Lets see your pre 64 model 70's

Here's a pic of a Pre-64 M70 custom to make the true collectors puke. :evil:

It is the tan rifle. I had this put together over the past year. I wanted a smaller caliber playmate and long range doggie rifle that matched my larger caliber BG rifles.

It's a 6mm Rem on a 1947 M70 transition action with cloverleaf tang and bearpaw safety. It wears Blackburn bottom metal, a Brux #3 SS 8-twist 24" barrel, and a McMillan/Echols Legend Edge stock. The parts alone were $2000.

Bill Leeper trued the action and did the metal work. Jan Kolenbrander did the stock work for me. Then Mitch Kendall painted the stock and Gunkoted the metal to resemble a matte blue finish yet be weatherproof.

I bedded and lapped the low dual dovetail Leupold rings, and mounted the 3.5-10X40 matte CDS scope, since switched out to a 3.5-10 B&C with M1 elevation turret. With the #3 barrel it weighs 8 pounds 9 oz all up.

As mentioned it is intended as a long range coyote and wolf rifle, I use the Hornady 105 A-Max at 3150 fps. I have put just over 100 rounds through it, and the LARGEST 100 yard group so far is 0.55". Groups out past 500 yards have stayed at about 1/2 minute. Now that ungulate season is over, it's time to find the yotes. :)

For interest's sake the green rifle is a 7 Mashburn Super on a Classic action. Custom bolt handle, Krieger 24" #2, Williams bottom metal, Wisner extractor, Pre-64 trigger and another Legend Edge stock. It works too. ;)


 
There is no shortage of Gravol around to soothe the stomachs of those who may "puke" at the sight of your rifle.Me personally. I think that outfit looks just fine and you should be proud of it and rightly so.Great job.
 
Since we're putting up pre-64 customs here's my latest. It was built for me by GEFlach on here. I acquired a donor grade pre-64 fwt in 270 from a great CGNer. It already had the stock cut and a pad installed, the sights were removed and the barrel was questionable so I didn't feel too bad using it for this project. I've always used my standard 300 H&H mountain hunting up North, it's a great rifle but on the heavy side for backpacking. Not a problem to pack it but when I'm down South I've used my fwt 270 which is admittedly nicer to pack. So I wanted 300 Magnum power in a featherweight. Gary switched out the barrel for a Classic stainless take off barrel in 300 Win Mag. He turned it down to featherweight contour and shortened it to 22 inches. He opened up the action for the magnum cartridges. He bedded the action and free floated the barrel. Then he put gun-cote on all the metal, it's black and looks like a matte bluing but very durable. Hoping to scope it and give it a try on the weekend.
 
Not going to post a photo. wondering on the value.

1951 Pre 64 model 70 308 Fwt. Gun is correct except it lacks the buttplate. Standard 12.5" LOP has been shortened to 11.75" and a pachmar pad added.

i know its hard without a photo...ballpark. Gun is in the 90-95% range..conservatively.
 
Model 70 Featherweight. Pre 64 but unsure of the exact year. In .264 WinMag. This gun belongs to my grandpa, and my grandma used it for hunting back in the day. The scope is just some cheap fixed zoom bushnell from 30 years ago probably.

264WINMAGb.jpg
 
Hello, I happened to buy a Winchester model 70 pre64 on a whim the other day, got it from a coworker. Id like to know as much about it as possible, info seems a bit hard to find as it has a serial number of 6###x (yes that is only 5 digits). I garner that it was made between 46-48. any info would be awesome as well as a value. thanks and without further adoo:

it has what i am told to be factory drilled holes, i havent checked the thread size yet. I have held alot of guns and worked alot of actions, this is easily the smoothest and fastest bolt i have ever had the privelage of playing with.


steel butplate, stock has seen some use and safe dings for sure


rear site is aftermarket for sure, i think the front is as well, going to be looking for them soon


i have never seen the caliber as "30gov't06" before, thought it was pretty cool


not much blueing left but i was told that is common with the material that this was made with
 
Advoc said:
Model 70 Featherweight. Pre 64 but unsure of the exact year. In .264 WinMag. This gun belongs to my grandpa, and my grandma used it for hunting back in the day. The scope is just some cheap fixed zoom bushnell from 30 years ago probably.

264WINMAGb.jpg
Click to expand...

That's neat, those Featherweight 264 Win Mags are a pretty rare bird. Have you had opportunity to shoot it?
 
I just picked up another Pre'64 Model 70 today. A 1962 Fwt in 270 with very good metal and an old 4X Scopechief in Weaver Tipoff mounts.
I've bought and sold about 12-14 Pre'64's in the last 4 or 5 years....built three into customs, sold one of them.
Some days I wish I'd kept all 12 or 14 of them...:)





 
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nowarningshot said:
Not going to post a photo. wondering on the value.

1951 Pre 64 model 70 308 Fwt. Gun is correct except it lacks the buttplate. Standard 12.5" LOP has been shortened to 11.75" and a pachmar pad added.

i know its hard without a photo...ballpark. Gun is in the 90-95% range..conservatively.
Click to expand...

