Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Pre 64 M70 transition value

I may have an opportunity to buy a 1947 M70 30 06. Have not seen the gun in person. The seller has told me that the foreend of the stock has been repaired and has some minor bluing wear on the barrel.

How does the repaired stock affect the value and what would be a good price on a gun like this?

Thank you for your insight.

Condition is where value is ascertained. Its a 30-06, so that dings it a little. If the stock is in poor condition or altered in any way, that brings the value way down. Has anything else been done to it? How original is it? A 1947 is desirable to some that like the transition model. Also, what is a good deal to some may be way too much for others (like myself). A good deal to me would be sub $500.00 on a rifle like this. To others, a good deal may be $900.00.

Well 'new member', welcome aboard. Now re your question. My take...

The question you ask is impossible to answer in any manner likely to provide meaningful information. It's analogous to "my car won't run, please tell me how much it's worth and how much to fix it. "Err...!" You haven't even shared what sub-model 70! We can 'assume', but I decline to do that! Believe the very best result is for you is to return with full information and some seriously good photos of the rifle.
Best & Good Luck!
John

The photos I've seen do not provide good info regarding condition of the rifle. It appears to be a standard grade M70 with steel butt plate. Not a FW or super. Seller is asking $1150 for the rifle which I think is too much, just looking for a good idea to counter offer.

Yep, I joined in 2010 and have only been a lurker on the forums until now. I'm going to be posting a little more. Good information is available here that isn't available on other forums I frequent.

To me it would have to be stone cold mint for me to pay that price.

If the bore is good, I’d probably offer $750, although the market may have strengthened a bit lately on those guns. It had been pretty soft.

I’d say the action is probably worth $450 or so to part it out. Patched up stock, way less than mint, depending on how it looks. Barrel, maybe $125 if bore looks good thru borescope.

That’s the way I figure a price. What’s the sum of the parts.

DF

One of the big problems with the kind of evaluation you pose is the "instrument rating" effect. The pilot construing and reacting. No visuals, dependent entirely on what those instruments tell. Any 'bad info'... maybe terminal. The Model 70 expert is dependent on the most accurate input possible. Photos bridging that gap as 'best possible' short of 'hands on'! You acting as the instruments, are no better than your expertise. Which is what you're here for!!!
Rifles pushing better part of century old, with plenty of "customization", parts swaps, amateur repairs and 'Bubba effect'... If you're not an expert, experts you seek here are no better off than flying with whatever instrument readings you can provide. The potential "garbage in, garbage out" syndrome! Perhaps I'm sounding melodramatic, but you're here presumably for good answers. Relying on verbal descriptions such as "damaged" for instance; flying blind.
The "parts is parts" approach is fine IF those parts are all correct, unaltered and working properly.
I'm myself a student rather than expert, but do know that there are sufficient nuances that many "assumptions" required in any ordinary valuation as you propose. "Damaged" is the black hole of possibilities. You don't need to be PT Barnum's "minute-man"!
Best & Happy New Year!
John

Well put buddy. I get tired of posting what you just wrote. Its human nature to ask questions without full detail, description and photo's. Especially here. Sure there are guys that have been around the block a time or 2 and know the ins and outs of these old winchesters, but without proper description, we are all flying blind. Well stated.. I also like df's response, but you are absolutely correct he's throwing out numbers, just as I did based on a very limited amount of information. We'd like to assume the OP knows what he's describing, buy way more times than not guys just don't know enough about these pre's to know for sure. That's why he's asking for assistance. I'd love to start a new thread titled, "hey guys, what is this thing worth". I'd post good pics and let guys pick the damn thing apart. I've actually done that before on one of my buddies rifles. BOY did he get pizzed with some of the responses. Of course he's someone that thinks his chidt doesn't stink and everything he owns is gold...

Thanks DF. That's a line of reasoning I had not considered but should have as this may be used for a future custom stock. I've been wanting a pre 64 aught six and I'm a fan of the transition era. I already have a custom 300 WM built on a '48 action.

To me, the stock is the biggest unknown. Without pictures, it's only a guess. "Repaired" leaves a whole lot in question. A really clean repair that can hardly be seen on an otherwise pristine stock would be the upper end, everything down hill from there.

Bsa is correct about the value of good quality pictures.

BTW, on Gunsamerica, Gunsinternational, good pre-64's are bringing decent money and seem to be selling. Condition is critical.

DF.

On the Pre-64. com site, they have Pre-64 actions listed at $1,100 or so. Seems a bit high to me. Not sure how many they selling at that price. I bought a pre-64 .243, stock cut, barrel cut for $400 just for the action. It’s now a 6.5-284.

So it’s hard to price a good Pre-64 action. Guess it’s worth what someone is willing to pay.

DF

And also the perceived reputation of the seller.

Bingo! That is right. That's why I said in an earlier post, I'd pay $500, someone else may pay $900... That's all based on a very poor description and assumption that everything is correct and original except for the stock fix..

The several of you guys contributing here in the last posts, the real experts. I'm just the court jester with dumb analogies, seeking the O/P's attention as in "Hello!?!" Quite true that some folks don't know a lot about guns, or only general knowledge. Help them, educate them! But 'objective factors' in the guns themselves, require good descriptions! End of road, kiss off politely with "insufficient info"; inviting return when!
-Another strong element... "Winchester" name-magnet forums. For every O/P here, maybe fifty or more readers perusing. We're hanging out, but to an 'audience'. Forums' own 'critical 'public'. Us requiring quality-detailed questions, affording quality responses. The side point, "No stroking zone"; hard frank answers. Just always 'polite and dignified'.
My own wordy take!
Happy New Year All & Stay Safe!
John

I like your polite approach. Gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. My approach is straight forward and honest, some guys don't like that fu cking schidt..

Ya think he may be too "nice" for the Fire...?



DF

A warm, fuzzy feeling?

Hope it's not like Chris Mathews feeling a "thrill up his leg" when he hears Obongo speak....

DF

Ha ha. We'll change him. Eventually