back of my hand. The only thing keeping me from selling the 270 right now is I want to try some of that magic powder (RL26) with the 150gr. nosler partitions... 3,100 fps and a good 150gr. bullet turns the 270 into a whole different animal.

I have a .264 Westerner (Collectors Grade) that I would be willing to sell. It is NOT cheap, but fair.

Let me know if you have any interest.

donsm70

Yes, 150's at 3100 may be fun to play with in a 7 Mag kinda way, but 30 cal 200 gr bashers at 2700 let the old '06 punch pretty damn hard.

Sounds like a dandy rifle Don.

Donsm70: Is that 264 Westerner (Collectors Grade) Rifle you have for sale a Featherweight or a Standard weight Rifle?
And how much are you asking for it?
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I just traded a nice 270 FWT towards the two super grades (see Super Tuesday thread) and got a lot more for it than I thought. In fact he gave me what I'd have asked for it if I were selling it myself.