Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Price check on 1953 Featherweight in 308 - VGC

I found one today at a local gun show. The metal is 95%+ or better, but someone cut the stock. The condition of the stock, until it was cut, is also VG and matches the metal.

Anyone care to tell me what it might be worth, such as it is?

Thanks. donsm70

BASED ON DESCRIPTION, $750ISH, WITHOUT THE STOCK BEING CUT IT WOULD BE PUSHING 1000-1050, AS LONG AS IT IS GOOD CONDITION, 85-90%.

Cut to add pad? What kind of pad and how does it look? You guys are both in PA, but around here it would still bring close to $1,200 if they did a good job on the pad and if the LOP is still around 13.5"....Little more info please. My "shooter" stock has been cut and pachmayer pad installed on my std weight 30-06 and I was offered $1,000.00 for it the way it is without the scope:


A true 95% condition rifle is still sought after and another stock can always be found....

I sold three Pre'64 Fwt 308's in the last year. One was cut and I added a new red pad, it was from '55 IIRC and it sold for $850.
The lowest priced was a '63 that had the stock refinished, it sold for $600.

............they think they are gold plated around here. The cheapest one I've heard of around here was one in terrible condition with its front sight taken off, stock in bad shape and fully bedded (but it was a shooter, I'll give it that). Great little carry gun but it wasn't pretty. It sold for $500.00 (private party sale and the seller was an older gentleman that didn't know what it was worth) and the actions usually sell for more than that around here....I've ran across the 308 fwt's a few times but like I said before, they are over $1,000.00.....

Pre'64 M70 prices are always good discussion as they vary by region and they vary greatly by condition of course.
Some would likely call me crazy for what I have paid for some and others would say I got a fair deal. Just two weeks ago I bought two Pre'64 70's, one is pictured in another one of my posts. It's a '51 standard in 270 in an old custom stock with a B&L 2.5-8X on top, that one cost me a couple bucks over $800 out the door, too much?...maybe for some but the blueing is quite good, the bore is pristine and the stock is way better than an original low comb factory handle. The other is a 1946 transition gun in 30-06. The stock was sanded and varnished losing most of the checkering but it's solid and the steel butt plate is there. That one cost me $640 out the door. Two years ago I paid $625 for a 1960 complete action, so I don't think I paid too much for a transition action with a good barrel in it and a stock with the steel butt plate, albeit refinished.
I have six Pre'64 70's now and I'm always looking for more.

Me too buddy. Like you, I'm always looking for that great deal out there. I'm into my std wt 30-06 by $130.00 now after selling off all the chit I'd never use and $850 for my fwt 30-06 (without the scope of course ) in all original unaltered (excellent) condition:

If I'd kept all the Pre'64 M70's I had since I started buying them 2-1/2 years ago I'd have about 15 of them. Should have kept all of them. I've bought them from a low of $585 for the '49 270 that will bocome a Whelen when the barrel gets here, to $1050 for a 1940 30-06 in 95%+ condition(shoulda kept that one).
You got a good price on that Fwt '06, I have a bit more than that in my '59 Fwt '06 and it's pretty nice but the '59's have a plastic butt plate. One of my better deals was my '58 Fwt 243, came with a beautiful Weaver V4.5(1.5-4.5X) scope on top for $700.

I just found a laminate stock for the '46 clover leaf tang at Richard's Microfit,....maybe it'll be the Whelen instead of the '49 action, the Whelen could use the weight of the laminate.
Then that leaves the '49 action and the Micky Edge for something else...maybe a 7x57..or a 257 Rob?..decisions,..decisions...

My 1963 .30-06 Featherweight cost $700 at my local dealer.

About 3-4 years ago, i bought a 1955 featherweight in .30/06 at a gun show. The seller wanted $1,800 and we settled on $1,500. It was mint in every respect. I brought it to my rifle maker and he examined it carefully, including an examination with a borescope and a loupe. Said it was factory new and unfired. No handling marks, no scope had ever been mounted, no nothing. I'm a happy camper!

A year ago, I found a 1953 standard weight in .270. It had been refinished and the bore had some pitting, but the action was as solid as a bank vault. I traded a used Swarovski AV American 2.5-10 x 42 even for it.

It has spent the past 9 months at a custom rifle maker and is now a .338 Winnie. per the test target, it shoots .8" with factory ammo. The rifle was sent to a custom loader who is working on load development and he reckons he can do better than that. We'll see.

Point is, there are collector rifles and working/project rifles. I will hunt the .30/06 featherweight, but in gentle country. IMO, collector grade or not, a hunting rifle is meant to be hunted.