Pre-64 Win Model 70 Value help

manitou210

manitou210

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Picked up this Winchester Model 70 308 win Featherlight , 22" barrel from a oldtimer and some other guns. He claims not three boxes of shells fired in it, he had not shot it since 1961.
I cleaned up gun, bore had some powder residue and tiny bit of copper and had a little of fine rust marks on barrel, cleaned up nicely with 0000 steel wool & Hoppes, scoped barrel its pristine throat has 0 erosion, rifling is sharp and clean
I stuck a T6 weaver with 1/8 TK lee dot and loaded some 168gr Bergers and Varget Pet load I found for another .308 Rem HV.
Took it to range and with a box of new Winchester 150gr after bore sighting I fired a 3 shot group with factory at 100 y group just under 3/4" My good friend old benchrest shooter fired 3 shots with Bergers & Varget well under 1/2 " for a light hunting might be the best hunting gun I have ever shot.
I really don,t need another hunting rifle and will sell this one. I did some searching on internet and these pre 64 go quite high especially odd calibers.
There is a problem with this gun for a collector, as oldtimers wife engraved drivers lic number on side of receiver so that be said what do you think value.



 
I wouldn't offer you more than $650 for it, mostly because of the fine engraving job on the receiver. If it was a calibre I really wanted I might go up to $750. That's without scope.
 
$650 ??
The engraving can be cleaned up and where can you get a rifle of that quality for $650 ??
 
jimmyjazz said:
$650 ??
The engraving can be cleaned up and where can you get a rifle of that quality for $650 ??
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Etching the SIN number on it killed the collector value and turned off a lot of ordinary buyers.
I am one of those people who think the pre 64 Model 70s were over rated and had it not been for Jack O'Connor, they would be rated on a par with BSA, Parker Hale, Husqvarna and somewhat inferior to the Sako and Browning rifles of the day.
I will go along with 650-700.
Bruce
 
I would go as high as 600$ but that is becoues it is a 308 .if it were a 264 wm I would go as high as 700$ .Dutch
 
H4831 said:
Etching the SIN number on it killed the collector value and turned off a lot of ordinary buyers.
I am one of those people who think the pre 64 Model 70s were over rated and had it not been for Jack O'Connor, they would be rated on a par with BSA, Parker Hale, Husqvarna and somewhat inferior to the Sako and Browning rifles of the day.
I will go along with 650-700.
Bruce
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Jack O'Connor and his contemporaries all ran a pretty mean manure shovel in their day, but no less so than the current crop of gun rag writers. The treatment of opinions as fact, has not gone away.

I think the 650-750 range is probably about right, depending upon who wants it or whether you need it sold or not.

It isn't mint, it isn't a rare caliber or model variant, and it's a good 'using', rather than 'collecting' rifle, and that would be about what one should be worth.

In that price range, a fella can afford to polish off the SIN number or otherwise live with it.

Like Mush says, no gold mine here. Just a decent shooting hunting rifle.

Cheers
Trev
 
I shoot model 70's.
Based on what Ive seen them go for and what they are worth...
About 750$ would seem like a fair price for that rifle.
 
hawkmp9 said:
I shoot model 70's.
Based on what Ive seen them go for and what they are worth...
About 750$ would seem like a fair price for that rifle.
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but would you write him a check for 750 $ that is the real question .I do not mean you personally .but in general when giving a value I look at it as what would I pay right now .lots off guys are realy good at giving there opinion but would thy break out the cash ,to the op you have a great rifle enjoy it shoot it and I am sure it will last you a life time just like it did the guy before you .if you want 600$ cash I will pay it Dutch
 
Just about anyone would throw $600 on that rifle. That is not the value, that is a deal. There is a difference.
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different strokes for different folks...dutch has put some money on the line. Dont know if the rifle is intended to be sold .. but fwiw - Dutch said he'd pay $600.00 .. might be worth $750 - 1200. BUT its dollar value is restricted to what someone will pay when you want to sell it.

I used to purchase/collect Leica camera's .. lots of them would show up for sale with a SIN engraved. That would cut the value by at least 50% or more. Yes - you could use them .. but if you got in bind and decided to sell them .. the engraving was a big PROBLEM.

As a "user" I would be comparing this rifle to a short action ZKK; with a slight nod to the ZKK for accuracy and offsetting concession to the Winchester for the nice looking stock .. bottom line -- I wouldnt go over $650 - $675 delivered particularly with the featherweights aluminum bottom medal and the pretty common calibre,
 
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Un molested, absolutely wonderful examples go for upwards of $1200, more for 270. Most common "improvement" is cutting down the stock and putting a recoil pad on. The engraving on the receiver is akin to that...unfortunately its probably in the range of $650-800. Great gun, and you might just keep and use it for that money. Collector value is gone with the engraving, but they arent making any more either.
 
the value of a rifle is only what a willing buyer is willing to pay at any given time .lots of folks can quote dollar figures but when it comes time to pull out the pocket book they change there tune in a hurry .D
 
dutchhunter said:
but would you write him a check for 750 $ that is the real question .I do not mean you personally .but in general when giving a value I look at it as what would I pay right now .lots off guys are realy good at giving there opinion but would thy break out the cash ,to the op you have a great rifle enjoy it shoot it and I am sure it will last you a life time just like it did the guy before you .if you want 600$ cash I will pay it Dutch
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It seems most have missed my point, not saying this is a collector rifle in this shape but a great hunting rifle, I really don't care what Jack or others thought I love the Pre 64 action.
Solid, rugged and reliable.

My point was look at the price of new standard grade rifles - Rem. 700 BDL $812 plus tax, Browning X-Bolt Hunter $808 on sale plus tax at LeBaron.
Much rather put my dollars on a Pre 64 than any of those for less as a hunting rifle and to reply to your question would I write a cheque for $750 for that rifle yes I would but I just bought the same rifle on EE without engraving for $875 otherwise I would gladly have paid $750 for this one.

JJ
 
There u have it everyone has a different idea on how to value a model 70 As far as this particular rifle being a 308 which is the most common of the featherweights and in a altered condition it would be in the $500-$600 range . It also looks like the Finnish has been stripped which again devalues it even more
 
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With new optics this would make a fine old model 70 you could take anywhere. Would make a good candidate for someone wanting to build a custom re-stocked pre-64 70' as there's no real "collector value" and that's fine. Just don't compare it to mint originals on those U.S. Auction sites. Throw it on the EE for say $800 and take best offer. Peronally I think the latest FN/Winchester 70's are hard to beat. My 2 cents.
Cheers
 
I just sold a pre 64, was re barrelled to 257 wby and a nicer wood stock, sold for $1400. If you find a guy that likes the pre 64, they have great value. But to people that never hunted with one, it's just another rifle. I personally love the pre 64, especially the featherweights. Iv also been offered $1000 for my pre 64 375 h&h, but if course, from a pre 64 fan. If that was in a 30-06, we would be dealing !! Lol
 
Take a bit of steel wool and buff out that engraving.... touch it up with some cold blue then take it out and chase deer with it..... if you decide to sell it down the road dont take less than 600.... nice rifle they dont make anymore and it will not go down in value.... put it that way.....
 
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