Nowarningshot.
The featherweight and .308 cartridge came out from Winchester in 1952. There are several sites to check out DOM from serial #. .308 was one of the most common cartridges in the fwt. If all the parts are there and original, finish being what you claim, with the cut stock, I would estimate value about $850.

Blowback
 
Ekoso.
Nice old piece you have. It was built in 1947 transition period. Type 11 action with what appears as a transition safety wing. It would have been drilled and tapped from the factory. The designation 30 Govt was the early designation from the US Army in 1906 when the new .30 cal was adopted by them. Winchester later stamped them with the 30-06 Springfield title. Rear sight was originally a blade sight Winchester 22G, front sight is a Winchester 103C. See Wild Bill Hickok on this site for parts.
Bluing was as good as any on this rifle, years of carry and wear and tear will thin any blued rifle. Refinishing will detract from collector value, it just depends on what your intentions are. The 30-06 cartridge was the most common chambering by far, so brings the lower values as far as collectability.
Good luck with your "new rifle".

Blowback
 
Advoc said:
Model 70 Featherweight. Pre 64 but unsure of the exact year. In .264 WinMag. This gun belongs to my grandpa, and my grandma used it for hunting back in the day. The scope is just some cheap fixed zoom bushnell from 30 years ago probably.

264WINMAGb.jpg
Click to expand...

Advoc.
The .264 FWT Westener was produced in 1962-1963. Manufacture date can be looked up right down to the month. Contact me if you wish. The fwt Westener was the 5th rarest model of the 14 types built pre-1964 with 3,116 produced.
They are a very effective fast, flat shooting round. I'm sure it has had it's share of adventures and game taken.
Regards

Blowback
 
MattW said:
Since we're putting up pre-64 customs here's my latest. It was built for me by GEFlach on here. I acquired a donor grade pre-64 fwt in 270 from a great CGNer. It already had the stock cut and a pad installed, the sights were removed and the barrel was questionable so I didn't feel too bad using it for this project. I've always used my standard 300 H&H mountain hunting up North, it's a great rifle but on the heavy side for backpacking. Not a problem to pack it but when I'm down South I've used my fwt 270 which is admittedly nicer to pack. So I wanted 300 Magnum power in a featherweight. Gary switched out the barrel for a Classic stainless take off barrel in 300 Win Mag. He turned it down to featherweight contour and shortened it to 22 inches. He opened up the action for the magnum cartridges. He bedded the action and free floated the barrel. Then he put gun-cote on all the metal, it's black and looks like a matte bluing but very durable. Hoping to scope it and give it a try on the weekend.
Click to expand...

NIce rig Matt,

I had one Pre'64 opened up to a magnum and rebarreled to 308 Norma....I'd not do it again.

A 30-06 would have done the same thing thereby leaving the action unmolested.

Have you chronyed the 300 Win in the 22" barrel?
 
Rembo said:
NIce rig Matt,

I had one Pre'64 opened up to a magnum and rebarreled to 308 Norma....I'd not do it again.

A 30-06 would have done the same thing thereby leaving the action unmolested.

Have you chronyed the 300 Win in the 22" barrel?
Click to expand...

Thanks Rick,
As you know I also have your old fwt 30-06 so I really only did this just cause I can, and being that it's not original I don't feel too bad if it gets a little beat up in the mountains. I'm not too worried about having opened up the action.
So far I'm getting 3075 to 3100 with 180gr Partitions with book loads.
 
So, you have my '59 '06 Fwt that is on my "List of Rifles I Should Have Kept"?...I trust you are looking after it?...:)

I just bought another Fwt a couple weeks ago, in 270.

That's plenty fast for a 22" barrel, some loads don't do that out of a 24" tube.

I'm having second thoughts about not opening them up to a magnum.....I've acquired 4 Pre'64 M70's in the last couple weeks, already have two rebarreled and restocked in 280 and 35 Whelen.
The 270 Fwt will remain as is, one is a 6mm AI, the other two are 30-06's, one will remain a 30-06.
I think about rebarreling the other one but after awhile it gets hard to decide on .473" bolt face chamberings..:)..with a .532 bolt face you open up a whole lot of options even with the 3.4" mag box.
But, then again, it's a clover leaf tang action so I suppose one should leave it alone.

 
Oh yah, I'm taking good care of the 59, it has a nice Zeiss 3-9x36 on it and I shot a bear with it.
As for velocities, I've been finding that a couple inches of barrel doesn't make as much difference as I used to think. I also run a 7mm STW with a 24 in barrel and I have a 270 with a 20 in barrel, both are getting very respectable velocities.
 
Here a some pics of the Whelen. I've posted these before.
1949 action, stainless 14" twist Shilen recontoured to resemble a Douglas contour at 23". McMillan Hunter's Edge stock. Put together by Bill Leeper. With 3.5-10 on top, 7lbs 11ounces, I've since modified the rings to mount a 2.5-8.


The 280 is a 1946 action , cloverleaf tang, 23" stainless McGowan recontoured similar to the Whelen but lighter, one of Stuart's lightweight stocks in the new Fwt pattern. He's painting it right now.
 
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