Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Pre-64 Winchester 70 .270 Sightless Featherweight

Found one at $1500.

Not sure it's all original, but intend to hunt it.

As soon as I have pics in hand I'll post.

Thanks Scotty!

Pick it apart fellas!

Cool find buddy. Was the barrel reblued, it's sticking out like a sore thumb to me? Extractor jeweled too? Hard to tell in the pics. The butt plate shows a lot of wear like it's been in a gunshops rack and picked up a lot for a long time.. Just because you said "pick it apart", I'd also check to see if the rear dovetail was filled and ground. The only reason I'd think someone reblued the barrel. I'm also seeing a slight color difference where a dovetail would have been. We all know the front sight can be sweated off, as that was done on some of these fwt's. I'd hunt the hell out of it for sure.

I wondered about the barrel blue as well, but without HD pictures its hard to tell.

What would concern me is it's been picked up and looked at a lot.. Was it in a well known gunshop?? This reminds me, I saw my good buddy gunsmith at the gunshow last Saturday. I wished he posted here. I'll bet your buddy in Lyle knows him too. He would be able to tell us. If there were more and better pics, it may be easier to know for sure too.

Well, point is moot.

"Won't ship to the Northeast".

Tried explaining to him it was like shipping anywhere else.

🤷‍♂️

That's just dumb!

WTH??? Geez. It probably would have been a good shooter. The search is on I guess.. I've never seen one in person, so like I said in your other thread, finding one is going to be a challenge. Especially if you are looking for an original. Good luck with it buddy. I really hope you find a good one!! The last pre 64 I had in my had was an all original 1950 30-06 for $700. That was last Saturday at my clubs gunshow. I always look for nice featherweight rifles at great deals though. Even those are getting harder to find, it seems.

Background moment. The "Gopher Special" was a Winchester Factory variation. A small group of rifles contracted by Gopher Shooter Supply a firm in, as I recall, the Dakotas. Based on the pre '64 Model 70 action in Featherweight configuration. "Gopher" variation as a "sightless barrel" of standard 22". Available only in 30-06, .270 & .243 Winchester chamberings. The stock of Monte Carlo configuration consistent with scope use mandated. Model 70 serialization in late 1959 through 1961.

No distinctive "Gopher"/such nomenclature on these rifles. The specs above constituting 'the Duck'. If it it quacks to such tune, it's presumptively a Gopher Special category Duck! That making it more collector valuable. That also making it candidate for faking. The pesky aft dovetail sight slot in the ordinary Featherweight as required "deletion", technically most difficult to deal with as faking. The other dimension, as all collectible Winchesters, "factory original" status. Original barrels themselves the 'core' essential component. Receivers and stocks substituted 'du jour' and that, without observing niceties of above specs, often providing a strong instant tilt to a knowledgeable collector.

The allegation of the same barrel configuration by any other name, to be of equal value. Not so, if objectively in collector context. The claims of rare factor variations or factory special orders... Fill the annals of rifle owner claims. Most wishful thinking as trying to legitimize their 'finds'.

The O/P here, to his credit didn't come here with such claims. Unfortunately from the visuals provided, his rifle SN is about 1955 production date and thus too early for Gopher era. The stock isn't displayed in manner to confirm the MC feature either. Last, the blue on the action, isn't original and barrel as ? pending better visuals; now point moot!

The rifle appears a very nice pre '64 Model 70 in ultimately useful .270 Win chambering. Assuming it shoots well, a very nice package. Leaving valuing its worth in dollars to others!

Best!
John

John has it pegged IMO!

John, Gopher Shooter's Supply was in Faribault, Minnesota when I did business with them but they may have moved to the Dakotas.

This tells the Gopher Special story...

https://scatteredshots.com/2022/05/30/gopher-shooters-supply-model-70s/

My grandparents lived in the Fairbault area, and I went there many times. I was on the Gopher Shooter's Supply mailing list in the early 70's and lusted over the wares!

Damn! that's a fake, i also dont like the way the barrel looks directly in front of the action, a damn Sharps rifle is the only thing that's supposed to have a Hartford Collar, may be glare/angle, but i doubt it.

All i have is a regular FWT 270, really sweet little rifles.

Let me be clear, not looking for a Gopher, but a Type 4 sightless Featherweight.

The hunt is half the fun, no?

They're the same thing, no? If not, what's the difference?

Provenance

It's apparently impossible to know, so that can't be it.

Exactly

The Red Book of Gun Values as “Gopher Specials”, manufactured between serial numbers 440793-465040.

Even within that range, without provenance, the rifle must be assumed as a type 4

They sure are gunner. I had one at one time. The second cleanest 270 fwt I've had in my hands. The other one was NIB, that I could have bought for $350 more than the one I bought. My smith friend told me to buy the one I did because he knew for a fact it was a "shooting sumbiotch". His words not mine. If I was a 270 guy, I'd still have it..