Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors The funny thing about prices

Again, I agree that it does happen on occasion, but in my admittedly limited experience no one makes a habit of selling old Winchesters below fair market value, just don’t see it.

The secret is not just keeping an eye on your favorite hole in the wall gunshop 2 blocks from your house. You got to always be looking for the deals. Eventually and frequently youll run across some damn good money makers. Im not going to tell you how much i made on the transition 375 WBY that i bought for $600.00, but lets just say it wasnt bad. The funny thing about that rifle was my buddy told me i was out of my mind for paying that much for that old re-chambered rifle. Now the corksucker wants to buy a beautifully engraved pre 64 model 70 375H&H that we found last month for $1,100.00. I told him its not worth it because theres too many things unoriginal about the rifle. Stock has a carving on it of a grizzly, floor plate has a silver inlay of a bighorn ram and the receiver used to be drilled on the side where its been filled nicely, but i can still see it. Rifle supposedly came from AK, but theres no documentation of who did all the custom work. Is it worth $1,100.00? Not to me, but maybe it is to someone else?

I’ve been looking for deals all of my life.

BSA is spot on. Im fortunate to be retired so i travel around quite a bit hunting, fishing..... I dont shop the same gun shops all the time. But I figure about 1 out of 7 times i visit multiple shops in different parts of the state I will run across a good deal or multiple deals. Kind of like gambling I guess. you dont always win. Also cash is KING. The truly unique and rarer guns coming on the markets everyday just amazes me. I too have made some mistakes. I passed on a decent Rem 722 in 257 Roberts for 500 bucks. And I missed on a really nice all original 1953 model 70 FWT in 308 Win for 1080 out the door. The reason I hesitated was because I already had a 1954 in fantastic shape! Everyone gave me hell for not picking that one up. I am also constantly looking for pre 64 Mod 70 parts. That way I always have spare parts for rifles that might have the wrong/ altered stock or missing hoods,sights,swivels,worn floor plates.... The right stock really increases the value of these fine rifles and unaltered or uncut stocks are getting VERY hard to find. I absolutely love those alum/metal butt plates.

Just talked to a buddy of mine. He said he just sold a complete pre 64 mod 70 bolt from 1956 for 300!! Just the bolt assembly.

Me too buddy. The aluminum butt plate fwt is a favorite of a lot of peoples. I prefer the montecarlo stocks as well. The low comb is not great for scope use. Last march, a buddy and I was in a small town checking out the local gunshops and ran across a cool gunsmiths shop. The guy had so many old guns it would make your head spin. He had model 52's, 71's, custom pre 64's in every chambering. It was there that I found some olympic sights for my winchester model 52. He said he'd let me have them for $200.00. I ended up buying a beautiful like new fwt stock. He also had more pre 64 stocks stuffed away. I spotted the fwt stocks and he said I had a keen eye. I probably should have bought more from the old guy, but felt lucky walking out of his store with the beautiful all original aluminum butt plate montecarlo fwt stock.

I paid 450 for a 1954 Standard 30-06, that to me looked like it had hardly been shot which was confirmed later. I was stunned that I got it for that price, and would have easily paid more for it. I think stainless steel and black stocks are what folks want today, and frankly those of us who know what these rifles are, we’re getting older, and sadly many of these rifles show up because men are passing on. They’ve been sitting in closets for years.

I was talking to Ed Lapour a couple of weeks ago about prices on Pre-64’s and that’s what he said. Guys are passing on, and these guns end up in gun shops. Lucky for us, and it’s just a sign of the times. I just picked up a mint JC Higgins for the same reason. The gun store owner knew what it was, and I knew what it was, but most don’t. Again, lucky for me.

And I consider a nice Model 50 JC Higgins every bit the equal of a pre-64 Model 70, except for the goofy trigger, and most have been more accurate once I replaced the triggers.

You are absolutely right. Its sad in a way. All we can do is enjoy these old rifles for as long as we can and then pass them on to the next person that will love them.

Yes. And not mess them up. I really debated changing the barrel and the stock on mine, but knew the guys that were doing the work would use the barrel and stock on the Standard to bring an old one that had been butchered, back to life. Those guys do good work. And understand the history and importance of the Model 70’s. In the not to distance future the pre-64 Model 70 will be appreciated by a very small group of guys.

BLR358WIN is always sending good pictures of scores he runs across. Really makes me jealous I don't have the time to scout too many shops, but I do run through every store I run across looking for old P64's standing in the rack!

Scotty, something i do is ask the gunshop owners if they have any pre 64 model 70's hidden away somewhere. They arent always on the rack. Youd be surprised at how many say yes they do have a pre 64 hidden away. If i was just relying on whats out on the floor, id go home empty handed a lot. Sometimes the older gunshop owners are looking for just the right person to send their pride and joy home with. Thats how i got my 300WBY for $499.00 last August.. That rifle is a sweetheart too.

What is weird to me is that the Savage 99s are climbing in price and the Winchester Model 70 Pre-64s are dropping in price. Some older folks are getting hard up and selling stuff as well. I paid 750.00 for this Pre-64 Model 70 Standard in 270 (1954) with a VX3 2.5-8 scope. The bore is perfect and I have yet had time to shoot it. Sure it has a recoil pad but I will buy every Pre-64 in reasonably good condition that I can find up here for what would be $500.00 without the scope.

Thats the kind of deal i look for. Well done. Nice rifle. Ill tell you a secret, id pick up a nice pre 64 like that over a damn 99 every day of the week and twice on Sunday. I had a chance to take my dads 99 in 303 savage last year, but left it at my moms house. Totally unappealing to me.

The only 99’s that give me a reason to look at them are the 99F’s ( I think that’s the lighter one... ) in 308. Other than that you can have them. I started out hunting with a 99E I believe. Just a heavier 30-30 the way I look at it.

I thought heavier is good for recoil?

You should think about doing what I did. I had pre64win.com swap the barrel and the stock to turn my 1954 Standard into a Featherweight. Lot better handling rifle. And it dropped a lot of weight. They have excellent barrels, stocks and any other part you need. I highly recommend them.

Nice rifle you have there.

I bought a rough 1946 m70 in 30-06 and a nice 1953 m70 in 300h&h a couple weeks ago, I didn’t give close to a grand for the pair, I was a happy boy that day. Gonna shoot an elk with the 300 this fall!

Awesome man. Good luck on your elk hunt.. If you haven't decided on a bullet to use in the 300, give the 200gr partition a try. It will knock an elk flat...

Yes Breakshunter you did well alright, that H&H is about as classy as rifle as a guy could kill an elk with, enjoy.