I’ve been on the hunt for a featherweight 257 Robert’s, and finally found a nice one. I tried looking up the date of manufacture, and best I could come up with was 1981. I’m hoping that’s correct. Also, would that make it a rifle that was produced by Winchester before usraco took over? Serial # is G1504xxx. It also has an aftermarket trigger on it, of which I’ve never seen. No markings or anything, but based on some pics I posted in the gunsmith forum, might be a Karl Kenyon. Would anyone happen to have any input on that. Here’s a few pics...

LOL we have been discussing the trigger on another forum. I just last week departed company with a similar 70 Fwt XTR in 257 Roberts, a 1980 model, G1506xxx serial number, that is in fact the last of the WRA guns. The recoil pad is the ID of un-catalogged WRA vs USRA guns. Mine had a standard M70 Trigger.

Regardless of year and trigger, you hit the walnut jackpot. What a beauty.

What a piece of wood!

That’s a looker! Congrats

Wow nice rifle!
I have a 223, 30-06 and a 35 Whelen in early Featherweights. Great rifles to say the least. I am looking for a 257R, 6.5 Swede, 7x57 and 243. I ran across a 243 with a nice piece wood a while back, not as nice as your Roberts, but, do to shortness of funds at the time I had to pass. The smaller calibers are few and far between up here.

Very nice !

My dad just gave my daughter one like this. Her's doesn't have such a stunning piece of wood though. Nice find.

Wow what a beauty!

Gorgeous, may I ask what you paid?

That stock is spectacular! A man could look a lifetime and never find one as nice. I would have to replace that trigger with an original factory version.

Thanks fellas. She’s a beauty for sure! I’m looking forward to getting it to the range and seeing how it shoots. It didn’t run me anymore than any other xtr of that vintage and condition. Can anyone confirm the 1981 DOM? The next order will be picking a scope to put on it 🤔

Not possible. The Featherweight XTR wasn't introduced until 1981. The first five or six months of 1981 were Olin-produced before USRA took over.

Apparently they only made these in 1981 and only until Jul 20, 1981 at that, more rare than I thought. 1981 serials for WRA guns go 1,493,464 - 1,525,323 a total of 31,860, and those are actual factory figures. Winchester told me this was a uncatalogged 1980 model but most other sources say otherwise???

According the SN Winchester has available, my daughters xtr featherweight was made in 1980 last model 70 made in 1979 ended with sn 144700 last model 70 made in 1980 ended with SN 1490709. Im not trying to get into a pissing match with bricktop uh I mean Jackietreehorn. But I have seen this repeated before the xtr featherweights were not made until 1981. When in fact I have one according to sn was made in 1980.

Sn puts a DOM in 1981.

Oh ok...

We've been through this before on here; Winchester catalogs and literature, magazine articles, etc. have been shared that clearly identified the date of introduction as 1981.

Your database is incorrect.

Nope. They were made until around '85 or '86. Not uncatalogued, you're just using flawed sources.

I am only referring to WRA made XTR "New" Featherweights. It appears they were made in 1981, not before. Of course the XTR came out sometime in the 1970's, but not in Featherweight or at least "new Featherweight". The only difference between WRA and USRA models is markings and that includes recoil pads. The models continued but under a licensing name deal. I have already seen about 4 sources giving different end dates for WRA manufacture. They are all in the G15xxxxx range though. Heck Winchester themselves told me mine was an uncatalogged 1980 model for heaven sake. I took them at there word. I always call the manufacturer on used guns for DOM for my records.

Talk is cheap. Winchester isn't going to put what you think they told you on official letterhead. I clearly remember when the XTR Featherweight was introduced, the whole Olin divestment saga, the formation of USRA, and so on and so forth. It's very possible that Winchester began manufacturing the XTR Featherweight at the tail end of '80 so that they could begin shipping them after the S.H.O.T. Show announcement in 1981. (The same event Joyce Hornady died while traveling to attend, for some other period trivia.)

Every time this is brought up, the same two yahoos respond and one of them throws a big bitch fit right on cue.

Beautiful wood, very nice rifle, love the Roberts round, but that's a truly horsechit trigger... Whoever had it before and put that trigger on it should be flogged in public until there's no skin left....

That matches my recollection as well.. Definitely early '80s production..

So you have the correct data base? If the one I referenced is wrong?

Don't forget about the 3rd yahoo Jackietreehorn from Malibu, every time this is brought up you chime in saying the same thing.. but you never provide sn or dates.. You just mention 1981..

Yep, yours is incorrect. If you can produce a Winchester letter stating otherwise, then pony up with it. Having been present in 1981 and earlier I can state with a HIGH level of confidence that the Model 70 Featherweight XTR didn't show up until early 1981. As for "sources," I believe the Rule Book states the G-prefix didn't show up until 1971, yet everyone seems to be more than eager to cite that as a source for all things Model 70.

For years I used the pdf that was available from winchester, which has seemed to dissapered off there website The nra website has the same list of sn and dom.. that's where I reference from now. I do know there is another source but everyone knows that source for sn is bad data. So who has the correct dom for sn? I guess one could call winchester and ask. Or go through the Cody museum.. so do you think or is it possible these were made in late 1980 and sat in the warehouse until late 1980 or early 1981 then shipped?

Made late '80 - early '81. Nobody will ever be able to put the exact date on it. Very last of the WRA rifles. Beautiful. Put an original trigger back on it and enjoy!

As stated earlier, this was Winchester's mack daddy new rifle for 1981. It's very likely they began producing and assembling these in the last few months of 1980 so that they could begin shipping them to dealers in January 1981. Winchester and other manufacturers do this for new product roll outs fairly regularly.

Are original triggers for these hard to come by?

That is a BEAUTIFUL rifle! What scope are you planning on putting on it?

Holy smokes is that yours? Now that’s a neat find.. that’s when guns and ammo was worth reading..

Not mine, but I have a copy somewhere in my attic along with the Winchester catalog for that year.

Talley lightweight lows and some form of 2.5-8, 3-9, 3.5-10, 2-12 etc. I haven’t quite got that ironed out just yet!

I like your 2.5-8x36 idea, but I'd be more inclined to throw a set of DD's on there. Here's how I had my 7mm08 classic set up:


Gloss rings and bases look much better than the square matte talley's.. IMHO..

I have matte dual dovetails, but I’d like to find a gloss scope to put on it. I’ve got a kahles 3-9x40 I was leaning towards putting on it, and if I go that route, I’ll probably just go with the matte rings as well.

My son has a featherweight in 257 Roberts that I bought for him about 15 years ago. Came with the original stock and a cheap ramline stock that had been cut down for a youth. He still hunts deer with that gun. The one thing about those rifles were the stocks are gorgeous. My son never let me put the original stock back on because he liked the way the youth stock fit him with hunting cloths on. So the original stock sits in my safe.

That is a beauty! I wanted a 257R when I ordered mine, it was not available so 6.5X55 it was. 2004 or 05, can't remember, right before the New Haven plant closed. Mine wears a 2.5-8 VX3. I am not sure how to post pictures, or else I'd show you all. The wood isn't as pretty as this 257 though!!