Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Post 64 Winchester M70 FWT

So been a bit since I bought another rifle and I'm starting to get itchy. Looking at the featherweights as I've never owned 1.

Looking at 3 different ones currently. All red pad New Haven CT rifles. All either very good or excellent condition. All the darker red stained rifles, not the more satin or matte, duller finish on the new ones.

1 is an 82 push feed XTR. 1 is a 91 push feed, just says featherweight on the right side of the barrel, not xtr.

The third is a CRF that says classic featherweight on the right side of barrel. Do not know the yr of this one as it's after 1992.

Anything to look for in older push feed verses later CRF at the New Haven plant? Good, bad?

I only have one push feed XTR, a 7x57. The finish and quality of the wood is a bit better it seems then the newer New Haven CRF rifles. I have several of those too and none are a disappointment.

The price tag. That is always the first thing I look at. ha ha..

Ha! Well as you can figure, in today's world there isn't any of them that I'd call cheap. One is a 7x57, one a 6.5x55, and one a 7mm-08.

Cool factor would probably go to the first 2. The 6.5x55 has the nicest wood, although all of them look nice. The 7mm-08 is the most reasonably priced and for whatever reason if I had to pick today, that's the one I'm drawn to. I do like that cartridge.

A little more info on which one is which. Does it go like this:

1. 6.5x55
2. 7x57
3. 7mm-08

Also, on the CRF classic, how many digits in the serial #?

1) 82 xtr pf 7x57
2) 91 pf 6.5x55
3) crf classic 7/08

I would jump on 3 if it’s pre mid 2000’s made but only because that is what I have been trying to find for several years.


Other than that close your eyes as you hold each and figure out which one “speaks to you”

The classic is 7mm-08. Listed as G,5digits.

If you don’t get it I would be interested. The 5 digits are a bit more desirable, whether that translates to better rifles I can’t say.

I'd jump on that one, if it's reasonably priced. Excellent cartridge housed in a great rifle. The other 2 are nice, and also desirable.

Interesting, as they did have XTR's chambered in 6.5x55. Not sure if they had the 7x57 in the post XTR variant though. That 5 digit 7mm-08 would be the one I'd get. Personally. Or the XTR fwt. Both pretty intriguing.

Good to come back on here and get some confirmation. I called about the one that my gut told me I was drawn to and after talking to the gent, I quit dickering around in my mind and got the 7mm-08. He knocked $100 off the price. They are all expensive today, but $1150 shipped. Leupold bases and rings. Good looking rifle.

Always follow your gut. Sounds like a reasonable deal, on a fairly hard to find and desirable model. If you have or have ever had the 7mm-08, you'll know that cartridge punches above it's weight class. Hopefully it is a shooter too!!! Congrats.

Thank You. That's the one I would've picked over the other 2 without knowing a thing more other than it was still the older style darker red wood that I like over the newer ones. Just for info in my memory bank for down the road........what makes it hard to find or desirable? The chambering for those yrs, or the 5 digit serial number?

Thank You. That's the one I would've picked over the other 2 without knowing a thing more other than it was still the older style darker red wood that I like over the newer ones. Just for info in my memory bank for down the road........what makes it hard to find or desirable? The chambering for those yrs, or the 5 digit serial number?[/quote]

The five digit versions, and early 6 digit ones, are claimed to be of better quality (fit and finish) than the later 7 digit classics. I can’t speak to chambering rarity.

Yep, but ‘86 was the first run. They did do a late run in ‘91.

Good question. You rarely see a 7mm-08 chambered in the 5 digit classic. They are very hard to come by, which makes them very desirable for those 2 reasons. I had a 7 digit classic 7mm-08, but I prefer the 5 and 6 digit classics because they were made better than the last of the classics. QC and overall quality went downhill on the 7 digits. Don't get me wrong, they were not all bad. I've had a few of them, and they were nice rifles, but some things you need to watch out for on them. One being scope mount holes drilled and tapped off center of the receiver. My 7mm-08 was like that, but it was easily adjusted for, with a slight modification of the scope base. That was one of the common issues with the 7 digit classic. I'd be happy as hell if I ran across a 5 digit classic 7mm-08. That would be a score, hence the reason I said you also did well on the price. You could have paid a little less, or you could have paid a little more, but either way, I'm sure it's going to be a sweet azzed rifle. Let us know how it shoots for you. Thanks..

Thanks AK. Those were imported from the European market, or something like that?

Thanks for the info Red Spruce and BSA.

I generally try to buy rifles a couple $100 to the good on the buy, but one thing I've learned when going to gun auctions around here, or seeing sale bills from local auctions with the prices written down, is that if you even buy good rifles at fair current price you're way ahead of the game in a few yrs. At least that's been the trend ever since Obama got in and it hasn't changed yet. I shake my head every time I'm dumb enough to go to a good auction and think I can buy something.

I don't sell rifles, or have only ever sold a few, but I try to keep spending my money wisely if in the future it's ever needed.

That is a good way to be. If you ever decided you want to sell that rifle, you will know that you will always be able to get your money back. Just keep it in very good condition and you'll be set. That doesn't mean you can't use it, just be careful with it. Condition is everything, when it comes to value...

