Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Winchester 70 featherweight pushfeed pre xtr?

Around the circle outside the "Winchester" it reads Winchester trademarks licensed from Olin Corp US Repeating Arms Company.

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Bob: FWIW, it was also first offered in the '06. (Big surprise :))

The XTR moniker was dropped in 1989. The XTR featherweight made under the WRA banner are supposedly the more desirable ones because they only made them for couple of yrs.

southetexas: Yes think you are right. But looks like my timing is off and this is a USRAC rifle and not the first FW(?)

I recently acquired one in 257Bob.
The SN is 1519992, no open sights on barrel, XTR stamped on barrel, push feed.
So from info above---
Mfd in 1980/1981 by WRA.
It is in excellent shape, but someone cut the butt down a little and put a Pachmeyer pad on it. Just starting to shoot it.

Question
Did Mfr put a little clear off yellow bedding in the lug well, or was that done by someone after market????

Tim

Yes that was winchesters way of bedding it's basically hot glue where is bsa at?

"where is bsa at?"

??????

Yes. They made push feed Featherweights through 1994, along with Classics. 1995-97 they only offered the Varmint and Ranger in push feed, then added the Black Shadow in 1998. Any of these Model 70's made before 2003 are fine rifles. I prefer Classic's, but do own two push feeds from that era. My Model 70's will always say "Made in New Haven CT. USA

I saw a "model 70 Lightweight" at Gander Mountain once. Is that a version of the Featherweight?

Thanks for the info guys. I appreciate the wealth of knowledge. I should have noted that the receiver was not drilled and tapped for a receiver sight. Should have been a giveaway that it was a later pushfeed.

Now I haffta go check mine!

MM,I believe that the m70 pushfeed lwt.had a walnut stock with a different checkering pattern than the fwt. along with a 20 inch barrel.

OK. Thanks.

If I recall my conversation with the historical department at Winchester, those with the cursive font style pre-dated the XTR. I've had a few over the years and to the low information buyer, they are a XTR Fwt.. As to specific date and number of units, a person would have to call them to see what their records reveal.

The featherweight's were re-introduced in late 1979 with them showing up in catalogs in 1979 they were all XTR Featherweight's. My classic stainless featherweight made around 1994 had featherweight in cursive on the barrel.

Also if you call Winchester now inquiring about when a rifle was made etc they wont tell you. Once the move to SC took place there are couple of stories on what happened to all the paperwork concerning SN from the NH plant the one you hear about the most is Winchester turned it over to the ATF to other stories they were destroyed etc.

Well, another iconic American company gets "parted out and watered down". What's next, Louisville Sluggers sold to a Finnish conglomerate? Oops, just happened.

In 1989 USRACo went bankrupt and FN came in and bought them if it wasn't for that back in 1989, the Winchester name would of been gone 26yrs ago.

Well mine says XTR Featherweight on it. Anyway, it's my favorite hunting rifle I have right now. It will go to my son some day!

According to Wikipedia the Olin corporation has owned Winchester since 1931. In 1980 they quit building the guns and began subcontracting the firearms production out. First to USRAC and now to FN/Browning. So apparently the Winchester brand name has been in no trouble.

Not quite accurate they sold the plant to the employees and from that USRACo was founded they leased the winchester name from Olin corporation. Alot of folks consider the last real winchesters were made in 1980.