Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Winchester Collectors Model 70 Featherweight

What I meant was mine looks like the date code was stamped before the barrel was polished for bluing in the factory. The polishing marks on the bottom match the top and the caliber stamping is normal. I don't think the barrel was refinished.

Marc, I'm guessing that is the case. It seems odd to me that they would've polished this one of mine so much that the date code is as obscured as it is, but it certainly could be the case as well.

I guess as far as the books go, I'm not a collector of those, so I'd probably try to find one mainly for the content, not the value of the book itself, lol. I guess kinda like the 70's I have acquired, lol.

I got $425 for the last rule (1st edition) I sold. I have seen them go for $500, but not for a few years. I think the paperback edition brought the price down.

I am getting in on this discussion pretty late, but here is my take on the barrel.
I believe it is most likely a Super Grade barrel that slipped through the cracks, and was installed on a standard rifle. The "SUPER" stamp look's correct to me for a late S/G rifle. That said, all S/G Fwts barrels were rust blued, which this one does not appear to be. The only reason they were stamped SUPER was to earmark them for rust bluing. There is no other difference between the 2 barrels other than the finish. The date stamp is not a big deal in that Winchester quit stamping dates in 1956. Since the Fwt S/G was released in '55, there were not many with date stamps, if any at all. I have one of mine that is in the 1955 production, and it is stamped with a "55". My othr 3 are later guns made after 55 and none have a date code. I do not recall reading in the post what the s/n was or manuf date, but bet it was 56 or later. In conclusion I believe the barrel was originally earmarked for the Super Grade, but received a conventional Dulite blue and was installed on the standard Fwt rifle. The proofmarks line up very well, also indicating to me it is the original barrel installed at factory.
Just my thoughts.
Steve

No doubt that the paperback brought the price down but the internet did more to lower the price IMHO. It used to be that if you wanted a leather bound version of Rule's book you bought it when you found it regardless of price (withint reason) now you can sit in your underwear and find everyone for sale at 3 AM! It used to be normal to pay $100-$200 for a 1940's Winchester catalog because you couldn't find one. Now you seach Ebay and there are 10-20 of them for sale at $19.99!

The $425 was that for a normal 1st addition or the limited edition leather bound one with the sleeve?

The normal one.

Steve, thanks for the input. I thought I had put the year in the original post, but may have forgotten to do that. I've got it as a 58 manufacture so your bet would be correct. That was one of the other things that I noticed as I was looking at the markings this AM, the bluing does not appear to be a rust blue. Proof marks are right on the money as well.

Your take on the markings could answer that question, but it then opens up another one for me, why replace the floor plate with a steel one???

Really have no idea about the floorplate. However I have seen alumimum fwt floorplates used on standard and Varmint rifles. I do not recall reading, but is the trigger guard aluminum? The aluminum floorplates did not hold the finish very well and were prone to denting fairly easily. Perhaps it was replaced after the fact? It's anybodies guess!
Steve

Nope, trigger guard appears to be steel as well. The entire bottom metal has been re-blued, and you can see some pitting under the bluing.

Appears to be? It just isn't that hard to check it with a magnet. If it's steel, the magnet will stick. If it's aluminum, it won't.

Yes, that is true, but I wasn't looking closely at the trigger guard simply because I wasn't too concerned with it. Coloring on the trigger guard is exactly the same as the floor plate on it and I know the floor plate is steel due to the pitting.