Pre-64 Winchester Model 70...brought back to life

[1-M-42]

Early last year I picked up a couple of pre-64 Winchester Model 70s, one in .308 (Featherweight) and one in 30-06 (or .30 Gov't '06 as shown on the barrel). Good news was that I got them for a reasonable price and both were mechanically sound with excellent bores. Bad news was they had both been ranch rifles and the finish was pretty bad. The '06 had a driver's license and social security number etched on the receiver....pretty hideous. After several months of back and forth I finally decided to have the '06 refinished (I'm leaving the .308 as is). It shoots so well I had decided that I was going to put it in my hunting gun rotation and figured it better have a finish that would help protect it. From a collectors standpoint I know that redoing it would hurt its "collector" value but I tempered that by looking at that absurd etching on it....Well, its done and looks pretty good. A close friend used a draw file and was able to lose the numbers etched into it and polish it out. He parkarized all the metal (including the rings and mounts) and pounded it all back together. Surprisingly, for as bad as the metal was, the wood is in really nice shape....go figure. Anyway, here it is, don't brutalize me too bad
(sorry, no "before" pics)

[1-M-42]

[Armistice]

Looks really nice

[bigbossman]

I envy you that 308 featherweight. One of my grail guns, for sure.

[highpower]

I know how you feel. I picked up a pre-64 Featherweight in .30-06 last year that was also a ranch rifle. Mine defiantly has lots and lots of character, but I decided to leave it alone for the time being. It is now my primary hunting rifle and I figure that I can't hurt it any further.

[SVT-40]

Looks nice, and that is some nice figure in the stock....I also like the period looking scope. A fantastic shooters rifle... Looks great, and you can take it out without worrying about scratching it!!!

[TRAP55]

Nice job!

[1-M-42]

Thanks, wish I had taken a pic of the etching on the receiver so you knew how bad it looked prior

[smle-man]

Thanks, wish I had taken a pic of the etching on the receiver so you knew how bad it looked prior

I once owned a Winchester 95 carbine in .30 that some yahoo electro-penciled his name all over it. I was going to break down and refinish it but a collector bought it and paid me what I had into it so I was glad to let it go. Your 70 looks sweet!

[glockman19]

Sweet

[Enfield47]

Looks very nice, your friend did a great job.

[Discogodfather]

Beautiful, looks original. Why suffer through a ratty smelly stock? Never put collecting value ahead of the rifles function, ever.

[redcliff]

Very nice, I love the old Winchester Model 70's. I have a decent pre-64 Model 70 .30-06 I've been saving for a future project.

[Target-Ed]

I love my pre 64 Win 70....fantastic shooter it shows the true quality of American Manufacturing....and incredibly accurate

Ed

[drdarrin@sbcglobal.net]

Nice job.