What is my Winchester Model 70 worth?
The bolt-action rifle the whole pre-64 argument is built around, and the one where the date matters more than anything else you can see. Two rifles in identical condition can be separated by a great deal of money purely by which side of 1964 they fall on.
Made 1936–present.
No page can price your gun, and one that offers to is guessing. What this does is show you which one you have — because that is where the money is.
How to tell which one you have
- Establish the year from the serial number before anything else. It is the single biggest factor in the value.
- Look at the extractor. Pre-64 rifles use a long claw extractor running down the side of the bolt; the later push-feed action does not have one.
- Read the caliber marking on the barrel. Some chamberings are common and some are genuinely scarce, and it changes the number substantially.
- Check whether the receiver has been drilled and tapped, and whether the stock is original and unsanded.
The versions that change the number
| Version | What it means for value |
|---|---|
| Pre-1964 | Controlled-round-feed action with the claw extractor, machined and forged. This is the collectible one and the reason the model has its reputation. |
| Post-1964 | Redesigned to control manufacturing cost. Perfectly good rifles that the collector market has never priced like the earlier ones. |
| Featherweight | Lighter barrel and different stock profile. A distinct market from the standard rifle, particularly in pre-64 form. |
| Later controlled-round-feed production | Winchester returned to the claw extractor in later years. Good rifles, and not the same thing as a pre-64 to a collector. |
What actually drives the price
- The year, and specifically whether it is pre-1964.
- The chambering, where scarce calibers command real premiums.
- Original stock, unsanded, with the original finish and no added recoil pad.
- Whether the rifle has been drilled, tapped, glass-bedded or otherwise altered for a scope.
And the two that apply to every gun on this site: do not clean it, and keep the box and papers. Removing original finish is permanent, and on the right gun the packaging is a real part of the total.
"Any Model 70 is a pre-64"
Model 70s have been made for ninety years, and the great majority in circulation are post-1964. Families regularly assume a rifle is the valuable version because they have heard the phrase. The extractor and the serial number settle it in about a minute, and it is worth settling before anybody prices it.
How do I tell a pre-64 without the serial number?
Open the bolt and look along its side. A long claw extractor running most of the bolt's length means controlled round feed, which is what the pre-64 rifles use. It is not conclusive on its own, since later production returned to that design, but combined with the serial number it settles the question.
Getting a number for yours
Send photographs and we will tell you what we will pay for it. We buy nationwide — a single firearm ships to us prepaid and insured, and for a collection we come to you. More on what separates one Winchester from another.