I had a 1953 .308 Fratherweight for a few years until selling it a couple months. It was also in original condition--except the buttstock had been shortened slightly and the aluminum buttplate filed to sort of fit it.
The barrel on those original .308 Featherweights was also "sort of" free-floated, meaning it was floated just enough to clear the forend--but not enough to prevent the barrel from touching the forend when the rifle went bang. Mine would kinda shoot some loads into 1-1/2" or so, sometimes a little small, but sometimes bigger.
This is indeed good enough for most big game hunting, but I decided to see if it would do better, so put two plastic bread-bag shims behind the recoil lug, then tightened the front and rear action screws as usual, and just snugged up the middle screw--as Drover suggested. This "lifted" the barrel just enough to actually float it, and the rifle started grouping 3 shots under 3/4 inch, and in fact would put 5 of its best load in an inch or so.
It also did not alter the original bedding of the rifle. When I eventually decided to sell it, I simply removed the shims.
PS to navlav8r--The pre-'64 Featherweights did not have any forend screws.
Last edited by Mule Deer; 10/17/21.