1985 special order XTR Featherweight 25-06

It's not mint, they almost never are unless NIB and even then I've seen some older rifles NIB with marks, but overall condition and what the muzzle looks like I don't believe it was used or shot much. Hard to get a steal online and I believe I just bought it at a fair price, but it's the one I liked. I've been looking for a nice 7mm-08, wasn't necessarily looking for or set on a FWT as that 7mm-08, but there it was. Just based on pictures only at this point, I'm glad I got it.


https://www.gunsinternational.com/g...eatherweight-7mm-08.cfm?gun_id=102426270

The thing I look for is iron sights.
Before I had lasix iron sights were useless to me.
Not now.
The “ short action” is also desirable in the post 64 model 70 I believe.

I will probably be the only nay sayer here. Buy either one of the push feeds but leave the New Haven CRF alone. We had more trouble with New Haven guns when I worked at the LGS than all the others put together.

I have always liked the push feed M70’s. The 270 Featherweight push feed that I used to have was as smooth as glass.

I hear ya. I got a decent amount of good scoped rifles, plenty of which are tack drivers, at least by my definition. The last 3 deer I shot I killed with open sights using 3 different rifles. All I carried. I do enjoy both shooting and hunting with iron sights.



Too late! For better or worse I bought the 7mm-08. Ha. It's the one I wanted, time will tell if it's a good one. Hope so.

What problems do New Haven crf have?

I have only owned one of the New Haven CRF rifles, it is a five digit SN Classic Stainless .30-06 and it is far and away my favorite big game hunting rifle. I bought it used in the summer of 2003. It was the first rifle I ever saw with Matte Stainless steel finish and a walnut stock.

As Roger Rule has so excellently done for the Pre-64 models, someone here needs to compile a Winchester Model 70 1964-BACO book with pictures, features, serial numbers etc. for that generation of guns. I would buy that!!

They look great, and they shoot damn well:


The only problem with that one, is I did not hit the orange dot. It's not a Tikka..

I like Ingwe, but I think he's generalizing. Probably talking about the 7 digit classic, as I explained some of the issues those had. Redneck would be the one to ask about the model 70. Ingwe is biased toward the pushfeed model.

That would be a great book. Good suggestion..

My pf fwt in 6.5x55 is the tits. Fiddleback stock, smooth and shoots nice..mb

A bit late to the party. . . but I'd have chosen the 7-08 as well. I owned one back in the '90's. But not because of looks! In fact, it was because of the price ($350). I was attending a shop on a fairly regular basis, looking for a particular rifle scope for a .45-70 and got a v.good deal. The young manager was always trying to sell me "the store" or anything in it, including a Featherweight M70 in 7-08 that someone brought in after having made an attempt to inlet the barrel using five thumbs on each hand - it (at first appearance) looked like a mess! The young manager was offering it for $450. I turned it down a few times until he got to $350 and I bought it thinking I could clean it up a bit, then sell it making $100 profit.

It turned into a beautiful rifle that shot everything (handloads) "lights out"! It shortly became a favorite. I kept it for a year or two and then traded it for a nearly new 7 Rem Mag, 700 BDL with little cost to me! Not that I needed either, but both were for learning and teaching.

Bob
www.bigbores.ca

Yes - with sights.

Here’s a generously priced late run gun that just showed up - script featherweight.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1029042590

Did you happen to see that major gouge on the top of the stock? Whew. Pic # 11. It got a bid on it at that.

Got mine in hand today. Really happy with it. For what it's worth I called Winchester and gave them the serial number, and was told it's a 1995 model. Don't know where that falls in the New Haven made CRF FWT's, but I like the rifle.

I just looked at that one. Since the 6.5x55 is fairly rare, it will probably sell for upwards of $1,350.00-$1,400.00, even though it is a pushfeed. It is a post XTR FWT, and those are pretty dang popular. Basically the same rifle as the XTR FWT, but considered a post XTR. With that being said, I'd still take the rifle you got, over that one. Mainly because of the ding in the stock, and yours is a 5 digit classic. Being the way I am, that stock would not stay on there. So, I'd have to consider how much a replacement stock is going to cost, and figure that into the overall price. At that point, it starts becoming way over priced, by a fair margin. Even if I were to sell the original stock, to recoup some of the money on the new stock. Just how I see things..

Also, if your only means of buying a rifle is surfing the web, you are likely never going to find the smoking deals that those of us find out in person. That rifle that I posted a pic of, was bought 3 months ago, and is a 5 digit classic. Picked it up for less than $600, in almost perfect condition. Didn't appear to have ever been fired. It's the compact model, which is pretty rare as well. Those are the kinds of deals that are out there, if you stretch your legs a bit..

Keep us posted on how your rifle shoots. Looks like a nice one

Yeah, I got a fair number of rifles, very few were purchased online. I scour the local market and wait patiently until the right rifle at the right price strikes me. Quite a few I confidently felt were double my money guns the day I bought them. I think this is the second rifle that I feel I paid at, or close to retail. Like the other one I wanted it, so it didn't really matter.

I think that they are great looking rifle and that their schnabel forearm tip is the best looking one ever put on an American factory built rifle. It puts the ugly schnabel that Remington put on their Model 7 to shame. I like this stock so much that I restocked my Model 70 Lightweight Carbines in 250-3000 with them so that they would look something like the early Savage Model 1920s.

I've had them in 223, 6mm REM, 257 ROB, 6.5x55, 6.5-284 rechambered from 6.5x55, 270, 7x57, and 30-06. I still have the 6.5x55 and the 6.5-284. I put the 6.5-284 into a Win-Lite (McMillan) FWT stock and was interested in a Win-Tuff FWT stock for the 6.5x55, but they seldom come up for sale and I have yet to win one that I bid on.

Look at the lightweights I have a featherweight xtr 80s vintage as well as several lightweights there a rare breed