Winchester Featherweight Question

ojr

I have been looking for a new Featherweight in 308, I had one made in the FN factory in SC ,I bought it because I was in a gun shop and so was the rifle and the stock looked good. I managed to get it shooting very well with a load of Varget and an SST, however like a fool once done with it I sold it and carried on and now dearly wish I hadn't

I 've been looking hard but there are simply no new Walnut/Blued Winchester Featherweights for sale in any shop in the country, that I can find

What I have found is two with the stainless barrelled action in the wooden stock.
I'm just not sure of the ??? authenticity/ desirability [not even sure how to describe what I mean] of this combination, I've never had this combination and am not sure whether this type of rifle is where I'd like to start. 
Both of these rifles are at the other end of the country so no chance of looking before Buying

What do you think, is a Stainless Featherweight rifle a desirable rifle.

earlyagain

Well I found all my old catalogues but the Winchester.  :-( 

In the early 1990's the Win Classic line was brought out. Returning the big claw extractor action. Shortly after, stainless and wood as well as stainless and polymer rifles came out.

Taste is subjective. I liked the then new rifles. 

ojr

Checking the Winchester site, I see the stainless model is no longer produced, so two ways of looking at it really
I- it will be a superb buy and will only go up in value
2- Nobody wanted one , couldn't sell it so don't make it any more, don't waste my money

Hard to know really .
Thanks Early, these are the newer Controlled Rd Feed actions.

earlyagain

The Featherweights were offered with fancy checkered stocks. I can't recall the name for the pattern. I'd guess folks want blue with that wood.

You could maybe peruse Gunbroker for a price comparison. 

Uncle Fester

Wait out the current shortages and get one like mine.

earlyagain

Yea!
That's the cool looking stock they came with. The continuation of the straight slightly raised comb, and the snable fore end are nice too.

My old 52' Win fthrwt just has plain wood.

They're nice rifles. 

ojr

Real nice Uncle Fester. 
Checkering with a Fleur De Lis design Early, at least  my one did. 

Wambli Ska

ojr said:

I have been looking for a new Featherweight in 308, I had one made in the FN factory in SC ,I bought it because I was in a gun shop and so was the rifle and the stock looked good. I managed to get it shooting very well with a load of Varget and an SST, however like a fool once done with it I sold it and carried on and now dearly wish I hadn't

I 've been looking hard but there are simply no new Walnut/Blued Winchester Featherweights for sale in any shop in the country, that I can find

What I have found is two with the stainless barrelled action in the wooden stock.
I'm just not sure of the ??? authenticity/ desirability [not even sure how to describe what I mean] of this combination, I've never had this combination and am not sure whether this type of rifle is where I'd like to start. 
Both of these rifles are at the other end of the country so no chance of looking before Buying

What do you think, is a Stainless Featherweight rifle a desirable rifle.

I have no issue with a stainless rifle.  I don’t have many of them but that’s mostly because there just are not many made compared to the tons of blue or black finishes out there so I just don’t bump into many of them.  I also prefer older guns and the farther back you go the fewest stainless options there are.

From an aesthetic perspective a stainless rifle has never appealed to me as much as a dark finish, except in a practical manner.  So the ones I have are my “crap weather” guns.  But that’s strictly a personal observation and I have no clue if it’s a general feeling.  

So if I wanted a featherweight in .308 as a working gun I’d buy a stainless one in a minute.  If I was looking for desirability/collectibility I’d have to do a lot if research. 

JKP

I don't have that particular rifle but I've got some stainless / wood rifles and like the way they look. 

JKP

If you don't end up liking how it looks with the wood, you could make it look like my Model 70 Featherweight.

Wambli Ska

JKP said:

If you don't end up liking how it looks with the wood, you could make it look like my Model 70 Featherweight.

I like that gun!

ojr

Thanks all for your replies, some stuff to think about.
I have several "Working Guns" around below and above the 308 calibre so not a necessity, but don't actually have a 308 calibre currently which could be reason enough.
Stainless/Walnut, just not a combo I've been attracted to in the past but ????

JPK, I too like that rifle and it is to me it has the look of a fine  working gun.
Is that wood but coated or is it a Synthetic stock that has been coated with the pattern

Alex is going to send me some photos of a  Featherweight he has , however they have some really bad weather up there in Auckland at the moment so it could be awhile as he may well have other stuff to contend with
Hope you didn't get flooded out Alex.

JKP

It's synthetic. Custom backyard paint job. 

Bigslug

If a light, controlled-round feed rifle with a 3-position safety is the primary mission, you might want to tune your radar to blip on the Ruger M77 MKII / Hawkeye line.

Ruger has been pretty squirrely on consistency of their model lineup the last few years, but they ARE currently doing a Hawkeye Compact in blue/wood/.308.

My Gunsite Scout delivers the goods, at any rate...

ojr

Thanks Bigslug.

ojr

Well Gentlemen, thankyou all for your input
I think, courtesy of a fellow forum member my wonderings may well be over.

There will be more to follow.

Wambli Ska

ojr said:

Well Gentlemen, thankyou all for your input
I think, courtesy of a fellow forum member my wonderings may well be over.

There will be more to follow.

Ooooops are the kiwis crafting a plan? 😎

ojr

A cunning plan.
In fact, a plan so cunning you could pin a tail on it and call it a weasel.
To turn a phrase.

orchidman

ojr said:

A cunning plan.
In fact, a plan so cunning you could pin a tail on it and call it a weasel.
To turn a phrase.

Wambli Ska

🤣🤣🤣🤣