Well, actually it's on layaway, but it'll be in my safe soon! Today was a good day. I was perusing the gun library @ Cabela's and there it was- *a Winchester Model 70 XTR Featherweight in 6.5x55 Swedish* for a reasonable price. I couldn't beleive it. When I got home I told my wife about it and she said "Well honey, if you really want it you can put it on layaway." and that's right about when my neighbors must have smelled the tire smoke.
When I got back to the store it was still there! I grabbed it and went into the room with the salesman for a good look-over. This thing is in absolutely cherry condition, inside & out. The manager says he knows the guy that traded it in, said he bought it & stuck it in the safe thinking it was going to be worth a ton some day. Says he shot it very little, and I can tell. Only a couple small scratches and a little copper away from NIB. Apparently he got tired of waiting...
It's a G178XXXX s/n which I can't find anything on, there's not a good USRA serial list I can find. It is push-feed, standard mod 70 safety w/ a jeweled bolt, iron sights with a hood in the front, and a SWEET trigger. Very nice bluing. It has a different stock than on most Featherweights- there's no checking in it, and it's a real nice lighter peice of wood. (I actually prefer it to the standard Featherweight stock.) Plus it comes with a Pachmayr pad. Curious to figure out the vintage..
I've really wanted a 6.5 or a 260 in 8 twist for a long time now and never thought I'd come across one of these in this condition, so I'm super excited. Thought about a Tikka (plastic) or the 2011 Savage that's coming out in 260 (also plastic) but neither of these have anywhere near the class of this M70.. Can't wait to work up some handloads!
When I got back to the store it was still there! I grabbed it and went into the room with the salesman for a good look-over. This thing is in absolutely cherry condition, inside & out. The manager says he knows the guy that traded it in, said he bought it & stuck it in the safe thinking it was going to be worth a ton some day. Says he shot it very little, and I can tell. Only a couple small scratches and a little copper away from NIB. Apparently he got tired of waiting...
It's a G178XXXX s/n which I can't find anything on, there's not a good USRA serial list I can find. It is push-feed, standard mod 70 safety w/ a jeweled bolt, iron sights with a hood in the front, and a SWEET trigger. Very nice bluing. It has a different stock than on most Featherweights- there's no checking in it, and it's a real nice lighter peice of wood. (I actually prefer it to the standard Featherweight stock.) Plus it comes with a Pachmayr pad. Curious to figure out the vintage..
I've really wanted a 6.5 or a 260 in 8 twist for a long time now and never thought I'd come across one of these in this condition, so I'm super excited. Thought about a Tikka (plastic) or the 2011 Savage that's coming out in 260 (also plastic) but neither of these have anywhere near the class of this M70.. Can't wait to work up some handloads!