Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Pre 64 featherweight price check

Wondering what this rifle is worth? I have had it a few years with designs of building a custom and am contemplating selling.

I also have a mannlicker birds eye stock semi inlet that I may sell
Thanks Chris


https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/galleries/19286971#Post19286971

Low comb 06, uncut, correct sights, but well loved. You’re going to be right around a grand.

Don't know where you got "correct sights". The rear sticks out like a sore thumb. I'd think it should have a 16A on it. As does Rule. Examples are in the book, in a couple different places. IE, "Rear sights: Lyman 16A folding leaf rear sight (1955-1963). This eventually replaced other sights for both the low combed and Monte Carlo stocks. It had all the features of the 16B except for the leaf height, which was .375"": This according to Rule. The earlier fwt's had the 22K rear sight, but those rifles were made from 1952-1955. The rifle in the OP is a 1957 DOM.

The condition is not great on this rifle, I'd put a top value of about $900 on it. It would be a great candidate for a nice Mcmillan though. "Well loved", is debatable. Someone was pretty hard on that rifle. Just what I see anyway.. If the OP is like me, he probably snagged that one for about $700.00. However, I probably wouldn't have even paid that much. Just too many scratches in the finish, even to throw in a Mcmillan. I'd definitely use that one to build off of though..

Not to hijack, what years did the pre 64 finish peel and bubble? I know some did and some didn't. I have a 243 that is kinda bad.

I’ll defer to Lou Luttrell on the WCA site re: sights. This has long been a slightly contentious issue.

“1952-1953: Both MC and LC FWTs manufactured in 308 WIN chambering only. Sight on both was the Marbles 69 folding (see 1953 catalog reprint page above). Nothing in Rule’s book appears to contradict this.
1954-1957: Win 22K replaced the Marbles 69 for LC stocks. Around this time Lyman 16A replaced the Marbles 69 for MC stocks. Since the other M70 chamberings that were offered with LC stocks came along in 1955 (270 WIN, 30-06, 358 WIN – but not 243 WIN that was MC only) ANY 1954-1957 LC FWT should have a Win 22K.
1958-1959: The LC FWT was dropped from the catalog in 1960. Thus, it is possible that some LC FWTs were assembled 1958-1959. Since the Win 22K was no longer in use, I would presume that LC and MC FWTs would both have the Lyman 16A (as indicated in Rule’s book). Of course, it’s not clear to me whether LC FWTs were actually made after 1957, or whether the factory was just selling off inventory.”

https://winchestercollector.org/forum/winchester-sights/model-70-fwt-rear-sight-1953/


And bsa, if you are finding this rifle for $700, I hope you are buying every … single … one.

This simply was someone’s hunting rifle remember to many these were just tools. The rear sight looks like it has always been there

Any interest here for the rifle?

Thanks Chris

$950 shipped to your ffl

I pass on a lot of them that look like they were hunted hard and put away wet. The main thing I look for is pristine original metal and finish. The stock doesn't concern me as much, but when the bluing and metal has scratches in it and the bore is worn out, those are the ones I stay away from. Also, in regards to the sights. I always look to the Rule book. He was the model 70 man. Whitaker is also a good reference, but not nearly as good as Rule. You can use Luis, but last I knew, he hasn't written a book on the subject.

Ola’ Senor Lawrence-

Me llamo Luis… I am new to this “Campfire” country, having only recently emigrated from my native Guatemala courtesy of the generous immigration policies of your Government…

I have followed this website for some time, yet have never felt I had anything to contribute about which you had not already provided a DEFINITIVE (albeit not always correct) answer… So FORGIVE my ignorance and impertinence…

Regarding this thread, the statement (quoted by AK) with which you took exception was an excerpt of a WACA post I did in 2016. Roger Rule said (on p 184), while discussing Featherweight rear sights, that the (tall) Win 22K was used from 1952-1955 on low comb FWTs, while the (tall) Lyman 16A folding sight was used with low comb stocks from 1955-1963… Hence, a Win 22K on a low comb M70 FWT from 1957 MUST be incorrect… That’s your logic, right?

Where did Roger get his information? How did YOU independently verify its accuracy? Is it “Just you take” iskra? (Hi John – Miss you on WACA)! My comments (which were for the WACA audience) were based on two things: 1) Period Winchester catalogs; and, 2) WACA’s (my) ongoing observational survey of pre-64 M70s “as-found” between 1975 and today (currently over 20,000 entries). Admittedly we’ve only got <4% of total production, but what did Roger have? In your eyes Roger’s undocumented “observations” trump Winchester’s own literature and “what’s out there”… That’s ALL GOOD…

Don’t get me wrong… Rule’s book is ESSENTIAL reading for anyone FOOL enough to decide to collect pre-64 M70 Winchesters… There’s nothing better (yet)… I guess I’d only humbly suggest that “The Rifleman’s Rifle” is not the “BIBLE” (in the Christian “Word of GOD” sense)…

A final comment, since I am unlikely to post here again after Lawrence gets done with me… Anyone having SERIOUS questions about pre-64 M70 Winchesters is WELCOME to post them on the WACA forum. If you choose to use the CONFIDENTIAL “Query” option under the “Contact Us” tab, the questions will be automatically forwarded to a pre-designated “Historian” (Model specific) who will do their best to provide a satisfactory answer based on available information (as opposed to Larry’s forcefully expressed opinion). In the case of pre-64 M70s, the queries go either to me or Steve Emmert (seewin)… All that said, we’re not real good with the “what’s my gun worth (without pics)” type question and we don’t know much (anything) about post Olin Model 70s. For those questions, stay here and ask AK… He’s THE MAN!!!

All the best,
Luis

Ola' "Luis"

Actually, even though I am only an occasional visitor and contributor here, I would prefer that you stick around and offer your viewpoints and observations more often. I don't think any of us are so old or so smart that we can't consider the possibility that we might learn something new.

Even an "expert" like BSA, whose expertise up to this point as far as I can determine, is that he can buy Model 70's for half of what everybody else pays and he can read and quote Rule.

Quite a few observations in this small thread. I also am an infrequent chatty kathy here,but I had one small observation. Some derogatory comments made about people that I have much respect for, and I momentarily got my feathers ruffled. Then I was reminded of what my grandmother told me many times, many years ago, "What Sally says about Suzy says more about Sally than Suzy." So my observation would be that maybe someone's mom and dad were not the best genetic blend for a certain someone.

How about 900 shipped to your ffl

I think you’d be well served to post this in the classifieds with a full add and your pictures. You will get a lot more eyeballs.

Not trying to be an ass, but condition is not good enough to be a collector and with the low comb not a good choice for scope mounting. $800 to $900 to the right guy.

Well since I saw a couple of Featherweights for sale today, I decided to look at this thread. The gun is at least $950 plus shipping around here. It has the proper sights, the metal is not bad, the stock, although unaltered, has definitely seen better days. Low comb stocks are not that bad for scope mounting, they are not the best for sure, but definitely useable. They didn't switch to flippy (Lyman 16a or B) across the board until a little later. Without grabbing my Rifleman's Rifle I will say this is a 1956 gun. I know 1957's start somewhere over 400000. Most Featherweights were used and show it. I saw a very clean 1957 Featherweight in 243 today for $1,400.00.